Breast Cancer Now Forum

And here we are, 2.30am looking at a thermometer reading 35.8! Hospital or not? ... View more

Ah, Ocean21, you would be my perfect neighbour! I love plants with passion. When I was living in a flat I had around 200 pots of plants, most of them planted from seed, bananas included! Of course, moving as much as we did, I gave almost all away, but I really need to find roots somewhere and start a garden. I think I did all, composting, greenhouse, seedlings, cuts, Gardener's World, catalogues, you name it. When I was living in Norwich I was a Master Composter volunteer, I would go to gardens advising on how to do compost, replying emails and loving all that is related to Nature, building shelters for bees, butterflies and ladybugs, using Neem oil to fend off pests.... haaaaaaaaaaa... it is bliss  By the way, ladies, I need your opinions, advice, indications.... Edinburgh or Cambridge to move? ... View more

Edinbird, GOOD LUCK FOR TOMORROW!   ... View more

@daisydi wrote:   Sandra the crystal rock is a natural mineral which acts by killing bacteria under your armpit so that you dont smell.  I think you still sweat but I find it really good.  I had to get it after my surgery/ies when I had difficulty washing and I couldnt stand the smell!  I have tried a couple of the paraben free deodorants but they dont seem to work as well.  If you look on Amazon there are loads and you can read up about them. Thanks daisydi, I went to Amazon and I discovered Pitrock, it looks good! I do not want my baby using another threat! ... View more

@Implausible wrote:   Sandra.... are you saying I should have given my oncologist a black eye??? 😄   luckily for him the conversation was over the phone not in person, so I couldn't quite reach 😄       No, honey, I should have given him a black eye as your good friend! And I can do it over the phone, too!!!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ... View more

Hey, a  crystal rock as a deodorant? Please let me know more! ... View more

Sarah, my love, if that person said anything like that in front of me, he/she would have spent the weekend with a black eye! Stupid!!!!!! ... View more

Ladies, take a look at this https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7018137/New-breast-cancer-test-developed-Olivia-Newton-Johns-charity-set-clinical-trial.html ... View more

MBJ rant away, I know exactly how you feel! At first I could not bear the thought of seeing my daughter with no hair. I kept hiding everywhere because I did not want her to see me crying. I cannot even start to explain when I saw my child's body mutilated by the mastectomy and the horror of seeing her wound bleeding and leaking up to the point that it was soaking everything. And I had to change dressing after dressing and all the time thinking about what she was feeling, how traumatised she was. The unforgiveness of this monstrosity that goes beyond the illness, extended to a treatment that wipes out the self. .... sorry, ranting here as-well. ... View more

Just saw this https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-london-48214053/true-cancer-bodies-adverts-don-t-show-how-traumatic-cancer-is ... View more

And hello to all my lovelies  how are you coping with that ######## chemo? Reaching now the end? Can you see that lovely, sunny window on sight now? Thank you to all that have left me messages, caring for me and my daughter, believe me, many nights reading this and crying my eye balls out! And after many heart to heart conversations, Veronica has come to the conclusion that she cannot even hear about the university or the PhD! She only took it because she was supposed to receive a scholarship and then they retrieved the offer after learning of her cancer. She was in complete despair due to 'the day after' (remember the film?) By the way, she was doing a PhD on two neglected cemeteries in Newcastle for English Heritage because they are too cheap to pay someone to do it, but her real passion is Classics (finished her BA with honours and a special award for her dissertation) and she would love to do a PhD in Classical Reception, so I pushed, and pushed, and the best places for this would be Cambridge or Edinburgh and I will do whatever I can to: - get a job there - help her with an application - move there and start a life (what amazing words 'start a life') I have been so humiliated in Durham due to all our financial problems that I was left traumatised and completely convinced that I am too stupid to work anywhere, so, yes God, please, an opportunity in one of these two places?  ... View more

Hi girls, I can see that things are looking good! More pain, decisions on every step, medication that helps in a way and damages the other. I am so so sorry! Update on Veronica... Headaches, diarrhea, jaw pain, dry mouth, tongue bruised, throat still burned, dropping things, tired, varicose veins giving hell, scared all the time and with nightmares. For most of the time I feel that I have moved to another dimension and there is no way out. I was always able to control my depression and I have managed to hide from everyone, but I have not slept more than a continuous hour during the night and I am exhausted, so probably it is contributing for this dark feeling that is growing. I think I will not be able ever to stop feeling an acute fear. How do we cope with this? I pretty much think that I cannot do it! ... View more

Happy Birthday Nettienoo, have a great day  ... View more

@daisydi wrote: Girls Ive got the worst yeast infection ever in every orifice even my armpits.  Got some canesten cream. Any other recommendations? Daisydi, you must contact a chemo unit immediately. Please do not use yogurt because it could be worst and things like neem oil or tea tree should not be applied in chemo patients because there is no effective research. You have a combi canesten, that includes a internal pessary or cream and an external cream. Now, this is the important bit: in chemo patients it is advisable to use immediately a pill called Fluconazole and it can be bought even without prescription, but if you use the internal pessary or internal cream you cannot use the Fluconazole! However, Fluconazole can be used with Canesten external cream. Normally, a call would suffice, in case you have no doubts, but if they feel that it is well spread, they must see you because it can be very dangerous for a chemo patient. You should have a chemo unit available during the weekend, call them, tell them about the symptoms, what type of canesten are you using and mention the Fluconazole. I am really sorry about this, honey, you must be in a terrible state. ... View more

Hi Susie B, battling this #### Chemo, my friend and from what I am reading here... Ouch! Everyone is really going through a rough patch. Thank God for the good news of size reduction! A BIG HUG for everyone! ... View more

Hi Rosina, I am doing the best I can to get a job and move leaving behind all this, but it is not easy. We were both caught in a situation of ending degrees, starting jobs, recuperate financially. Then, suddenly, it was my kidney followed by V's cancer. And no plan B or savings to cope. She has to finish her treatment, I have to keep caring for her, injections, dressings, cooking, baking, cleaning, cope with the bills, uni, debts, etc., etc., and find a job, and hopefully move away from this university. She cannot think about all this, she is frail, Chemo brain hit, she just needs to rest. I have to be the one opening the doors for a different life. I just do not know how, but I keep going, waiting for a miracle after so much rubbish. S#####t happens! ... View more

@Implausible wrote: But there must be something.  If she was a full time student on her own but needed full time care they wouldn't just leave her there to starve.  And similarly if there is a carer (you) they have to provide cover so you can leave the house occasionally plus respite.   This is completely untenable. Reality is what it is. I can be a carer (I have a card because I have been V's carer due to her health issues) but no respite. If a person is on her own in some councils welfare comes a few days, there are nurses, etc., but, in truth, she is my baby, and she would not feel comfortable with a stranger. And, then, there is the crazy dog, the most unbelievable Chihuahua that does not allow anyone nearby her Mum 🙂 We just have to be patient, things will improve. I think the worst part came from the university. They have hardship funds and when Veronica applied, when she was diagnosed and had the mastectomy, they told her that she should have though about it before applying for the university (uni starts in October, Veronica was diagnosed in the end of November). ... View more

@Implausible wrote:   If V is now needing pretty much full time care is there any assistance you can get from the NHS?? Oh, we are both full time students, which means that we are not entitled to anything at all! ... View more

@Implausible wrote: Thanks for the nice words but I can assure you I wasn't fishing for compliments!!!  I was just explaining why I've decided to ditch the cold cap and go for the full shave....   I kind of wish I hadn't bothered cold capping at all but it was worth a try I guess?   More importantly..... a chemical burn??????  How?????   If V is now needing pretty much full time care is there any assistance you can get from the NHS?? Honey, with me you can be sure of one thing: I never, ever, say something I do not think or feel! It comes with all age, I am entitled to be true and raw  V calls me Mumzilla... just to give you an idea of my 'lovely' personality :))))))))))))) Well, it seems that in some cases chemo can give this, the toxicity is not well metabolised by the body and these lovely things happen. Sometimes people get ulcers, other have this. The blurred vision is another situation where the toxicity is too much. Well, I have been stocking everything. Let me see: we have two types of Difflam, the one that is a spray is excellent for this, Corsodyl, Listerine Nightly Reset (no alcohol), betodine for dry mouth 🙂 ... View more

Trixieeeee my friend, how are you? Well, I look like #### to be honest  Trying to put all pieces together but failing completely! I simply don't know what to do, she cannot be left alone, I have to go chase dinosaurs for dinner.... well, it is all a mess. I have bills to pay, university work not done at all, no income and all the time I am seeing her in pain, really scared to the point that she has to hold my hand to sleep. I look like those people trying to balance a lot of plates spinning in the air, running around..... they will start to fall eventually! Well, let us see what will be the result from her oncologist appointment in two weeks, I am not convinced about chemo taking into account the impact in V's case. Oh, and I keep applying and being rejected :)))))))))) I am such a people's person  ... View more