Hey Ladies!
I’m back!
Surgery went well…bit sore… but sooooooo glad it’s over!
I had a lumpectomy, full node removal and a re-shape! V sore on the left side and it feels like I’ve coulpe of boulders for t*ts!!!
Wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be… except for the removal of the drains - that was real tough!!!
Got out Monday, bit too soon for my liking! Yesterday was v sore but much better today!
Back to waiting again on results which is just awful but MRI showed no swollen lymphs which my consulant thought was a good sign so fingers crossed!
So sorry Td - that’s just sooooooo pant’s about your results but chin up pet!
Got a bit of good news today in that my dream house is now mines in 3 weeks (bad timing I know) but onwards and upwards!!!
Thank you so much for all your good wishes and I will speak more tomorrow
Nite nite
Ali x
Hey td, sorry to hear your results babe, as Ali says keep your chin up.
I haven’t had any prognosis as yet maybe on Monday when I see oncologist, feck really don’t want to see him now.
Great news Ali
Loads of love ladies
Lisa
xoxo
Hi Ladies
So sorry to hear your news Td, I’m sure your positive outlook will see you through the hard times ahead. It seems bizarre in this day and age that they can give an incorrect diagnosis. I work within Oncology and that is one of my major fears that I would give a mis-diagnosis. Good luck with your chemo, I don’t envy you. Makes me feel slightly guilty celebrating my “all clear”
Seems unfair in the same breath to say fantastic news, Ali. Glad you got back in touch. The “boulders” will improve. Mine feel as if I have mastitis…nice!! One minute they feel quite soft, the next, rock hard.
Had a long day today, so off to bed. Goodnight all.
Debi x
Ali! How nice to have you back!
Yes, my boulder thing is still going on - I had recon though so have this muscle which should be in my back coming under my arm causing the boulder feeling!!
You will all be pleased to know that I’m feeling better today - still lots of reflection and pondering of this new situation to go of course, but as you say, cup 3/4 full statistically, so that’s good, and mentally it’s coming up to half full again too.
everyone, not just us is in the same boat - none of us know what’s around the corner, so I think that maybe we have an advantage - we can plan and enjoy! I’m currently planning whether to change my career direction - my job is immensely enjoyable, not badly paid, but SUCH hard work that it impinges on the whole of the rest of my life, family, physical and spiritual… so I may just dust off my councelling qualification and see if I can do something with that…!! or my teaching course and make life easier… or do something completely different. Just need to also do the sums and work out what I need to earn!!
Big love Td xxx
Morning Td
Glad you can put a positive spin on this. Planning a new career to maximise your quality of life is just what I would do too. Getting home exhausted from work each day is bound to take its toll on you. Be easy on yourself - you need to give yourself the care and attention you have obviously given everyone else up to now. You would make a fabulous councellor. Tho TEACHING - not sure how relaxing that is - or do you mean in adult education?
Love Jo xx
Morning all
My consultant has just phoned to say he is hopefull of having my results this afternoon! I’m seeing him at 4pm!!!
Fingers (and everything else crossed!!!)
Any thoughts on what I should be asking?
Cheers
Ali x
3/4 and filling
love
Bridie
Ali!!
Hope you asked all the right things with no help from us!!!
What happened???
Td xxxx
Hey Love!
It’s kinda good news! They got it all with clear margins, so no more surgery! I had full node clearance and all were clear! But… the beast was grade 3 which is nasty! :0(((
So I will have to have chemo and radiotherapy which at the moment sounds really daunting. I’m seeing my oncologist tomorrow and we will come up with a treatment plan. It’s kinda weird cos I feel as if I should be happy and gratefull that they got it all but I’m just a wee bit over whelmed by it all. Anyhow onwards and upwards as they say!!!
How are you getting on?
Love
Ali x
Hi Ali
I too have just had my results and seen my oncologist. But to be honest I was over the moon with mine. I already knew my tumour was grade 3 invasive so no great surprise there, i just needed to know that i had clear margins which I did. I also knew I had a least ojne lymph node involved so again no great surprise in the end there was 2 out of 16 I think not bad really, could be worse. I am having 6 courses of FEC chemo and 4 week rad and tamoxafin for 5 years but the way I look at it they have removed the cancer and the cancerous lymph nodes so in my mind it has gone and now it is just the mop up to come. Not nice I know but hopefully all being well by the end of the year I ccan put it behind me.
So i echo you when you say ONWARDS AND UPWARDS !!!
Best wishes
Debs x
Ali and Debs at least you know whats happening and it wasn’t too bad, pretty much like me although my margins weren’t great so had more surgery. 3/10 involved but as Debs says it couls be worse.
I see my oncologist on Monday and although I am apprehensive it can’t come soon enough.
I was out with the girls tonight and they are arranging end of year nights out (teachers huh) and all I can say is I don’t know.
Will let you all know what the craic is on Monday.
Loads of Love
Lisa
Hi ladies
I’ve got my appointment for first TAc of 6. bearing inmind I requested a thursday morning, they’ve sent me a tuesday afternoon!!! Can’t do that - kids/school/nursery etc, so will have to change it on Monday… as if we don’t have enough to think about!!!
going dancing now… better take some good pain releif!
Td xxx
Morning ladies
Sorry I don’t come on at the weekend I was reeling from my treatment plan that I got from my oncologist on Sat morning.
I have to have 4 treatments of one type of chemo then 4 of another, then 5 weeks of rads then tamoxofen for 5 years! Can’t beleive I will be having treatment for 8 months, starting at the beginning of July! God that takes me way into next year. It’s just so unfair! I’ve already lost half my boobs to the God dammed disease now I’m gonna lose my hair and 8 months of my life! Its so unfair!
Does anyone know why some peoples treatments are more intense than others. I know my tumour was grade 3 but I had no lymph involvement - I thought that was a good thing yet I seem to be having more chemo than others who only have 4 or 6 treatments!
Sorry I’m rattling on but I’m just so scared/mad/angry!
How are you all doing today anyway?
Love
Ali x
Hi Ali
just read your thread. sorry to hear you are having rough time. You do seem to have the raw end of the deal. I thought it was bad enough that I have to have 6! I have grade 3 and having chemo to reduce lump before op. By my calculations, my treatment will take me until at least christmas and maybe after, depending on how it all goes, and I to feel really peeved that I am losing about eight months of my life and can not really make any plans during this time as you have to take each week as it comes. My son is hoping to go to uni in sept and I dont even know if I will be able to take him there (he is going a long way off) as my op is due at the same time. Believe me, I can totally sympathise with you on this one as I feel the same. We have also wondered often, how they determine the treatment plan, i.e, who has op first and who has chemo first etc. perhaps different oncologists believe in different amounts of chemo. do they not realise what a horrible experience this is!!!
keep your chin up and hope you feel better soon. dont let this get the better of you.
deb x
Hello ladies!
Ali - I empathise entirely. Because of the change in lymph node status, my chemo changed from FEC to TAC. All chemo is sh*t and messes up everything INCLUDING the cancer - we must hang on to that!
I haven’t thought of it as loosing 8 months of my life - I’ve been quite excited to think that I have a break from work and that I can spend a decent amount of time considering my future. I’m starting a course in September (not sure what yet, but it will be something like stained glass, jewellery making or painting - a far cry from midwifery!!) and I’m hoping that that will give me some more interests and skills. I’m thinking about cutting my midwifery days to 2 and then running something like some private antenatal classes (very lucrative, but not removed from midwifery…) or teaching dressmaking. I may even go back to making wedding dresses… haven’t done that for a few years (last one was mine - I was 8 months pregnant and couldn’t find anything in the shops!!) i do hope that the break will encourage me to get off of the treadmill though… but I do need to have a decent income if I don’t want to downsize on house etc…
Went dancing on Satuday - had a fab time - bit achy now though…
Good on you for bare-heading it Deb!! I’ve got wig fitting this week. Managed to change my chemo to Fri 20th start which is much more convenient! I’m having 6 Ali, but 6 EVIL ones… I have a friend who has been having chemo for the whole of this year and 6 months of last (she has a grade 3 tumour that’s inoperable) and sometimes she feel awful and sometimes she’s just fine… Let’s just wait and see what happens.
I’m still planning ahead but know that sometimes I may have to change my plans…
Big Love to all!!
Td xxxx
Hey Ali, Debs and Td,
I was at the onc yesterday forgot to post on here last night.
He was lovely, I’m glad he is cause I’d hate to be spending the next however many months with a consultant I didn’t like.
I am having 6 too. 3xFEC and then 3xTax. I was due to start on 18th but as my kids have their school play and Kyle has his leavers ceremony I asked for it to be put back and he agreed no problem.
I start then on 25th, the hospital I am at do their chemo on a Wed so I knew that would be the day.
I worked it out that if I have no infections and don’t get caught in any holidays then I should be finished the chemo by Oct (15 weeks), but as my OH was saying to a friend I get colds all the time. If the kids bring anything home I’m the one that gets it not him.
Then a break and then 5 weeks of rads, then the tamoxifen for 5 years too. He told me yesterday I am HER2- so will not need Herceptin which is great.
I have to make an appt with my dr to get my bloods taken the day before to ensure white cell count is ok.
He was very positive and told me if I had decided not to do the chemo he would lock me in the room until they had made me change my mind.
I know that in order to stop this thing going anywhere else (I had 3/10 nodes involved) I have to have the chemo.
I felt a bit off about it when the appt came in but I’ve had nearly a week to get used to the fact I AM going to have it, so I say BRING IT ON.
I think we will all be there for each other as we are all around the same stage and believe me I will have days when I rant and rave but after a moan I am usually alright.
I went to the bike shop and bought some comfies (same as buffs) so starting to prep for it and I might order myseld a chillo pillow for the night sweats, just in case and sure if I don’t need it I can give it to my mum who is going through the menopause.
Anyhoo my arm has started to swell up too :(. So I am seeing the physio on Thursday to get it sorted, not sure why might be doing too much I suppose.
All the offers of help have stopped since I have recovered from the surgery but I am sure that will all change in a couple of weeks. Might have something to do with trying to paint my hall the other night, which I need to finish lol.
Right best get it started then it will be finished soon.
Hope you are all having better days and enjoying the sunshine.
Loads of Love
Lisa
xoxo
Hi ladies
Thank you all for your kind words!
I’m a wee bit better today - had the unveiling of the boobs this morning and I’ve got to admit that I’m very pleased with the results (I had lumpectomy and reshape with reduction on good boob). I honestly thought that it woud be all Frankenstien like but not at all - samller certainly but very perky!
Anyway my treament - Looks like 4 x CMF and 4 x Epi (Chemo) followed by 5 weeks rads and then 5 years of tamoxifen. Feels like such a long treatment plan but needs must.
I think one of the most daunting parts is the not working for nearly a year - I’ve always worked and it feels odd to have such a long time off ahead. Maybe like you Td I should think about doing something different!
We are moving to a beautiful old house in 2 weeks that we had big plans for - that’s all kinda on hold at the moment but I cannot wait to get into the house of my dreams! ;o)))
My treatment should have started w/c 30th June but I’ve asked for it to be delayed for a week as I’m going to Wimbledon that week. They say it shouldn’t be a problem so its great that we get to go. Got tickets for Thursday 3rd and can’t wait! Staying in London until Saturday so going to take in a show on the Friday - We were thinking Dirty Dancing.
I think you’re right Lisa - we are all around the same stage - it’s good that we can ‘chat’ through it all - It really does help me to think that i am not alone.
Anyhow thats about all for now.
Hope you are all well!
take care
Alix
Morning ladies!
I went to ‘BC club’ last night - a group of lots of local women who have/have had bc. There was a spraker and it was the AGM so food & drink too… it was ok. I went with my ‘new’ friend Helen (we met in hospital) which was good, as most women were a lot older than us (we are both 44) and it felt like being in the infants with all the big girls around us! Think I’ll go again, but also think I may discuss setting up a group for younger women - there must be lots of us in such a big city, so where do they go?
My friend chemo is 4xCMF & 4x FEC and the fecs are 4 weeks apart, so she won’t be finished until near christmas. We’re both starting on 20th, and going to wig fitting & seroma drainage together tomorrow. Joy!
New house Ali ! Well, that’s a project in itself isn’t it? I’d like to sort mine out - I haven’t finished unpacking boxes, and we moved 3 years ago! My mate said she’d help with cleaning my house but only if I let her de-junk it first… maybe I should…!
Td xx
Hi Ali
glad you are feeling better and like your ‘new look’!!! I am having a reduction when they operate and look forward to it.
Td and all - I am having 3 x fec and 3 x tax and have my 3rd fec on thursday 19th, so most of us will be spending that following weekend laid up I expect!!! As my lump seems to be reducing fast, they may keep me on fec all way through. hope so, as not heard good things about the tax. having scan and coil inserted in 2 weeks. all very daunting, but as you say, needs must. having problems at moment with ankles swelling up on and off. dont know if should call hospital or if its just the heat!
good luck all on chemos. thinking of you.
take care
deb x
Hey Ladies
Just to let you know I’m doing ok (ish!) I’m struggling a wee bit with my bad arm but I thinks that’s normal.
My chemo starts in 3 weeks, I’m dreading it but I’m strangley calmer now. I guess I just want all the protection that I can get.
Want to do lots of fun stuff prior to starting my chemo but really have to start thinking about my house move!
I’m starting to think I’m getting quite addicted to this site - I know I don’t write lots but I read loads!
I need to think about getting a wig soon… that’s kinds scaring me!
Hope you are all well today!
Take care
Ali x