well i had a better sleep last nite as my OH sleep in the spare room so i had the whole bed to myself, my neck feel’s better today so as you said helen it must be the way you hold yourself …my back still aches but not as bad as it did…i’v been getting a burning sensation on my chest well were my boob was… as any one els had that??, well i have been sat in the garden today as the weather is supper fab… my hubby made a nice beef dinner… I just cant wait to be my self again instead of walking all lopsided…and to scared to straighten up,also can’t wait for the drain’s to be taken out next friday …
well hope everone are well chat later sal x
I was skimming thro this post and noticed that Sharon was talking about disacussing bc with her child so you may find this of interest which I posted last month.
There is a story book that has just been published by BCC which is free from their publication site.
Its a story about a mum diagnosed with bc, and covers chemo and rads.
You may find it useful if you have children or work with young children, I think its really good - have a look and see what you think.
It doesn’t cover mastectomy or reconstruction.
The following link will get you there.
Afternoon ladies,
Rightyo to answer your questions.
Buffs - There is a website called buffwear - google and you’ll find it. It’s a circular piece of material with no seam, and it can be worn various ways, bandana, balaclava, scrunchie skull cap etc. Check the website out there are loas of funky designs but they are about £10.99 each. I happened to call into my local motorbike shop and they were selling similar products called comfies, exactly the same, maybe not just as stretchy and they were 3 for £10. Bikers wear them under their helmets, usually round their necks to keep the wind out.
There is also a site lots recommend on here called headcovers.com. It’s an american site but I think it’s relatively cheap to get stuff delivered, I wasn’t as keen on this site but not everyone has the same tastes.
Chemo list - if you click on the thread on the left for undergoing treatment:chemotherapy scan down the list and their is a thread called Top Tips Going through Chemo, its just tips from ladies who are or have gone through chemo and what they found they needed/used it ranges from foods to remedies, nothing too extravacant but I’ll give anything a go.
DDI - This is the Dew Drop Inn, it’s the virtual pub on the BCC website, you’ll find it in the Chit Chat and Fun Forums. Just somewhere to go chat, have virtual parties and cocktails, a place where we are all healthy and looks feel exactly how we eould like to feel.
Glad you ladies are feeling a lot better and enjoying the lovely weather we all seem to be having.
Sal I tried to compensate for the discomfort by holding my arm as if it were in a sling but when I managed to realx it wasn’t too bad and think it helped get my movement back quicker. I now just use it normally, probably more than I should really.
I have painted the ceiling in my hall today and in the process of taping all the skirting and door frames off to paint the walls tonight after my 3 go to bed. Early night for them me thinks.
Anyhoo going to have a nosey about and see what’s been happening on here since I was away.
Evening ladies!
On daughter’s laptop tonight as son playing some on-line killing game… he hasn’t embraced my Quaker principles…!
Beautiful day today - was going to do some gardening, but knackered as OH and I went dancing last night - 2 hours of modern ballroom & latin. Pleased to report that at just 4 weeks post surgery I was able to do most things with my arm including salsa… I still have 2 tight cords, but with exercise and massage they are much better. I also haven’t taken any pain killers for 4 days now!!! It all feels rather ‘tight’ and my underarm feels sore but bareable. And consequently I’m not constipated any more either, even with the iron I have to take… woohoo!
I had my onc appt through on sat - for my first chemo- now, bearing in mind that I was told I could request my day, I requested a Thurs morning, and it’s come through as Tue afternoon!! I’ll ring them tomorrow. Don’t mind the Tue bit particularly, but the pm bit is useless - how am I supposed to look after my children???
well had a better day today. but will say i did freak out abit tonite as where my drains start, i looked down and my vest was wet and it look’s as tho thay are leaking my d/ nurse is calling in the morning so i will tell her …hope this is’unt much to worry about,
,my neck and back is better and yea lisa think it was cus i was holding my self funny and also i think the surgery make’s you sore with all the troma you go through.
well i’m off to bed in a min ,hoping when i get up the pain is less and less as the day’s go on…
Bet you thought I had disappeared! Well sort of, I had my histology results yesterday and they weren’t too bad. I had a Grade 3 carcinoma 14mm but with surrounding DCIS making it 20mm in all. The good bit is they took 9 lymph nodes none of which had any involvement so as I have had a mx no rads for me (little hoorah!). They still want me to have chemo, and am now waiting for my appointment with oncologist…I remember you Lisa saying how adrift you felt between appointments and bits of treatment, now I know exactly what you mean! I feel a bit “out on my own” as the surgeon just said “Ok see you in a year” and that was that! I am going for my prosthesis fitting on 20th June though, which at least is something and will make me feel better as I hate this thing stuffed down my bra at the moment. So…another waiting game, but they have said that I will most likely start chemo 6 weeks from my op, which is another 4 weeks. This is the bit I am really dreading, I have been browsing the forums looking at stuff about chemo, but until I know exactly what regime I will be on there isn’t much point. I will look at the “top tips” thread though, I think that is one of the biggest advantages of a site like this you can get all the insider tricks that the health professionals won’t/don’t tell you from other people who have been through it already. I read on another discussion Lisa that you are about to start chemo and so are some others - I may well join in your mini support group! I think its time to move from “newly diagnosed” as well! I can’t believe that 6 weeks ago I was newly diagnosed, now I am post surgery and about to do chemo - its all a bit mad when you think about it isn’t it!!! How your life changes in one moment. I shan’t think about it too much though, it will make my already addled brain hurt.
Oh the other thing they said is that I am HER2 positive, oestrogen and progesterone positive! I had read about triple negatives, but no-one says anything about triple positive! I don’t know whether this is good, bad or indifferent so may have to do some research. I know it means I will be on hormone treatment and possibly herceptin after chemo but don’t know what this means really. As I say, some research is needed.
Sal - hope your neck is feeling better and are managing to relax a bit. My arm is giving me a bit of pain at the moment, its the awful under arm bit that feels all sensitive and tight. I am carrying on regardless with the exercises though, however much they hurt as it does actually help. Its just the first lot in the morning - they make me wince a bit!
Hi everyone hope you are all well, i had my drain’s out today what a relive that was, as they were hurtng right on the chest.
Even tho i was not ment to have them out till friday. So i go back friday now to find out the rest of my result’s, so i hope it’s good news. That every thing is clear, i have a appointment with onc as well on friday, think he wont’s me to start my chemo on the 24th of this month. and i’m thinking wooooooow…scary … so like you H be moving on and start to chat to each other about the chemo and see how each other will get on with this journey…
Glad that you know now helen what you had and that you are on the next level …not that it make’s thing’s better but you can start to move on if that make’s any sence .My back and neck are fine now thank’s but arm pit is quite swollen but the bcn said, that can happen,
well im off for my tea
chat later
sal x
HI Ladies,
Helen - Glad the results were pretty good. Triple positive is sort of good because it means there are lots of things they can give you to help fight the cancer. If you were triple negative the only thing would be chemo and rads. Although triple + has its downsides too.
I only came back positive for oestrogen, which is grand. I don’t fancy going through all the meopausal symptoms early though but I am lucky I have 3 kids in the off chance all this ruins my chances of having more.
You read right I saw my oncologist on Monday, lovely man. I was supposed to start chemo on 18th but as the boys have their concert and leavers ceremony (Kyle is off to grammar) he put it back a week for me. I have 6 sessions in total 3xFEC ( a combination of 3 different anti-cancer drugs) and then 3xDoc (taxotere), then we will discuss rads but I saw that he has me down for 25 sessions, so 5 days a week for 5 weeks. Then tamoxifen for 5 years.
Yeah I have been reading the chemo forums and put a few wee bits on, I did try to start a thread for 25th June but nobody else has posted there yet, maybe we should start our own wee thread on there, entitles “Newbies in chemo land” or something. I also post on another thread on newly diagnosed and some of the those girls aren’t far behind us either.
I have read the info the onc gave me and the stuff on these forums and most people seem to say the chemo is do-able. Its the unknown which is the worst as you don’t know how you will react. I am preparing for the worst. I am ordering myself a chillow pillow for the night sweats etc and have started to buy a few things from the top tips list, got my toothbrush and hand cream etc.
I have 2 weeks to get my house sorted before it kicks off and I am determined it will be tidy, all the ironing and washing up to date etc. I am thinking about getting a cleaner in. I know everybody offers to help but it doesn’t always happen. And I don’t want my mother in law finding anything she shouldn’t. My friend was away for a couple of days with work and her mum found her toys. I nearly wet myself laughing when I heard that one.
Keep up the exercises girls. I decided to paint my hall ceiling and a wall on Sun and as a result now have a swollen arm and I am going to physio tomorrow :(.
Glad things are getting there Sal, stick at it. It isn’t too bad getting the drains out. Good luck for Friday.
Hey ladies,
Went to physio today and she said that I was to keep exercising and that it isn’t necessarily that I did anything to make it swell.
She said that our bodies are used to making so much fluid to go around and then when we remove the glands our bodies don’t know to stop.
She says that it’s more than likely my swelling has been building up over time and it just took me a while to notice.
She gave me some more exercises to do, although she said the ones we are given on leaving hospital are more to get movement back than for lympodaema but I can keep doing them id I want.
She gave me this wonderful sleeve to wear, bit like those tubi grips you get for sports injuries but it is quite strong and tight. My left arm is 2cm bigger than my right at the top and she says that my right should be bigger as I am right handed, but she said it’s not too worrying yet.
I have to wear the sleeve as much as possible, but if it is too uncomfortable she can get me a lighter one. I have had it one since 3.30 and it’s OK.
Think I am just one of the unlucky ones who may have to be more careful, have to keep exercising it but not to life anything heavy and be very careful no-one tried to take blood from it or blood pressure but I knew that anyway.
Hey Suzy read your thread about your mum, so sorry you have to go through all this. I think it’s worse for our families, well for mine anyway.
I am so headstrong that I just get on with it and can be very tactless about the whole thing, I forget sometimes that they are involved too.
I would to love to meet up but I live in N. Ireland so doubt I’ll make it.
I hope things go well for your mum or at least as good as possible.
Does your mum come on here? I know that some “older” folk don’t but even if she could read this stuff and talk on here it might help her.