Breast Cancer Now Forum

Um, I'm not sure that I can bear to tell everyone this. So we owned our house for an hour and a half. Then we unowned it! Turns out that our seller had a loose understanding of the phrase 'with vacant possession'. We had the option of just exchanging and waiting to complete. Accepting the house with the tenant and hoping he went quietly. Or unpick it, and go again once the tenant is out. Obviously we also had the option of putting all his stuff in the road and punching him. But my solicitor said that wasn't ok 😂 So we are staying in a hotel, seeing Dylan and hoping it all gets sorted. Hope everyone else is ok Ali x ... View more

Ha ha. Proving that you can resist everything ..... except temptation. I've absent mindedly eaten 200g of nuts on the journey up to Manchester 😕 ... View more

Hey, Sarah, glad to hear you sounding so cheerful. And Elizabeth, your gp sounds great. Free unperfumed body wash -woohoo. Lexxie, sorry the PICC line didn't work. Everything crossed for the Hickman appointment. And Strudel, your fab friend is a star. I only know 5 people who have had breast cancer, and 3 died. Hearing about much better outcomes is good for all of us. Soooo we are in the car, 2/3 of the way to Manchester. Somewhat surprisingly we have boutght a house. Or will have done in the next couple of hours. Updates to follow, probably accompanied by grimy pictures! Love to all Ali x ... View more

So that wasn't a great night's sleep. I'm banning myself from prodding in the evening, especially because now it seems to be back to its original size! (Feel a bit of an idiot TBH). I have an MRI in two weeks, after my third round of EC. Like Scotty, I'm HER+ and my onc wants to check progress before we move into round 4, then Herceptin, docetaxel etc. He did have a prod last time, but since I changed oncologist he didn't know what it had done. Ha ha just thought of an inappropriate comment but will restrain myself. It's really difficult when you're not up to doing things, but look the same as when you are. I don't have children at home but that must be more challenging. Kudos to those who are managing all that. Ok, excitingly I think we are driving to Manchester in a bit as house is going through today (exchange and completion). It's probably going to be filthy so I'll be cleaning all weekend. This is unnatural- I never do housework normally. Have a good day all. Anyone having treatment? Ali xx ... View more

Oh wtp just been thinking the same myself. Mine isn't as big as yours but it came up really quickly and is grade 3. I'm sure it's wider. I have to wait a month until they do my next MRI. I have been trying not to think about it but it's hard late at night. The only thing I can say is that stressing isn't good and may be actively bad for us. I'm going to try reading and keep my hands off the bl**dy thing if I can. Sleep tight Ali xxx ... View more

Seen it and liked it too, Emily   Ali x ... View more

Really great news, rach. *joins in happy dance*   Ali xx ... View more

Hi All,   Nice to hear from you Nicky. I also hadn't realised that Robin and Mooney were on the second tranche of this. But I suppose it isn't surprising that some people are going through it again. You're both very positive though. I think it's good for the rest of us to see you here and realise that sometimes it does need zapping more than once. Kudos for the way you're both coping. And an extra hug, Robin, because you're feeling bad. Which is entirely understandable.    I'm on tenterhooks as our new house is supposed to be completing tomorrow. The chaps payment has stalled though, so goodness knows if it'll happen Can't settle down to anything right now.   Ali x ... View more

Absolutely. Obviously if they were covered in milk chocolate, that would be a disaster.   I've got tons to lose. Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but lots. I have always been an extreme dieter, can drop two stone easily, by cutting carbs out, but it always goes back plus some more. That is a terrible habit and puts strain on the heart, I think the difference this time is, I don't feel immortal any longer. So I'm going to get a grip. I'm adopting a low carb approach. I know it works for me, there's a lot of research suggesting it's great for prevention/treatment of Type 2 diabetes, and government guidlines are likely to be adjusted to recommend it soon. So I've cut out all sugar, bread/ potatoes, rice and pasta. I'm trying to eat protein, good fats and low carb veg. I might allow one day a week when I have some sugar or carbs, but I can't afford to relax much more than that. The stupid thing is that this way of eating allows cheese, meat, fish, eggs and lots of nice veg. Those are things I like. It's just that I've usually eaten them with the other stuff.  I'm not counting calories, but nor am I going to pig out.   Challenges. 1. In our cellar we have a lot of wine, and were intending to drink it before moving to Manchester.   2. My gorgeous daughter won me a box of very special chocolates yesterday. Made at Galvin restaurants. It was a top raffle prize. Aaaarghh, maybe if I eat them on my cheat day and nothing else???? 3. I think my metabolism has crashed post cancer. So I really should do some exercise. But what I want to do is snuggle down and save my energy.   Anyway enough diet wisdom from me. I think I need to do less 'talk the talk' and more 'walk the walk' on this (literally!)   Ali xx   ... View more

I don't see why not. After raisins are dried grapes, and they're definitely fruit.   That supper sounds lovely. (I'm not really hungry, just can't persuade my stomach!)    Ali x ... View more

So, I thought I'd share my friend's story of woe. It really was my friend, not me.    She was diagnosed with a long term condition just before Christmas. As part of her coping mechanism she is concentrating on relaxing, so has switched to baths from showers and taken up yoga. She was telling me that so far, she's feeling pretty good, but she's developed some further problems. One of these is some stress incontinence, particularly mid-morning. She had to see her gp and mentioned this to him. He told her to take two urine samples to check for infection. One from her first pee of the day, the second from a mid-morning pee, ideally before she'd wet herself. She went back today fro the results. Her gp told her the early morning sample was fine, no problems identified. The second sample was......90% bath water. Turned out that as part of her relaxation regime she'd been doing pelvic floor exercises in the bath. Every morning she's been 'vacuuming' up her bath water, only for it all to reappear at around 11am. Apparently her doctor thought this was so amusing he was threatening to write a letter to the Lancet about it!   Ali x ... View more

So Sarah, without being coy. All my pubes have gone. Plus armpit hair. I had to shave my legs a couple of times, but pretty sure that's stopped too. It's odd, even the soft downy hair on my arms has gone. It's the whole secant apart from lashes/brows so far.   Susan, GCSF are the injections some CCGs prescribe routinely after chemo. If you have them, they mostly seem to be self injected under the skin, though some people get a single shot intravenously. If she didn't mention it, you probably won't be having them. Some people get stressed about this, but none of the London hospitals use them routinely. They just top you up if your white cell count goes too low. I don't think you need to stress about it. Sounds like you're going to be very well looked after.     So I have chemo three next Wednesday too. Bloods at 9.30, then I get to wander around Borough Market and go back at 11.30. We might end up finishing on the same day Sarah and Lexxie, are you both having six rounds? (Sorry, I'm too lazy to trawl back and check). I have to do 8, so looking at my last two be at the end of May.  Then I get my op and rads.    Hope everyone's ok. I've just had a disgustingly healthy supper. I blame Strudel's fat busting thread.      Ali xxx     ... View more

Hi Sarah,   Don't be scared. Honestly, it's really not that bad for most people. So losing my eyebrows and lashes are are my greatest worry. (Well, apart from the obvious). I have mine still after 2 rounds. I think my brows are a bit thinner, but I'm using some mascara type stuff on them. Apparently, unlike hair, not everyone loses them. On the other hand sometimes they fall out after chemo has finished. (Which seems unfair and bit mean!)    If mine go, I'm thinking of wearing a balaclava.    Ali x ... View more

So glad Susan that it went well. Brilliant that you got Emend, well done. And they sound like a lovely team. Actual chemo day is one of the things I look forward to! I know it's weird, but the atmosphere is nice and everyone is very sweet natured. It must be something about that area of nursing.   Lexxy, chin up sweetheart. Sorry, that you feel isolated at work. Hopefully it's because they are inept rather than horrid.   So those two posts got me thinking about different attitudes to working through this, both from firms and from the chemo teams. Susan, it's great that they were so clear with you, but it's so far from what I was told. I haven't been told not to do anything. In London they just assume you'll need to go on public transport. In fact they assume most people go home from operations that way! I think this makes them much more relaxed about what we do when in treatment. The only thing that mine are firm on, is take your temperature every day. They give you a digital thermometer as well. They don't give the GCSF injections as a matter of course, either. I joked it's survival of the fittest at Guy's and my chemo nurse actually looked a bit embarrassed.      So Lexxy, in terms of how well I've been, I haven't cancelled any work yet. But I'm only teaching/ training face to face for a few days each month and have maybe three sets of external meetings. I've worked every day except chemo day and the following one, but sometimes it's been a few emails, sometimes phonecalls and meetings. The travel is more tiring than the work. But it's 50% my own business, so I am keen to keep it going. Also, until we leave London we have very high rent costs. I don't know what you do, but if there's any chance of working from home, I'd explore that. Most firms are ansty about people stopping and starting, but they shouldn't be unless it's impossible to dip in and out.   The real test will be next round. I've got chemo on the 15th, then am teaching three days from the 20th-22nd. I do have some back up if needed, but I'm hoping I can get through it. I'll go in by boat rather than tube, and I don't have to stand up all the way through and it's material I know and enjoy. So hoping I'll be good.   Quite a few people do work right through, but I completely understand why lots don't. If I was in my previous situation in higher education, with six months full sick pay, six months at 50%, I'd probably take the time off.   Ali xxxx     ... View more

Wow, what a nice offer, Scotty.   If it were me, I'd probably go for it now. I think the whole defiant/cocky attitude is going to be something that you will value later on. You could wait until you're back to 'normal' but hair wise that could be 18 months (assuming 4 months chemo, up to 4 months to start growng, then some length).  But only my opinion, and I am all about instant gratification!   Ali xx   ... View more

Hey, Susan, hope today goes well.   Have a good day all. I will be writing a bid (for work we have already been doing so vital to get it)  and avoiding carbs (see fat-busting thread). Hope all aches/flushes and worries are trumped by good things.   Ali xxx ... View more

Ha ha, you two. This might almost be fun. Apart from the whole diet bit. Oh, sorry, I mean changing the way I eat for ever bit.    X ... View more

Ok, I'm going to weigh myself tomorrow and then again next Wednesday morning. I'm going to cut out carbs, which usually works for me, and eat less in general.    In preparation I am about to have rice pudding, with clotted cream. I am ashamed but excited.   Ali  ... View more

Thanks, Scotty.   So, I could aim to grow by 9 inches, rather than lose all that weight!!   Ali x ... View more

And me. I tore my lcl knee ligament last May and spent six months with very limited mobility. I put on a horrendous amount, cut kept on thinking I'd deal with it once the pain was gone. Just got everything working again when bang, breast cancer. (Er, probably more of a whimper.)   I really like the the idea of posting trajectory rather than actual weight, saves the shaming element.. Like you, Scotty, I've been in carb heaven since starting chemo. Also I am greedy.  And I'm a good cook, and my husband used to own a bakery. So he (with his skinny man metabolism) thinks nothing of knocking up a pork pie or some home made sour dough. I need to get a grip.   Ali x ... View more