The upside of cancer....

I’m going blackberrying as well, last year I made 8 lbs of lovely jam. I picked them at some bushes overlooking the seafront here, so a nice view as well as free fruit! OH has frozen loads of garden veg for the winter and has some tomatoes, so I’m going to try chutney this week.

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No breasts means---- being able to get closer for a cuddle.
No breasts means----not getting them trapped when I turn over in bed.
No breasts, and no prosthesis means----- no uncomfortable bras.
No breasts means----- no more bouncing during aquafit classes.
I worry less, especially about the future.
I’m now more confident.
I find it easier to say no.

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seroma means … having the bounciest ‘breasts’ ever!

I remember it well.

Hi everyone

Just to let you know that I have moved this thread to the “sharing good news” section, as it seems to fit better under this section. I hope it doesn’t make it difficult to find.

with best wishes
Leah

On the frivolous side: not having to pluck my chin for those stray and unsightly dark hairs. Yay!
Lulu XX

Sorry Lulu but they are the first to come back!!

That said I know now more then ever who are the people who matter in my life and no longer care about the opinions of those who are negative. I try and spend my time with people, I like and love and zone out those I don’t. I will always be polite to people but no longer have the need to please that I used to have. Liberation could well be!!

Not having to shave my legs, pluck my eyebrows or chin, or dry my hair in the morning.
Finding out that my sticky out ear that I’ve been paranoid about all my life doesn’t stick out as much as I thought!
Thinking long and hard about my life and deciding if I want to change anything- and finding that I don’t.
Realizing what a fantastic husband and children I’ve got.

Since mx in Sept I have been feeling low, tears at stupid o’clock and today reading this thread tears again, but this time they have been happy tears. For me bc has shown me who my real friends are and those that were the hangers on have now been binned. My fantastic OH for being my rock but also treating me normally as well. My 5 yo and 3 yo for making me laugh and having enough time in the day to be Mummy without running round i like a headless chicken.

Louise

This is a great thread. I gave up full time teaching at the end of September to care for and have more time with my very elderly mum. I was dx with breast cancer on 13th Sept and had a max and lymphnode clearance at the end of September.
This has brought mum and I closer together. My husband and daughters are rocks and I do no know what I would have done without them. I am more positive, long lost relatives have stayed in touch. I only do things that matter. I will see onc on 25th, to see if it has gone to my bones.
I have done things I couldn’t when working. The house is generally tidier,but that does not matter. Buying new makeup and looking at wigs for the future.
Do I care what other people think, not now only the closest people who matter to me. Keep up this thread!

Hi All-
Just wanted to thank everybody for this thread. It’s wonderful to read all the positives. Have just been diagnosed and have not yet had any treatment. My head has been full of BC information mostly unpleasant- now I almost feel “excited” about what I have to look forward to afterwards. Already I feel very supported by friends but most of them are overseas (arrived in the UK in Feb this year). This forum is inspirational I find it amazing that in the past it has been rubbished. Keep it going!!
Diana

Hi

Just joined this website. Have finished chemo and radiotherapy after a lumpectomy. i count myself lucky after meeting some other woman who were in more dire straits.
My wonderful husband has been with me every step of the way. Mopped up after me when sick and comforted my in my worst moments. Its beena miserable few months but I got through it with the help and support of friends. The upside is that my hair is growing back quite silver (funny I thought it would come back the colour I had dyed it for so many years). I am going to go with it and make a statement with the colour…Oh and I am going back to work next week…The support of hospital staff and this website has been tremendous.

brilliant thread.

makes a change from the negatives x

Great to read that I’m not the only one in danger of becoming a domestic goddess. All those dormant skills I never knew I had are coming out - just off to bake a cake with some of my homemade jam!

Reeb x

my eldest step daughter (age 30) has actually been nice to me!

Actually, she wasn’t really nasty before, just distant - e.g. would talk to her dad rather than both of us even though we were both in the room. Yesterday, she gave me a kiss before goong home.

Other upsides:
my house looked like a florist shop with all the lovely flowers people sent when I was diagnosed and when I had my mx.

I found out who my real friends are.

I have decided that I can use it as an excuse it to be grumpy - e.g. telling my nieces they spend too long on their computers (up to 9 hours per day at the weekends) and should find something more interesting to do. My sister probably won’t tell me off for interfering at the moment ;0)

Looking forward to doing the domestic goddess bit, hasn’t happened yet!

Glossy - you made me laugh about your hair:) I suspect quite a few of us had no idea what our natural colour was until chemo intervened. Silver hair can look lovely - often complements skin tone very nicely - good for you. x

House tidy. Cupboards cleared out that I never had time to do. Realising who my friends are. Thanks to my office for the tree they gave me for my garden. I have watched it grow over the last months whilst having treatment and (silly as it sounds) felt nutured by it. Going back to work tomorrow. Feeling a little apprehensive but excited to be doing something ‘normal’ again! Must admit I never thought I would be ‘excited’ by work…lol

What a great thread.
I have found BC has made me revaluate my life which I really needed to do, I’ve discovered so many caring friends.
My two sons and daughter-in-law have been the best, the rest of my family so supportive. I’ve never had to go chemo sessions on my own as family and friends have insisted I don’t go alone.

I was so stressed out at work with to much work being loaded on, that has now taken a back burner and with chilling rather than stressing I have become more productive. I have been able to continue working from home because I’ve sailed through chemo with few problems. Lucky me.

Only downside is that my daughter(30) has not been able to cope with this too well, so badly that she hasn’t spoken to me for a couple of months. That does distress me. She will recover from this I’m sure when it’s all over and done with.

Even my hair has begun to grow back before my TAX have finished, for some reason though it’s growing back silver, nice colour but not what I’m used to.

xx

Hi ho

After the cake making yesterday it would appear that it’s a good thing I’ll be off work for a while. Describing myself as a budding domestic goddess was a bit premature. The homemade jam was spreadable this time if a little runny but the sponge cake was not what you’d call light. Our four border collies, who like nothing better than rotting rabbit and sheep poo, turned their noses up and the left overs that were put on the bird table resulted in birds plummeting out of the sky - slight exaggeration but you get my drift. However the cake could be used as another measure of friendship - first you find out who your friends are when you tell them you have BC then the cake test; those who take one look at the cake and refuse (unreliable), those who take a piece but leave a chunk (ok in a crisis type) and those who persevere even though the jaw is breaking and teeth are falling out (true friends).

Whilst I’m on this I have another moan about the fickleness of my OH. I stuck a red dot on the under arm swelling from the node clearance and tried to persuade him that rather than losing out in the boob department he actually has more choice, not two but three to chose from and in a range of sizes! Small, the operated boob, medium the underarm swelling and large the untouched boob. Some men just don’t know when they’re well off.

Think it’s time for my tablets.

Take care ladies

Reeb