Hi, I just want to make contact with the forum and start talking to people in a similar situaltion to myself. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2012 and have just had my second chemo. Just emerged from the steroid mood rush so am trying to be constructive for the next 2 weeks before it all happens again.
I was very fast from finding the lump to starting chemo (13 days) so although this has been fantastic in terms of treatment, my head is struggling to catch up with what is going on.
I am really hoping and needing some support from others in a similar position as this has all turned life upside down.
Look forward to hearing from anyone really 
Hello Rocky Dog and Welcome to the forums…
Well done on getting things moving so fast . I had Chemo after my mx but understand that a lot of Consultants do Chemo before surgery now to reduce the tumour. I had FEC T Chemo for 6 cycles, what regime are you having ?
My next door neighbour has two small boys with autism, the youngest with a more severe form and his elder brother with Aspergers Syndromw. We babysit as she too is a single parent and we love looking after them. We have seen them change so much and develop over the years. They are 9 and 7 now and they moved next to us before they had the boys.
Well Christmas is just round the corner and I have not done an awful lot of shopping yet. I must start and get my act togther.
I hope you continue to do well. The steroids always made me feel a bit hyper . I was so grateful for the anti sickness meds as I was never ever sick. Hope you stay strong, sending you positive vibes and a big hug. Love Tracy xxx
Hi Tracey, really nice to hear from you. I’m having EC chemotherapy and by Taxotere for 5 months, then surgery, then radio. I have 2 tumours in my breast, one grade 3 which has gone to my lymph and the other grade 2. I have an MRI scan on friday for my liver as they have seen some things on it which as the letter says are "most likely benign haemangioma. I have the choice whether to go for the MRI or not, the doctors say they are happy to wait till the next routine scan but at the time I wanted to know so they ordered me one earlier. Today I think I’ll go but there’s every chance I’ll change my mind by Friday. Apparently it won’t change my treatment options.
Just started to think about christmas today in terms of presents. Have promised to put the chritmas tree up at the weekend which my son is very excited about.
Have you finished all your treatmen now then. How long ago did it all end for you and how are you now… sorry for all the questions.
Sarah x
Hello Sarah,
My diagnosis was June 2010, them mx in July. The cancer had spread to my lymph nodes ao I had chemo in August and now I am on Tamoxifen. I chose not to have Rads as I was a borderline case so I have kept that in reserve in case I get a reoccurence as you cant have radiotherapy more than once I believe. I feel fine now, really well but the Chemo sent me into an early menopause and made me feel dreadful. I now take antidepressants to counteract the lack of oestrogen in my body.
My daughter is going to put the tree up at the weekend with her boyfriend so that will save me a job as I am so behinh with everything this year as my Auntie died in November so I was helping my cousin to clear her house. We had just celebrated her 90th Birthday in October so we had two celebrations, a party at her own house , then a meal for 36 of her family and friends. It wa so good. We were very very close and I will miss her so much but I must stay calm and carry on . She would say pull yourself together Tracy !!! Take care of yourselves . xxx
How are you doing sarah ? Let us know if you need any support on here. Love Tracy x
Hi Tracey, I’m doing OK ish… Had a liver MRI on Friday beacause when they did the baseline ones they saw what might be benign haemangiomas. I’m terrible with needles so after my usual trauma they got the cannulae in for the contrast but when they started putting the saline through it really hurt so they had to do the scan withouth the contrast. I understand this won’t necessarily give them good enough images and I might have to have a second one. I called at the Macmillan unit and apparently your veins can get bruised which will account for my are being very senitive after my last chemo 2 weeks ago. I have a consultant appt on Tuesday so will get the results then. Obviously am pretty nervous about this.
It’s all feeling quite difficult at the moment especially because of my needle fobia and the understanding that a lot of blood tests and needles are going to be needed over the next 5 months. I will have to talk to the consultant about a hickman line I think but even this makes my stomach turn.
My relationship has fallen apart and not ended on a very good note so am single now to deal with it all apart from the very good support from my family. Sorry, just a moan there but I guess I just need positive people around at the moment and not those who make life more difficult than it is already.
Putting christmas tree up this afternoon so will try and lift my spirits and need to keep myself busy so I don’t fall into any holes.
Hope your OK and christmas is starting to arrive at your house.
Sarah x
Hello Sarah ,
I started to put my Christmas tree up yesterday but the lights would not work so that had to be delayed until I went out today and got some new fairy lights. So now the tree is up and I am starting to feel a bit more organised. I am looking forward to it much more now as my Auntie’s middle grand daughter is coming down from Glasgow to stay with my Mum. As they have two little boys aged 6 and 4 we will all be kept busy and they will help to put a smile back on our faces.
I understand what you mean about the needles. My veins crashed several times during Chemo and did not recover. I was never scared of needles before but then I got an infection and had to go on IV antibiotics for 5 days and because of the vein problem I had about 8 different cannula’s in as they all failed after a while. I too became needle phobic and the only way I could cope with it was to close my eyes and sing to myself so that I was totally distracted from what they were doing. I also asked for a more experienced nurse or specalist blood nurse to ensure minimum distress was caused.
Hope everything continues to move along okay for you. Take care Love Tracy xxx
Hi Sarah,
How are you doing ? I am totally unprepared for Christmas this year but things are gradually beginning to take shape. Let me know how you are . Are you still having Chemo and do you ahve a date for your operation.
Sending you love and hugs Tracy xxx
Hi Tracey,
Lovely to to hear from you. I am vaguely organised for christmas now though much easier as I’m going to my sisters for christmas so don’t have to do too much.
Had my third chemo on tuesday which went pretty well. My veins are collapsing a bit so they tried to put a picc line in but couldn’t manage it. My needle phobia was much helped with the lorazepam they prescribed me!! Have a date for a hickman line now on the 31st along with an mri to see how things are going.
I’ve got either 7 or 8 sessions of chemo altogether so my op won’t be until march/ april time. Then the radio after that. Apparently it’ll be a year or so until a reconstruction but things seem to be going quite quickly at the moment.
I had a liover MRO recently too and have 4 lesions there. Three of which are definately benign but the 4th they need to do another one to checkl as they couldn’t do the scan with the contrast due to my broken veins. Hopefully they’ll be OK for the 31st otherwise not sure what they’ll do. Apparently they can’t do the contrast into the hickman line.
Feeling quite positive at the moment but then again am in the midst of the steroids.
I hope things continue to go well with you. Its so nice to hear when things have been successful through this strange journey.
Take care xxx
Hi everyone
i have just joined the forum as I was only diagnosed on Tuesday. I am 46 with no family history of bc. I have grade 2 invasive bc with lymph node involvement-3.5 cm I had a 2 sited biopsy last week and both the lump and the lymph node have tested positive. I am due for a lumpectomy and axillary node clearing on jan 10th to be followed by radiotherapy and have been offered the Import high clinical trial. At this stage in time they are saying that chemo is unlikely.
Since diagnosis I have gone into uber practical mode and kept my emotions at bay from my husband daughter and friends. Truth is I’m really scared as there seems to be so much unknown -from the node clearance- how itwill affect me afterwards, when i can go back to work, to dreading the op results to having to have chemo and mx. Similar to other posts on here every ache and pain I have I am imagining the worst. Although I do actually get an awful lot of pain from the lump and under the armpit anyway-it was the one thing that made me cling to the hope that it wasn’t bc as bc is usually ppainless.
i am trying so hard to have a positive mental attitude as so many people are telling me being positive is the key but I am scared beyond words. I had monday off from work before diagnosis and have not been back on either weds or thurs post diagnosis but I’m going tomorrow. As although I have some pain, I have actually felt more unwell when I’ve had flu, so I guess guilt forces me back. In some ways, i almost feel like im skiving .I just hope no one has taken a big elephant to work and people avoid me or wont even make eye contact.
As the hours pass I realise more and more questions are starting to arise. The whole thing has been a stressful nightmare-right from when my puppy jumped up and caught me on my side and as I pushed her away I found the lump.
the thing I have found strange is that people you would expect to be supportive are avoiding me like the plague and others who i classed as casual friends/acquaintances have been amazing
I do wonder if any one else has found this to be true- of those that now know of my diagnosis or of my wait last week the only people to actually ask me how I’m feeling have been men. women have either hugged or offered help. Strange!
i tried to give my hushband an analogy tonight. I said I was feeling a bit like a banana that has a bad squishy bit, but once you cut that bit out you still have a good banana left to which my OH said that there would be a lovely banana left. So hence my bc is now known as " the bad banana" . Everything in our house has a name -even the Hoover is called mr snorty!
At this moment in time I can get as far as jan 10th but I know I won’t rest until my results are in from both the WLE and ANC. i am so fearing it will be worse as I have constant pains between my shoulder blades, but I have told no one this. I think at the mo there,is enough for everyone to deal with.
well. I do seem to,have had a good ramble and I apologise for that, so I bid you all a goodnight