Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi coffeandcake There’s no right or wrong when it comes to work....so don’t feel you have to do one or the other. I worked from home while I was waiting for treatment to start.....but had a really supportive manager who said ‘ log on if you feel up to it....switch off if you don’t’ ....so my first official sick day was the day of surgery...... i then stayed off until after radiotherapy 8.5 months later.....this was right for me....I get 12 months sick pay....but went back because I worry that I may need further sick time and won’t have any left....I went back on a 2 month phased return .....and I will remain working from home until 2022 following a risk assessment done by work....for me this is great as it’s far more restful and less stressful at home.  Some people work through all treatments....and that’s right for them. take good care ... View more

Hi Rosemaria  All the ladies i know on letrozole ( myself included) take a combined vit D3 and calcium supplement .....maybe ask if you need the calcium as well?  Take care  ... View more

Hi Lottie hope you don’t mind me jumping in ( had chemo July 20)....I’m on citalapram....couldn’t take domperidone due to taking pregablin so had cyclizine and ondansetron for both EC and paclitaxol....never had nausea or vomiting once.....both are fine to take with citalapram. take good care ... View more

Hi Daxiddodle not sure if you’ve had your rads planning session yet....but if not ...just to say you don’t have to have the tattoos if that will cause you added pain....I finished my rads in feb this year and opted not to have tattoos....it wasn’t a problem at all....the ladies said lots of people choose not to have them these days...lol they marked me up in 3 places instead with blue marker and then put waterproof dressings over them .....and I only needed them changing once in 3 weeks....and I could shower no problem. Good luck...hope it all goes well.   ... View more

Sorry Bonnie , this posted before I finished!   I found that the things I was worried about didn’t bother me at all but I hit hard by things that hadn’t even crossed my mind ( I ended up with peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet, a blood clot in my arm and a ventricular ectopic heart beat .....none of which even crossed my mind to start off with)..... so I would go with the flow...and  think positive....you may get very few side effects at all....and if you do....shout out to your team as soon as....and they will get you sorted. good luck 🍀 🍀 ... View more

Hi Bonnie just take the medication your team prescribe.....I had 16 lots of chemo and was never sick once and very little nausea  ... View more

Glad you are home safe and sound Trowster......that is some Sleep   😴   😴 you had! Enjoy your pasta dinner and you will be drinking that Baileys before you know it x x ... View more

Hi Michelle....I was the same....I asked for a mastectomy after 3rd diagnosis ( already had a left mastectomy after 2nd diagnosis) .....but my surgeon said predicted outcomes for my cancer wouldn’t be any different regardless of which surgery I have, he also printed off lots of research papers for me to read which was very helpful and reassuring.  I know where you are coming from though, I said to my surgeon, I don’t want to be sat back here in front of you in years to come....and if a mastectomy could prevent that then I would push for it....but the reality is that mastectomy can’t prevent a recurrence.....my lump this time was 12mm .... so a reasonable size for a lumpectomy even though I have small breasts.   The only time I had a wobble about this was when I got my surgery results and cancer cells were found in 1 node ( they looked clear on the ultrasound) .... but my surgeon still insisted that the lumpectomy was the right choice and that radiotherapy to my breast and also lymph nodes would be the belt and braces approach.   I like my surgeon....but I also trust him having had him all 3 times....have you got the same surgeon this time?  Obviously you have a different cancer to me but as long as you are happy with the rationale given as to why you are being directed towards a lumpectomy....that’s the main thing....hope you’ve managed to enjoy some of the weekend....I’m just going to bed....I’m always tired since radiotherapy but I can’t sleep until around midnight To 2am....then I wake up shattered because I’ve not had enough sleep 🙄 ..... I’m back in work now but able to work from home for the foreseeable future which has been a godsend. Heres to a less stressful week for you x x ... View more

Good luck 🍀 for tomorrow Trowster.....hope it goes well for you....let us know you ok....when you up to it x x  ... View more

Hi Michelle....my 3 diagnoses were all ER+ .....so I can understand it was a shock to find out this new diagnosis was triple neg and different from last time.......I imagine you are still reeling from all the info at your Onc appt....I remember thinking Ok it’s s**t but I will just take what they throw at me....I have since had a blood clot from the Picc line ( still self injecting fragmin every day 🙄 )....I have developed a ventricular ecoptic heartbeat from the EC chemo ( am under the care of cardiology) and have lost 2 stone ....so now have an unhealthy BMI...l but I would do it all the same again even if I knew what was to come....I guess you had managed to put some of that fear to bed over the last 3 years.....even though if you scratched the surface it was still there.....and now it’s all back so you wouldn’t be human if you weren’t scared....it’s been a massive week for you so well done you for getting through it....hope you manage a bit of a chill this weekend x x x  ... View more

Hi Michelle i want to shout ‘wahey’ !! for you as long as you don’t think that a bit odd!.....but right at this moment it’s the best news 😁 ......I remember messaging everyone to tell them the ‘good news’ after my scan results.....yes get your HER2 results then crack on.....onwards and upwards Michelle....have a good day today and keep in touch x x ... View more

Hi Kazza Zolendronic acid has become a pretty standard treatment now....and not just for HER2+ BC ......not only is it used to reduce the risk of spread to the bones but it also can slow down or prevent bone damage ( which can be caused by taking hormone therapy). look across the threads and many many ladies have this now as part of their treatment take good care ... View more

Hi Mack birads 3 is ‘probably benign’ ....hold that thought..... take good care ... View more

I’m really sorry Michelle....it’s crap isn’t it......you are bound to be completely floored..... it feels like all that hard work of getting thru treatment last time was for nothing cos you are back in the same place....and it’s really hard to find that strength to get thru it all again at first.....and I know you need to get the scan results before you can focus on anything.....It’s amazing what we think of as ‘lucky’ isn’t it....I went from being devastated that I had another  diagnosis to feeling like a cat with 9 lives that it was another primary.  I found some comfort in some of the older threads about people who have had 2nd and 3 rd diagnoses like us then gone on to live cancer free lives.  I hope Friday comes round quickly for you....Did they say they would have the HER2 results by then?  I hope so...I will be thinking of you x x  ... View more

Hi Michelle hope your scan went ok yesterday....really hope you get your results ASAP 🤞 .... and news is good 🍀 thinking of you ... View more

Hi Geranium....I’m actually on letrozole...but kinda the same.   I had a recurrence after 2 years on tamoxifen...so it didn’t really do me much good 🙄 .  I too was fine on tamoxifen. I will post again after my next blood test. take good care. ... View more

Hi Geranium sorry I can’t answer your questions but I’m worried about my cholesterol too. my cholesterol has always been around 4 .....even when taking tamoxifen.....fast forward 2 years and I’ve been on letrozole for only 2 months and my cholesterol was 5.38 last week.  GP and Onc both said raised cholesterol can be a side effect 🙄 .... will have repeat blood tests at 2 months and 6 months.....if it’s lower or no higher then no treatment.....if it’s raised again then to look at taking statins.    hope someone has some answers for you ... View more

I think the answer is ‘ you can’t’ but that said, it’s about how you manage the worry. we are all different and different things will work for each of us. ive had BC 3 times now and I actually expect to get it again based on my odds up to now......but it doesn’t consume my thoughts like it did after my first diagnosis ..... odd really....it is what it is I guess....hope you find a way forward ... View more

Hi Wendy . I’m the same 3 months in.....keep telling myself it’s the after effects of chemo and rads as well.....my Onc said give it 6 months for side effects to settle down and what you are left with is what it will be 🙄 ..... for me, it doesn’t seem worth changing brands because of fatigue when Im Not getting other side effects.....but I may change my mind later down the line.  Sorry I’ve nothing helpful to add.   I finished my rads in February and they did cause noticeable fatigue so it may be a bit difficult to see which is rads side effects and which is letrozole, for a bit.   hope your radiotherapy goes well ... View more

Hi Michelle! i too had those ‘conversations’ 🙄 .... think it’s our way of ‘preparing’ Ourselves for potential worse case scenario news.... I had my CT scan on a Friday and got my results on the following Wednesday and it was like time stood still for 5 days..... so I get where you’re at..... I think 2nd ( or 3rd time!) round....it’s like .... well, I can’t possibly be lucky 🍀 enough for it to be ‘just’ primary cancer this time...... anyway you not even in that position yet..... so put those Parrots 🦜🦜 on your shoulders back in their cages and don’t listen to them pecking at your head filling it full of doom and gloom 😁 .   I remember Kip! She ended up a community champion I think....always there with a kind and helpful post!  first time ( 2012 ) I had DCIS non invasive 4mm ER+ ..... so had WLE and that was it.... told I had a 2% chance of recurrence...... 5 years later recurrence of DCIS in same breast 37mm this time but ER+ again..... so Mastectomy.   Then 2 years ( 2020)  mammo picked up 12mm ER+ IDC in opposite breast...... so always ER+ and HER2-  ...... this time 1 node involved so had chemo and rads.  What is scary is I never once felt a lump. Do you remember around 2018 there was a lady who always used to send a picture of ‘big girl pants’ Like lacy bloomers!.....with pockets in, to those ladies who were having tests and results!! Well I will jump in those pockets for you on Monday! ..... try to have a good weekend doing nice stuff ( as much as we can in lockdown!)  x x  ... View more