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Thanks both ive decidwd I’m going to stay off until new year. In fact I am writing this after having a nanny nap!
If you don’t mind me asking dizzybee who’s your counselling through?
I’m lucky to have a maggies Centre close by (im in oxford) and am ringing them tomorrow about sorting some if I can. The physical in all this is proving not too bad but (i know understandably) the emotional can be full on and draining and I keep bursting into tears without notice at very odd moments. It’s very weird as I don’t feel I’m particularly stressed or worrying about things but suppose deep down I must be. As with all things an accumulation I suppose.
Polly, my counsellor is attached to the cancer ward, it was arranged by my breast care nurse. I think some of my problems may be down to Tamoxifen mood swings, but I had a lot of other things happening at the same time ( have I said that I had biopsies for endometrial cancer? The result was negative but no one told me. At my oncology appointment I asked if the results were available, my oncologist told me it was nothing to do with him, but no, I hadn’t got another cancer. Just like that, as if I was stupid for worrying about it. I got the letter giving the all clear yesterday, three weeks after they got the pathology result)
I got to the stage where I was so stressed my legs felt wobbly and my heart was pounding all the time, I just couldn’t carry on like that.
Anyway, it’s been good to get some help from outsiders, but to everyone here, thank you all, no one else knows what this is like the way you do.
Polly I also work in a primary school in a reception class and we are currently undergoing academisation so extreme stressful. Because of the issues with my wound I had my six months full pay off which ended 29th August. Went back on a 2 months phased return and am now back full time. Had my dates today and I start rads on the 7th. After having had such a long break I have already had two really nasty colds and a tummy bug!!
I have only gone back because I cannot afford to go part time but if I had the choice I would not be there. By Friday I am on my knees. The SLT are fab but we have got an interim head from the probable new academy chain who doesn’t know me from Adam! So who knows how they will be. Think of yourself! Xxx
Ladybowler thanks for the reassurance. I also had some counselling many moons ago and know the benefits…it’s just the actual commuting thing I’m not good at. Or shall I say wasn’t good at and am now 
Dizzybee what mixed emotions for you with your other tests. Relief you are in clear bit all that uncertainty of waiting. Grrr. I do find that each area of our lives is so separate with the professionals. Dont get me wrong I am so grateful for all the treatment I’ve had and yet to come but we don’t get looked at as a whole person and it us up to us to piece things together. The doctors are only very specific of their own expertise (understandably to some extent) and it feels very disjointed from my experience.
Betty boo oh acadamisation the joys. We are also in the process except no one wants us! We have a compulsory order but no one to take us on and so are in limbo. Feel very lucky as the sick pay is very generous to some I have heard about. I’m the business manager and so have the benefit of knowing the ins and ours of processes. The headteacher is also fantastic so in the scheme of things very lucky. You start rads the day before me so happy to hold hands and be a shoulder if needed.
Take care all x
Just as a side note I toted up how many DIFFERENT professionals have looked at my boobs since this started in September… currently have a grand total of 31 different people. This doesn’t count the ones who have had the pleasure more than once lucky things!
This is up to the planning stage so I’m sure will rise in next few weeks. Oh and doesn’t include ones I don’t know about in surgery etc.
If one was shy before they wouldn’t be after this, it certainly brings a girl out of her shell ?
Anyone best this total i wonder?
Goodness I wouldn’t know where to start counting! I used not to mind when I still had matching boobs after the first op, but now they’re very different sizes, and I came to after the second to find I’d lost half the areola as well, so my nipple looks a bit strange. The incision was round the areola, which does a good job of hiding the scar if you only have it done once, but twice was asking too much of it!
That was the thing I found hardest about the endometrial biopsies, stripping off yet again for another intrusive set of procedures, and this time without any local anaesthetic till I told them they’d have to stop.
So I hope I don’t get too many men in the radiotherapy room, but they must be aware that some women will be uncomfortable, so hopefully theyll be nice. Onwards and upwards, that’s my motto! Let’s get this done!
I went to Matalan and bought two crop tops with soft wide bands ready for next week, they have some with foam cups which provide some shape and support. £6 and even quite pretty. Bought extra large so they weren’t at all tight under the bust. I read somewhere you can step in to them and pull them up if you have to. And I have my E45 cream at the ready, went to M&S and bought a couple of dine in for a tenner deals which freeze. Not the wine obviously! So now going to make sure everything is up to date in the house before I start on Wednesday.
I sound more like I’m about to give birth than have rads lol!
Thanks Sue it’s good to know what to expect!
I’ve asked for 8am slots as it’s really difficult to park at the hospital, it’s about an hour from home to the radiotherapy department. My husband is insisting on driving me, so he needs to be able to work from home when we get back.
So I have to be up and about fairly early, but then have the rest of the day to do the normal stuff, including taking the dog for a walk. I don’t work so no worries there.
Yes, mine’s a multi storey except you have to trail right through the hospital to get anywhere when you get out. And you always have to wait for a space, they won’t let you through the barrier till someone else leaves, so you can sit staring at a closed barrier for ages while you panic about your appointment time. So the hour is about the carpark and the hike through the hospital, it should be quicker if there are spaces in the carpark.
They told me to keep the gown I was wearing for the planning session, I guess it makes sense to bring it from home and use the same one.
Hi Beth and Sue C
My gown is the old fashioned sort with ties so no, I’m completely stripped once it gets pulled down. Not my favourite thing, and I had to wander down the corridor wearing the gown and my coat over, so that’s not great either. But I’ve only had the planning appointment so far, so we’ll see how it works out in practice.
I was surprised the information sheet talked about applying moisturiser sparingly. Other women seemed to be told to use gallons of the stuff. But they also say I can use deodorant, thankfully. It’s one of the things that has surprised me about this whole business, you would think there’d be a bit more consensus. When I had surgery, I had no dressing on the wound, only internal stitches and clear glue,I was told they didn’t put a dressing on because they wanted the air to get to it. And I was told to wear whatever I was comfortable in, so up to me whether I wore a bra or not, or wore an underwired one.
And then I found that most people get completely the opposite advice, have dressings that have to stay on for so long, told to wear sports bras, no underwires. My surgeon is Polish, maybe that’s how it is there.
I have the impression that people vary a lot in how they feel during rads. But having had chemo first is going to make it harder, no time for your body to recover before it gets hit by something else. I haven’t done chemo, and I can see that I’ve had a much easier time.
It’s great to have a place to hear from other women doing this, it’s easy to feel very alone sometimes.
Hi lovely ladies. I remember Mr Ben! I’ve also got my ‘own’ gown which I will have to remember to take to work with me each day as I will go from there. Am dreading starting as just this last week I have begun to feel far more normal and have a bit more energy and know I will go backwards for a bit. I take an anastrazole and apart from slight nausea seem to be OK. Have found taking it at night helps as I sleep through the nausea then. Xx
Lady Bowler
The trouble with looking at the people who post about side effects of any drugs or treatments, is that only the ones who have a problem are likely to say anything. So it may be that the majority are fine. And you’ll never know how it affects you until you try it, people are obviously very different in how they react.
I have had some problems since I started Tamoxifen, but I honestly don’t know for certain if it has caused them. And I haven’t had any problems with menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, I’m wondering if you’re already past the menopause that’s an adjustment your body has already made? I also didn’t have a problem with hot flushes during the menopause.
So you may find it easier than someone who is premenopausal, it could be less of an adjustment.
My husband got the remainder of his prescription season ticket refunded when he turned sixty, found the process very easy.
They are very quick with the free prescription exemption cards too. My son, who is severely disabled and has epilepsy arrived in a week.
The BCN reminded me that only people who have problems post about the hormone treatment. I did read a thread once where the brand seems to have an effect too. So if you do have effects it may be worth asking for a different brand. Have never been sure how this would help as the active ingredient is the same it’s just the stuff they use to bind the pills with that’s different. But it does seem to help xx
Ladybowler…just wanted to chip in and say that I eventually bit the bullet after much dithering and have started my tamoxifen. Early days (2 to be exact ha ha) but nothing to report as yet. I do understand side effects can take several weeks/ months to emerge but hey positive attitude so far
Hi Lisa
I just use a lightweight dressing gown that has a tie round the waist. You literally have it on for 30 seconds between the changing room and the radiotherapy room…then you just have to grin and bear it as you’re asked to remove it! I’m not sure it’s worth buying anything new x
Evening all
sitting here trying to recover from Ed leaving strictly booooo
anyways…as you’ve been discussing tamoxifen…I’m a month in now and am suffering from pimples!! Everywhere! Have had two volcanoes on my face, a tiny one on the inside of my nose (why do they hurt SO much?), couple on my old boobicle that’s being zapped and tonight a beaut has come up on my shoulder. Going to look soooooo attractive laying there tomorrow for rads which everything display. Pimples and all. I think my skin is protesting a little at all the moisturiser and combined with these pills I am turning into Benjamin button and becoming a teenager again ( with the body of a tired middle aged married woman lol)
Day 5 of rads tomorrow so see what happens to my scar this week. Still looking angry and today I’ve had a sore nipple again. Onwards and upwards through and the countdown to the 19th Dec continues!
Time for I’m a celeb now. This is what life has become lols xx
Polly, good for you getting the Tamoxifen under way. I don’t know how long it takes to get properly into your system, a couple of weeks I’d guess. I’ve read that some places want you to finish rads first so you can tell which side effects are caused by them and what are down to the drug. On the other hand, perhaps they don’t have to wait so long for the radiotherapy to start.
Beth, that sounds a bit sore. What cream have they told you to use? At least you’ll be finished in good time for Christmas. Will that be it for treatment for you? Apart from follow up appointments and check ups I mean.
The five days a week routine must be really tiring by itself, I’m not looking forward to the early starts, we’ll have to leave the house just after seven some days. I hope they can give you something for the sore bits.
Lisad the hospital I’m at have the popper ones on the ward and they have trousers as well but I’m guessing they just give you a gown as it’s only from change to bed and back. I got it at my planning appointment.
I can’t believe Ed has gone!! ? but on the plus side so has HoneyflippingG. Missed I’m a celeb last night xx
Hi Beth
I’m still using E45 cream I put it on 3/4 times a day and I also put it on before I get in the bath /shower just so it gives my boob a bit more protection.
I still haven’t had a letter for my oncology review and was told I might have to chase it up before Christmas! If I remember.
Ladybowler I’ve been on tamoxifen for 3 months now I did suffer with itchy skin for a few weeks but it soon passed and I only get the odd hot flush mostly at night otherwise it’s been fine