Breast Cancer Now Forum

I was never advised to give up alcohol, but unfortunately am one of those who've found a glass of wine (red especially) really makes the flushes a lot worse, so only have one very occasionally now. Have been on Tamoxifen for 14 months now, luckily haven't been too bad with the other SEs some people get like joint pain or weight gain (I'd done that already with my chocolate habit!) Would agree with what others have said about everything in moderation, though am more motivated now to keep an eye on my diet and shift some more weight, the links between excess lbs and oestrogen production seem pretty strong. Emylou - I also take the aspirin and vit E, hope all goes well for you. Jude ... View more

Dear all Lovely to hear from you - we have been quiet lately! Trish - that doesn't sound the most pleasant way to spend an hour and a bit, got everything crossed your results are fine, and good that your onc thinks it's (only!) SEs of radio and tamox. Cherry - hope things are settling down a bit for you and your sister, what a hard time you've had. For what its worth I think we would have done exactly the same things in those circumstances (had similar issues when my mum was very ill but she pretty much decided herself she didn't want to go on, despite the advanced dementia. Tough time though and that was without cancer to contend with.) Christmas and grandchildren are a great combination so hope you have a fantastic time, both on the day and in the build-up. My grand-daughter is 2 in Jan (born 2 weeks before my DX!) and will be having little brother or sister in Feb, so great excitement here. Jane - pot to kettle again, don't kill yourself trying to cover all that at work!!! Mandy - know what you mean about some news giving you the wobbles, was similar myself when heard of a friend locally who is not so well. But on the positive side another friend has just had good results after WLE and SNB - no more surgery and no chemo, so really happy for her. Ninja - good to hear from you again, hope things are ok. Rachel - hope you have been having a great half-term and a chance to relax. Love to everyone I haven't mentioned, hope all keeping ok, love Jude ... View more

Hi Trish, so glad you found us again! Liked the bit about feeling like you'd won the lottery - it's such a relief to know that we can still keep in touch. I hope all goes ok with the scans, and for you too, Wandy, though I know waiting for them and for the results is just horrible. I did hear that AIs are particularly likely to have aching joints as SEs, but excuse me if I am talking out of my backside. Jane - the holiday sounds fab and you sound sooo relaxed, hope it lasts a good while, and as ever the advice is spot on about being kind to ourselves. Mandy - hope you have a wonderful party, sounds like it will be a great night. Rachel - sorry you are feeling so tired, can echo most of that if it's any consolation - I am also back full-time in a job I love, but am currently working silly hours and have more responsibility so Mon - Fri just feel as if I work and sleep, not quite what I intended in the brave new post-BC world! But hope you get a chance for a break over half-term. Ninja - hope all ok with you. Cherry, hope you are coping ok too with everything's that been thrown at you over the last few months. Had a weird dream this week - looked in the mirror and my reflection was the 'old' me (ie shoulder-length dark bob rather than the current short n curly style) - but instead of being pleased went 'Oh NO!' Not quite sure what that's all about ... Love to everyone I haven't mentioned, and hope you all have a good week, Jude ... View more

Dear IWTL I don't come onto this site as often as I used to, but I have just seen your post and wanted to say that I can feel for you - this is a really difficult time when you get new results that aren't what you have been hoping for and maybe expecting, and I'm sure lots of other people will be along soon who have been through some of the same things as you have. Honestly it will get better as you adjust to the shock of needing more treatment - I think one of the hardest things for me at a similar stage was that I could only see things getting worse and worse, but they didn't, and that is true for so many people on here. I was diagnosed with invasive ductal cancer in Feb. 2011 and told from the start I would need a mastectomy - combination of small breast and 2 lumps. Got my head round that but the hard part was going back for results to find that total area of IDC and DCIS was nearly 9cm, plus 1 positive lymph node, so I needed lymph clearance, chemo, rads and tamoxifen. It was a real shock, but had lots of support from family and friends and (mostly!) great team at the hospital, and I think you just get through the treatment bit by bit. Joining one of the threads here for people starting chemo at the same time was a big help, felt like we pulled each other through and it was a great place where you could safely say what you were really feeling. I went back to work (phased return) a year ago and am doing fine, and like many people on here say, have learnt to really make the most of every day (which sounds solemn but for me means being more confident about doing things I like doing and being able to say No more often!) I hope things get a bit easier for you and I will check back in see how it's going. With a very big hug, Jude ... View more

Morning everyone. Cherry - really sorry to hear about your mum, it must be so hard with all the distance factors and so much to organise, but I hope the move to the hospice made things a little easier. Please look after yourself, you must be running on adrenalin. Mandy - yesterday must have been a really hard day, but great news from the onc (though I had the flat feeling too when I thought I would be running round celebrating) It's my mum's 3rd anniversary next week, seems like no time and yet so much has happened. Wandy - hope you are feeling better. Love to Jane, Ninja, Rachel, Bev and everyone else who mightn't have been on here for a while. On a very silly note - spent hours yesterday stuck in traffic and missed 2 work appointments as part of the main road closed. Cause? - 50 tonne trailer of onions had overturned and mashed up all over the dual carriageway, took all day to clear. Can't help smiling at the picture of it in my head ... (and no, couldn't smell it from the other side of town despite us all sniffing very hard!) ... View more

Dear all, it's good to hear from you although some are having a hard time. Cherry - I hope things are peaceful for your mum and for you and your sister, as Ninja said we are all there for you. Wandy - hope the weather is improving over there, and more importantly that you are feeling better and with less pain. Jane - was very slow on the uptake when I read your post, spent a good few seconds puzzling over your unwelcome guest (and I thought my chemobrain was gone!!) But the demands of work sound hard for you and Mandy, good to hear that your colleagues being supportive though Jane you seem to have a few around lacking the tact gene, to say the least. I am doing ok, apart from a grotty cold. Has been a strange couple of weeks trying to support my colleague who is waiting for her WLE in a couple of weeks (a month's wait, far too long) - am trying to be positive and supportive but also am her manager so have to do the organising how we cover for her etc. Look after yourself everyone, and love to all those I haven't mentioned or who haven't been on here for a little while. Ninja - I really liked the 'reach in your pocket' bit - made me smile and think I'll remember that when I have a day when I'm struggling. love to all, Jude ... View more

Hi all Another one here who could do with a bit of support to shift a few pounds (err, more accurately a couple of stone) - I know the value of doing it, but the will power can't always keep up! Will weigh in next Sunday. Good luck to all, Jude ... View more

Another hug from me too, Cherry. Thinking of you, Jude ... View more

Dear Cherry, just wanted to say I was thinking of you, you and your daughter sound like you've had a horrendous time. And I'm sorry things have now deteriorated so rapidly, hardly gives you time to think straight. I was the main carer for my mum for a long time - she died of Alzheimers in 2009 - so do feel free to PM me anytime. Wandy - hope your shoulder is easing up a bit, the pain sounds awful. I'd recommend swimming but I know you do lots of that already - but more seriously hope you get something sorted when you see the 'team' soon, or even better that it's all got better by then. Don't think you're paranoid at all - I am just the same, my speciality is worrying about headaches (and I don't even get many). Rachel - so glad they were able to reassure you re your shoulder! And Jane the wedding sounds fab (especially like the cheese!) Ninja - am in awe of your cycling exploits, great to hear you sounding so well. Like all of you I've been really thrown by hearing about scaco and elticks, especially the speed of it all, also my friend from work who was due to see the consultant today to get her biopsy results. Sometimes it just seems relentless, but then you get such a strong feeling of how precious life is - not expressing it very well, but I know you'll know what I mean.. love Jude ... View more

Hi all Previouslmanaged to bookmark this thread so it comes straight up - but cant be helpful as haven't a clue how I did it! But am so glad we do manage to find our way here. Jane - sounds like you had a great day away from work, and hope you enjoy the wedding. Am in shock tonight as my lovely work colleague has just been diagnosed with bc. Hopefully results confirm that it's small and treatment might be less invasive, but it's still horrible seeing someone having to start getting their head round all this. Must get my positive head on and try and support her - she has been a fantastic friend to me over the past 18 months. Sorry not such a cheery note to finish on, but hope everyonehas a great weekend even if not astropical as last week. Love Jude ... View more

Hi Ninja So sorry to hear about Eltticks - I remember her posting last year. Thinking of her family and friends at this sad time. And thinking of you, Ninja, this must be really hard. With very best wishes, Jude ... View more

Hello May girls Have been away for a few days visiting the in-laws and had a great break. I tried to respond on here but couldn't seem to get my phone to play ball. But I did want to say a big 'thank you' to everyone for getting back and being so reassuring when I was feeling a bit low. Sounds very like you, Rachel - I do feel fit and happy and grateful but my moods (and temperature!) keep going up and down like a yoyo. Feeling much more on top of things now, especially as we are having a family get-together next weekend and I will have my 3 girls home together for the first time since Christmas - hurray! Hope you have all been enjoying the sunny weather. Cherry - hope you are having a great time in Spain, and I will get in touch with my bank re the travel insurance, thanks for the tip. Jane and Rachel, hope you are not working too hard, and Jane that you have a great time in Turkey. Mandy - glad the SEs of Tamoxifen seem to be getting a bit better. Wandy - how's the packing going?? My sister has just had a week in the Lake District and came back saying how wonderful it was. Are you still swimming? I have just signed up to do a sponsored swim for a charity supporting those with spinal injuries; a tad ambitious as you have to swim the equivalent of the Channel (22 miles) over 3 months at your local pool. Have just realised how many lengths it will be!! Lots of love to all, especially those I haven't mentioned. Have a great week! Jude ... View more

Hi all Another one here who is so glad to see familiar faces here, though I know I don't get to post that often. Find it a real pleasure to hear how everyone is doing but also a relief when you hit a bit of a low and it's like being able to let off steam, or know you're not losing the plot, with those you don't have to justify your feelings to. Sorry - bit heavy for a Sunday morning, but if there is a 'should be doing more/looking better/being less grumpy' bench then I find myself plonking (heavily!) on it quite a lot at themoment. And no reason for it either -things going ok, especially when i hear of those going through a hard time or facing bad news and it's so great ladies on the site swinging into action to support them. Maybe cos it's a year this Week since chemo finishing, think I had it in my head as some sort of finishing post. Anyway, sorry for the moan. Hope you are all feeling good after the summer Hols - didn't we cover a lot of ground! Have a great Sunday everyone, love Jude ... View more

Evening all Lovely to hear everyone's news. Rachel - I'm not surprised you were tired after the decorating, but I bet it felt good to get it done all the same. Sorry to hear about the lymphoedema, but hope it keeps on the mild side. (I keep comparing my flabby upper arms in a slightly paranoid way, but ok so far I think ...) Wandy - have a fantastic time at V festival, and with your house search. Mandy - a big hurrah for getting the port out, must be great after all this time to be rid of that constant reminder. Jane - hope your retreat is going well (though if you are reading this I imagine you're sneaking a few looks at your phone!) Hello to Ninja, Cherry, Bev, hope you are enjoying the summer weather (well, it's been lovely here in the balmy East of England). Took the plunge yesterday and had new haircut and colour - felt FANTASTIC afterwards, have met great hairdresser who has even shown me how to tame the curls, so am a very happy bunny. Then a bit of retail therapy - good thing I am back at work today or would be racking up the bills. OH and I finished off the day at the cinema - unfortunately we looked up the wrong film details - were expecting Jude Law and got the Nanking massacre! (Was a good film actually) Love to all, Jude ... View more

Hi there Another one popping in from May 2011 starters to say hello and yes, you are coming onto the home straight now and it does get better after this, though I can remember feeling sooo tired and fed up at this stage last year. But was amazed at how quickly the hair started to come through after the end of the last chemo cycle, and the taste/nausea thing went away. Like GI Jane I am back working full time - it's taken a while, and would definitely recommend a phased return, but things are going ok and we've managed to do a lot of nice things this summer - and appreciated them so much! And yes, rads were pretty straightforward, just the travelling was tiring if you have to go a long way. With very best wishes to you all, cheering you on, Jude ... View more

Hi May girls Just recovering from my very active (not!) day yesterday watching lots of Olympics on TV - wow!!! Athletics was fab, and my OH who is big Andy Murray fine has just about recovered from the tension of the mixed doubles - think today might have to fit round the Wimbledon schedule. Yes, felt v lucky to get to see one of the events, but it was great being in London too, and as everyone is saying it wasn't too busy, no probs with buses and trains. Bev - congratulations again on finishing the Herceptin, must be fantastic not to be back having treatment every 3 weeks. It's been such a long haul for you all on that! And I hope your energy levels start building up, but don't be too hard on yourself. Hope it's reassuring (in a weird kind of way) that those of us who didn't have Herceptin are still finding tiredness hits more than pre-BC days (though I have a good friend who regularly tells me I should just expect this as 'you're not 25 anymore, you know'. I'm managing ok back full time at work, but its taken months - and have to confess my housekeeping wouldn't win any awards these days! Hope you are able to get a break away soon. It's lots to weigh up about the reconstruction, and the timing. Must admit that's put me off a bit, think it keeps slipping down my list of priorities and not sure that I will go for it. My surgeon very drily said I could have it any time up to age 70 but they do prefer people to decide a bit earlier if poss .... (gives me quite a few years then) Wandy - hope the packing is going ok despite the sports distractions. My daughter in France says there's lots of fencing being shown there (French v strong in that apparently?) Do you have a date for coming back to UK? Re switching Tamox brands, it's just that they keep giving me different ones for the last few prescriptions. I asked GP about different SEs but she said brand change wouldn't make any difference, so no progress there. Might ring BCN at hospital on Monday. My SEs mainly confined to the 'furnace flushes', worse in evenings when also get very cold in between, but luckily haven't had the aches and pains other have to put up with. And as I am 8/8 ER+ they'd probably have to prise the tablets out of my hands before I'd give them up. Hope everyone else is ok and enjoying the summer, and that Jane you are having great time in Turkey and Rachel in Disneyland. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, with love, Jude ... View more

Ninja, good to hear from you again but sorry to hear about the wait for reconstruction, not to mention the tarmac grazes. Must be frustrating when its something you really enjoyed doing before. Trust you're free of all the exam marking now? I think all of us are finding the site frustrating, it seems a lot more 'bitty' to me now, and was really shocked to see a new poster on another thread didn't get her post put on for over a month ... Jane - have a fantastic time in Turkey! (And don't think about work while you're away!) Wandy - you're a better woman than me with the swimming, my rate has dropped quite a bit, just finding it hard to find the time but I know I felt better for it. Rachel/Bev/Cherry/Mandy and everyone else, hope you're doing ok. Am just toddling off to bed and to do some testing of Tamox side effects - ie have new prescription with 3rd new brand (Teva) so will see if it makes any difference. Still getting over excitements of the weekend when we got to see the (ummmm) beach volleyball at the Olympics. Actually it was a great day out (despite the rain!), very surreal being on Horseguards Parade in a stadium and felt so glad to be there and feeling ok compared to last year. Lots of love to all, Jude ... View more

Hi May girls Typed a really long tome yesterday evening then lost it - aagh! So will keep this shorter and fingers crossed I can post. So great to hear from lots of people and that things are mostly going well. Hope you are enjoying holidays/jam making/memories of NY hols/grandchildren/graduation congratulations etc. Ninja - I was sorry to hear about your friend and hope you are feeling a bit better now. I am doing ok, my family is fine but I am putting in too many hours at work despite all my good intentions to have better work-life balance -but glad to be feeling so much better (even chemo brain finally seems on way out!) Interesting thing is that 3 people I work closely with have now cut their hours or taken voluntary redundancy as they said all this has made them think about what's really important to them ..... great to hear about Hipchick and the sailing round the world, it sounds fantastic. Commiserations to the hot flush gang, sorry I don't know how much it is influenced by herceptin as haven't had that. I have been on tamoxifen since Oct and had bad flushes/chills/night sweats, but have to say they have been fair bit better this month. Not sure why - had different brand (Wockhardt not APS), but also have cut out coffee and virtually all alcohol (esp red wine, had disastrous effect on them) - so might be useful to others? I was going to try acupuncture again, only had 1 session before as cancer support centre offering it long way from here, so would be interested to hear how others have found it. My GP said there was nothing she could offer for Tamox side effects, but don't think that's true - felt she just couldn't be bothered frankly. Thanks to all who got this thread going again, it has been such a lifeline over the last year and its great to hear from you again. sorry I'm not a more regular contributor (often too tired by evening to log on) but I think of you all often. love, Jude ... View more

Hi Jane, Cherry and all the May girls Haven't been on the site for a little while so it was lovely to see 'our' thread and to hear from you. Jane - the conference sounds great, a real chance to recharge the batteries - but I hope the pace at work has calmed down a bit! Cherry - really good news about finding somewhere for your mum, and close to your sister, I hope the move goes smoothly. The TV/phone thing took me back a few years to when my mum had very confused episodes - you never knew whether it would be something peculiar like that, or she'd be her old self, telling you all the finer points of Jeremy Paxman grilling some poor politician on Newsnight the night before (she had a soft spot for JP). All fine here, haven't managed to go a whole day without thinking of BC but am definitely getting there, and mostly feeling pretty well. Work still hectic but I am very lucky in (mostly!) loving my job (so Jane it is probably a case of pots and kettles here). Just found out (on my birthday last weekend) that we are going to be grandparents again early next year, so all very excited. And OH managed to get Wimbledon tickets in the draw, so we will be there on Tuesday, might even be able to do a bit of cheering for Mr Murray... Hope everyone is doing well, I think often of you all and how much we have shared together, Much love, Jude ... View more

Evening ladies Feeling much better after yesterday's throwing my toys out of the pram! But it's so good to be able to share the feeling grotty with people who know what it's like - thanks so much. Bev - congratulations on being discharged from the onc! But yes, it can feel a bit scarey too. It would be great if some of the symptoms improve when you finish your Herceptin, I'll keep my fingers crossed. I had a bone density scan a couple of months ago to give a baseline re bone strength, osteoporosis etc - it was very straightforward and they sent me a copy of the results which were ok. My GP said it was up to me whether I took the calcium and Vit D supplement, which I am at the moment. Do you find hot drinks, wine etc aggravate the flushes? Don't know why it can't be brussel sprouts ... Cherry - the feelings of fear sound horrible, wish I had a brilliant suggestion to make. Are you able to talk about them or do you feel you have to protect family etc from them? I only ask as I remember a really low time last year when I felt I had to keep everything bottled up. Sending you a big virtual hug. Wandy, Rachel, Jane, Ninja, Mandy and everyone else, hope you're all doing ok. And I hope everyone struggling with the horrible lymphodema has some improvement, feels like a nasty little extra of bc. Have a good evening, Jude ... View more