Hi Maggie
Good news from MDT late yesterday afternoon - no chemo! BC very er/pr positive so onc and radiotherapy people happy for me to have rads only. Just waiting for date - they said another couple of weeks or so. Starting Tamoxifen either later this week or early next week - not looking forward to it really - hot flushes, weight gain apparently 
Looks like I’ll be back at Weightwatchers!!! Have you started Tam yet?
Hope you get a date sorted to start rads but will be nice to go on hol before it starts. Where are you going?
Claire xx
Hi Leesha
How are you? Hope to hear from you soon.
Claire xx
thanks so much for your messages - all is well I finally came home today - to say i was chomping at the bit is an understatement. last drain came out at 9am by 10 i was off the ward!!! Not that my stay was bad - it was a fantastic ward friendly, bright upbeat ect just what i needed. made a fab friend who lives 5 miles from me. we are both very positive poeple so literally bounced off each other - we had a laugh (a couple of wobbles too but together)
so back to waiting results again next weds (again clashes with my newly re-arranged hair appt!! not destined to be done is it?) so see if plan still stands for chemo & rads.
will catch up with all bit more over the week. need ro rest
leesha
Valkyrie
Hi I’ve got my planning appt for rads next wednesday afternoon don’t know about Tamoxifen yet but I’m seeing specialist again tomorrow as I may have some lymphoedema, so I will ask her then when I start that as she didn’t mention it last time just said she would refer me to Radiotherapy Specialist so whether they are going to see to it or not I’ll have to find out. I’m going to Peak district in a little cottage for my holiday I obviously won’t get my rads in beforehand still the break will boost me up ready!
Speak to you soon to swop notes
Maggie x
Leeshad
Hi there glad to know you’re ok and that you found a buddy during your stay in hosspital it helps to have someone in the same position as you nearby I’m sure. Shame about the hair appt but no worries you’ll get it done in the end you could go for a restyle or something for a new you! Hope the results turn out good keep in touch and let us know won’t you?
Take care Maggie x
Maggie - sorted hair my consultant has given me the first slot of the day so i can go afterwards - hes so nice.
Got to get my priorities right!!!
Leesha
Maggie
How did the appt go today with the specialist? Hope the lymphoedema is on it’s way to being sorted before you go away - the cottage sounds an idyllic place to get in some well earned r & r before the rads start. I’ve not heard anything yet about my planning appt - have they said anything about how long the appt will take on the day?
Claire xx
Leesha
Glad you’re home and resting. Like you I was soooo glad to be home even though the hosp stay wasn’t anywhere near as traumatic as I imagined it would be!
Nice to find an obliging cons who understands a woman’s priorities lol Sorry you’re having to wait again for more results - seems to be one long waiting game with this disease.
Claire xx
Claire - yes it give a new meaning to the word ‘patience’ didn’t think i had that much!!
Should not think the results will have changed much since last time - so more a case of whats the next step and when does it start.
already been primed to expect chemo starting at end june
Leesha
Valkyrie & Leeshad
Hi Claire & Leesha
Appt with consultant went well not lymphoedema just the healing process my boob is still big from the muscle bruising and those few hot days we had seemed to aggravate it and make me swell up all around the scar and arm but its not so bad now. I am very sore though on my scar and on the dent where ther lump weas removed and I can’t get a bra or crop top that doesn’t rub or aggravate it which doesn’t help but I’m ok. How are you two doing Leesha how are you coping after your mastectomy? There’s me moaning and you have more reason to moan about than me!!! Glad tyou got your hair appt sorted it’s a morale booster to look good. Claire i think the BN said that the planning appt takes about an hour as they mark you out ready for the rads and talk to you about which hormone treatment you’re getting, but I can tell you more after wednesday, have you heard when yours is yet and have you started the Tamoxifen yet?
I’m really looking forward to going away in a couple of weeks though I hope the weather will be bettter than today typical bank holiday weather!!
Anyway take care girls speak to you soon
Maggie xx
Maggie
You’re allowed to moan everyone is -
Sorry to hear about the aggrivation your getting round the scar - have you tried massaging in aloe vera gel? Its worked wonders for me - The mast scar is healing so well - and its only been a week. I can get bra on and the soft false one. Im coping well - I’ve not had any problem looking at it (not managed to convince my OH yet but its time) its getting myself adjusted when I go out so I dont look too lop sided. Must admit at home i dont bother.
Managed to go shopping on saturday in a busy Tesco - wasn’t as bad as I thought Iwas more worried about being bumped into than anything else.
So thinking of going out for a pub lunch today and a nice cool guiness!
Next lot of results weds - so well see.
Leesha
Hi Leesha
Glad you’re doing ok and hope you enjoyed the lunch & guiness. I’m sure your OH will look in time when he’s more usd to the idea, men aren’t as good at dealing with these things as us women! Thanks for the advice and yes I’m still using the aloe vera gel, arnica;I’ve also tried aqeous and E45 it’s just going to take time and I never was one for patience!! I just thought that after 6 weeks it should be pretty much healed pretty naive of me.
You’ll get your results the same day as I go for my rads planning so it will be a big day for both of us, I will be thinking of you as i know what a stomach churner day it is.
Take care and good luck for weds let us know how you get on.
Maggie x
cheers Maggie - the luch and guiness was def ‘what the doc ordered’! especially seeing as it was not the nicest of bank hol weather. Fol;lowed it up by spending the evening infront of a nice warm open fire!
Weds will get here too fast but not faster enough if you know what i mean. But im ready for it - am laready primed for chemo & rads so how much can that change?
Leesha
Hi Maggie - hope everything goes well for the planning appt tomorrow and hope that your boob isn’t too sore now. Just a thought but could you have an infection? My scar was swollen and a bit red plus the wound from the SNB was really sore and painful - turned out I had an infection but a week of antibiotics sorted it out. Might be worth seeing your GP. I’ve not got a date yet for the planning appt and still waiting for my GP to ring me to say my prescription for the tam is ready - just fed up waiting now!!
Take care
Claire xx
Hi Leesha
Will be thinking about you tomorrow - hopefully you’ll get a good idea of what happens next and maybe start to feel more in control of what’s next on this journey. I really do think all the waiting and wondering is the worst part of this whole process. Hope your mast wound is still healing well - must be the effects of the Guiness - always knew it was good stuff! Let us know how you get on.
Take care
Claire xx
Well just come back from seeing my nice young doc!! Not the consultant but much better looking!! All gone well no more cancer found DCIS all gone and clear margins. So next step is to see oncologist and discuss the chemo. So hopefully have that apoointment next week. Not got to see surgeon for year. Prognosis good just got to get through rest of treatment. Also made my hair appoint and now feel much better.
Leesha
Great news Leesha, so glad they finally got clear margins and no more surgery. The appt with the onc will be here before you know it and then you’ll be on your way - I def think a guiness (or two) is in order! Glad you’ve at long last got your hair appt sorted - how many times did you have to postpone - at least twice or was it more? Take care and keep posting.
Claire xx
Does anyone else come on here and feel kind of glad that others are suffering the same as them? I guess is makes us feel ‘normal’. My WLE and axillary nodes sampling was 3 weeks ago today and my arm seems to be getting worse again. At night it hurts too much to lie on my back with it by my side, so I have to lie on left side and carefully position duvet and then arm on top, which is fine until OH drags the quilt off!!! Always used to sleep on my right side.
I do feel a wuzz complaining about this when others have it too, and probably much worse.
I also feel glad when I come on here and read good stuff, like that someone’s hasn’t travelled anywhere, etc.
Still horrid though isn’t it?
Kinden
x
Hi Kinden
You’re not a wuss at all - it bloody hurts and seemed to get worse before it got better. Are you still doing the exercises? They helped me stretch out the burning/stringy feeling down the underside of my arm. I still get the stringy feeling when I stretch my arm out plus my armpit is still numb 5 weeks after surgery. I presume this will improve over time. When the pain was at it’s worst I used to take a painkiller before going to bed to help me sleep and then one in the morning when I got up to get me going again. I did have an infection in my wound - it was red and swollen around the scar even though the scar had healed. Check with your BCN if you’re worried about it.
Take care
Claire xx
Valkyrie & Leeshad & Kinden
Hi there good to hear your news Leesha are you going to have the cold cap treatment when you have your chemo I’ve heard it helps to prevent hair loss and I’m sure that’s a concern to everyone having chemo. I bet you were relieved when you got the news and I’m sure you won’t have to wait long for the chemo treatment and it will go well.
Hi Claire nice to hear from you again no I haven’t got an infection its just the muscle is still hard from the bruising so I’m extra tender for the moment . I had my rads planning today it went well only got to have 15 sessions and I’ve got my hormone treatment I couldn’t have tamoxifen as I have a history of DVT and blood clots are one of its side effects so I’m having arimidex and calcium tablets as it has a side effectof joint pain and there is arthritis in the family; well you’ve got to have one side effect or another haven’t you?
Welcome Kinden I found resting my arm on a pillow helped and if I turned over on my side I used to put the pillow in between my boob and my arm, I’m 6 wks after surgery now and some days are worse than others though in general I am improving and my consultant says it can take up to 6 months to get right again so haang in there there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Are you using the aloe vera gel Leesha recommended it and it is very goodand the BN recommended taking ibuprofen to help with pain and swelling. We all have momentrs when we have to have a moan if you look back through this thread I had one th other day but thanks to leesha she bucked me back up again.
Take care all of you
Maggiexx
hi all this def is a good thread to be on - there is life during treatment. I’ve had bad nights with the fluid pressure & swelling and its a case of not being too stubborn to use the painkillers when needed. In fact i did last night. What I thought was swelling the doc told me yesterday is actuall all me and swelling!! so draining fluid didn’t help there. But other days its better - I can def say the excercises help you do have to use the arm.
Maggie - guess arthritis has to be better than dvt!!! if theres an up side. Ill have to have hormone treatment too be interesting to see what i have. I’m rubbish a taking tablets on time etc that how i fell pregnant the first time!!! thats how i reacted to the doc.
Dont know about the cold cap - will talk to onc. but Im ok if the hair falls out am prepared for it. Sp anything which happens less than that will be a bonus - reverse pschcology!!
Well off to work today (luckiliy I am self employed so can pick and choose where i go - my clients are really good)
Have a great day all - hope the sun shines
Leesha