Cressida-It’s fine to laugh, that’s what I’ve been doing. My head is purple and now my pillow is too. Think I’ve sweated some of it off.
It’s not put me off though. Once I’ve de-purpled I’ll be having another go at a more subtle shade.
Mz- I saw that new info on Tamoxifen but if I can do my 5 years that will be enough for me.
QD-hope things go ok at hospital-no more scans surely???
Hope everyone else is well, if I start to scroll back I’ll have to start again.
Lovely sunshine up here today!
QD - seroma is usually soft to touch and moves about with gravity (eg when you bend over, lie down etc). Sometimes, if it is very full of liquid, it will actually slosh about. It can be painful because of the wieght and pressure. Firmer swelling can be inflammed tissue or lymphodeama. Either way you are going to need to get it looked at. Where is your suspect dvt? One bl**dy thing after another.
Sarah - I use an adapted from of mindfulness/meditation. It’s very simple. Go to anywhere you find beautiful and quiet. Sit down and really notice everything. Describe it your head in detail as if doing a descriptive piece of writing. What do you see/hear? Start with the obvious and move onto the detail and peripheral stuff. So, for example I sat amongst the bluebells and set about describing a bluebell - how tall? how many stems/petals? colours? how does it bend/move in the breeze? Then, what else is growing with them? What is on the forest floor? Insects? Birds? Sunlight? Sounds, nearby and far away? I find it calming and it brings me into the present completly. Give it a go and adapt it to suit you. It won’t cure cancer, but it helps me.
Maire - glad the sun is shining in Scotland. Colour will wash out of pillows/towels no problem. Mine have been all shades.
I am suffering today because I decided to go cold turkey on my pain meds. Am so sick and tired of doctors and meds and of being sick and tired. Feel a bit flu-ee. Shakey and agitated. Probably not the way to do it, but any other way would involve seeing a doc and doing it their way, which still might not be the best way. They would all have a different plan. Lets hope it only takes a few days to recover. Intending to go to the YWBCN meet up in Birmingham this weekend. Anyone in Birmingham want Sunday lunch?
xxx
Cress, that’s very brave going cold turkey. I like your alternative to mindfulness/meditation.
Maire, you made me laugh with the purple head (sorry). It would have matched my sunburnt head nicely.
QD, Good luck with your results on Monday. You seem to really be getting the rough end of the stick at the moment. Hang on in there.
SP, the mindfulness course doesn’t sound great, but I’m glad to read the counselling is helping you feel better.
MZ, Tam for 10 years? I hope not. How did they come to that conclusion? I turn off like a light at about 9.30pm on the sofa since starting Tam but also sleep like a baby when I go to bed apart from the cold flushes and hot sweats waking me up.
Shellebelle, are you finished with rads yet? Let us know how your skin holds up.
BC, it’s great to read that you’re getting back to normal.
Coyotegi, whereabouts are you in Herts? If you’re near to Watford, perhaps we could meet up when I visit my Mum there.
Cybele, it was great to see you back on the thread, but when you’re tired don’t worry about making the effort. Sometimes it’s good just to see what other people are writing and know we’re still out here.
I have face fluff too. It was quite a shock when I noticed it and not a pleasant one. I usually have medium/light brown hair (my Sister says 'horse dropping brown!) but now what’s not grey is near to black. Great for my eyelashes, they are begining to look good, but my legs!?! Urgh!
My first rads appointment was for today, but they cancelled it yesterday and I will start next Monday. Poo, double poo. I just want to get it all finished.
Hugs to all.
Am reviving a bit.
I think the problem was that i came back from Turkey feeling strong and energetic again, and assumed that I was now better and it was going to last… then I crashed, and became very down again.
When will I learn that the up and down-ness post cancer and treatment is unlikely to stop for a while?
Anyway, been getting a grip today and did quite a lot. Am cooking sea bass on a bed of roast vegetables and Puy lentils for dinner - how healthy is that?
Had rads dose 11 today - only 4 more to go. a little bit sore now under my boob in the crease between boob and chest, but am whacking the aloe vera on like nobody’s business and it doesn’t seem to be getting any worse. Also spending a lot of time at home topless to let the air get to it, which definitely helps. Last dose will be next Tuesday and then I will be free of the hospital at last. Am not even thinking about the Tamoxifen yet, but I gather my oncologist will be around on Monday when I go in, so I expect she will be thrusting the prescription into my very un-eager hands…
love to you all xxx
Hi
can anyone help am on day 2 of rads and i have swelling on the treated side already it feels numbish and i didnt expect side effects yet.
jenny x
Good evening ladies
QD - sorry to hear of the possible dvt, hope it gets sorted quickly. Glad to hear abut the eyelashes, hair etc. When I went to my hairdresser on Monday for my first trim (yes I said trim whoopeedoo!) she gave me some coloured mousse to touch up my roots when the grey breaks through the blonde. You just put it on wet hair and it completely covers grey. Washes out but hairdresser said the colour does eventually build up. You can even buy a light and dark colour and mix them to obtain what you are looking for. When I looked on Amazon they are sold on there. Really good for our sort of hair problems where we can’t be harsh and if you lost your hair and have some regrowth I would think they’d be brilliant. Just thought I’d share.
Cybele - glad you are feeling stronger. I’m now 12 weeks post chemo and the more I do the stronger I feel now but it took a while. Your dinner sounds yummy.
Maire - are you still purple?
Hamley - boo to the cancelled rads but yay to having black eyelashes though not so sure about black leg hairs. Perhaps you could use the mousse on your hair for temporary colour.
Got officially signed off as NED by my lovely lady surgeon today. Annual Mamograms to be had at the same time as an appointment with her. The good thing is she said if I’m worried about anything at all to just ring her secretary and she’ll see me. She said not to go back to my GP for any new lumps (God forbid!) or any worries. Even if I have just a small thing like arm ache she says I can ring her. This is very comforting to know. She told me I’ve shouldn’t worry about a thing and get out and enjoy a normal life. That bit might be easier said than done but I’ll certainly try. Off on holiday on Saturday with our son and daughter their OH’s and six Border Collies. Have a cottage in Pembrokeshire right on a private beach. It’s so peaceful and beautiful and just what I need at the moment and the dogs love it. Just hope this lovely weather holds and that my poor daughter who is having her breast lump removed tomorrow feels well enough to enough it. Sure she will, we’re a tough lot. Won’t really rest until I know that her lump is just a cyst though.
When I started this journey on 30th October 2012 this day seemed a lifetime away. But I’ve got through it with the help of all you wonderful ladies on this and the October thread. I have found it so supportive, interesting and informative. Some posts have brought tears to my eyes but mostly they make me smile and laugh. We are all nearly there any only someone going through all this c""p can possibly know how another sufferer feels.
B
Hi all
Maire - what colour are you now? I used real nappies when my kids were babies and one day i left a red sock in the machine and ended up with a whole load of pink nappies.A bit later i did the same with a blue one! The way i looked at it was that picasso had “pink and blue periods” - and so did my nappies!!! So your pillowcases are “having a puple period”!!!
Cressida - the third boob under the armpit is solid! It certainly isnt sloshy. My doc says Ive got to give it 6 weeks! To be honest because thats the side with no lymph nodes I dont want any needles or aspitrating done. I will ask my bcn for advice on Monday - when I get my histology report. Eek! I am soo nervous. My second DVT scan is on Tuesday. Oh what joy! How you feeling now re cold turkey meds? I think you’re very brave to do it and I applaud you! What is the YWBCN thing in Birmingham? Where and when? Cos I live in Brum and we could meet up?
Hanley - boo to cancelled rads! Any reason given?
Jenny - hope you feel better soon
Border Collies- thanks for the tip re hair mousse. Well done for being NED!!!
Cybele - my kitchen is at your disposal!!!
Lots of love QD
hi
well just a quick one to let you know i am still here , only 3 more Rads to go i finish on Mondday, then not sure what happens after that as no appointments made for any follow ups yet, but really looking forward to no more hospital appoinments every day, SE from Rads i have none except triedness,
I am taking Tamixofen since the 14th may, and the SE effercts i have so far are dizzness, hot flushes and both my hands go numb from the wrist down this morning it was quite painfull so going to make doctors appointment today see if there is anything else they can put me on as i dont want numb hands for the 2 years i will be on it.
sorry not had a time to read all the posts as there was 27 to catch up on, must try harder and keep up.
hope you are all feeling better 
Lolly
x
Going cold turkey on highly addictive pain meds was probably stupid rather than brave, but that’s a fine line. Most of the symptoms have calmed down now, except I have a continuous dull achy pain in my stomach. At 4am this morning it occured to me that this might not be withdrawal, it might be something sinister that has been there all along but the pain killers hid it. That thought really helped me sleep. I love cancer paranoia.
QD - It’s the Younger Women’s breast cancer face book group. We will be in Birmingham this weekend. I wasn’t sure I was going to go due to my extreme tiredness, but I intend to try. I will send you a message.
A week into feeling better and now I’ve commited to the WLE - booked for 18 Jun. Keep going, those of you on rads, glad I’m not doing that too.
Thanks Cress for mindfulness tip, hope you’re getting over withdrawal. Good luck QD with next scan.
Sarah
Well that’s another hurdle over with. Final RT session done and dusted. Hope anxiety levels now drop and I start to feel more energetic soon. Still waiting for appt. to see cardiovascular consultant and have head CT, so the hospital trips/tests haven’t ended yet, but hopefully going in right direction.
Hello ladies , just a little note to say I got my results today of my cavity shave and it showed no cancer cells , I had an unclear margin on my WLE , so really good news , I’m abit shell shocked at mo , feel like I’m not used to good news or that something else will happen , ahhhh ! Cancer doesn’t half mess with your head doesn’t it , I need to read back on posts to catch up , I’ve just got back in from hosp , rads next, waiting on an appointment , I’ll have 3 wks then a boost wk , didnt want the trial where they do the boost at same time as onc said could have more skin side affects and scarring , will catch up as soon as my son is with his nanan and grandad , love to everyone xxx
Jenny-I had no side effects from radiotherapy so can’t really give you any advice other than to speak to the nurses when you get your next blast to make sure all is ok.
Good luck.
Oh and to those that asked…yes…still purple!
Lovely to hear some good news Lisalouw. And, thanks for reminding me of your purple head Maire. 
Border collies , what brand is the colour mousse ? That sounds like a really idea xxx
Good idea !!! Duh, brain and fingertips not working , still not read all posts yet , I’m trying xxx
Lisalou, I think you can still blame chemo brain for spelling mistakes, bad grammer and missing words at this point! Great news on the cavity shave.
SP, good luck with the WLE on the 18th.
Lolly and Cybele, you’re nearly there, keep it up.
QD, my rads were postponed due to the machine breaking down. They phoned this morning to change my appointment on Monday to 1pm instead of 1.10pm, so I think they’re doing some juggling. You’re washing sounds like my washing, though no nappies.
BC, congrats on NED and have a great, well deserved holiday.
I went to the dentist yesterday to get the tooth fixed that crumbled under chemo. What a relief and it wasn’t too bad even for me as the world’s biggest wuss.
Lisalouw - yay!!!
Shellbelle - yay!!!
Hamleys tooth - yay!
Mairie’s purple head - yay!
i was so fed up yesterday. i sobbed for a while so OH took me to the pub. we walked into the car park -im texting and walk straight into a huge pole!!! the next thing i know is that im sitting at a table with a tea towel full of ice cubes on my head! !!!
QDx
Lisalouw - Greaat news re: the cavity shave. Pleased for you. The colour mousse I used was Indola and another one called Goldwell. My hairdresser gave me the Indola one but I sent for the Goldwell because they did a Light Ash Blonde and Indola didn’t. Have to be careful with pale hair but if you are brown to dark they should work really well. Good luck.
Daughter came through her op ok now just have to wait to make sure it was just a cyst!
How’s the head QD - not another “lump” I hope!!!
B
Lisalouw - Greaat news re: the cavity shave. Pleased for you. The colour mousse I used was Indola and another one called Goldwell. My hairdresser gave me the Indola one but I sent for the Goldwell because they did a Light Ash Blonde and Indola didn’t. Have to be careful with pale hair but if you are brown to dark they should work really well. Good luck.
Daughter came through her op ok now just have to wait to make sure it was just a cyst!
How’s the head QD - not another “lump” I hope!!!
B