With regards to ESA- am not familiar w it. I rang citizens advice bureau national helpline, because am unemployed and when discussing it with them, they were super helpful, they said I would be better off with Universal credit as ESA would then be deducted from UC payment anyway in my case. I’d done my claim and hopefully will get some sort of payment in march…
GIP - is for you’re not working. Not on top of. it’s like an incapacitated form of payment.
Did your company confirm they don’t offer GIP? maybe that’s why they advised you to do the ESA claim.
When did your headteacher contacted about redundancy? You can email me privately on here.
The only reason I am asking is that they should communicate with you about timings. If you contacted your union you should be be in good hands (hopefully). Are you taking voluntary redundancy? (Which is often offered at higher rate of pay)
The employer obligation is that they MUST consult with everyone. If they failed to include you, that’s naughty. Am inserting information from ACAS
Step 1 - inform the employee
Step 2 - consult (the process may vary depending on how many people are proposed to be made redundant) is it more than 20?
Step 3- confirming redundancy or safe. Safe = redeployment. This can be another role in company or in your case e.i redrafting contract with alternative or new responsibilities, change in hours, and they must tell you what is changing during consultation anyway so you know before you’re confirmed in a role. You still have the right to take redundancy if you want.
I always advise my employee to take the role they are offered even if they don’t like it at first. That is because redundancy is an emotional time and we just don’t see the wood from the trees. Also, it’s money in the bank,… And time to think.
My advice would be to not rush I making any decisions.
Get as much information as possible, go through the consultation process, see what they are proposing and decide with your husband, discuss w union… And ask me if you like
Regarding your notice, it will be paid and so are your holiday plus any accrued during sick leave xxxx
@frazzledmcsazza my eyes watered reading about the injection! Can you find out more about it before you go? It might be so thin that you will
Hardly feel it or maybe they numb the area .
Sending all best wishes for your surgery and you too @pinklilli3s . I remember being very emotional when I got to the operating room. Thankfully the female anaesthetist got it! I got home the same day , my hospital don’t do drains so had dressings on. I managed with a heart cushion on the drive home and for night times was great.
@plum1 glad your has gone ok. District nurses were very naughty not telling you they weren’t coming. So frustrating! Also I know what you mean about feeling weird walking! I have the energy but putting one foot in front of the other is challenging for longer distances.
@annemanc sorry your recovery hasn’t gone smoothly. Hope your arm is on the mend now . I’m still
Doing my arm exercises - have been advised to keep doing them for months!
@naughty_boob sorry you are having night sweats and sleepless nights. I got the Headspace app and use their sleep casts. Found them useful. They last 45 mins and I usually don’t make it to the end before nodding off!
I’m now in my second week post radio, feel ok. I’ve also started the Letrozole again and so far it’s ok. Except I have a stinky cold! Not had anything since having BC and before that hardly ever caught anything. I suppose now after chemo we will have to rebuild our immune systems.
Tastes have come back about 80%. Feel better able to manage my usual foods. Hair is growing very very slowly! I used to go to the hairdressers every six weeks as my hair would grow so fast. Looks like it’ll be six months at least eyebrows are sparse but hanging in there and eyelashes are thin but also hanging on! Not sure if anyone else has this but I have no nasal hair! And it doesn’t seem to be making a reappearance yet
Good luck to those back at work or thinking of going back. The whole work and pay sounds a minefield! Great to have your expert thoughts on it @pinklilli3s. I’m self
Employed so I’m my own HR person. I’ve told my clients I will be back at the start of March. I don’t feel ready yet, I feel battered after everything I’ve been through. Anyone else feel like that? In a perfect world we would be able to give ourselves time to heal properly but of course life isn’t like that. Maybe the moving forward course will help. Would be good to know if anyone else has done it and what your thoughts are xxx
Hi frazzled, plum, pinklili and all of you with scheduled surgery, hope it goes really well for you all.
Annemanc really sorry to hear that you developed a seroma and hope it’s smooth sailing from now on.
I’m in a lot of pain after one week of radiotherapy and two weeks left to go. A lot of pain in chest and underarm and unfortunately new and intense pain in shoulder. Eating para and ibuprofen regularly.
On the plus side the sun is out and have seen some beautiful snowdrops
xxx
@annemanc - so sorry you have had unexpected side effects. If it is not one thing it is another!
@naughty_boob I had really hot sweats last night. The summer duvet is making an unexpected appearance tonight! I think i am having same as you. Guide wires and tracer and radioactive madness. How we are all managing to get through this I really don’t know, but we are. Us ladies are made of strong stuff (between the inevitable and obligatory big cry). I need the she-hulk t-shirt. Perhaps that should be the September Chemo group uniform. That and the fluffy dressing gown.
@pinklilli3 glad your mum is able to make it over and help look after you. I feel very lucky I still have my mum. She is 84 and has memory issues but she is still coming with me the day before the op to give me sympathy and get me through the eye watering nipple injection.
@coppercat I hope you are on the mend from your cold. Like you I have very slow hair growth. I also have a lack of nasal hair. Had a lot of nose bleeds early on in chemo but seems to have settled down now. Means when I cry it seems to go into my nose. Very weird.
@daffodil - sorry to hear radiotherapy has left you in a lot of pain. Your focus on the good things the sunshine and snowdrops is heart-warming and impressive.
Love to you all and here’s to getting another week closer to feeling well again.
Hello to all
I read all your comments, even if I wasn’t active, I hug you all in part. @annemanc I’m 6 months after the operation, I also had seroma after they removed the drain tubes, don’t stop exercising three times a day, even if it hurts don’t stop, I started exercising immediately after the operation a few hours, even now after six months if I stop the exercises the area where the lymph nodes removed is very tight, so keep exercising. It’s hard at first but you get used to it with time and the arm will be more comfortable.
Take care of yourself and I wish you good health. @naughty_boob I remember from the very first chemotherapy session I started having hot flushes, at first I didn’t understand what it was, I thought I was fainting, they were so strong.
My periods have since stopped with the chemo so now with the hormone blocking drugs I don’t feel these effects as bad as before I take magnesium bisglycinate, and it helps me a lot with sleep.
Now after a few weeks these hot flushes are tolerated, and not so often, more in the evening. But I realised that together with hot flushes I have to cold flushed too. Sometimes I feel so cold my feet and in same time hot on my body is so strange.
I drink a lot of water over three liters a day and that helps me a lot.
My nosebleeds were light even when I blew my nose, and it lasted about ten weeks after chemotherapy, until it completely disappeared. Hopefully everything will goes well, big hug @copperycat , @plum1 , @daffodil1 @pinklilli3s , I am happy your mam will stay with you, have a great time together, to you and @frazzledmcsazza good luck with your surgery and wishing you a speedy recovery. You are all stronger than you think, and I am happy I have so much support here from you girls. @copperycat hopefully you feel better and cold is not too bad. I am really afraid to get sick and I feel that my body is so weakened.
I’m really happy to see how strong you are, just being next to each other will make you so strong, and we all need to be loved.
About me now , I am more energised than before, I started tamoxifen and Zoladex injection from 3 weeks now, but I think it is premature for side effects, but the bones and joints pain are in place already, I feel that even when I trained for a whole day at the gym. Doctor said will persist. But drinking plenty of water and take vitamin D3 and calcium, Magnesium glycinate , helped me. All together I take it on dinner time, and I have a reasonable sleep.
Today is my first appointment after 6 months surgery with the breast cancer team and Wednesday with the radiotherapy team after a month post radiotherapy. Oncology team appointment on March. Not sure about tests after all my treatment, but hopefully I will have news soon.
Good luck and best health to all. Hugs for everyone else or if I forgot to mention
Hope your appointment goes well today. It looks like the Irish healthcare system covers each category for follow up.
I’m in Wales and the oncology team have discharged me from clinic review back to GP/ breast surgery team. No radiotherapy review with their team either. I have a breast nurse appointment on Wednesday and hoping that anything I bring up will be referred back to relevant team. It seems a lot of pressure on the local surgery team.
Take care one day at a time! Soon we’ll all look back at this time like it’s a dream
Hi dear, thank you for your reply.
I found in Ireland a systems that suits me, I have relatives in different countries in Europe and looks different than here.
Sincerely I am happy to be in the same professional care as at the beginning, and I think my GP is already overwhelmed with her system.
Yesterday, at the appointment, I had a pleasant reunion with the surgery team , it was fast checking on my breast and masectomie place, physically they checked manually, and they referred me for mammography, and that will be every 6 months in the next 5 years. That’s only from the Breast Cancer surgery team.
Separately I will have appointment with radiotherapy and oncology team and they will check my blood and do the scans.
What I understand from them always I will be in them custody and not in my GP. Hopefully .
That’s all I know for the moment.
Any news from the girls surgery? Hopefully went well.
Take care dear and big hugs to all of you
Hi @naughty_boob and everyone
The surgery is tomorrow
Just gone to have the radioactive injection. It’s above the niple, w a tiny needle, which I barely felt. The product injected is minimal and it does sting for a few seconds but that’s all.
I’ve been mega busy w the doggies it’s really take off and it’s almost a shame I got to have this op as it’s stops me in my track but I am so glad it’s happening and that the bugger or what’s left of it is whipped out. Hopefully all goes well w the lymph nodes and margins but trying not to think about it.
Because I’ve been so busy I feel I have so much to do now!!!
Picture of the lovely doggies I looked after this. Stella the bridge one was so clever and adorable so reminded me of the dig I had. I cried when she left
I am due to be in the hospital for 7am tomorrow which is madness. Wire got to be put in and apparently I got to be first because am allergic to latex.
Last night was one of the first night I didn’t wake up through the night. Am experiencing w not drinking 1h before bed and taking various plant medications to help me sleep. Night hot flushes are less frequent tf for that
I might try to squeeze one last ride today before the op and then got to pack my bags, do some shopping and prepare my mum’s bed shopping might have to wait and I may order online or click and collect!!
All the best to everyone and see you all on the other side. I’ll let you know how it goes xxx
for tomorrow pinklilli let us know when your through and if you are havin a drain, no swinging it round your head after (I know your humour can take that, that’s why I’ve typed it) Shi xx
So you mean no dancing?! fingers crossed no drain or only for the time am in hospital till Sunday I just hope all goes well and it doesn’t bring me down too much post op and I don’t loose my mojo due to pain
take your pain meds as you are advised and you shouldn’t get too much discomfort and do rest up let things knit back together before you try doing too much, your body will amaze you how quick it knits back together if you give it chance and rest. Don’t overdo your exercises take it steady and you’ll be again within few weeks Shi xx
Yes I remember that nipple injection and had to have both done! I am also allergic to latex so being first on the list is great not having to wait so long. I arrived at 7am and was in theatre at 9am. I don’t go home until 8pm as I was sick after the anaesthesia a few times.
Take the pain meds they give you, if it’s co codamol you may have constipation so make sure you add senna or lactulose to your click and collect shop. Take you time with the exercises and just do what you can, it’s a guide and everyone is different.
So pleased it is going well with the dogs, finding a reliable dog sitter is invaluable. You’ll be back dog sitting and horse riding in no time. You’ve been through so much already, you are so strong and resilient. Let us know how you get on.
I am planning on taking the next 2/3 weeks off at least.
Thank you so much- am staying over night. I actually like being seen first ish as it means I have the day to recover and should hopefully be able to sleep and get comfortable plus drink loads to start eliminate all these drugs xxx
@pinklilli3s Good luck for tomorrow. I am next Thurs so you are leading the way. I will be thinking of you and looking forward to you telling me how it wasn’t too bad and you are on the mend.
Awww thanks am starting to feel better. My seroma is much better and I’ve been doing all my exercises.
Feeling apprehensive about what goes next, got radiotherapy and tamoxifen to come but the one I’m worried about is 2 years of abemaciclib (targeted therapy). There are a few threads about it on here, I know I’m lucky I can take it on nhs (expensive drug w good results) but the reported side effects sound pretty rough and debilitating for some… fatigue and diarrhoea. Feel in limbo waiting for it to start. Could be fine tho! Xxxx
has gone ok. District nurses were very naughty not telling you they weren’t coming. So frustrating! Also I know what you mean about feeling weird walking! I have the energy but putting one foot in front of the other is challenging for longer distances.
eyebrows are sparse but hanging in there and eyelashes are thin but also hanging on! Not sure if anyone else has this but I have no nasal hair! And it doesn’t seem to be making a reappearance yet 
one day at a time! Soon we’ll all look back at this time like it’s a dream
.
and big hugs to all of you 
which is madness. Wire got to be put in and apparently I got to be first because am allergic to latex.
shopping might have to wait and I may order online or click and collect!!
for tomorrow pinklilli 
and if you are havin a drain, no swinging it round your head after 
again within few weeks 