Carol, Carolyn and Julie -
Great to meet you all last night. Could have been a depressing evening talking about our cancer stories, but it was fun and life-affirming. Looking forward to the next time and meeting everyone else.
Isy
Hi girls,
I had a lovely night at Robinsons its great to catch-up with you all, sorry Jill and MRS mac that you couldn’t make it ,hopefully next time.
Isy I’m glad you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next one and that are stories didn’t depress you at all, hearing from others who have been through the same thing that you are going through at the moment, and also being able too ask questions helps a lot.
Until the next time hopefully soon.
Julie x
Hi Girls
Well I’m off to sunnier clims (fingers crossed but not too hopeful) tomorrow so thought I would drop by and post a wee note before I go. Had a great night at Robinson’s and it was lovely to meet Isabel. Not long now till the summer is officialy over with the kids going back to school in less than two weeks and our thoughts turn to our next wee meet-up. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all get together.
My next chemo is 31 August (no 6) and Isy starts her chemo on 25 August and Mrsmc is going through radiotherapy so hopefully between the three of us we can find a date when we are all feeling reasonably well enough for a nice meal and a couple of drinks. Anyways thinking caps on for date, venue etc etc. If you have a look at the Ulster Cancer Foundation site there are a list of Breast Cancer events including the Pink Afternoon Teas I have mentioned before. Maybe there is something there that we could all attend.
Isy, I hope your first chemo goes ok, I’m sure your dreading it but hopefully it won’t be as bad as you imagine. I’ll be thinking of you.
Mrsmc, hope you radiotherpy isn’t tiring you out too much and maybe we shall see you at the next meet-up.
Julie, Carol, Jill, hope you are all keeping well and see you next time.
Carolyn x
Hi everybody
I’m up in Belfast on Tuesday 14 Sept for a make up demonstration at the Macmillan centre form 11 to 12. Anybody like to go or meet me for coffee or lunch?
Isy x
Sorry, just realised I’ve to get bloods done Tues morning so won’t make it to Belfast after all. FEC 2 on Wed. But hope 2 get to the big smoke once the sicky bit has passed. How is everybody?
Isy x
Hi Girls,
How’s everyone doing at the moment, Isy and Carolyn how’s treatment going, Carolyn have you finished your chemo are you having radiotherapy as well?. Mrs Mc have you finished all your treatments too?. If everyone is up too it can we organise a date for our next meet-up soon , can you believe we are near the end of September already. Food and a few wee drinks sounds great or as Carolyn suggested Pink afternoon tea with the Ulster Cancer Foundation. I hope we can get together soon. Hi too Gill and Carol , hope your both well.
Julie xx
Hi Julie
My second FEC was delayed, but got it finally on Wednesday. So defo up for something from next week. Let me know if you’ve anything in mind - thanks.
Isy x
Got down to Belfast yesterday for a make up demo at Macmillan. Would have loved to catch up with some of you but didn’t know until last minute whether I would be well enough to go - rough weekend.
Make up demo was great - thoroughly recommend it. Demonstrator was a blond Gok Wan - very professional, encouraging and called us all girls! When he asked for a model, my hand was up before he got the words out of his mouth -was determined to make the most of my 100 mile round trip!
Isy x
Hi ladies,
Mind if I join you? Wish I had discovered you ages ago. Found my lump the night you were in the Pheasant! I had WLE in April shortly before my 46th birthday, grade 3 with sentinel nodes clear, ER and HER2 positive. I had FEC (well named!!) finishing on Aug 24, and am now into 2nd week of 6 week course of radiotherapy. Any of you on radiotherapy at the minute? I’m usually there at lunchtimes. I started tamoxifen 2 weeks ago. I hate wearing a wig but cannot bear sympathetic looks from strangers (of the type I used to deliver myself BBC) so always wear it out of the house. I now have a fine fuzz all over my head and a suggestion of eye hair!
I think cancer treatment in N Ireland has progressed hugely in the last few years and am so grateful for that, I think I have had great care so far. I was at the McMillan demo about 3 weeks ago, it is good isn’t it? We didn’t get Gok unfortunately, had heard about him and was looking forward to meeting him, but our lady was good too even though she doesn’t seem to be into drawing in eyebrows!
C.
Wee Buns, you are very welcome.
I am same age as you and same diagnosis, on 2nd cycle of FEC, so would be great to meet up and swop notes. I agree with you - treatment here seems to have really progressed: I’m being treated at Antrim and the centre there is good.
Isy
Hi Everyone
The thread has been very quiet of late so its great to see some posts.
A wee update on ‘moi’. Had my 7th chemo Tuesday week ago and as I seem to be prone to do, picked up a cold just to make myself feel even worse, although fingers crossed its getting better. I have one more chemo on 12 Oct so can’t wait to get that over with especially the ‘find a vein game’ - last time it took four attempts and I was left black and blue. Following that I will then start on Zoladex - hormone therapy and hopefully I will also get a scan in the next couple of months to check on the lung tumours. I’ve become very brave lately and now go out without any headwear - my hair started growning back when my chemo dose was reduced and even though I’m still on chemo its been growing ever since.
Well enough about me how is everyone else?
How are you keeping Julie? Are you still having physio for your arm? I can’t believe its the end of September, it feels like the girls have been back at school for ever and the summer never happened.
Isy, I hope your chemo isn’t being too bad to you. I’ve never done the make-up demo but I have done ‘Look Good, Feel Better’ and its great - you come away with some really good products, get yourself booked onto that one.
A big welcome to Wee Buns. Glad you have found us. How are you finding the radiotherapy? I didn’t get as tired as I expected whilst I was going through radiotherapy but it seemed to catch up with me afterwards. I hated wearing my wig too, only wore it a couple of times and then started to hate wearing anything else so decided to go au natural and have found just as many people give me the sympathetic look as they did when I wore a scarf/buff etc. Where abouts are you from Wee Buns?
Carol, Jill and MrsMc hope you are all keeping well and hopefully will hear from you soon.
Now the really important bit - when and where are we going to have our next meet-up? I’m available lunchtimes or evenings up until my next chemo (12 Oct). The Pink Afternoon Tea at the Culloden is on every afternoon I think. So if we can all put in our suggestions, availability etc hopefully we can get this organised quite soon.
Carolyn xxx
Carolyn - You are such a good organiser - your boss must miss you!
I like the sound of the Pink Tea but am up for anything else and am available 5,6,8,and 12 October. My next chemo is 13 October.
Isy x
Hi girls,
A warm welcome too Weebuns, I’m looking forward too meeting you and hearing your journey so far, if you can make the next meet-up, or anyone else who would like too join or wee group, I can make the same dates as Isy, Fri the 8th would b nice, but any of the nights or afternoons suits me as I will take a half days leave, if we decide too make it lunch.
Carolyn, Im still at physio once a week and I can say my arm is moving a little bit better at the moment, but Ive a long way too go yet ,as the muscles are very tight and tender to touch.
I hope we can organise a date soon as I’m looking forward to a good catch-up with everyone.
Julie xx
Ps I heard the merchant hotel is nice but can be a wee bit expensive
Hello girls old and new,
Just a quick note, Im glad Carolyn that you are nearing end of the chemo. Hope everyone else is feeling good.
i cant believe where the time goes, pink October again! Im free evenings (except 9 ,15,16 oct), im free every fri,and wed 6 and 15 all days… Carolyn you are a great organiser as Issy says your boss must miss you!
I will go along to whatever the rest of you want and suits. Fr1 8th is ok for me too, Julie.
btw i got an email for The Ladies Who Lunch at Ink on the 9th Oct, We had a great day there the last time, although i have a date with Freddy mercury Aka Flash Harry that night!!
I am a lot more settled job wise ect now . Sorry to have misssed the last couple of meetings and looking forward to meet Issy and Weebuns.
I have mammo on the 12th!
Cheers to meeting up during October,
Jill
Hi again, thnx for your warm welcome. Looking forward to meeting you all but I can’t do Fri 8th unfortunately, tho pls go ahead with it as it seems to suit a lot of you and I will try to catch up next time. I live in Belfast and am off work so am generally free during the day, apart from radiotherapy at around lunchtimes evry day. So far it hasn’t caused me any problems. I live in Belfast, and think a lot of the tiredness other people might get is from travelling every day, whereas I am a mile from City Hospital.
The Merchant is lovely and very decadent (try their Bramble cocktail) but really is expensive. Would love to do the Culloden afternoon tea sometime, at least some of your money goes to charity!
Hi Everyone
I’ve done a wee ‘chart’ (well scribbled on a piece of paper) of all our available dates and the only date which seems to suit everyone would be Wednesday 6 October. Friday 8th is the next contender although unfortunately Weebuns can’t do Friday. As there isn’t a posting from Carol I will give her a call to see if she is available. What does everyone think about Wednesday? Would it suit? There is also the option of the Culloden any afternoon if we were all available.
Julie mentioned the Merchant, which is a lovely place to dine - I’ve had a look at their website and they do a lunch menu 2 courses £16.50/3 courses £19.50 or an early evening/set menu (Mon - Thurs) for the same price. There’s always the ‘Cloth Ear’ (Merchant’s public bar) 2 main courses & 1 bottle of house wine for £22.50 Monday to Thursday 5-9pm. The Merchant would be handy for travelling to. Or there are the many other restaurants in Belfast.
Anyways have a think and we will try and get this arranged in the next couple of days.
Carolyn xxx
Hi Girls,
Wednesday the 6th sounds fine to me, and either the main restaurant of the Merchant or the ‘Cloth Ear’, sound lovely. Or if the afternoon in the Culloden is suitable for everyone , I’ll go with the flow.
Julie xx
Wednesday evening is good for me. Can’t do the afternoon as I don’t have anyone to pick up my daughter from school and mind her til hubby gets home.
Look forward to seeing everybody,
Isy
Hi Everyone
Carolyn, thanks for your call yesterday to let me know about orgainsing a meet up, it was really good to hear from you.
I would be available this Wednesday and really look forward to seeing you all again.
Weebuns, welcome to the forum and hopefully will catch up with you on Wednesday too.
Hello to Julie, Jill, Isy and Mrs Mac… hope you are all doing well.
Will keep an eye out for definite date and time
Carol x
Morning ladies, sorry, Wed awful for me, have an unusually heavy load of after school runs & stuff on that particular day. And radiotherapy ties me up at lunchtime anyway. Thanks very much for trying to accommodate me though. Have fun, and catch up with you next time I hope. C.