Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Maddy, Yes, Albyn School and Albyn Hospital are just down the road from each other. Good luck with the Tamoxifen. Hope it isn't too bad! ... View more

Hiya Curvykath, I've only met him twice, but I don't think my consultant is the type to put pressure on a patient. He's been great so far. Thanks for telling me about your experience. Hey Sandy, Thanks for the tip about Tesco. There is now one here in my town, too. It isn't the biggest, but maybe they have something. It is nice not having to get into Aberdeen for every little thing. You know, the extra time in driving (although it isn't far), parking, and in term time getting back out for when nursey ends. And thanks for letting me know about the availability of the special bras at M&S. There is a Mothercare with easy parking not too far away. I saw some people like maternity bras, so maybe that is another option. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. I wish you the very best of luck!! ... View more

I'm so sorry, lurcher. I hope they get back to you soon. That would be my nightmare. You show up, all ready to get rid of it, and then they send you home with it still there. ... View more

Oh, Maddy, Thanks for the link. I've had a good look there. They've got some great offers on right now. Guess I just need to find out now what they want to do to me. 🙂 ... View more

Good luck with your assessment tomorrow and your surgery on Thursday, bandit!! Maddy, I had a look at our M&S this afternoon. The clothing is down about a half in size as they have added Christmas (!) stuff. They didn't really have suitable bras, but they did have one soft one which might do. I have a couple of newish, soft ones. Maybe they will do. Also, my neighbour has offered to take the kids to the park on Wednesday, so I could go then on my own. I could go on Saturday when hubby can take care of the kids, but don't really fancy fighting the crowds. Or wait until next week, get someone to collect daughter from nursery and go then, when I know what kind of surgery I'm having. But then I might be bumping into the pre-op assessment. I hadn't thought of that. Steep learing curve! We live in Westhill, which isn't close to Newtonhill, but isn't that far, either. It is straight west out of Aberdeen, towards Alford. We're only about eight miles from the city centre. ... View more

If I could, I would have the immediate reconstruction. I have two young kids, so just want one stay in hospital, if we can manage that. I've read the reconstruction booklet here online, but I'm totally confused as to what kind I'd prefer. I'd rather avoid the artificial ones. The tummy one sounds on the surface good (get rid of some of that post-baby-fat), but don't want to mess with the muscles. And I really don't want to give up my car for so long, but if needs must. 😉 *sigh* I'm sure my consultant will guide me. The important thing is to get the cancer out. ... View more

Hiya, Fiona. My main BCN is Sheila, but she was on holiday when I got my diagnosis. Val was there for me then. I think I was just in a low this morning. I feel much better now, and will wait two or three more days in the hope I get asked in. The radiologist should be looking at my MRI tomorrow. Just waiting, waiting, waiting to hear what Prof Heys has to say. Most of my treatment is at Albyn as we're using our private insurance. Hello, llynnt. The MRI technician was great, but she made me a bit nervous about putting that needle-thingy (can't think of the proper name) in my arm. She wasn't overly confident when she did it. My mammography, ultrasound, needle aspiration and biopsy were all at Albyn. If I need radiation or chemo, that will be at ARI. The waiting is getting to me. I'm worried about organizing care for the kids while I'm in the hospital, getting them to and from school/nursery. Hubby can take time off work, but he's a consultant. No work means no pay. That is the trade-off when you decide to become a consultant instead of an employee. My parents can't just come and help as they are in the US. Mom still works and has taken time off because my sister just had a baby (three weeks tomorrow). My in-laws can't help much because one of them has surgery on the 9th. My sil has offered to come up from York, but I'm sure she's limited in how long she can come for as she works. It will all be clearer by the end of the week - I hope! Thank you very much, ladies! ... View more

Thanks Cecelia. I phoned the helpline here. The woman I spoke to was great. I think I'll wait another couple of days and see if I get the phone call to come discuss the results. ... View more

Thanks Maddy. We have a new M&S Simply Food in our town. Funny, that name, as they do sell some clothes and not, well, simply food. I'll have a look around there, might save me the trip into Aberdeen. It isn't far, just that I have two young kids. ... View more

Sandyoak, did you just drop in at your local M&S and take your chances, or did you check them out beforehand? I don't know yet how big my surgey will be, and don't know how much time I'll have to prepare. I do know when it will be, 1 November. ... View more

I second the advice to look up ACAS. When I was pregnant with my first child, my employer was bought out and loads of staff all over England and Scotland were made redundant, including me. I got a lot of advice from ACAS, but I know the hoops the new employer has to jump through become more difficult with the number of planned redundacies. There was some upper limit of 90 or 99, which my company was over. The employer had to give us loads of information and definite timelines. I benefitted from a lot of colleagues immediately finding new jobs and leaving the company. They offered all the remaining employees in my department (accounts and finance) extra bonuses for working out their notice periods. That fell after my due date, and I was slightly worried they might not want to cough up in my case. They had no problems with my situation, though, and paid me every penny. I looked up loads of stuff on the ACAS site, and I think I phoned them a few times, too. I found their information great and felt very reassured. Another possible source of help is the Citizens' Advice Bureau. I know several colleagues went there and got what they considered sound advice. ... View more

If I were you and considering going private, I would phone either my GP or my consultant and get the ball rolling. Would you pay for this yourself or do you have insurance? If you have insurance, try calling them, too. I'm going private for my treatment. Seeing the consultant and getting procedures goes very quickly. The insurance company have been great. The problem is, it seems all the tests and evaluations get put back onto the NHS as the private hospital in Aberdeen doesn't have the facilities. For example, I had an MRI last Thursday to see if there is cancer elsewhere in either breast before they decide how much surgery I need. The MRI radiologist who evaluates the MRI is on holiday, and there isn't another qualified one in Aberdeen. She's been on holiday since the Thursday before my MRI and gets back tomorrow. She's back for one day and off again. She promised to read my MRI and write the report tomorrow, but I really, really hope she doesn't forget and do something else. Depending on what my circumstances are (as revealed by the MRI), my consultant says I could chose immediate reconstructive surgery, if a masectomy or double are necessary. He also said I could chose surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary or Albyn Hospital, the private hospital in Aberdeen. It is a BUPA hospital, but I think that doesn't mean much as long as you can pay for the treatment. I'm going to Albyn as they have the cleanest, shiniest floors I've ever seen, I'll probably have a private room as opposed to a ward (I could not sleep in the maternity hospital, sharing the room with five other women and their babies), and the breast care nurse says the food is better. 🙂 Gotta grin about something!! Good luck, I hope you taken care of much quicker than you fear. ... View more

Good luck on Wednesday, Sandyoak. I don't know if I should just have a double masectomy if they only want to remove the one. Part of me says to get rid of both if one must go, just so I don't have to worry about this happening again. And then, since we've decided to go private as we've been paying for the insurance, will they pay to have a healthy breast removed? But I'm putting the cart before the horse. Need to keep on waiting. ... View more

Hiya Sharon. I'm having surgery on 1st November, too. I don't know how much yet. I had my MRI on Thursday of last week, but the one and only qualified radiologist in Aberdeen is on holiday until tomorrow. She promised to do it straightaway as she is off again the next day. I don't understand in this digital age why they can't send it somewhere else. Arrrrrrg!!! Anyhow, sometime this week we should find out what they want to do to me. It is anything from lumpectomy to double masectomy. Wait, wait, wait. I'm tired of waiting. And we are waiting for the results before we have the serious talk with our children, six and four. They don't know the word *cancer*. The older one knows there is something sick there and the doctor will make Mommy better. But I need to start getting them ready for Mommy going into the hospital. And we have no family up here, so how long I'll be in really affects our plans and if someone can come help us. I have invasive lobular, grade 2, estrogen positive, so had to stop taking the pill immediately. Add hormones on top of bad nerves, my poor kids! Best of luck, Sharon. I hope your surgery goes well, and the other treatment, too. I'll be thinking of you on the 1st. My surgery isn't until late afternoon, so yours might be all over by the time they wheel me in. ... View more

Despite what you have to tell him, I hope you have a good time with your son tonight. Be sure he knows when you are planning on telling his brother, so he doesn't slip up. Good luck today. If you haven't spoken with the nurse yet, write down everything you want to ask. And write down anything that seems important. You will have a lot to take in. (((loopylin))) ... View more

I stumbled across a pretty cap with beads on flickr (a photo-sharing website). It is from Germany and is hand-made. Here is a link for the photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/franziska/250523646/ Unfortunately the website of the woman who makes and sells them is in German. If you need any help, I know German. I haven't tried them yet as I was diagnosed just a week ago and haven't had any treatment yet. I'm keeping it in mind, though, should I need chemo and my hair goes. Here is a link for the different caps she makes: http://www.anderehaekelmuetzen.de.vu/ She also makes "Untermuetzen" for extra warmth under the cap or for sleeping. They are quite far down the page. You need to scroll down below the first 93 caps, and it is then the second row. There is only one photograph of them. There are various colors and they are made of cotton with something to make it stretchy. The Untermuetzen cost Euro 7 each. Good luck! Let me know if you need help with the translation. ... View more

Best of luck, markd. I have my MRI on Thursday to see how bad my lobular cancer is, surgery is scheduled for 1 November. I'm at the stage of waiting, waiting that you were when you wrote your first post. I'm glad you are home and have had a couple of good days. Hang on to the thought of seeing your children grow up. That is a great motivator. I'm lucky. My consultant said we caught mine early and we will beat it. I'm holding him to his word. I've got two kids to see grow up, too. Heck, I'm only 40 and otherwise healthy. I should have the strength for this. So should you! ... View more

I was diagnosed last week with invasive lobular breast cancer. I found a lump. My GP thought it felt like a cyst, but it needed to be checked out. Mammogram was OK. Ultrasound was slightly fiborous, but still OK. The needle sample came back abnormal. I had a biopsy two days later, but it took nearly three weeks before I got the results. They told me the plan they wanted to follow, which included an MRI. Unfortunately there is only one radiologist in Aberdeen qualified to read the MRI and she is on holiday as the schools are out. So, their plan has been turned all around. I am having my MRI tomorrow. Tuesday, when the radiologist is back for one day, my MRI will be analyzed and the report written. Some time after that we'll be asked in to discuss what they recommend. I'll have my surgery 1 November. My surgery could be anything from a lumpectomy and lymph node(s) up to a double masectomy. I don't understand why with all the digital possibilities, they can't send my MRI somewhere else to be read when the specialist is on holiday. There must be other people in Aberdeen and Grampian waiting on their MRIs. Best of luck, Sandy. I hope you've caught yours early, like we've caught mine. My consultant says IF they are going to find cancer, they want to find it at this stage. ... View more

Hi Sue. Thank you from me, too, for the stuff to take to the hospital. I don't know yet how radical my surgery will be, but this gives me some things to think about, and to shop for. ... View more