Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Ladies, Just back from our weekend away in Nottingham.  It was lovely to get away & do normal things for a change.  Although I have to say my fitness levels are shocking - a couple of days walking around & i’m exhausted.   We went to a charity evening on Saturday & I won a 1 month unlimited pass to a dance fitness class.  Definitely need to give it a go.   Gaby - feeling very envious of you with your new kittens.  I lost my 15 year old kitty the day after I was diagnosed & have spent last 9 months telling myself I wouldn’t get another.  They are so much fun though and bring so much happiness.   Hope your cold is feeling better.   My head has been very itchy over last couple of days - i’m hoping that’s because of growth.  I’ve got a fine covering all over now.  Cutting it a little while ago seems to have encouraged growth.     Hope you’re all doing well this week. jacqs xx         ... View more

Hi Everyone,   Good luck for your meeting tomorrow Gaby & hope the swelling in your boobs improves.  I think the general feeling of being bruised n battered is down to our bodies just being low & protesting at everything they’ve been put through, but still not easy to deal with.   I am pleased with the progress on hair growth front - with huge exception of top lip hair.  Think that’s growing faster than anywhere else on my body and have just invested in a slimline epilator for facial hair today.  Lip hair longer than head hair & belly bigger than boobs isn’t a look I’m aiming for 🤪 🤣 So tomorrow morning is to go for good long walk before breakfast then come home to do lip defuzz.   Have booked weekend in Nottingham for hubbys Birthday this coming weekend.  Will be able to spend some time with my stepdaughter too which will be lovely.  Looking forward to getting back to little more normality.     Little Pixie - hope rads are going well.  Get through this week and you’re more than halfway ❤️   Have a good week all xx     ... View more

Hi Lisa & Ktk, I am feeling much better today thanks.  As Ktk says, it was like a 24 hour flu type of thing.   As well as strengthening the bones to protect from osteoporosis, they do believe that bisphosphonates help prevent cancer cells from coming back in the bones which is common in triple negative breast cancer. They stress however that you must be postmenopausal - I was borderline, but they still agreed to go ahead with it. I noticed a little bit of stubble on my lashes today WOOHOO!!  Its lovely to put a face to a name Little Pixie & Lisa. I’ll have to try & figure out how to do it too. Have a lovely weekend all.   💗 xx     ... View more

Hi Ladies, Hope everyone is well. I finally had my bisphosphonate treatment yesterday.  Blood tests showed I was borderline postmenopausal.  Nurse said it would only be 2/3 more months of having symptoms, then i should be officially postmenopausal, so agreed that the treatment could go ahead.  I woke up feeling like i’d been hit by a bus as my whole body is aching so badly.   On hair front, I got rid of my hair fluff on Monday.  It was so soft and fluffy and very patchy but does now seem to be more stubbly like real hair.  I’ve got opposite problem to you Lisa - mine is mostly white with a few dark patches.  Still little sign of lash & brow hair though.  Sorry to hear about your bump & hope you don’t hear anymore about it.   Little Pixie I do hope rads went well today.  Have you got any company whilst you’re away from home? Paul & i we’re thinking of a night away in the Lakes this weekend but will be putting it on hold with the cold weather.   Gaby Well done on getting your first injection out of the way.  Hope your energy levels pick up soon. I’m currently looking into CBD Oil.  Have been told by a number of people that it’s worth trying. There’s claims that it stops cancer cells re-occurring and although no evidence to prove this, my last oncologist did say that it has potential for future NHS trials, but for now, I do believe it can improve energy levels and help with aches & pains.  I was asked not to try it whilst going through chemo, but no reason not to try it now. I generally avoid taking any unnecessary meds but can’t be as scary as some of rubbish we’ve put into our bodies over the last few months.   Have a good evening all.  Stay warm. xxx     ... View more

Hi All. A Little Pixie - sorry to hear you’ve been feeling so tired.  I would agree that at times you’re body doesn’t feel like your own.  I too have to have a second op to replace the implant I lost to an infection but the surgeon won’t do it till end April / early May.  Good luck with the rads.  Hope it doesn’t take too much of a toll & that you can get through it without any damage 😘   Lisa - hope you enjoyed your lunch out.  Sod the diet & enjoy 😉 .  I might take your advice given to Gaby about injecting into the thigh.  I’ve got another 2 months of blood thinning injections to go & my tummy is so bruised, it’s hard to find somewhere to do the bloomin thing.   Gaby - hope you’re doing ok - it is exhausting and the only thing is rest as and when needed to get our strength back.  Glad your daughters interview went well & good luck to get for the next ones.     I went to see my oncologist today, only to find out she has left and gone to another hospital, so saw a new one & I was her first patient.  Tad frustrating to say the least.  Bisphosphonate treatment delayed because my bloods didn’t come back from lab in time.  I went to hospital twice last week and they couldn’t get blood because my central line wasn’t working and they were unable to find a vein that didn’t collapse, so had to go back very early this morning.  May or may not have treatment tomorrow & will now have to wait another 3 weeks before they take central line out.  So have come home, put pj’s back on and am going to veg out on sofa watching Luther.   love to you all 💋           ... View more

Evening Ladies, Its been a while since I posted but I still want to keep in touch to see how you’re all doing.  I finished my chemo 5 weeks ago and could not believe how tired I was towards the end and for a good few weeks afterwards, but am glad to see I am starting to feel more human again.   I do still have to inject myself every night with fragmin for blood clots - i’ve got another 2 months of doing that.  My tummy looks like a bruised & lumpy pin cushion and it’s getting harder to find a space to inject that’s not battered n bruised.  BUT you do well not to let your OH anywhere near.  Mine was very keen to help out but I end up with more bruises cause he’s none too gentle. I had my sore & swollen ribs looked at last week - nothing sinister happening and apparently all normal after a double mastectomy, so hopefully will ease in time. Next week is my 1st meeting with oncologist since the end of chemo followed by my 1st bisphosphonates infusion.  Feeling little nervous because it’s a new drug again, but can’t be as bad as  chemo. Thinking of you all - stay well. Jacqs xx     ... View more

Pulapula I am so sorry to hear your news.  That’s just awful after everything you’ve already been through and you have every right to feel sorry for yourself.  Best wishes for your surgery on Friday.  Sending lots of love ❤️ ... View more

Hi Keeno72 - congratulations on your last T 🎉 🎉 🎉 . It’s a great feeling even if you do still have to suffer SE’s.  It can only get better now.   I came down with a cold on Christmas Eve just a few days after my last session and it’s only just getting better now. I’ve got another worrying thing happening. I was experiencing some aching in my rib cage whilst having chemo.  Discussed with onc but she said to leave it & hopefully it would ease.  I’ve now got a swelling on my left hand rib cage just underneath where my left breast surgery was.  Am waiting for bc nurse to call me back today to see if someone can check it out.   🙁 Thanks for the tips on hair growth - just googled the Grow Gorgeous serum & am going to try it out.  Would be great to see real hair instead of candy floss style fluff.   Gaby - hope you’re feeling brighter today.  Daily Pilates sounds very ambitious - some days, rest is needed & sod the exercise 🤪.     Hope everyone one else is doing well. Xxx ... View more

Happy New Year to all you lovely ladies.  I hope it finds us all on our way to better health and a positive & fresh new start.   We’ve had a very quiet and relaxing week recharging batteries. Now just waiting for my appointment for surgery to have my rejected implant re-done.   Mama Tony - like you there’s no signs of eyebrow or eyelash regrow.  My hair however is starting to grow, although it’s more like white fluff! Not sure if best option would be to shave it off again & see if it comes through any thicker? Any suggestions welcome.   xxx   ... View more

Merry Christmas everyone.  Hope you all enjoyed your day.  Xxx ... View more

WOOHOO!  Last chemo session completed 🍾 🍾 🍾 🎉 🎉 🎉 Although only just.  Had bloods taken on Tue & they called yesterday to say neutrophils were low again ( as per last week) & asked if I was happy to postpone.  I said no & asked if I could have them re-done today.  After having them done, ward sister confessed she made a mistake yesterday & they had been fine all along.  Anyway, was so happy 😁 did not complain.     I also got got the results to my BRACA testing last night.  NEGATIVE!  So despite the fact that I have a strong family history of bc, looks like i’m just unlucky.  I need to do more research to find out if other members of the family could still have faulty genes though!   Bee & Millie - congratulations to you both too 🎉 🎉 🎉   Mama Tony - congratulations on your last chemo too 🎉 🎉 🎉 . Sorry to hear your tumour growth has slowed. We’ll all be hoping & praying that it turns out to be scar tissue.  Will be thinking of you on 16th Jan ❤️ ❤️   A Little Pixie - i’m so happy that you’re coping better with the weekly.  4 weeks will fly ❤️ ❤️   Kath - again you’ll be there in no time.  For me, the weekly sessions seemed to go so quickly.  Possibly because I didn’t have the more extreme SE’s that you get with 3 weekly FEC etc.   ❤️ ❤️   Sending you all big hugs xxx ... View more

Hello Gaby & Pulapula,   I’m sure everyone has got sidetracked with SE’s & getting ready for Christmas.  Like you Gaby, i’ve been so tired & out of breath this last 2 weeks.  Doing simple things is taking up so much energy.  I went food shopping this morning after having bloods taken & thought I was going to pass out.  As for that awful taste, I will be so happy to get rid of that.  I think we should just hide those scales until well into Jan 🤪 Gaby that’s terrible to hear about your daughter - as if you didn’t already have enough to deal with.  Sending big hugs & positive thoughts ❤️   Pulapula - good luck for Friday.  Will be thinking of you.  It is such a nuisance having to wear hats etc.  I’ve taken to wearing a pink beanie that my sister bought for me.  One minute I’m freezing, the next I have major hot flushes so it gets ripped off !    Hope everyone one else is doing ok xxx ... View more

Hi Everyone, Hope you’re all having a good weekend, despite this cold weather.  Today’s going to be a day tucked up at home for me maybe wrapping some more Xmas presents 🎁 . My stepdaughter is back from uni for the holidays so it’ll be a nice Sunday lunch then curl up on the sofa & watch Christmas films. Thursday was my penultimate Carboplatin / Paclitaxel sesssion - it nearly didn’t go ahead cause my platelets & neutrophils we’re low, but they repeated the blood tests early on Thursday am & they’d risen just enough.  Today was my last day of taking steroids - yeahhh 😁 . I’m fighting a cold & sore throat at the moment but praying I can stave it off till I get my last session out of the way next week.  Gutted that the nail on my right big toe is turning black - 1 week from the end.  Isn’t that Sod’s law.  Finger nails haven’t got any worse.  The oncologist nurse said that I may get another horizontal band on each nail with this last cycle ( called Mees lines ) but the cuticles still look intact so she said I should avoid losing fingernails if I keep moisturising them & just let the bands grow out.   Wishing you all a good week.  With each step closer to Christmas, we’re all getting closer to this nightmare ending. Take care all ❤️ 😘       ... View more

Hi Treemad Gaviscon is a complete waste of time.  The only thing i’ve ever found to work on severe indigestion / acid reflux is Lanzaprozole.  Maybe try your own GP & see if you can get them to prescribe something stronger like Lanzaprozol.  It’s usually 1 tablet a day in morning & it works pretty quickly.  Xx ... View more

Gaby it’s great to hear your genetic test was clear.  Such a huge relief for your famiy ❤️   Lisa I was offered genetic testing as i’m Also TN & have strong family history of BC.  My results not due till Christmas time.  Re nails, have gone for nice Christmassy red varnish & just going to keep fingers crossed.   Treemad - have you tried ringing the chemo helpline.  They are really good if you just want advice & you can chat through what SE’s your having.  I’ve had quite lot indigestion - I think due to steroids but i’m On completely different chemo drugs to you so it’s hard to compare.  I take Lanzaprosol on prescription which helps, but they say that if any 1 symptom is really bad, it’s best to get it checked out.  Please don’t suffer in silence - it’s all hard enough as is.  I rand 24 hr chemo helpline early hours one morning & the nurse was so lovely - she let me run through every single SE & then gave advice on how to deal with each one.  Hope you get it sorted soon    Think i’m set for a late night all thanks to those pesky steroids this morning.  Wide awake 😬 😬 😬 ... View more

Hi All So relieved to hear your news Pulapula 🤗 ❤️ Just ticked another Session off the list.  Now 2 is the magic number.  I’ll be joining you Mama Tony & Lisa in finishing by end Dec. I took my nail polish off last night & this is how my nails look.  They’ve got horizontal stripes & tips are looking very brown.  They’re still intact & not lifting so i’m hoping they survive another 2 sessions  - Anyone else experienced this ? Xx ... View more

Sending a big hug Kath. Sorry your in pain and hope it eases tomorrow. It’s really frustrating when you have to miss a week, but best to deal with the immediate problem. Take care xx ... View more

Hello Ladies, So happy to hear your positive news Gaby  Pulapula - sending you lots of positive vibes for a good result from your mri tomorrow.   Kath - so sorry to hear about your tooth.  Were they able to do any dental work.  How are you coping with it? I can’t quite imagine how you deal with dental pain on top of all the other sh*t.  A Little Pixie - hope you enjoyed the time with your mum & sister.  I’ve got my family visiting on Sunday for a pre- Xmas get together. We saw the Fantastical Beasts film yesterday - very good.  Setting the scene for a few more films to come I think, although I did doze off at beginning.  Oops 😴 😴 😴 ... View more

Morning Everyone, Its awful not being able to sleep. Friday night I was awake will 3.30am, then Saturday spent most of the day snoozing.  It’s so hard to break that cycle especially when you just feel yuk.   Hope you managed some sleep eventually Gaby. Aley I hope you had a better weekend and that your SE’s have now calmed down.   Its pouring down here, so we’ve decided on an afternoon at the cinema.  Always feels like such a treat. have a good day all xx   ... View more

Hi A Little Pixie - each hospital might differ but on the weeks that I only have Paclitaxel, I only have steroids as part of the pre-meds on the day.  I don’t have any more to take home & it does help.  Every 3rd week when I have Carboplatin & Paclitaxel I still have steroids for 3 days following chemo & they are the pits. I agree with Gaby that the SE’s of Paclitaxel are so much more manageable and honestly having it weekly makes it count down a lot quicker.   Only problem is, think we’ll have baldy eyes for Xmas. Maybe need to rock the 😎 look for a while.   Kath - i’ve got a central line & it’s been such a boost.  My veins were rubbish from day 1, so had to have this fitted cause they couldn’t even get a picc line in.  Does make life easier.   Aley - glad to hear you’ve had your last FEC & hope the next few days are kind to you.   Enjoy the weekend everyone.  Sending hugs to you all xx   ... View more