Breast Cancer Now Forum

Ladies, I did have my nipple back, it was just that I hadn't realised they were taking it off during the lumpectomy to then reattach it afterwards! Poor old thing took the full power of the boosters during rads as well..........just as it was settling itself down to being slightly off centre. Oh how I can laugh about it now!!!! ... View more

Dearest Scatterbrain, great big massive hugs to you xxxx Its all a pile of poo at this stage, but you're in the right place to come in and rant/scream/swear/vent. We all have a different diagnosis and treatment plan but no matter what, there is always someone here in the forum who understands. Just let it out love xx ... View more

Thinking of you Quaggie xxxx I remember when I took my dressing off for the first-time after surgery, I didn't realise they had taken my nipple off (thankfully they put it back) and it was just a huge shock as id been lead to believe that it was just going to be in inceasion across the top of my areola. But the body has an amazing way of mending itself, with the help of Bio-Oil and Aloe Vera moisturiser. Check with your BCN about lotions to take the itch away. I took heyfever tablets for about a week after my rads had finished as my chest area was really itchy. No skin breakdown or burning, just the side effects working their way out. Xxx ... View more

Dear Mavit xx I've been on Tamoxifen for nearly 4 months now and can pin point a few things that I have noticed. Yes, i still get tired mid afternoon and right now its 20 to 3 and I could easily have a kip!! Thankfully Im working from home so won't make a fool of myself if I nod off. Not really the done thingvin an open plan office.......... I think Im using the Tamoxifen as a reason for weight gain but Im battling that with a diet and exercise. Main point really is actually a good side effect. YES there is one!!!! My adult acne has really really cleared up and I haven't had any major spots for 2 and a half months. So glad, as without makeup I needed a paper bag........ Lilac xx ... View more

Hi Wombat x   The whole way through rads I didn't wear a bra at all, I literally wore very fitted vest T-shirts and let the air get to my boob at night as much as I could. Luckily I could manage without a bra most of the time and even at my treatment sessions I didn't even bother changing  into a gown, I literally just whipped my top and vest off while in the treatment room.  If there ever was a need for a bra I had some cropped sports bras that I used as they don't have seams and therefore didn't rub or irritate.  Best advice is heaps and heaps of Aloe Vera moisturiser, my boob has never felt so smooth!!!!!! ... View more

Susie, Good luck with the next stage of your treatment x I joined the forum just before starting rads as up until then I couldn't bring myself to look at, read, or even talk openly about my diagnosis, i just couldn't face it. However, started rads in June and literally found the best support ever from the lovlies who were going through treatment as well. This forum has been just fab and although we all have different treatment plans its clear at the end of the day that basically underneath, we all have the same hopes and fears. Rads is totally doable. xxxc ... View more

Hi Alibobs, isn't it strange how trusts differ depending where you are in the country?? I got my invite for my one year mammogram for 2019 not long after my surgery results in May and also my clinical review appointment for November 2019 as well. Organised or what!! So get in touch with your BCN and get those appointments booked in xxx ... View more

Awwwww mahoosive hugs Gill x Its emotional already, seeing your youngest child ready to start a new life so I can see why all the other stuff comes to the surface as well. But what a wonderful occasion to look forward to. Do you have your hat yet?!! I felt so bad for my dearest boyfriend tonight. He loves cooking for me and made me a lovely dinner but the dessert he got me was a soya one. It looked so lovely but cos I'm a 9 on the hormone score Im too scared to touch soya now. He was really understanding but I felt sad. All over a soya dessert. Little things like that just get to me!!! ... View more

Hi Kate, all good here I reckon. Just fighting the afternoon nap temptation!!! Julie, I have an appointment next Wednesday in regards to councilling. I so know that I've come off really lightly with what i was diagnosed with but there's still stuff I need to get off my chest (no pun intended!!!) that I don't want to burden my loved ones with. Oh its a right old roller coaster!! ... View more

Give me a shout if you need anything Gill x ... View more

Quaggie, the T-Rex arm made me smile. Im the same, always have my noob protected. Even when out and about with my boyfriend I walk on his left and slightly behind, he's my boob guard!!! Thought Id just drop by and offer an insight to how it can feel 4 months after surgery. I was thinking that at least that way you lovelies might at least know what type of things to expect. I know we are all different but a bit of inside knowledge is a grand thing. I had a WLE and 3 lymph nodes were taken at the time as well. Margins and nodes all good. I do a lot of yoga and the day after surgery I had a home visit from the hospital at home nurse, I was already able to move my arm freely. I did have a large area of numbness in the general area of where my blip was and also around my SNB wound. This slowly wore off over about 6 weeks. Fast forward to now and i am 9 weeks post rads. I still have a tiny bit of tenderness just to the left of where my blip was, some nerve pain every few days (feels like hot pin pricks) and around my scar from the SNB it can sometimes feel like Ive pulled a muscle. But all in all things have settled down and the rad tan only appears when Im hot and bothered. So just a simple overview really of whats happened all these months down the line. Hopefully those of you who have recently had the same procedure as me can now know what kind of things to look out for over the next few months of recovery. Sorry if I've gone on!!!!!! Good luck all of you xxxxxxx ... View more

JaneBelinda xx sorry to miss your earlier post and mahoosive hugs for finishing rads. Its fine to have had a meltdown. Its all the emotion of the whole sorry saga coming out. But nows the time to take care of yourself over the next 3 weeks or so as this will be when your SE's kick in. But we are all in it togther and you know that everything you need to know is here xxx ... View more

Breast Friends xx And I PM'd you Gill. ... View more

I don't mind helping out as admin either. Its a easy job when its just a small private group. Xxx ... View more

I'm on FB so a private group on there is fine by me!! Its a shame that this is a public forum as there are many private things going on and I do hold back on here. Not sure I've even posted my real name!! Actually my names Dave and I'm trying to find myself a new wife, I dont work for a living but do make a bit of cash selling secondhand carparts on eBay............still interested?? 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 ... View more

Hello my lovlies xxxx Sorry to have been a bit quiet but of course have had a wobble as well 😪 I've been listening to the You, Me and the Big C podcasts and really acknowledging the fact that what the ladies go through, thoughs and feelings wise, is how I often feel. So so sad to hear about Rachel, and as you have all said, I can't stand to read about it as its far far too close to home. Again, all of a sudden it seems to be everywhere and I really don't need reminders of the "What ifs". So that has caused my wobble and I even got to the brink of tears in my yoga class last night. We have been working on hip openers as the pelvis area is where we hold our emotional baggage and so releasing the tention there helps release the emotions. That coupled with the fact that like Gill, my SNB scare is (although healing really well-looks like a stretch mark, which is fine as already have plenty of tbose!!!) a bit sore, well the general area around it. Again, maybe i over did things at yoga or Im lifting my laptop case around to much? Im going to see if work will let me get a case on wheels out of my expences. Reasonable adjustments and all that!!!! So generally speaking just a few niggles with the boob. Ever so often if I get hot or just got out the bath/shower, I can still see a very faint outline of where the rads were. Not so much the hot pin prick pain now but have a small niggle that feels like I have a bruise under my skin. Thats about the best way to describe it! I always lie on my right side so Im thinking I've maybe been squashing myself so now, armed with my V shaped pillow Im propping myself up on my left. We shall see!!! I live in Bedfordshire BTW. We have lovely villages and a fair few National Trust/English Heritage places and overall its not such a bad place to live. Originally I'm from London and have slowly moved out over the years. And I'm 48 😊 So hoping that everyone is generally ok and finding peace. Readying these posts really is such a comfort as we are all truly in the same boat. Thankfully its not sinking!!! TC 💐 🌻 💐 ... View more

Who wouldn't want to be in Manchester/Salford instead of St Petersburg??!!!! Chris, Russia will always let you in so you'll get there in the end. Xx Met a friend for dinner last night and it was just what I needed. We talked nonstop for over 3 hours. Her best friend is about to start rads (for goodness sake, feels like every other person you meet has a loved one going through it!!) so I passed on my handy hints. Glad to be of service!! So apart from de-wireing the bras I'm also on a mission this weekend to find a rubber brush as my cat is leaving a huge amount of fur everywhere and its the best things I can think of to stop my vacuum getting bunged up. Such a rock and roll lifestyle I have........... 🤣 ... View more

My mission over the weekend is to take the wire out of my bras. They are too lovely to get rid of, so wire removal it is. I didn't wear a bra at all during rad trips and during the day i wore crop tops and tightfitting vests from Primark. At the mo Im tending to wear sport type ones but will get back to my lovely ones after the weekend. The scar from my SNB is a little sore at the mo so where the cup lays will have to be a considerable fact when the fancy bras come back out!! 🌻 🌻 🌻 ... View more

Good luck Quaggie xxx hope everything goes in your favour. Remember its all about you 🌹 🌹 🌹 ... View more

Now talking of deodorant, no one told me anything about not wearing any. The only advice I had was not to shave under my arm. But has anyone been given advice on a suitable one to go for thats less harmful to us? ... View more