OK, so for most of us this has been a massive shock and a life changing experience.
I thought that it might be an idea to start a post listing anything positive we have gained from it. Please let our humour come through if appropriate…!
I will start the ball rolling:
I love shopping. So, chance to buy new PJs, dressing gown and slippers. My normal choice of bra might have been rather different in an ideal world but poppers down the front? Well at least it is easy to get on!
I have actually found that I have an inner strength. Sounds a bit of a cliche but telling my children and my elderly parents is the hardest thing I have ever done. The thought of it was worse than the reality and as every day goes by I am finding it easier to be positive.
How great and supportive the health care professionals have been and how much help is out there for us ladies. In hospital today I was given a lovely heart shaped pillow that supports under my bad arm - made by some ladies affected by BC. Made all the difference to me and this cushion will stay with me forever. It came with a nice card attached wishing me a speedy recovery.
On this forum we seem to have found a shared love of sherbet lemons as well as friendships which I hope will last through this journey.
Finally, my husband is being really nice to me!!! Yay!! Let’s hope it lasts…!!!
I love this maggie! And the heart shaped pillow aww wow.
im just starting my journey but i have one positive so far and its the support from the people on this forum. You have helped me get through a tough couple of days. Its great that we can find some humour in this which i like and think i need. It takes the edge of it a bit and its nice to know some people feel comfortable doing so aswell.
looking forward to hearing from others and i will hopefully add to the list aswell
j0 x
Learnt to take things easier because I spent so many hours at various doctors’ appointments and whereas previously I would have been angry, I now had to learn to grin and bear it
Happy, though this is in poor taste, to realize there are people much worse off than me, in this forum and elsewhere
Learnt a lot about things that I could scarcely find a doctor to help me with, for instance lymphoedema and sleep apnoea (the latter encouraged because I put on weight round my neck under steroids and antihormone pills). I had no idea that a common illness like breast cancer could give me such strange side-effects of treatment
Definitely enjoyed reading posts in this forum, for example about the inappropriate things people say to us. Increase of black humour.
Discovering my friends network really is so much more than superficial…its got super powers
Giggling over boob humour with my husband like we’re silly teenagers. Ridiculous but so nice after a winter Im sure he should have hibernated through… you know what I mean …
Even at the start, it really does sort the wheat from the chaff. Cliche but a silver lining.
Free prescriptions…and the ability to ring the doctors surgery and tell THEM what I need …and get it !
Being first in the que when I need an appointment too.
Laughing with hubby about having the same haircut and knowing what I look like with no hair…something that I’d never had experienced otherwise ( don’t know if everyone would see this as a positive though! )
xxx
Positives…
Getting in touch with old friends who live far away and you rarely see and them all coming to visit you (not all at once!)
Good friends being so amazing to me through this that they are now like family
Friend offering pick me up in his mid life crisis sports car to whip me away from it all for a quiet weekend away…
More positives- 1. I bought some lovely bright red checked pjs for hospital - they make me - and everyone else- smile with their instantly chirpy look. 2. My husband bought me some fab luxury perfume/ toiletries for post op period - deliberately did not open these until today (surgery 2 days ago) - wow!
And -another - Brian Houston’s wonderful song ‘Red badge of courage’ which I played over and over on my iphone when I was having my op 2 days ago ("My lady’s got a red badge of courage, she wears it like a medal on her heart … "
I too have a heart shaped pillow my neighbour made me
Also new PJs and dressing gown (make sure you get ones that button up to make it easier in the early days)
I lost weight during first chemo (the positive side of nausea!)
As a result of weight loss, I’m now eating like a horse with no fear of weight gain!
Catching up with favourite TV programmes
Catching up with friends
Finding out who the real friends are - you may be surprised
Not feeling guilty about those daytime naps
Kids get let off homework if mums having a bad week!!
Teachers take son to rugby fixtures so I don’t have to stand in the rain!
Husband doing Christmas shopping
In fact - husband doing Christmas, full stop!!! Help us!
Threads like this to keep us sane
Positives so far:
Realising how great my friends are and we are not alone…
Stacking up the pile of books that i am going to read (not had time) beside my bed
Netflix, ipad and DVDs
Realising that inside matters most…
Having a good excuse to drink grapefruit cocktails with some friends to somehow mark the occasion before starting tamoxifen…
My very well reasoned excuse…grapefruit juice may reduce efficiency of tamo working…hence googled grapefruit juice cocktails and hahahaha…couldn’t believe it, Seabreeze cocktails, my website name! Had to to be done!
Grapefruit juice carton is now close to empty…feels like I’m waiting for the cooker pinger to go off, when I’ll take my first tamoxifen.
Cocktails tasted pretty good! And my friends merrily participated! Felt like a good thing to do!
Hmmmm - well husband left me after 20 years of marriage and then I got diagnosed with cancer two weeks later !! - my positives? I sure got over him leaving me quick !!! - this is so much more important xxx
