@kitz85 thank you, good old steroid high, amazing the amount you can do, Tuesday and Wednesday will be the come downs so take advantage of this bit lol
@poptart you are welcome, they are really cost effective too and proper on the sofa with a tray crafts, just perfect. The bare wreath we got from Sainsburys for £3, and then we sliced up the orange slices and baked in the oven for a couple hours with a bit of ginger, they smell amazing!
I remember those days, although they never could work out the right steriod taper off for me! Wishing you well on your journey I just saw your topic in my emails and thought what a fantastic positive outlook and I just had to post to you.
@dilly Hi lovey, no I’m on 6 rounds of Docetaxel and Cyclophosphamide so now officially 1/2 way. I had lumpectomy first with full aux clearance- positive nodes and LVI +. Then a second surgery 3 weeks later as margins weren’t clear.
Once 6 rounds are done in February I’ll find out next step. Hoping just radiation and hormone therapy but who knows …
Next week I have 6mthly check on ovarian cyst and womb lining with rather unpleasant internal ultrasounds plus cancer marker screen for down there. And my fav - hysteroscopy biopsy - again. Seriously 2025 can kiss my Irish Arse!
Ahhh @lumpybyebye that’s some tough stuff you’ve got coming up! I’ve still got surgery to come 
@dilly Not being weird but the surgeries for me were easier than the chemo and side effects. The main thing after surgery is doing the exercises after and keeping sites dry during showering. I used sanitary towels and face cloths over the site bandages with my arm clamped tight to my side! No infections and nice neat incisions. For lumpectomy, my boob changed shape a bit as swelling went down. There is an obvious dent and gone down a cup or two but still a boob!
I think I had a bit of my first one in a long while last week. I will tell the oncologist Friday as i don’t know what it means as my cancer was hormone positive. I had to stop the tummy contraceptive injection as soon as they diagnosed it.
Do you know what it means if they come back? Is it a bad thing if hormones aren’t suppressed ? I know I will start all the forced menopause stuff after chemo c
Thanks @lumpybyebye x I’m having a mastectomy and going flat (for medical and personal reasons). I’m comfortable with this plan, but at the same time it feels like this massive thing hanging over me that I still have to get through…
Urgh. Massive wobble today for All The Things.
Just renewed my fit note online, and emailed HR over SSP. Having to put it all down in writing is horrible as it brings it home, doesn’t it.
It’s also blood test day today, so then the wait to see if my levels are OK. And my first EC on Wednesday. I have a medical condition that can be very badly impacted by chemo. I was ok with Docetaxel, but I don’t know if EC will be ok so that’s another worry.
Sorry to moan 
@dilly i’ve just had a massive wobble/ meltdown at the hospital… was just too much for me. I think I’m a hormonal mess!
Couldn’t face going on the chemo ward, it’s not my day for it today and I’d not psyched myself up. I just couldn’t go in. The nurse was not happy she had to find another room for me 
Had my blood test done today to see if I’ve lost too much blood for my chemo on Thursday. Getting back into bed now. I’m done for the day.
I think I’m on tamoxifen after the chemo for up to 10 years. I’m back to feeling quite angry today about it all (hormones 
)… I’m going to bed so I don’t tell someone to f**k off!
That’s a completely understandable @tigress42 and the nurse should have been more empathetic! Have they given you anything to control the bleeding?
Sometimes all we can do is hunker down and let all the feelings flow. I hope things feel a wee bit better soon x
I hope you are all feeling ok with awful periods and moods as well as all the other stones out backpacks are full with at the moment. I once heard that term about struggling and if you’ve any room for more ‘stones’ I’d say we are all pretty maxed out at the moment.
Absolutely loving the Christmas crafts too. They all look fab.
I got some suzzipads off vinted, £20 I think. Ready for when i switch from EC to docetaxol. I’m not sure logistically though how I’ll put them all on with the huge needle in my right arm though. I’ll see how I go with that, compression socks might be a much simpler idea x
It’s understandable that we are all a little weary of our journeys at this point. We were diagnosed and then we’ve been carted along on this voyage which is bloody hard, it’s bloody scary at times, we’ve had no control over anything, we’ve been sore, we’ve been tired, we’ve been uncomfortable, we’ve been operated on in various ways. We’ve had to tell our family and friends that we’ve got cancer and we’ve had to deal with that burden to know that we’ve caused their worry and heartache, all whilst being scared ourselves.
Yet here we are, we are surviving every feckin moment of this. Because we are strong. We were chosen for this because we can get through it and thrive afterwards. We’ll cry the tears we need to cry, we’ll get angry when we need to, but we’ll also find joy in moments, and laughter, and times of brightness, all whilst holding each other up in here to help us get through because no-one understands what we are all going through right now more than each other.
One step at a time, with rest when needed xx
Thank you for that @Mairead_49 feel like I needed words like that today!
Well said @Mairead_49 feel a little better already! 
@Mairead_49 thanks for those lovely words. So true. Made me a bit tearful. (that’s nothing new these days) 
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Wonderfully put @Mairead_49 
Every word is so true @Mairead_49 - thank you for lifting my spirits x
Thank you! @Mairead_49 what we needed to hear and beautifully put. x
Thank you for your kind post, it is wonderfully put. Just what I needed to hear after a big cry in bed yesterday and a good sleep last night. Feel more positive about today already
I love your weighted Sloth. Do you know where it’s from as I think my daughter (possibly be at the moment) would really find one helpful 
