Anyone due to start chemo April 14??

[Lovewine]

Morning everyone, Rosie, hope you are more comfortable today, enjoy your last couple of days with your son and fiancée, they will understand you are unable to do a great deal and I am sure they feel really happy to be there to help you both!i very frustrating for you though. Am taking my mum and my sister into leicester today just for a look around shops and light lunch, hoping it will help my mum a little to do something " normal" other than talk about various hospital appointments! I have realised even when you are 52 you are still a small child in the eyes of your parents! It must be very difficult to deal with an illness like cancer that affects your children whatever age.
Wildpurl, hope your decorating gets underway, have a productive day!
All the best to all you other ladies whatever Saturday brings!

[Wildpurl]

Morning Rosie, glad you are feeling more comfortable after seeing the surgeon. I did get most of my housework done!
I am off to the gym shortly and hoping to start preparing a room for decorating this afternoon. I am also starting tamoxifen today, the onc said to wait four weeks after finishing chemo.
It looks like a nice day out so far, hope everyone is doing well

[rosie14]

Hopefully I am not rejecting the implants Wildpurl that was my own conclusion! I think he may start inflating them next week!
Did you get housework done or did you fall asleep?!!!! I always seem to be sleeping!

[rosie14]

I had nearly finished typing a long text and the page suddenly disappeared and went to Facebook when I came back to this page text gone! Grrrrr!!!'
Lovewine I am hoping that most of the discomfort and temp is down to the fluid build up! It feels a little easier this am but sore where he squeezed out the fluid!
I am sorry to hear that your parents have been so affected by your illness hopefully they will feel more relaxed about it once you have had surgery and recovered. Sorry you didn't get to the charity shop,but more important to visit your parents!
Radiotherapy was mentioned yesterday he said he would book me an appointment next week to start the following week for 5 weeks. Don't look forward to that as I will have to travel on a mini bus for 2.5 hrs each trip! I will be gone all day will have to get someone to let dog out each day when DH is back at school. Going to see if I can book a long weekend at our favourite escape In Kyrenia my birthday weekend in September and then DH can take me on the Friday and Monday on the way back!
Went to bed very early last night will have to make a better effort tonight as son and fiancée are going home tomorrow night! I am so disappointed that I didn't feel better when they were here. They have been very helpful doing all the washing up emptying the bins feeding dog and son stacked a pile of logs that DH had delivered for the winter!!! It is obviously very cheap this time of year! From November to mid March we need to use the log burner!
Hope everyone has a good weekend whatever you may be doing and Joan and Booksandwine continue to make a good recovery ! Jos hope you had a good day with your sister? Jackie hope you are well and Cassie and Tlj who I think are still on holiday. Nellie hope you are well too!

[Lovewine]

Rosie, is it the fluid causing your temperature and pain? I do hope you get it sorted out soon, think you have put up with enough.
Jos, sorry you had a rough time with radiologist, it's awful when you have appointments like that, it's very upsetting when things don't go to plan, hope you had a nice day today though with your outing and visit to your mum.
Wildpurl, hope you managed the housework!!
I ran out of time and energy for charity shopping, so will have to leave for another day,it was my dads 79th birthday today, made him a cake and went to visit him and my mum, they has been for routine doctors check up today and both are very underweight and suffering worry and stress caused by worrying about me, it really brought it home to me how this horrible disease affects our families so much too, they looked very frail all of a sudden, they have been a wonderful support to me, taking me for oncology appts when O/H can't and generally just being there!
Joan and Booksandwine, hope you are healing well,
Hope everyone else has a pleasant weekend, cassie, hope you enjoyed Devon! Tij , you too on your holiday!

[rosie14]

More fluid drained got to go back tomorrow so he can flush it out again!

[Wildpurl]

I hope the surgeon can sort things out Rosie and that you're not rejecting the implants. It's good you can see him so quickly.

Jos, the radiologist's bedside manner could do with some work. I think sometimes they get carried away with giving you all the information and don't stop to think how it might make you feel. As Rosie says he was probably just giving you the worst case scenario.

I'm back from work now and just having a rest before doing some housework. No really, I am going to do housework next. I'm definitely not considering having a nap 😉

[booksandwine]

Hi all glad most of you are doing well. Yes I will have radiotherapy will see consultant in two weeks re this. Seeing specialist today hope to get ct tc results and get pathology report next week. Overall no pain except sharp pains underarms at tumes like a knife

Re hospital yep I got grumpy too and yelled for lights out worked for half and hour getting more sleep at home

[rosie14]

Jos I am very sorry that you had such a tackless response to you ongoing treatment. Let's hope that he was really
Looking on the worst case scenario! Good for you off to enjoy your day with your sister!
I now have a temperature so am wondering if my body is rejecting the tissue expanders. I can't have infection in wound as I am still taking antibiotics!
The surgeon has just phoned and he will see us at his house as it is bank holiday at 6 pm tonight!

[rosie14]

Joan so glad you are making good progress your daughter 's wedding sounded wonderful. Did you take them all back to the charity's shops afterwards? I agree with you about text on iPads and I have to watch the keys so I can't see what I am writing and don't always have time to check it!
I do hope there will be some good news from your husbands brother in law thinking of you. X

[jos]

Good morning everyone

Booksandwine - good to hear from you.  Glad to hear surgery went ok and not too much pain.  Happy Birthday for earlier and hope you enjoy celebrating when you are feeling better.  Yes, hospitals are very noisy aren't they?!  No rest there.

Lovewine - glad you have your surgery plan.  Your panic attack sounds very familiar to me.  Now chemo is over friends are talking about "coming through the other side" and "getting back to normal" when I know that life will be very different from how it was before and I still have to face all sorts of challenges.  Thinking of it as my "new normal".

Rosie - sorry you are having trouble with expanders - i hope you can get that sorted.

Wildpurl - glad you enjoyed a day off.  Even the thought of work seems a bit strange to me at the moment!

Joan - pleased you are feeling well - it's amazing what a good night's sleep can do.

Well, I had a bad day yesterday.  i had an appointment with a radiologist to discuss having radio to the lymph nodes rather than surgery as I had read a recent study that found there was less risk of lymphoedema with rads.  Firstly I didn't see the person who I thought would be seeing, then he said that the studies that have been done have all been done on women who have had adjuvant chemo and as there was no research on women who have had neoadjuvant chemo they still recommend surgical clearance.  So i was disappointed with that.  He then went on to say that I would be having rads to my supraclavicular fossa (above the collarbone) as there were nodes there.  First I'd heard of it so that came as a bit of a shock.  Has anyone else had that?  I thought I was just having the rads to the breast.  Then he finished off with the tactless comment that if they have to take more tissue than expected at surgery (I'm having WLE with flap recon which I am happy with) then I'll need a mastectomy after all.  As I have had an "excellent almost complete response" to chemo with only a teeny tiny bit left, it's a bit frustrating to think they might take just as much tissue anyway.  I felt upset afterwards and just so fed up with the whole cancer thing.  Just when you think you know what is happening to you, something completely new comes along. 

Anyway, today is a new day and my sister and I are heading for the Moore/Rodin exhibition at Compton Verney (Warwickshire) and then going on to visit my Mum.  So for today at least I shall put it all to one side and go and relax.

I hope you all have a good day.

x

[joan47]

Lovewine, hope you have success in the charity shops, which sound rather posher than the ones we have here. I've had charity shop fatigue since traipsing round a few years ago trying to find china and glass suitable for my daughters wedding. It was in a garden and she wanted a traditional English afternoon tea-sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, cakes. So I had to find came stands and teapots and bowls. It was great fun and gave us the excuse for outings to places with lots of charity shops and it all looked great. Then, of course, there was the problem of disposing of it. Try not to stress too much about the op, I have found the process much easier than I expected with minimal discomfort and soreness. Having a couple of days away beforehand sounds a good idea and should provide some distraction even if not total.

Rosie, one way and another it seems we want you to be leading a slightly disreputable life. Many of the corrections iPads come up with are just irritating, but others are really funny. Sorry you didn't get a good night. Hope you can manage to doze during the day. 38degrees would certainly send me indoors for a siesta, tipsy or not!

My poor husband is on hospital and support duty again today taking his sister, who lives locally but doesn't drive, to visit her husband who had an operation for bowel cancer yesterday. The operation was much longer than expected, he went to theatre at 3 and wasn't back on the ward till midnight, so we are rather anxious about him. He had expected to be home at the weekend but I can't see that happening now.

Hope everyone else is as ok as possible. Enjoy your weekends, whatever you are doing.

[Lovewine]

Thankyou, am going to have a blooming good look! Found a lovely jaegar jacket for £5.00 last year and wore to youngest sons graduation and got lots of compliments!

[rosie14]

Hope you find a bargain later in the charity shop! Lovewine!

[Lovewine]

Sounds like fun Rosie!!!

[rosie14]

Ha ha Lovewine you will have me tipsy in a shady bar!!!

[rosie14]

Are you taking painkillers Booksandwine? Wise to celebrate birthday next week!

[Lovewine]

Morning Wildpurl, I really enjoyed Birdman, am now reading the second jack caffrey in the series- the treatment, I can't put it down!! Although between the two books I read a lighter toned story just to have a bit more of a light hearted read!

[Lovewine]

Rosie, have just read my thread back after posting and seen ipad has corrected my word to " tipsy" meant it to say today!! Although tipsy sounds more fun!

[Lovewine]

Morning everyone, Rosie, sorry you had such a bad nights sleep, maybe you could snatch a nap in the shade later tipsy?
Wildpurl, enjoy your weekend , chicken curry and wine- lovely!!
I am at work this morning and then doing a little browsing in shops in nearest town afterwards if not too tired! Have quite a passion for charity shop bargains, we have some very good ones in market harborough, because it is an affluent area there are some great clothes etc donated! If not then will drift into " white stuff" where I am sure I will find something to catch my eye!
Have a good day everyone.

[Wildpurl]

Morning Rosie, oh dear a rather disturbed night, hope you will be able to get a nap later on! I'm sorry you are finding thee panders uncomfortable, I hope that will start to ease over the next few weeks as it did for me. I started driving again after 4 weeks but was still a bit stiff and uncomfortable as I recall and it doesn't seem as though you are quite ready for that yet. Having a bilateral means you don't have a good side so I can imagine it will take a bit longer to get back to doing things, plus you have had a bit of a bad time with the left side. But you will get there!

Today we only work 5 hours which is good, housework this afternoon I think and then a relaxing evening. I have downloaded Birdman as it was on special offer for the kindle, it is very well written, enjoying it so far.

Have good days everuone

[rosie14]

Not a good night! DH working late came to bed about 1.00am then dog starts barking loudly at 4.00am I ended up downstairs with a cup of tea. Went back to bed at 5.00 DH has appointments from 8.45 today so I had set alarm for 6.15 am could hear son coughing in bedroom next door - he doesn't get on very well with AC it dries him up! I didn't get back to sleep so turned alarm off at 6.00 and came back downstairs. The temp this morning is a very pleasant 28 it will go up 10 degrees during the course of the morning!
Have a Good Friday everyone!

[rosie14]

Wildpurl that's good to know that you have an expander and you don't get the discomfort anymore. It has been 4 weeks for me now but the tightness is still constantly there except when I lie flat on my back. I am increasing exercise in the hope that will help as I have been unable to do much with left arm due to all the fluid build up! I still have. 4 big stitches in left side where he sewed up the holes he made for draining so can't be too wild!!'
Sounds like you had a very productive day yesterday. Chicken curry and a glass of red sounds good way to round it off!
Lovewine that is good to know also that more people have found expanders uncomfortable. I can't find a great deal of recent information about it on the internet.

[Lovewine]

Rosie, yes am sure they had discomfort like you before saline was put in to expand! Sounds very uncomfortable for you, I agree with doom and gloom on eastenders, I stopped watching all the " soaps" a few years ago as felt they were really depressing!! And yes definitely an armchair baker too!!

[Wildpurl]

Rosie I have an expander in my right breast following the mastectomy. I found that the initial pain subsided to discomfort and I noticed it especially when I sat up after lying down or lay down, until about 4 weeks after the op when it gradually faded away. I don't find it uncomfortable now and have not done for quite a long time.

I would definitely do the exercises Joan, I found them very beneficial and they really helped restore my range of movement and also helped with the cording which started after 2 or 3 weeks.

I have completed the supermarket shop and done a mountain of washing up, then enjoyed a very nice chicken curry with a glass of red. I am very tempted to download some of the books you have all been recommending!

[rosie14]

Lovewine did the ladies you know have discomfort before the inflations? It's like wearing a very tight underwire bra!!!
DH and som bought some bottles of wine back with them form the winery. So,when I have finished my antibiotics on Saturday night I shall partake.
Poor you getting soaked on the dog walk . I am definitely am armchair baker!
Jackie I know what you mean about noise in hospital at night it is usually the night staff that are making all the noise! They come in the room to,take the obs and then go out and leave the door open.
I used to be an Eastenders fan any years ago but felt I needed counselling after watching an episode! Enjoy your evenings everyone whatever you are doing!

[Lovewine]

P.s Kirsty and phil and who do you think you are for me!!

[Lovewine]

Hi Jackie, must say I was taken by surprise when sent off for bloods and ECG, heart trace showed stress, I Said to nurse I am not surprised sitting half naked with a flimsy curtain being yanked open to all and sundry!
Wasn't expecting these two procedures! I can totally relate to you saying having chemo first was a relief, I feel the same- surgery seemed far in the distance , but now it's so close I am fretting. And yes I am having radiotherapy too! Have booked 2 nights away in a hotel in Norfolk weekend before surgery , so hoping sea air will distract me slightly!! Not sure that it will, but nice to get away.

[Jackie09]

Hello everyone,

Booksandwine - lovely to hear fro you. Hope your recovery is speedy. Are you having radiotherapy? I was incredulous at the noise level whilst I was on a ward for my first hospital stay. I got so tired I shouted for them to switch off the lights and close the door! So can sympathise entirely with you. Apparently noise is the number 1 patient complaint.
Lovewine - well done for getting through your appointment today. Im sorry I didn't wish you luck yesterday - I thought it was Wednesday today! I'm not sure I would have liked a blood test sprung on me - well I can tell you I would have declined it! So after the 29th, you will be 2/3s of the way through (if you are having rads?). I hope you can plan some nice treats before then to take your mind off it! I think that's why I've been down in the dumps and pleased chemo was first - to put off the op, so I know exactly how you feel. Will probably be worse after my appointment on Monday - but we'll cross that bridge.... Think will give BCN a ring to see if they will take blood - need to get my cream ready!
Joan - hope you are having as comfortable day as possible
Jos - I hope whatever challenges you are facing are sorted quickly. We are here if you need to share x x
Rosie - I don't blame you for not going. Your feet have hardly touched the ground in a very long time - you have certainly put me to shame!
Sorry if this has missed recent posts today. I gave written it over the course of the afternoon, but just had to have a nap late on. I spoke too soon re good night's sleep and couldn't keep my eyes open today! Hope you all have relaxing evenings. Eastenders and Kirsty and Phil for me! X x

[Lovewine]

Rosie, hope your discomfort eases soon, it's very tiring being in discomfort all the time, I do know some ladies who have had expanders and they found it painful too. Wine tasting sounds like fun, but can understand why you didn't want to be bouncing around on bumpy roads.
Wildpurl, you sound busy again today, I also quite like food shopping just lately! Used to hate it, hope weather dries up for your visit to national trust house at weekend.
Joan, you seem to be recovering well, it heartens me as I am having similar surgery!!
Booksandwine, what are you doing next week for your birthday? Be nice to look forward to a nice treat!
Lisa, hope your radiotherapy is going ok and you manage to get parked!!
Jos, we have enough to deal with without other problems, you sound like a strong lady- you have to be as a single mum, I admire you having a young daughter and coping with treatment etc, keep your chin up- know that's easy for me to say as I am not in your personal circumstances, but as I said you have more strength than maybe you realise!
Well, I am drying out after my soaking out dog walking! Wanted to do some cake making after becoming hooked on " British bake off!!", but think I am more of an armchair baker, rather watch them do it on t.v I think!
Take care everyone and have a nice, relaxing evening.

[rolicarpit]

Hi Joan, good to hear from you, I had lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy but not the full lymph node clearance and I was advised to do the exercises. they removed 4 nodes through the same incision that was used for the lumpectomy. I think the exercises helped, I felt that I needed to stretch my arm and have not had any problems apart from some ongoing nerve damage which is getting better so I think the exercises were good for me.

[rosie14]

Joan you sound as if you are recovering well and sleeping for 9 hours is amazing! Some ladies complain of discomfort when they ate being inflated but not before! I have told the surgeon and I will labour it next time I see him. I don't think any of our April ladies have had tissue expanders? I thought I was dealing with tight stitches and excess fluid but the fluid seems to haves subsided and the discomfort is around the area of the tissue expander. When I lie flat on my back it goes but it is there pretty well most of the time and I can't concentrate on anything. It's such a shame as without this I would be feeling much better. Some ladies take pain killers and others who can't stand it any longer get them out and deal with a flat chest! I have found some exercises to do so will do these and see if it improves situation.
Regarding exercises I guess if your arm feels tight it may be a good idea to do gentle exercise look it up on the internet I found some good sites for post op mastectomy.
Enjoy your evening!

[joan47]

Booksandwine, great to hear from you. Not the best birthday present in the world but you seem very stoical about it. Hospitals are probably the worst place to sleep, I'm not surprised you decided to cone home, hope you are able to sleep with the drains and that the pains you describe diminish/are bearable with medication. Do you have to have radiotherapy or any other form of treatment, other than reconstruction?

Jackie, I don't much like gruesome so my suggestions may not be to your taste. Guess you have read all the Swedish Noir books. Have you read Jeffrey Deaver- the Bone Collector is probably his most gruesome. More conventionally I have enjoyed Peter Mays Lewis trilogy, set on Lewis and his China series. Ann cleeves Shetland trilogy too and a series set in Quebec by Louise Penny, the Inspector Gamache series. Good luck for your meeting on the 18th.

Jos, sorry you are having to deal with other issues as well as the effects of treatment. Hope things improve for you soon. I still have the weepy eyes and virtually no eyelashes but hoping no further reduction in eyebrows.

Lovewine, glad you now have a date for your surgery and know what they are going to do.

Rosie, I wish you hadn't explained what you meant by shady bars. I much prefer to think of you in a dive, perhaps surrounded by Humphrey Bogart types. Sorry to hear the tissue expanders are uncomfortable. Is that to be expected or do you need to check it out?

I feel surprisingly well today. Partly, I suspect because I slept for 9 hours, uninterrupted, last night. Wonderful. Even managing to put aside, at least for the moment, my anxiety about seeing the surgeon next week for my results.

Has anyone in the group had a lumpectomy without lymph node removal. I am wondering whether I need to do exercises. The advice I have had is a bit non-commital, wouldn't do any harm but probably not necessary but a woman I know locally said she had some mobility problems afterwards and was told she should have done exercises.

[rosie14]

Hi Wildpurl glad you have managed a day at work and still have energy to do the supermarket shop!

[Wildpurl]

Afternoon everyone, back at work today and have definitely benefitted from my day off as I am not so tired. I would have to agree with everyone that it is nice to have some normality, it is just getting the balance right between work and rest that can be difficult I think.

This evening I am going with OH to do the food shop at Sainsburys. This used to be my weekly routine but I have only been doing it once every three weeks for the last four months. I quite enjoy it 🙂

Lovewine I am glad you had a clear explanation from the surgeon of what will be done, I think Rosie is right that we have come through so much we will be able to cope with what comes next as well, but I remember how apprehensive I was about my surgery and yet it was fine.

Jos sorry to hear you have other problems on top of coping with treatment, I hope you will get the support you need

Booksandwine, nice to hear from you, glad your op is over and has gone well, now you are home you can concentrate on healing. Drains eh? I had to make a huge effort to remember to pick them up when I moved.

It sounds as though everyone is making slow progress back to wellness. Hope today has been a good one for you all

[rosie14]

Hi Lovewine no I haven't been to any shady bars today! DH has taken son to a winery wine tasting! His fiancée and I stayed at home I couldn't face the thought of sitting in a hot car bumping across the roads. Having trouble with my tissue expanders they are feeling really uncomfortable and they haven't been inflated yet! The surgeon told me to do more exercises to get arms both above my head. The right one will go which is the one that had the lymph nodes cut it's the left one that I can't straighten!
At least you have a date for surgery now and know the procedure that's is going to be used. Try to take a day at a time and pace yourself don't think too far ahead I know it's easier said than done but we have come through such a lot already and when we look back we wonder how on earth we have managed but we have and we should be very proud of ourselves.
Hopefully Lovewine we can look back on New Year's Eve and say well than was 2014 welcome 2015 and to a heathy more normal year. The memories will fade!!!!! It's like a bereavement at the time you don't think you will ever get over it but time is a healer!
Enjoy your next few days before the next hospital,appointment! X

[booksandwine]

Hi Lovewine and Rosie. No tissue expander as I will have diep recon next year. To be honest id have stayed in last night if I got sleep but the night nurse who did the obs was no noisy and had nearly all the lights on felt like I was undergoing sleep deprecation I jumped at chance to get out.

Yes plan to celebrate birthday next week. Pain is not so bad but very sharp and shooting whe they come still could be worst

[Lovewine]

Lovely to hear from you Booksandwine, good luck with your recovery and lots of rest now you are back home Rosie ,Hope D/Hs stitches stayed together for the BBQ chops! He must have been very hot! Are you visiting another shady bar today!?
My appt with surgeon was at 9.00 a.m this morning, went in early too! All being well my surgery is for 29th as planned by Wire guided WLE, nipple removal too, she said we will talk about some kind or reconstruction next year, which is fine with me!! Also had bloods done and ECG, but still have to go in for pre op assessment next Wednesday.
Hope everyone is ok, particularly jos and Jackie, know you have been feeling low, I woke up in the small hours with a panic attack at the thought of having cancer and all what is to come and how life as I knew it will never be the same again, despite family and friends trying to convince me it will!! I think the anxiety us triggered now by impending surgery and a flood of hospital appts- whilst on chemo I only went every 3 weeks( very lucky), so I felt in a little bubble of the routine of it .

[rosie14]

Booksand wine good to hear form you glad everything went well for your surgery. You will have to celebrate your birthday at a later date! You were lucky to get out of hospital so quickly I was in for 9 days ! Did you have tissue expanders inserted? I did and I am finding them rather strange! I had drains for a week they were ok when I remembered to take them with me. I avoid putting pressure on arms and use abs to pull me up. DH had to give me a push the first few days!

[booksandwine]

Hi been a while hope your all well.

Well it was an interesting birthday this week as my operation was Monday for bi lateral masectimy and left lymph node clearNce Tuesday birthday woke up to being flat chested but not in too much pain except under arms if I put pressies to sit up

Blissfully got home after two nights was nearly in for three nights got no sleep in hospital so good to get sleep. Have drains a very strange thing.

Best to all

[rosie14]

Hi Jos yes the hair loss thing is a real lucky dip! I lost it everywhere and like you the absence of eyelashes makes my eyes very watery and sore!
Hope you are having a better day! X

[jos]

Thanks for the kind words Rosie.  It would be good if all other life problems and issues would just disappear for the duration of the treatment but unfortunately things don't work quite like that!

It's strange isn't it how we have all had such different hair loss/growth patterns whilst basically having the same drugs.  My leg hair never really stopped - just slowed down but just when everything else is growing, the legs seems to have slowed down even more!  I wish my eyelashes would grow as I have a really watery eye and the lack of lashes doesn't help.  I know that I'm very lucky to have held on to my brows though (although I still may not be completely out the woods) so won't complain about the lashes!  My head is fluffy and I'm still trying to work out what colour is coming through.

Hope you're having a good day.

x

[rosie14]

Where are the two places you don't want hair to grow back??? Your legs and your chin!!!!' This is where mine has stated to grow back!

[rosie14]

The 18 th won't be long now Jackie it will be good to bet your surgery sorted out. I think counselling sessions are such a good idea and should be offered to cancer patients and their families as we have so many emotions and feelings to deal with its a wonder we don't all have depression problems!
Wildpurl we only go to shady bars this time of year!!!!!!' I am not surprised you didn't have time for a M & S visit you were so busy yesterday! Thank you for reminding me I need to make dental appointments for us! I am glad you found time for a bit of resting we all need to make sure we do this now and not go,back,to life in the fast lane!
Jos I am very sorry you are having a difficult time it is bad enough dealing with cancer without other issues I do,hope,things will,sort themselves out for you really soon and it will be good to,bring a degree of normality back to your life and focus on work a little . I know what you mean about hospital being your second home . Everything has to evolve round the visits and it has to have priority over everything else . Hope things get better for you really soon! X
Joan hope you are doing ok and had a good night in your own bed!
Hope everyone has the best day they can! Xxxx

[rosie14]

Good morning everyone good to see a busy board again!
Lovewine the chops were very good thank you DH has to have a shower before he went to bed thoughts he was dipping!

[jos]

Good evening!

Joan - glad to hear all went to plan with the surgery.  Yes, I have been told there will be quite a dent which was a bit of a surprise as the chemo has all but got rid of the lump (there was only a 6mm "inferior nodule" left according to the MRI a month ago).  Seems they take all the tissue from around where the lump was.  In my case, the LICAP flap reconstruction will hopefully "fill the gap".  Get lots of rest over the next few days and wishing you a quick recovery.

Rosie - I think I've been feeling low partly because of thinking about the future and obsessing slightly about lymphoedema and partly because I have some other difficult personal stuff going on.  Have been feeling a bit overwhelmed at times.  The ongoing oral thrush hasn't helped.  It's not too uncomfortable any more, just an annoying reminder of the chemo.  Jackie - I'm taking Nystan drops, the Fluconazole not having worked.  It hasn't helped being on antibiotics following the neutropenia episode.

Wildpurl - sounds like you've had a busy and productive day - glad to hear you managed a bit of rest too!

Lovewine - yes, normality is very important.  I've managed a degree of it during chemo and have had some lovely days where I've almost forgotten I'm ill but I'm getting restless now and am actually looking forward to work and focussing on other things, as well as not spending so much time at "my second home" - ie the hospital!

Sleep well everyone.  Zzzzzzz......

x

[Wildpurl]

Joan, how good to hear from you and glad that everything went well and you are home.

LOL at Rosie and her shady bar! I hope DHs back heals quickly and without problems.

I managed quite a lot of things today, but did not get to M&S, I am determined to go but probably in a couple of weeks. I could buy online but I fancy trying some things on and browsing in an actual shop!

I made loads of appointments this morning - dentist, hygienist, car MOT, my next hair trim - dyed some pink jeans a dark burgundy today and am v pleased with how they have come out; made more banana cake (we are addicted), did some housework, knitted quite a lot of my cardigan, went to Pilates and cooked pesto pasta for dinner. I also managed a bit of resting.

Lovewine I know exactly what you mean about hospital appointment letters.
Maybe I will try a Mo Hayder, as I like crime novels.

[Jackie09]

Hi Joan - lovely to hear from you so quickly and I'm glad you're back home and as Rosie said, much more comfortable in your own bed. Good news re your blood sugar levels. Re anaemia - my recent cell count was lower just before my last cycle - apparently TAX does that - the onc said that's why I was feeling extra tired. I've also got those little pin prick red marks. I googled them and they are a sign of low red cell count. Which detective stories have you read? I'm almost up to date with all of my favourites and am on the look out for a new series - I tend to like the gruesome!
Hi Jos - you have had a lot of appointments - that will be Lovewine and myself soon enough. What have you been taking for your oral thrush? It's a good idea re counselling - I hope you find it useful. I got referred re my needle phobia but we often talk about other things. I find I can say things that I probably wouldn't to other people. Planning back to work seems like a positive step towards normality.
Lovewine - the 18th is meeting with the surgeon. Think there are 3 in his team and I'd prefer him to do it - but don't know what his schedule is like. So we'll have to wait and see.

[Lovewine]

Rosie, sounded exciting - thought you were hanging out with dubious types for a minute! Enjoy your chops, hope you cool down a little!

[rosie14]

Lovewine it is very hot and humid here at the moment I forget how hot it becomes in August! Managed to go out for a light lunch with DH and son and his fiancée to a shady bar! That sounds bad doesn't it ? I mean one that is shaded from the sun as opposed to a dodgy bar! DH is sweating loads cooking chops on BBQ for supper!