September Sizzlers

[CassieB]

I found that a soft muslin nappy liner was ideal for tucking under the band. If it's too big (I'm a big girl so it wasn't) it can be cut to size.

[Sharnie]

Evening all! Hope you are all as well as you can be. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I've now completed my third fitness class and starting to feel much better. Still having problems sleeping but am so tired today hoping I will have a good night tonight. Itching under boob a little better today, just keep on using the cream, it does help. I can't believe it's three weeks since I finished rads tomorrow.

I had a lovely letter through from Breast Cancer Care along with a certificate to say thank you for the money I raised when I held my afternoon tea. Glad I could give something back to help others.

Been a full on week work wise this week so may struggle to keep awake at my festival at the weekend - hope the weather improves, it's been really cold and miserable here today. Bought some neon beads and fishnet gloves today and have some glow sticks! I'm still young at heart!!! Just need to buy some vodka and tonics to take. We are allowed to take as much alcohol in as we can carry - I'm glad I have my strength back in my arms 😂😂 I really need to get my tent out and inspect it before the weekend - hope it's still ok! 

Goodnight and keep looking forward - you will all finish soon 😃 xxxx

[Jill1998]

Yes it's all very glamorous !!!!

[mf]

Well, Jill, you might have to show the public what you've got. I still can't manage a bra for the whole day and am tucking a cloth under the band when I do wear one, which doesn't look very streamlined - and then there's the size difference...

[Jill1998]

Sick of getting my boobs our for random radiotherapy students too!'My boob is red raw and getting blisters too now , going braless more comfortable but a bit alarming for the general public if I were to go out like that!!!

[Blondie223]

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@Jill1998 wrote:
Well done for getting to the finish line Monica, the end cannot come soon enough for me.I am really getting sick of being manhandled and radiated ,feeling exhausted and sore .3 more left.Won't know what to do with myself next week!!!

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Yes Jill, I'm fed up of feeling like a slab of meat now. Can't wait until next week, will be weird but am going to fill it with doing things I want to do, no matter how small, energy levels permitting. Even if it's only housework/shoppng. Heeey, we're at a change of season, I feel clothes shopping coming on. I'm certainly in no rush to get back to work after all this, thus is my time for a while. 😌

[Blondie223]

Well done Manathu and nappinggirl, now relax and look after yourselves, we all have to get to our new "normals" I suppose once "active treatment" is done.

Two more sessions to go for me, note to self; remove rings from fingers before applying cream to very sore red boob 😱

[Jill1998]

Well done for getting to the finish line Monica, the end cannot come soon enough for me.I am really getting sick of being manhandled and radiated ,feeling exhausted and sore .3 more left.Won't know what to do with myself next week!!!

[mf]

Congratulations, Manathu.

[nappinggirl]

Well done Manathu, another one across the line!  Enjoy your celebration.  Take it easy and don't expect too much of yourself xxx

[familytree]

Great news your all done M...I'm three weeks from it. Was meant to work Monday but decided on another month off to build up energy and fitness. Beautiful weather this week so enjoying my garden. X

[Aura]

Hi manathu . Well done good to hear that's anouther one of us have finished . A few of us are on our count down yo finish this week 😀. Take care x

[manathu]

Well I'm finally finished. I had my final review with the consultant last Friday. He asked me how I was feeling. I said tired & my breast was sore. He examined me said that everything was perfectly normal, shook my hand & said he'd see me in 3 months time. I was in & out within 5 minutes. Yesterday I had my final treatment. At the end the radiographer gave me a leaflet about what to expect in the next couple of weeks & then said "Well you're on your own now" Charming I thought. Fortunately I am not at all worried but I know quite a few women do feel abandoned so it wasn't the most sensible remark to make.  I am so pleased that I do not have to make that journey, & then be pummled about until you are in the right position. This afternoon I plan to chill & then have a small celebration with my husband.  Good luck to everyone still going through this. My breast is still very sore & I am exhausted .

[nappinggirl]

Thanks everyone, I have the rest of the week off now to recover.  My skin has come out in a prickly heat type rash today, in honour of finishing the treatment no doubt.  

Hope everyone copes well today, keep going, nearly there! xx

[familytree]

Sounds good mf...going to look into that! X

[mf]

Congratulations, Nappinggirl! Today I had my first Pink Ribbon Pilates class for women with BC. It was good to meet some local women going through the same thing. The exercises focussed on improving range of movement in arms, chest, back and shoulders. I don't struggle with movement but still found it beneficial.

[Jill1998]

It's a date!!!

[Aura]

I'm fine with that Jill x

[familytree]

Sounds good to me Jill if it suits everyone else x

[Jill1998]

Suggestions for a date to meet up in Preston for anyone who is interested in the next few weeks? Nowhere near that blooming hospital!!!!How about Sat 10th October?

[Aura]

Congratulations Nappingirl anouther hurdle over with take care x

[familytree]

Yea! Great news and the sun is shining on you too. Yes it's a weird feeling but go with it. Just chill, cry, laugh it's all normal. X

[Jill1998]

Yippee , well done NP!!!!!I think I will be the same ,crying all the way home , hope I can hold it together until I leave the centre !!!Wr don't have a bell but I am going to torch my bra when I get home with a large glass of fizz in my hand,God knows what the neighbours will make of that!!!!!

[nappinggirl]

25 down, 0 to go. I would have loved to ring a bell!

Had last Rad this morning.  Feel strangely numb now, cried all the way home, just relief I suppose.

They gave me a leaflet recommending products for use with the skin side effects which will take 2-3 weeks to peak.

• Cavilon - to protect fragile but unbroken skin
• Allevyn Lite used with Intrasite gel - for areas of broken skin
• Hydrocortisone 1% m/m cream - for itchy, spotty areas

They said if I took the leaflet to the GP I could get any of these I may need.  I will have an appointment with the Oncologist in 6 weeks which I should hear about this week.

Good luck to everyone finishing this week...nearly there! xx

[familytree]

Hi Sharon. Glad you're keeping ok. Festival sounds fun! I'm on letrozole and I'm fine besides a bit stiff but I was terrified to take it initially. Take care x

[Sharnie]

Just a quick hello everyone, hope you are all doing well. I've not been on here much as gone back to work. I'm still feeling quite tired and having problems with my skin under boob - think it's where bra rubs. Still been putting aqueous cream on, will see how it goes as it's driving me mad, feels really itchy. I have got my prescription for Letrozole now, having started taking it yet. I have only just started to feel like my old self again and hope it doesn't make me feel as awful as the Tamoxifen did. I'm going to an 80's festival next weekend, camping with a friend and don't think I'm going to start taking it til after that as don't want to feel ill. Have my bone scan on Thursday, can't say I've missed going to the hospital! Goodnight all and good luck with your treatments, Sharon xx

[Jill1998]

5 of each!!!

[familytree]

Soon be over. How many left now? Rads not tea cakes! X

[Jill1998]

Yeah,tea cakes tomorrow, oh and radiation ....

[Jill1998]

Yeh, censored for bad behaviour again Lorna!!Hopefully they won't drop off!!!

[familytree]

Website? I only said s t r i p c l u b !

[Jill1998]

Attach them to your earrings then ...did you bleep that or the website ??

[familytree]

That wont work.. make me a laughing stock at the **bleep**! 🙂 x

[Jill1998]

You will have to put them on your fingers and improvise!!!

[familytree]

Ha ha howling here! God, no sympathy from you! How will I use my nipple tassels now? ! X

[Jill1998]

Yeh, stop getting cocky , your nipple may fall off !!!!

[familytree]

Ha ha 'on the pillow' like a horses head! oh but what if that's the reason they told me not to swim? mind you it's been 3 weeks! anyway I have a thick pad of cream on it now. Only noticed because of nipple pain. I was getting to cocky! 😞 x

[Jill1998]

My nipple is quite alarming at the moment too!!!Keep expecting to find it on my pillow !!!Be gone damn pox!!!!

[familytree]

Hi Christine.. glad you are feeling better despite the foot and shoulder. Yes I've opted for another month.. need to relax and ponder! Hey ladies I think I spoke too soon.. or swam too soon!!! my nipple is kind of shrivelling! brown, flaky looking.. it may drop off!! Should have moisturised 😞 x

[tweeks123]

yes give you BN a ring about pins n needles..yes its getting cold my feet are freezing ive got hubbys thick socks on now in thee house ha ...x
christine x

[Blondie223]

Thanks Christine, that's a lot of how I'm feeling too - all the has put a it of things in perspective and I'm not going to push myself to go back to work until I'm 100%, I just don't need the stress. Also, yes - I would like to get back to some sort of normal with energy levels that mean I can actually enjoy some of my time off. Appointments are fever ending aren't they, I forgot to mention at my review meeting last week that I'm having lots of pins and needles in my arm, must remember and mention it to radiographer on Monday, or perhaps give my BCN a call. Hope your tootsies are better soon, the way the weather's changing flip flops might not be the best for much longer 😆xx

[tweeks123]

Hi Ladies I had my opp in april thought I would have only been taking about two weeks off but what a shocker ive been off six months now in all..But in the plus side its great im starting to feel normal again the way I felt was listen to my body and dont go back to work till im 100% ready to do..im dealing with peoples meds too and need to be on top form for work I would rather wait till feel ready that to go back and take a back step and be off again ive wanted to feel back to my self again and still just enjoy a little time off as ive not enjoyed one day off all through treatment I just need sort my frozen shoulder out and my sore toes still cant get my shoes on (flip flops) if all goes well I can grt myself back to work when my sick note runs out in the next few weeks.. but just as I thought all my hospital appoinments had finished they are now sending for me to go to a lynthadademia clinic now due to fluids on boob not shifting with massage ...its never ending ..every one is different though..but I aint going back till 100% and im mever off work and not one to swing the leg.. what a year its been take care ladies x
christine x

[Blondie223]

Tea cake withdrawal, hee hee, that's going to cost OH a trip to get me teacakes 😆

Regarding time off work, I haven't been to work since my surgery on 24th June, and the way I feel emotionally plus the fatigue etc from rads/Tamoxifen I can't see me going back any time soon. Also have Sertraline that I haven't started taking yet, but think will give it a go. Last rads coming up on Thurs but may well take another month or two off yet, can't imagine dealing with stresses and pressure at work yet, but do know I'm lucky to be on full pay. Also I just want some time to myself to be me, readjust and do a few jobs around the house to ease myself into normality x

[Jill1998]

I'm getting tea cake withdrawal,need to go out and buy some ,used to having one every day with my free cuppa whilst waiting to be radiated !!

[Aura]

Iv been signed of for anouther month . I worked in between surgery and rads biggest mistake think it has all caught up with me now won't be going back till fully recovered enjoy your weekend x

[familytree]

Mf I'm the same but getting there. Jill I've just signed off for another month! I'm like you, I want space between the treatment and work. While a big part of me wants to go back to the normality the rest of me wants to take time to heal emotionally...who knows what's right. We're all stumbling through this, no rule book x x

[Jill1998]

Yeh,I need to start formulating a plan in my head as to what I could cope with and when.I just don't do a job where you can afford to have an off day ,crises happen whenever ,not just when you feel up to dealing with them.

[mf]

Yes, Jill, we need to build up physical and emotional resilience before jumping back onto the treadmill. I have a work discussion next week and am thinking about which responsibilities I should ask to give up for a bit longer so going back is more manageable.

[Jill1998]

Difficult to predict how it will impact isn't it,hard when employers are hassling you for timescales too.Mentally I feel
I need a bit if clearance between the cancer treatment world and world of work,but I'm a bit worried I have been off so long how I am going to walk though that door again.

[mf]

Hi all. Good luck with your last rads next week. On Monday it'll be three weeks since I finished, and I am more tired now than ever. I guess everyone is different. A neighbour was fine, worked all through. I start my Pink Ribbon Pilates rehab classes next week, which should be fun.