Starting Chemo in February 2014?

[Sue123]

Hi girls and lovely to hear from you all again. Yes I have ditched my wigs too and had lots of compliments on my pixie cut which is silver/white with a bit of dark mixed in at the back.

I have had lots of kidney investigations over the past months with nothing found but still having discomfort in my bladder and groin and side but hey ho gotta get on with it.

Work is ok but would love to go part time but cant afford to as yet. I was 60 last year and one of the first of us to have to wait til i am gone 65 to get my state pension. I will consider part time next year though as I think I could manage financially and would like the extra time. How is everyone else finding work? 

Love to you all and do lets keep in touch xx

[Kess]

Facebook group are broadly well. A few worries that are being checked out at present - a bit like yours Alice! Good to hear that the U.S. showed nothing to worry about and hopefully the rest will come out ok too... By the way - The facebook group is still open to you - you don't have to use facebook for anything else at all and its a totally private group....

[alice45]

Well, ladies, be careful what you wish for... I saw the surgeon on Thursday expecting reassurance and 'go away, I'll see you in 6 months time' and found myself booked in for a battery of tests! Probably just to be on the safe side, and serve me right for going in and having a bit of a moan instead of my resolutely upbeat normal. Had a blood test there and then (testing for various possible deficiencies, results yet to come) and an ultrasound yesterday. That was good: she was able to tell me immediately that the various bits that feel wrong are scar tissue from the lumpectomy and lymph clearance or hardened flesh from the radiotherapy, things we just have to get used to. Bone scan booked for next week which I suspect will just reveal that I am riddled with - arthritis! Perhaps I should start taking the glucosamine again...

Do hope you are all doing well. I've had my hair cut for the third time and coloured, but no one has complimented me on the new colour, so perhaps it's all a dreadful mistake. I like it, anyhow. And it's not nearly as curly as it was!

A xx

[Bigpumpkin]

Hi ladies, just popping in to see how you all are. How did your appt. go Alice ? Hope any fears were put to rest ! Im starting my Acupuncture 30th Jan for the hot flushes. I will keep you posted. Just wondering if any one knows how the face book group are ? Hope everyone is doing well xxx oh by the way , I've ditched the wig. My hairdresser came around and she is a genius. She made a style out the mess on my head, As she was colouring and trimming my hair , I was happily explaining that I would still be wearing the wig until at least her next visit, but honestly when I saw my hair, I knew there was no going back, thank goodness, it feels so liberating styling my own albeit much shorter hair again.
Love to all C x

[Kess]

I think some level of worry will always be there Alice. hopefully it will get less acute as time passes. Hope that your appt goes well and that your surgeon can reassure you.

[alice45]

Well ladies, we've (temporarily) dropped off the front page - must mean something! Hope it means all is going well with you all. I've a routine check with the surgeon on Thursday and have a couple of niggles to raise with her, things that don't feel/look 'right', but which may well be part of the 'new normal'... She's the hands-on person, though, and will check various areas for potential problems, so it always makes me nervous. Daft, isn't it - you're worried when you have to see someone, and worried when no one is checking up on you, too! Roll on spring/summer - I'm sure things will be better when the sun is shining and it's not quite so parky...

A xx

[Kess]

ops posted that twice somehow!

[Kess]

Happy New Year to you all - heres hoping its a better one for all of us. 

great news on the clear mammo what a relief that must be,

take care all 🙂

Kess

[Sue123]

Hi Bigpumpkin, funny enough I booked our holiday to Tenerife last night and got insurance for the week for about twenty three pounds so not too bad.

I may try acupuncture for my joint pain, let us know how that goes?

Hope all is going ok for us all

Love Sue xx

[Bigpumpkin]

Hi ladies,
Just dropping in to let you know that I've had the all clear on my Mammogram- thank goodness !! Its good to hear that quite a few have booked well deserved Holidays, hope you managed to book that Canaries Holiday Sue xx Today I had my i itial consultation before the Acupuncture starts on Jan 30th, six weekly treatments each lasting 20 mins. It will be interesting to see if it helps with the hot flushes. I will keep you posted.
Love to all
Cx

[Bigpumpkin]

Jilly thinking of you and your family at this terrible time may 2015 bring comfort peace and happiness
Cath xx

[Hazelb27]

Jilly, I'm so sorry to hear about your mum. What a sad end to a horrible year for you. Thinking of you and sending you strength.

Wishing all you lovely ladies love and best wishes for 2015. I hope it's a much happier and easier year for us all.

Hxx

[alice45]

Oh Jilly, how sad. What a way to finish a rotten year... thoughts are with you and your family. A xx

[Sue123]

Love and thoughts to you Jorge xx

[Jorge1]

Dear all,

Happy New Year to you all.  My Mum died on new year's eve.  She was 90 and had suffered from dementia for 12 years, and was only physically ill for a day.  So its sad, but it was the right thing.  2014 is officiallly the worst year.

I hope that the first mamograms are all OK and that for most the side effects are minimal.  I have a pain clinic appointment for 10th February as my pains are still severe.

Jilly  

[alice45]

Morning ladies, and a happy new year to all. Sue, glad to hear of your holiday planning - I'm going to the Canaries for the first time later in the year. After 2014, feel that a bit of sun and pampering is called for...

Best wishes to all still waiting for that first mammogram. Axx

[Sue123]

Hi there darling girls, I have booked my first holiday to Krakow with a friend for May and feel so excited. I was supposed to go for a week in 2013 and my partner Colin died just beforehand. My lovely friend offered to go with me in 2014 and then bang I got this diagnosis so 3rd time lucky this coming May.

I also hope to book a week to the Canaries next month with my daughter, all incentives to shed the extra pounds!

Good luck with the acupuncture Bigpumpkin and good luck to us all for our mammograms

Love Sue x

[Bigpumpkin]

Dropping by to wish all my friends here a Very Happy and Healthy New Year. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, I think of you all often and Sue Im so pleased for you and your daughter. I have my mammogram next Tue 6th and am getting a little nervous, the thought of being back in that waiting room sends chills down my spine !!! We have all come such a long way since 2014, may 2015 be the start of new beginnings !! And May we make up for lost fitness and Holidays lol. Wednesday I have first consultation for Physiotherapy Acupuncture for my hot flushes , apparently the success rate is quite high. As I still wake very often during the night Im willing to give anything a go. But to be honest girls Im just thankful I wake up every morning. Anyway I shall let you all know how I get on. Love to Sue, Hazel, Alice, Jaffacakes, Jorge, Rowan, Kess, Hayley and everyone xxxx

[Jorge1]

Happy Christmas and a brilliant New Year to you all.  I am doing dry January (which will be tough for me as I have at least one glass of wine every day).  I also intend to begin a sensible diet as I have put on about 1 and a half stone, and I know I must lose it.  

I am still in miserable pain from muscles, nerves and joints although i am not on Tamoxifen, only Herceptin.  I have been referred to the Pain Clinic and hope they can do better at managing it than the Oncologist and the GP.

Happy holidays everyone

Jilly xx

[alice45]

Oh Sue, I don't know about this triple neg diet thing! I've been careful with my diet (low calorie, low fat, very little alcohol) for years (fearing heart disease, hah), and even approaching my 70th birthday still go to the gym, but it didn't stop me getting the b****y tumour in the first place! But I guess you're right, and we'd kick ourselves for not trying to stop a recurrence... It'll take me a good deal longer than Boxing Day to finish up all the Christmas goodies, but in the New Year, another concerted effort to lose the weight I've put back - since losing it all during chemo! You can't win.

Love and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you all. A xx

[Sue123]

Hi Kess and really well done on the weight loss. Like Hazel I think I must have found your 10 pound loss and slapped it on my thighs!

It is imporstant that I lose the weight especially with the recent research findings for triple neg and low fat diet and weight loss improving our outlook for over 56 per cent.

I do plan to have a few treats but boxing day I am going to make a concerted effort to reduce my fat intake and get a bit more exercise.

Hi there Caz a little wave to you if you pop on the forums.

Love to you all girls, Alice, Kess, Alice, Bigpumpkin, Jorge, Hayley, Caz and anyone else I have mislaid in my puddled little chemo mind!!

Love and have as happy and comfortable Christmas you can and lets keep posting, I do find it a comfort

Sue xx

[Hazelb27]

That's brilliant Kess! Think I've gained the 10 pounds you've lost!! I can't stop eating sweet things. I'm taking myself in hand in the new year and going to get fit and healthy. I stopped smoking this year so I've taken a big leap in the right direction. Keep up the good work and hope you at least have a wee treat or two over the festive season.

Hxx

[Kess]

hi All just popping in to wave 🙂 glad to hear that things are mostly going ok. I have lost 10 pounds since my rads finished in October, and am aiming to lose 2 more stone next year.... Finish work for 2 weeks in Friday cant wait really need a decent break! take care all and don't overdo it.

Kess

[Hazelb27]

I'm so pleased your daughter's results were clear Sue and that your kidney op didn't show anything sinister. It must be such a relief. Hopefully your discomfort will ease and you can look forward to Christmas.

Alice I too have unwanted curls! I'm getting another haircut tomorrow to try and tame them a bit. If that doesn't work, I'll let it grow and see if a bit of length makes them more manageable. I really do miss my original hair though.
It's great to hear all you have planned for Christmas and that you are able to enjoy it this year. Hopefully the months will fly by too so you can enjoy your well earned cruise at last. Here's hoping 2015 is better for us all.

Lots of love

Hazel x

[alice45]

Sue, so glad to hear your positive news - now you and your family can relax and enjoy Christmas! And Hazel, good to hear things are progressing well. Great that you can have your holiday in Australia at last - hope you have a wonderful time. I've booked another cruise to replace the one I had to cancel this year, but have to wait until next September for that.

Sue, 3 inches of hair sounds wonderful, fluffy or not! I've had mine cut twice already (trying to subdue the unexpected, and rather unwelcome, curls) and it seems to have slowed things down, though I normally keep it quite short. I gave up the wig some time ago, though I loved the colour of it so much that I'm planning to have my hair - whatever there is of it - coloured in the New Year.

I was diagnosed in December last year and spent Christmas and Boxing days in my dressing gown, having been discharged post surgery at teatime on Christmas Eve! So this year am looking forward to singing in the carol service and decorating the church on the 24th, all the things I was unable to do last year... And two pre-Christmas lunches with friends this week - will definitely have to go on a diet at the end of the month!

Here's wishing all of us nothing worse than an unwanted spare tyre to get rid of in 2015.

Love and best wishes to all, Axx

[Sue123]

Hi girls, lovely to hear you are doing so well Hazel.

My daughter got her mri results which were clear, such a relief!

We have all had a right year of it haven't we? It is becoming a memory now but the support of you girls has been great. Lets keep posting now and again?

I had my kidney exploratory surgery last week and tho its been a week of some discomfort, the surgeon could not find anything nasty so I am pleased.

How is everyone's hair? Mine is fluffy and whilte and about 2 to 3 inches long. I am still wearing my wigs but hope to ditch them when i get a bit more length!!

Love to you all girls, Sue xx

[Hazelb27]

Hi everyone,

How is everybody? Are you all looking forward to Christmas? I'm fairly well organised and just cards to write and presents to wrap now. I put my tree up on Thursday. Had a bit of a cry while I was doing it because all I could think while in my state of panic after being diagnosed in January, was that I wouldn't see another Christmas and here we are again. It's come round so fast and sometimes I feel like this year happened to someone else!

I started back work a few weeks ago on a phased return. I'm finding it mentally quite tiring trying to wake my brain up but I will get there. I have a fantastic boss and colleagues so I'm very lucky. They brought in someone to cover my job and they are staying until March 2015 so I can break myself in gently. Because of this, hubby and I have rebooked our holiday to Australia in February. We go exactly a year later than we were supposed to because of my diagnosis. It will be fantastic and will hopefully finally draw a line under the horrible year we have had.

I really hope you are all doing well and looking forward to a nice break over the festive season.

Much love to you all.

Hazel x

[Sue123]

Thanks Alice, I am triple negative too so my plan will mirror yours. My daughter will get her results on Christmas eve. The u/s and mammogram were inconclusive due to her having breast implants so on the waiting game again for mri. It is horrible as I was sitting with her in the same waiting room as i was exactly a year ago, but so hoping her outcome will be fine 

Love Sue xx

[alice45]

Good news, Sue - I got my results this afternoon, and am also OK! Came home and celebrated with a large piece of carrot cake and a mug of tea... I  see the surgeon in January, and the oncologist again at the end of May next year; apparently I will see them alternately every 3-4 months for the next year or so. But apart from that, nothing (triple neg, so no more meds). So now I can start getting ready for Christmas!

Hoping your kidney procedure goes well next week, and that your daughter is OK.

A x

[Jorge1]

Great news and all the best with your kidney procedure.  x

[Sue123]

Hi girls, just had my mammogram result, which was normal!! So pleased. Got my kidney procedure on Monday and a but anxious but so pleased about my mammogram wanted to share it with you.

I hope all is going well as we are all coming up a year now since diagnosis

Love Suex

[Sue123]

ah thanks alice xx you r all so kind x

[alice45]

Sue, thinking of you and your daughter and hoping all goes as well as possible tomorrow.

A xx

[Sue123]

Thanks Cath, that means a lot xx

[Bigpumpkin]

Hi Sue,
Just want you to know that although I'm not the best at giving out good advice I am a good listener and a good shoulder to cry on. I will be thinking about you and your daughter this Monday and wishing you both the very best . Someone once told me that you don't know how strong you can be until being strong is the only choice you have. It sounds scary but I know that you will find the inner strength to get through these difficult times, I had a bit of a wobble last week when suddenly my underarm and breast began to hurt. Of course I feared the worst and although it turned out to be nothing, the old demons are still there. My Mum passed 8 years ago at the grand old age of 81 and I do miss her but even now I know that she is looking down on us and I guess the only advice I can give you at the moment is to let your daughter know that you will be there for her, come what may. Good luck Sue, let us know how it goes xxxx
Cath x

[Sue123]

Hi girls and hope you are all getting on OK. Special thoughts to you Hayley, do let us know how things are.

I do need some thoughts on how I am going to cope over the next few weeks.

My daughter (the one whose wedding was called off by her fiance 4 days before the big day) has a breast lump and we have an appointment at the breast clinic this monday. It is also the day of my first mammo so I have moved my appointment to later in the day to be free to support her. I am very anxious for her particuilarly as I had triple neg.

On top of all that my day case for my kidney exploratory op is a week on Monday which is the same day as I should be getting my mammo results. Thats OK as I can change that but i am worried that a week monday may be the day that my daughter gets her results in which case I will postpone my op.

My head and heart are in a whirl. I went to speak to the psychologist at Maggies yesterday and kept on breaking down crying. I pulled myself together and went to the singing group at Maggies and could not stay as any slightly sad song sent me off again into a blubbering mess. Today is the anniversary of when i met met lovely partner colin who died nearly 18 months ago now.

I know that this too will pass but feel so sad and anxious. Ant thoughts or comments would be great. I am going out to distract myself as recommended by the psychologist. I may just spend some money too!!

Sue xx

[Hazelb27]

Hayley, I'm never sure what to say or how to support you because you only ever post a single sentence and then disappear for ages. I hope you're ok but unless you give us more to go on, I'm not sure how much help we can be.

Hxx

[Jorge1]

Who isn't listening?  Is everything OK with your baby and the rest of the family?

[Hazelb27]

Hi Alice. I'm glad you got through your 1 year mammogram well. It's reassuring to hear the radiographer was gentle. Fingers crossed for clear results.

Hxx

[lowfatlovatt]

Why doesnt anyone listen xxx

[alice45]

Just thought I'd check in to report that I had the one-year anniversary mammogram this afternoon and it was the most comfortable mammogram I've ever had! With a rather tender slashed and irradiated left breast I wasn't looking forward to having it squashed (and took some paracetamol beforehand just in case) but the nurse/technician closed the plates so gently and slowly that it was absolutely fine. Hope you are all as lucky with yours. Now just the results to come....

Best wishes to all,

A xx

[Sue123]

Thanks for yor good wishes girls. My daughter's appointment at the breast clinic is on 1st December, same day as my mammogram. I have rescheduled my mammo for the end of the day (radiography was so good when i explained) so I can support her through the day x

[Bigpumpkin]

Good luck to everyone with forthcoming mammograms. Mine will be scheduled for January when I will see the surgeon again. Sue I do hope that your daughter is seen quickly and sending her my very best wishes.
Love to you all xx

[alice45]

It's all coming round, isn't it... my mammogram is next Wednesday, one year less one day from the scan that revealed the tumour last November. Will be glad when that's over. I don't see the oncologist for another week, so hope they don't make me wait for the result!

Thinking of all us nervous folk in the next few weeks...

(and hope your daughter doesn't have to wait too long, Sue)

Axx

[Sue123]

i Cath lovely to hear from you again and great that you are enjoying life. Its my cancerversary this week too and it has come round quickly. My first mammogram is on 1st December aargh!!

I have signed the link for continuation of our cancer drugs, thanks Tracy and Alice for that.

One blip on my horizon is that my 28 year old daughter has discovered a breast lump and we are awaiting her referral to the breast clinic. I won't be able to rest til i know she is OK.

Love and best wishes to you all girlsx i am just off for a chat with my BC nurse, I still keep in constant touch with her as my mood does dip quite a bit on occasions. 

Love Sue xx

[Bigpumpkin]

Hello my friends I hope that you are all well. I havnt been in touch for a while but I think of you all often. Hayley Im thinking of you and your family and sending you all love.
It will be a year this weekend that I found my lump, we all know what nightmare was to follow but I hope that we have all come through the dark times with hope for the future.
I had a lovely Holiday back in October and with Christmas just around the corner I intend to savour every moment. I hope we can all be at peace this Christmas and I will be throwing myself into the festivities wholeheartedly . My. new hair growth is curly and wiry and looks utterly ridiculous but I'm hoping that the condition will eventually improve.
Thanks for the petition link Alice xx take care everyone xx
Cath x

[alice45]

This is the link for the e-petition:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/64432

[Tracy1967]

Hi ladies, Been asked by September sunbeams to pass this info on:-

flagging the on line e petition which had been set up to try to force the Goverment to extend the cancer drug timeline, it's due to finish soon as a lot on the list are breast care drugs that may become too expensive for NHS to buy.

Can you take a look and pass the information down the chain to other groups?

It need 100k signatourys

HM government website for e petitions called "Extend the cancer drug fund past 2016"

[alice45]

Sorry to hear that, Hayley - thinking of you.
A xx

[lowfatlovatt]

Baby fiannah isn't doing well and neither am i