Breast Cancer Now Forum

Last time I saw my surgeon she mentioned silicone, not sure if it was gel or sheets she meant, but she said I could could get it on prescription if I wanted to try it. So don't pay for it if you don't have to! ... View more

Hi Jaxette Great news about the lack of lymph involvement! Like many others have posted, I had 8 chemos, surgery, rads and 18 herceptin. Finished herceptin in Aug, now just on tamoxifen for 4 more years. It is horrible and terrifying when you get diagnosed, but there are so many ladies on this forum proving it is doable, and there is light at the end of the tunnel - hence my pic!! One thing you may wish to ask your hospital about is having some sort of port or line inserted. There are mixed blessings, they need taking care of and can look a bit distressing, but they save your veins and you don't have to get injected all the time for your treatments, blood tests etc. I ended up having a hickman line put in about half way through my treatment as my veins gave up. I'll be honest I didn't like it - but it was a relief to not have injections any more, and since I ended up having it done anyway I kinda wished I'd just had it from the start. Something to think about anyway (I'm sure you have already got enough to think about!!) Good news is, as others have said, chemo is not nice but it is do-able. Make sure you are vocal about any side effects you have, there is so much they can help you with, but sometimes you do need to ask! And even better news, once chemo is over (it DOES end, I promise, even if it won't feel like it at the time!) having herceptin on its own is a breeze. And rads are pain free too. Do keep posting, the support on here is phenomenal and we have a rule that there is no such thing as a silly question. Good luck and very best wishes xxxxx ... View more

I am having a load of dental work done at the moment. (I am coming up to 1 yr post treatment, just on tamox now). I too need a root canal and I also have veneers which need replacing. My dentist said it could be a result of my treatment, or it could just be a co-incidence. I am having it all done for free at a nearby dental hospital which trains students. I know some people are funny about having students work on them but I don't mind - they are well supervised and in their 5th (final) year and almost about to gradaute. So in a couple of months they will be fully-fledged dentists anyway. And I actually think they might care even more about getting everything spot-on as they are being evaluated on their work, and obviously want to graduate so perhaps more likely to dot every "i" and cross every "t" ??? That's what I tell myself anyway! Plus I also feel like I am "doing my bit"; if no-one allowed student dentists (or doctors or nurses for that matter) to work on them how would they ever learn to treat real patients? Anyway I know not everyone might like the idea but just thought I would mention it as the cost of dentistry is so extortionate (the stuff I am getting done would have cost over £6,000!). It takes longer and you have more appointments than if your normal dentist did the work, but for me it is totally worth it taking a bit longer as otherwise I just couldn't have afforded it. If you have a dental school near you it might be worth asking your dentist to refer you, if you think this is something you might be interested in. Anyway I just thought I would share in case it helps anyone - previously I didn't even realise you could do this. Good luck to everyone, sometimes it just feels like it's one thing after another doesn't it xxxx ... View more

I agree with lolly and elinda. I was 32 when diagnosed and was given a pile of leaflets featuring women in their 50's 60's and above. I would welcome any increase in publicity showing that BC can be diagnosed at any age. It still amazes me how many people (including some medical professionals I have met) believe BC does not affect younger women. I think all publications should make a greater effort to feature women of ALL ages (as well as ethnicity, sexuality etc). Sadly BC can affect us all. ... View more

Good luck Lynne! I hope your appointment is entirely boring and uneventful! It is good that you will be able to discuss the results immediately, although of course I hope there is nothing to discuss! At least you will be spared the dreaded wait. I haven't had mine yet (due next month) so can't comment on whether it may hurt, although I'm sure some other peeps may be able to advise you. I would imagine it may be a little uncomfortable but hopefully it won't be too bad. All the very best xxx ... View more

Hi Tracy Sorry you are going through this. Have you already been diagnosed with secondaries anywhere else? Are you currently on any treatment, tamoxifen for example can cause irregularities in the reproductive organs. I haven't been diagnosed with anything (other than primary BC), but I am having some tests at the moment as I am experiencing some pelvic discomfort, particularly on one side. I have finished the most part of my treatment and am "just" on tamoxifen at the moment. I have had a pelvic ultrasound (internal and external) and am waiting for an appointment for a hysteroscopy. Can I ask you what that was like? I was a bit alarmed that the doctor offered to do it under general anaesthetic! She then said it was just like a smear test (but obviously a little more extreme!) so I wondered why they would offer a general anaesthetic as I'm sure they don't give those out lightly! Anyway I just wanted to say that you are not alone and I hope very much that all these tests just rule stuff out rather than diagnosing anything scary. Everybody always says the waiting is the worst part - it is a shame you have to wait until Oct but I would hope that if it was anything serious they would get back to you sooner, so try and put it out of your mind (impossible I know) until then. Sorry I don't know if this is any help! But I have never heard of BC spreading to ovaries, and none of the doctors I have seen have suggested this is something they would be worried about or looking for in the tests they are doing on me. Of course everyone is different and you must listen to your own doctors but my advice would be try not to worry about it until you have to, and you might never have to! Very best wishes to you and I hope very much that things turn out fine for you. I am sure you could always give the helpline here a ring in the meantime while you are waiting for your results. Much love xxxxxx ... View more

Roully I am so sorry you have this worry. I wonder if the Citizen's Advice Bureau might be able to help you find legal advice if you don't know where to start? I hope you get sorted xxxxx ... View more

Definitely DISLIKE...really inappropriate. ... View more

Oh Rachel how lovely! Congraulations xxx ... View more

I commented earlier but this is annoying me so much I cannot stop thinking about it! I think the company's response is actually more insulting than the original t-shirt! Yes the t-shirt is incredibly insensitive and not at all funny, but occasionally offensive t-shirts do slip through the focus groups. I just read recently about a Next t-shirt for little girls that said something about liking boys on it. People complained - the company apologised and it was WITHDRAWN! Sometimes this happens and I think any responsible company, on learning that one of its products is offensive, should apologise and remove it. What is annoying me so much is that, instead of English Threads saying "gosh, we didn't think it was offensive, but now you have pointed out that it IS, we will do something" Instead they are sticking to their guns, insisting it is fun, and that they are "standing by the positive message". The fact is, they have NOT had solely positive feedback (as they seem to keep insisting)and are just ignoring the many, many messages from people such as us who find the t-shirt incredibly distasteful. To keep promoting something you have been told is offensive is, in my opinion, even worse than producing the offensive item in the first place. At least when they produced it (assuming it did receive positive feedback from a focus group) they may well have genuinely believed it was "fun". Now, after many people have complained (one poor lady on facebook even said she cried when she saw it, but I guess she should just lighten up) they cannot say they do not know it is offensive, but they are still promoting it anyway. That disgusts me. ... View more

"Cheeky" and "lighthearted"???????????????? Nobody ever tries to make heart disease or lung cancer cheeky and lighthearted. Why not? Because they are horrible diseases that kill people. Errr guess what so is breast cancer! The incessant trivilisation of BC as a disease, and the nudge, wink "humour" of campaigns because they concern boobies are so bloody insulting to the thousands of women (and hundreds of men) treated for BC every year. ... View more

I like the idea of this thread. I love to talk about food but the food threads can sometimes get a bit scary when people feel strongly about the pro's and cons of eating certain things! So I like the idea of a simple recipe thread! I have finished chemo now but good luck to those of you still going through it. I look forward to reading some recipies for nice easy foods! One of my favourite easy meals is based on a Nigella recipe she did in her last series. Chicken thighs, potatoes, onions, and if you like, any other veg you have lying around. Just bung them all raw in a roasting dish, chuck a bit of oil and some seasoning and stick in the oven for about 45 mins. At the last minute put some chorizo in (I used the cooked, sliced kind from the sandwichy-meats section of the supermarket) and then simply tip it all on a plate! Yummy and feels like a proper home cooked meal but has absolutely minimal preparation and clearing up. I would say try and eat as healthily as possible when you can. My lovely husband is a bit challenged in the kitchen but got into making smoothies as he kept saying I needed vitamins! Just blend a banana with any other fruit you have and a splash of milk, pouring yogurt or fruit juice. The bags of frozen fruit they sell in supermarkets are really good as you don't have to worry about them going off, you can just use as much as you need and as a bonus they make the smoothie nice and cold and ice-creamy! Slips down easily, refreshing and cold and makes you feel like you are getting some nutrients! I would also say though, don't stress too much about how healthily you are eating, it can be so hard to even thing of anything you want to eat sometimes, so just eat what you can, when you can. I used to really look down on ready meals - since my diagnosis I found it invaluable to have a few in the freezer. Great for those can't cook/won't cook days! Also, my taste went so weird on chemo that having single-serving meals meant husband and I could easily have different things, as it was very hard for me to know what I fancied. My mum was lovely and cooked up loads of curry, shepherds pie etc and put them in my freezer so it was as easy as a ready meal but cooked by mum! If you CAN manage cooking at any point, try making double so you have a meal for the future. (If you can't get your mum to do it for you that is!) Best wishes xxxx ... View more

Zoe I wouldn't write something off without even trying it - you might be one of the lucky ones with minimal SE's. As others have said, those who are getting on okay tend to be less vocal about it, so it is easy to forgot there are lots of people getting on fine. I have been on tamox since Dec and found it totally bearable. And I do think, even if the SE's were much worse I believe most studies suggest that the benefits of tamox far outweigh any potential negatives. I can understand where you are coming from, I was very scared before starting tamox, I think it was the fear of starting something that was going to go on for five years! It seemed like forever and the thought was very daunting but it really is a wonder drug. Give it a try if it is that bad you could always stop (of course I would recommend you talk to your docs before doing so) but you really might be fine. I certainly wouldn't refuse it without even giving it a go. Good luck! xxx ... View more

Sorry to hear that, Nymeria. I am sure it still could be nothing but it is so hard not to think the worst isn't it. Fingers crossed for you and sending lots of good wishes xxxx ... View more

Hello, fortunately I do not have need for secondary breast cancer services but I just wanted to say how wonderful it is that you are holding this event in Manchester! It is refreshing for an organisation not to believe everyone lives in London! I hope more events can take place around the country in future! Well done BCC and I hope this event is a success and provides help and support for those who need it. Best wishes xxx ... View more

Annette I am so very sorry for your terrible loss. Do you have family or friends nearby? And have you identified a local thread on here? Perhaps if any members of this forum live near you they may be able to help you feel a tiny bit less alone. Again I am so, so sorry. Much love to you xxxxx ... View more

Sandytoes one weekend when I was in the middle of radiotherapy I went to two consecutive parties, one on the Friday night and one on the Saturday! It was fab actually, really gave me a boost. I felt okay to have a few drinks, not as many as I would have under normal circumstances (!) but I certainly felt okay to get in the party spirit!! And I just made sure I sat down lots. You may well be okay, just make sure you get as much help and rest as possible beforehand. One daft thing that really helped was the second party had a silly little theme that you could do as much of or as little as you like - you had to wear something red. So I got a bright red wig off ebay and wore that! Meant I didn't have to worry about my hair, and just looked like I was joining in with the theme instead of trying to hide anything! There were lots of friends-of-friends there who didn't know me and would have had no idea I was having cancer treatment. Would something like that make you feel any less self-conscious about your appearance? Party hats or something? Congratulations on the money you have raised so far that is amazing! ... View more

Carlsberg, I would be careful. It sounds totally ridiculous but an insurance company MAY be able to connect a broken toe to BC! One of my nurses told me that companies have said "well your BC treatment may have weakened your bones making them break easier, so your broken bone IS due to BC". I don't know if that is true or just one of those urban myths, however I wouldn't put it past insurance companies to do anything to wriggle out of paying up. ... View more