Hi Lainie, is your port in the centre of the implant or separate? I had expanded put in last week and the port is under my armpit so I can have rads then remove the port or replace the implant. If you’ve had rads then it should be the same and you can have the port removed then the MRI?
Hi riversidedawn my ports are under my armpits like you. They have to stay because of the type of reconstruction I’m having and I couldn’t have them removed just now anyway because I’m on blood thinning injections until the end of June. You couldn’t make it up could you. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I hope another type of scan will be enough. My next appointment is on Monday so I don’t have too long to wait anyway xxx
Hi all I’ve been away for 3 days for a little break with my family . Junash congrats on finishing your treatment . Lainie , I feel for you and hope you get sorted out soon . My hair is growing thicker each day but never looks any longer ! I have had some slight pain where the lump was removed which scared me a bit ,however it has felt numb for so long and now feeling is coming back so I suppose that’s normal . I have managed 2 nights without amytriptyline and my feet seem no worse without it so that’s good . I’m walking much better now and feel stronger but still not back to full strength yet . I’m now planning to lose 9 pounds to get back to my normal weight - that will be quite a challenge ! Xx
Debtex interesting you said about having pain where lump taken out i too have started with pain same area and under armpit where it feels like the scar tissue is ive totally stressed myself out thinking ive got something else and im constantly feeling. Xx
Debtex so glad your feet are improving. You’ve had such a hard time with them. Hope the other pains start to go soon for all of you suffering them. Xxxx
Just been to the eye clinic and the consultant thinks it’s probably the docetaxel that’s caused the problems. I’m having a ct scan now since I can’t have an mri then I have to see the neuro opthalmologist in 4 weeks. Feeling much better about it now. I’m assuming it’ll just get better on its own if it’s just because of the chemo xxx
Lainie , that sounds reassuring . Fingers xd it’s the dreaded taxol and that the problem with your sight diminishes .
Yes ladies feeling the pain in my ‘bad’ boob is scary but also it doesn’t feel dead or numb like before so I guess it is the nerves . I’m not going to worry - what’s the bloody point ? ?
I’m hitting the gym and as well as the rowing machine and bike I’m giving the cross trainer a go ! I’m a bit ploddy on it but I think it might help my co ordination .
I’ve not thrown myself off the horse again lol ! But will have another try in a week or so .
my feet / nerve pain is still staying minimal and I’m so pleased . My feet still look puffy and my big toe nails look disgusting I’m almost glad the weather is bad so I can keep the under cover . I don’t feel like putting varnish on them as I need to see what’s going on underneath … Yuk !
Has anyone sent a thankyou card to their onc ? I did to the chemo nurses and radio staff and bought chocolates too but not for my onc ! I feel guilty so I’m going to send him one . I spent a lot of time moaning and groaning to him and now I’m feeling a bit better I want him to know I’m great full for what he and his team did for me - particularly when he gave me the option of a plan b when things went pear shaped with the docetaxel xx
Hi madam i didnt have to hold breath just breath normally and had to wear nothing on my top apart from my lovely purple zip down top they gave me so they could access my chest to see my tattoos.
Lainie glad your getting some answers now and feeling happier that poison has sure give us problems. Xx
Eventually got my mri scan last night 45 mins in it and came out with stiff shoulders brought horrible memories back from last july and now trying very hard not to think about results, on a positive note i go away in 2 weeks and cant wait for some sun even though we have to be careful in the heat.
Ive sent cards out to chemo and radio but not onc will get her one after i see her on 30 june.
Xxxxx
Had my pelvis/abdo/chest CT yesterday, and get the results next week. Trying not to worry. I found the whole experience quite upsetting - I guess I had put all the medical stuff behind me to some extent and having to be cannulated and be in a hospital setting again just hit me quite hard. Also, they expected me to sit around in a public waiting room with other patients (of both sexes) with no bra (and hence no boob) on. I spoke to two female nurses about it to voice my disquiet and got not a shred of empathy from either of them. Their response was that the through-put of the department was too high to have things any other way. Don’t get me wrong I am very grateful for what the NHS provides, but when a unit is too busy for patient dignity I think that’s very disappointing. And I’m not sure why nurses become nurses when they are clearly so lacking in people skills. It didn’t help that just before I went in there was an elderly man in the scanner screaming in agony and the same unfeeling nurses physcially restrained his equally elderly wife from entering the scanning room to help him and were very rude and dismissive of her. Awful.
Oh dear . I agree sometimes dignity is not respected . I refused to wear the pink smock last time I had a consultants appointment . I know it’s to speed things up but I hate wearing it . I also had similar treatment jingo after giving birth . X
jingo_x, codiesue and mysterymouse I am so sorry to hear about these awful things that have happened. What I described is nothing compared to what you’ve each been through.
I guess my greatest loss of dignity was whilst hospitalised with a full leg cast. I was left on a bedpan whilst staff went for a break and was discovered unconscious legs akimbo 20 minutes later. I suppose that’s a hilarious image, but at the time I could have died from embarassment. I was refused a shower (it had been 4 days by this time) for no other reason than it was too much bother to find something to protect the cast. I complained about that and a lovely male nurse came with a bin liner, taped it over my cast, then left me to myself to wash. I can still remember that shower vividly as it was the first shred of privacy I’d had since my accident and I sobbed my heart out - not about the broken leg, but about how awful I found the whole experience. I vowed I would never be admitted to hospital again. Little did I know…
Anyway, I wanted to send big hugs to everyone xxx
What awful stories ladies!! I really feel for you. Being in hospital,whether visiting or being treated is bad enough but to be denied some dignity is terrible. It costs nothing to care and empathy should be an essential in a caring profession. Some nurses really can’t be bothered and will set in place routines that make their lives easier instead of thinking about making the patient comfortable. Thinking about all of you and sending hugs ???
Morning lovely ladies 
I wonder if anyone can advise on holiday insurance? I have been given a quote for £115 for a 2 week holiday (this is just for my insurance does not include husband). Have tried the ones previously suggested and they seem around the same price. Seems expensive. Anyone had a good quote which is more reasonable?
Thanks in advance
MM
xx
Hi ladies. You won’t believe this. It’s one thing after another! My right ‘breast’ has swollen and is noticeably bigger than the left. Can’t figure out how this could happen as all there is is skin, muscle and tissue expander??? I’ve called a friend who is a nurse in the plastic surgery dept I attend and she’s booking me in to see the surgeon next Friday. I’m really worried though. Imagining all sorts of things. What if it’s another tumour pushing on the implant? Probably daft thinking but I’m paranoid about everything. I’m sure you all understand that feeing well. Has anyone else had problems with implants? Xxx
Hi MM, I got hol insurance for 1 week for £37.84 from a company called Travel Insurance 4Medical.co.uk. This included my bc, my pulmonary embolism (that some places refused to insure) and the fact I’m taking anti depressants. I was really pleased with the price as some other places I was getting quoted £160 odd. We’re going to Turkey in 4 weeks time and it can’t come quick enough. I’ve had to invest in some bathing costumes this year instead of my bikinis because my tummy is in some state with my daily heparin injections and my monthly zoladex injections. It’s covered in bruises of various colours 
I was really sorry to hear all the horror stories about unsympathetic nursing staff. It really is a vocation becoming a nurse, and if you don’t have the empathy you really shouldn’t be doing that job. I cannot complain at all about the care I have had during all this. The only other time I’ve ever had anything to do with hospitals etc was when I had my 4 kids and I also had 4 miscarriages. I remember after one miscarriage getting taken up to the postnatal ward where the mums were with their babies. That was very insensitive but it was a long time ago and I had hoped things would’ve moved on from then, but obviously not!!!
Is Madam the last one of us to finish treatment?
For the past 3 weeks I’ve had a lot of pain just under my bad boob, at the top of my rib cage and moving down towards my stomach. I phoned my BCN last week to ask about it and she said it would need to be checked out. She phoned back today to say the oncologist would like to examine me first before they do anything else, so waiting for an appointment to go and see him. Waiting for my bowel screening results to come back, but on a good note, the biopsy from my mouth has come back clear so yippee for that
Don’t know about anyone else but I’ve been a bit crabbit recently. I’ve no patience with my husband or my son, the littlest thing is winding me up so much. It’s not like me and I don’t like it. Think I need a holiday.
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Fingers crossed for good weather xxxxxxxx
Hi lainie, I’ve just seen your post. I’m glad you are getting it looked at and fairly quickly. I’m sure we can all appreciate how worried you will be, and that worry won’t go away until it’s been checked. Our minds play havoc with any symptom, sore bit, lump or bump we have. If I am worried about something I will have no hesitation in getting it checked, that’s all we can do really. I’m sure Linzz’s recent MRI was to offer reassurance, and I have the pain in my rib cage that I’ve convinced myself is something (I can’t even say what I’m worried it is but you’ll know). In days gone by I would’ve said to someone in our position, I’m sure everything will be ok, but I can’t say that to anyone anymore. You’ve done good getting it checked xxxxx
I’ve also had some pain in my lumpectomy boob . It mainly comes when I’ve had an underwired bra on for a few hours . I think it is just trauma to the tissue . I understand 'the fear ’ I have delayed my smear test for too long now as I’m scared of setting another load of hares running . I’m mostly v v happy and positive now particularly as I have been able to quit my job which means I can move on and focus on myself for a change . However this has made me more fearful of ‘it’ coming back to spoil the party as it were . I hope we all get over 'the fear ’ . We have all done fantastic so far , we must try as hard now as we did during our treatment to handle this fear . I hope we all succeed . Love to all xx
Wow ladies, so many of us struggling with so many scary things. Hugs to all of you!!! This is definately the side of it that is hardest, coping with new pains, coping with The Fear. I hate it. I get my CT results on Monday and in my head I can picture two scenarios, me skipping out of there SO happy and reassured as the onc told me I probably would, or like jingo_x says they’ve taken a good look and they’re bound to find something they want to look further at. I am terrified that they won’t find anything relating to the problems I was having when the scan was ordered but that something else is about to blind-side me. Add to that I’m choked with a head cold and indulging in feeling sorry for myself. Oh, and I had to go back to the prosthesis clinic and swap down to a smaller foob as all this weight loss has made my good side deflate so much. I now need an AA cup but M&S don’t even do AA in my band size. #feelinglikeabitofafreak
Hope everyone can put stuff to the back of their minds as much as poss this weekend. I think I’m going to go to see an inane comedy at the cinema and then eat lots of comfort food :robothappy:
Morning ladies - oh wow reading these posts i can also relate to many. I had my mri scan tue and everyone keeps telling me it will be fine wish my head would tell me that too !!!
Ive had niggly pains around my neck and shoulders for last few weeks and constantly feeling for any changes my under arm is also painful on my left side where surgery was hoping its just scar tissue.
Im hoping these fears will fade in time but its bloomin hard going at the minute ! Weve definately been thrown alot at us but hopefully we will all cope were all strong women. X
My best friend is taking me to see Dirty Dancing on stage tonight in Nottingham we booked it last year around the time i got diagnosed and was apprehensive so far in advance but cant believe how quick its come round.
Will be thinking about you monday Linzz good luck. Xx
MM Ive had my insurance through insure pink for just myself as my normal bank insurance wont cover me at the minute also used staysure for america later in the year.
Hope everyone has a good weekend and the sun shines so we can hopefully relax. Xxxx
Oh god chemo brain . I called a day spa to book a visit for myself and my best friend of 14 years standing . The girl on reception asked me my friends surname for the booking … Long long long pause before I could recall it . I blushed even tho I was on the phone .
Enjoy your Dirty Dancing night out tonight nicnac15, and remember - No-one puts a member of the October Posse in a corner!
Sorry, couldn’t help myself.