Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Silver wowsers that was expensive 😳 …. But I guess I would have paid it too if it was the difference between going or not going abroad…. I was ‘lucky’ that my treatment was during Covid so no one was going anywhere….so didn’t feel I missed out …..I’m now 15 months since chemo/rads and have paid £24 for 10 days in the Balearics and £66 for 17 days in Canada later in the year….still far more than my partner ……but in the grand scheme of things not too bad a price…..so your insurance will definately be cheaper after this year…..as long as you have a lovely holiday that’s the main thing….I wish you well ... View more

I’m 17 months post chemo…l I can now tuck my hair behind my ears ( just!) I just have curls to the last inch or so of my hair now….although overall my hair has more volume than it ever did ….I think this is not because it is any thicker….but because I have a wave through all my hair that seems permanent….although it looks straight ( if that makes sense) ….I am actually really liking my hair now , I hope you get to that stage soon  ... View more

Hi Barcie i wish you all the best for the future. I have no wish to alarm you at all and it’s great you are low risk, however I too was low risk after my first diagnosis….4mm DCIS so no spread from duct ( never mind the breast) …it was classified as grade 0 cancer pre invasive…. I was ER+3 ……I was told I had a 1 to 2 % chance of recurrence ( absolutely tiny) …however I was unlucky, I went on to have BC twice more( although you could say I was lucky as it was primary BC again and I was able to be treated with curative intent)….so I guess what I’m saying is that statistics are just numbers about a BC population….they are not about the individual…. I was 47 at my first diagnosis 10 years ago….if you are completely sure you have made an informed decision you are happy about that’s great….if not then definately speak to your team again before committing to your actions. Best wishes to you ... View more

Hi Barcie my hospital use the Allred score ( as do lots of hospitals) ….it’s like a tool which identifies from histology results, which ER + cancers are more likely to respond to hormone therapy …. It’s a score out of 8…. I was told 7/8 and/or 8/8 scores have a good ( up to 75% ) chance of being beneficial…and then it’s a sliding scale down …. When I had BC previously my ER+ result was 3/8 and me consultant said I could take it or leave it with hormone therapy…. This time ( at 7/8) he said the wise decision would be to take it …..I’m not a risk taker in any part of my life so i was always going to give it a good go….and to be fair…although I have all of your side effects and more( although maybe not to a similar degree) ….they are not sufficient for me to stop…. Having had BC 3 times I will do everything I can to avoid a recurrence or a diagnosis of secondary cancer….. but I completely get that we are all very different…. I’m 57 now so maybe a lot older than you are…..I take citalapram for anxiety…I had my dose upped …..and am prescribed propananol PRN to take when needed for anxiety…..i hope everything works out for you…. It’s like ‘Hobson choice’ isn’t it  ... View more

Holiday insurance for me got much cheaper when I was 12 months post active treatment ( when you have the last chemo, surgery or rads). ... View more

Hi Jenna I think everyone comes to this decision from a different starting point….I’m 57 …my BC was strongly ER+ ( 7/8 ) and I am not a risk taker in any part of my life….i take letrozole….I do have side effects…but I still work….still able to enjoy my life and family and especially my 3 grandaughters …..I put up with the side effects because the anxiety I would feel about recurrence if I didn’t take it would be extreme….so taking it is the lesser of 2 evils for me.l,l,but we are all very different people…..it is entirely your decision to make….but make sure you are fully informed by your team before deciding…..even if you take hormone therapy you can still go on to have a recurrence ( as I did ) so nothing is foolproof….l you could always give it a try? …. See how you get on? not everyone suffers with taking them……are you also on zolendronic acid? ….hope you are able to make a decision that you are happy with ... View more

Hi Linda lou its a big decision to make and it has to be yours….so I wouldn’t try to sway you one way or the other…..I will just share my own experience….I had grade 0 BC dcis in 2012, o.4cm…ER+ …. Was told as it’s so small and low grade I had only a 1 to 2 % chance of recurrence and hormone treatment would be overkill…..fast forward to 2018 and I had a recurrence in exactly the same place….this time a lot bigger and higher grade dcis….. I guess I was just unlucky….but that’s the thing with statistics….they are just numbers about the BC population as a whole….not about you as an individual…..I’m now on letrozole….it’s not without side effects….but for me it’s doable…..I am not one of life’s risk takers in any part of my life so would have always gone with the consultants recommendation…..but that’s me….we are all very different…..I hope you are able to make a decision that you are happy with   ... View more

Hi old girl ive had primary BC 3 times….I’ve had x 2 WLEs ( lumpectomy) and x1 mastectomy…..I didn’t have anymore pain with the mastectomy…..I didn’t have any dressing as such with any of them……just the small steristrip dressings on them all……I had a drain with the mastectomy…..and I had 2 drains with the first WLE …..I took only paracetamol for pain….for me, it was sufficient……we are all very different though I know….I had lymph nodes removed via the same incision so no extra scarring.   I was driving after 2 weeks with both wLEs …..after the mastectomy I felt like I would have been fine to drive after 2 weeks, but my insurance did not permit it until after a month. Hope all goes well for you ... View more

Hopefully things will have moved on Seagulls and tests are more foolproof these days...even without a biopsy result, the doctors seem pretty certain what is and what isn't cancer from the mammogram and US results now and will give you the heads up that they are expecting a certain result based on the scans....take good care  ... View more

Hi Seagull....I have had primary BC x 3 times...been under the care of Clatterbridge Cancer Hospitals .....have had 2 morning appointments and one appointment at 4pm....each time, within 2 hours I have seen a consultant , had mammogram and US and biopsies and been told very likely Breast cancer and given results appointment.....I had the choice of being referred to a closer general hospital ....but chose to be referred to Clatterbridge as it is dedicated cancer care across 3 sites in Merseyside.... hope you get sorted very soon...the waiting is awful I know  ... View more

Surgery on 3.6.20 not 21!  ... View more

That sounds like a cop out from the hospital....I was diagnosed on 25.5.20....in the height of first lock down....I was booked in for my surgery on 3.6.21 ....a 14 day wait....covid 19 backlog should definitely not be an excuse 2 years down the line....I had my surgery at a private hospital ( on the nhs) this was designedv to keep cancer patients out of nhs hospitals and reduce covid risk.....I'm sorry you are having to wait...it seems very unfair  ... View more

Hi there, my appointment was 4pm ....it was a one stop shop evening clinic which ran until 8pm . Hope you get sorted soon  ... View more

Maybe see what you are given....I was given a huge pot of cream at my first session  ... View more

Hi Louisa  Im sorry you're feeling so bad. I've had primary BC 3 times 2012, 2018, 2020..... its left me with a lot of health anxiety.....mostly now I manage to get thru the days without thinking about BC ....but its never far from the surface ......I can't dwell on it though....otherwise I go to dark places...and 2 years on from my last diagnosis I actually see myself as 'lucky, as mad as that sounds... thats all the cancers have been diagnosed early ....I don't have any answers for you....i wish I did...but I wish you well ... I really do  ... View more

Hi Charlotte i have had primary Breast cancer 3 times over the last 10 years....2 of those episodes manifested as breast pain with no lump at all....if I had not been scanned I may not have been diagnosed until later and my outcomes may not have been good....I am not saying this to frighten you.... but you know your own body best....your GP has referred you ...it may be nothing...it may not..but without screening you won’t know....contact PALS as soon as BH is over...they will be back working on Tuesday .... hope you get sorted soon 🍀 ... View more

Hi Sab  Well at least you are one step further on today...but a very anxious time for you.  I'm guessing you not in the UK...as most breadt units here do a one stop shop...you get an appointment....see the consultant...have a mammogram...have an ultra sound....if needed have the biopsies....see the consultant again...who gives you a good indication ( ie its very likely camcer...in my case)...then my biopsy results 9 days later....so its very unfortunate that you have had to wait for a biopsy...I would say try not to get ahead of yourself...just do one day at a time....but very hard I know....I wish you well  ... View more

Hi Silver I'm not sure where you are up to with your treatment but once you are 12 months post active treatment the costs come down significantly....that said it still cost twice as much to insure me at 57  as my 85 year old mum .....I'm 2 years plus since chemo/rads .... if you go on compare the market now there is a box you can click on which asks about any cancer diagnosis ..... I ended up going with insure and go last time ( but I was 1 year out of treatment).....I know ladies with secondary cancer who are having active treatment have been quoted amounts in the thousands....or just refusals....very very difficult when all you want is to get away... hope you get sorted. ... View more