Breast Cancer Now Forum

Wendy, my last chemo is due on the Tuesday after the Easter bank holiday. I'll probably ask for it to be on the Wednesday though so I can get my bloods done on the Tuesday and hopefully all will be in order. My onc told me I'd be OK for surgery about 3 weeks after that, so late April. I'm dreading it, but at least it'll be another big step on the way to the end of all this hell. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you being well by 20th April. After surgery for me it's rads. I'm told that rads isn't so bad, but it's an hour journey each way to the hospital which is a bummer. I live on the English side of the Welsh border and it's very frustrating that the hospital I'd go to if I lived less than a mile down the road is about 15 minutes away. I forgot to ask if I'm having 3 or 5 weeks of rads; they hadn't decided last time I asked. Lolly, I'm sorry to hear about what's happened with you. You seem to be on a very rough road, but I'm sure you'll get there. There's blue sky and sunshine here today, so I'm off out for a bit of fresh air while it lasts. ... View more

Hi All, Cress, when I go for chemo my chemo nurse (I ask for the same one each time) puts my hands in warm water for about 5-10 minutes just before she puts the cannula in. It worked first time when she did that so it might be worth trying. Thanks to all with bra info. QD, good luck for Wednesday. Wendy, do you know yet when your surgery will be? Maire, I've have nose bleeds on FEC, but only in the morning, usually when I brush my teeth for some reason. I had my appointment with my onc today. She's really nice and explained why I can't have rads first then mx and immediate recon. Basically they would have to up the dosage to treat tissue that doesn't need the rads and they also need to do the most urgent process first because I had a particularly fast growing tumour. I also spoke to the BCN, she has made me an appointment with my surgeon and oncoplastic surgeon to talk about a recon asap. It seems like you get a better service if you ask for it. She'll also book me for an appointment to speak to a councellor about the possibility of a bilateral mx. It'll be that or I'll take Cress up on the offer of bra shopping! My onc also told me that I'll need antibiotics following FEC 4 on Tuesday (to be taken from day 5 for a week) because my bloods have only just made the mark each chemo date, I wasn't aware of that before. From what some people have said they see their onc every time they have chemo, but I only see mine every 6 weeks. I don't understand why we are all treated so differently. ... View more

Hi All. Cress, what a fab link, it's all so true. Mandy, I think that chemo nurses are trained to say 'nearly there' and 'half way there' etc., they all seem do it, but they've been so good otherwise that I let them off with a (forced) smile. Cybele, I don't have a red book either and it sounds like a very good idea. Please put me on your list for sending a copy to. Sorry to hear about the delayed chemo. QD, that's great news and so good to hear some positive in all this horror. Lolly, I hope it goes well today. I'm slightly jelous of you having someone to look after you for a bit, a bit of TLC goes a long way. Mandy, Maire, big hugs. I spent lots of time on the crazy sobbing lady bench yesterday. I spoke to my BCN about the possibility of having a bilateral mx after chemo firstly because of my family history and secondly because if I have one boob removed I'll have an H cup one side and absolutely nothing the other. I fear that finding a bra is going to be impossible; I've looked everywhere for a 32H mastectomy bra and there's nothing. My BCN told me they do larger sizes in M&S and yes, they do, they they have one bra in 32F that's underwired which we're told not to have. That's 4 sizes too small and the largest I've been able to find. She reassures me that having a prosthesis won't be a problem (she even seemed to think I was being a bit silly; of course they will!!!) but if that info is as good as her M&S info and I only get to confirm that after surgery my life until a recon (hopefully to a D cup) will be rubbish. She couldn't tell me how long it would be until I'd get a recon. She's made me an appointment with my surgeon who though he's great at surgery has the bedside manner of a lion. I feel that she's put me onto him to get rid of me on this subject; he'll find it easier to say 'no'. I'm also told that I'd have to have counselling before a bilateral mx. Well if that's the case I'd want it NOW so it doesn't delay my surgery, but I think that's going to be a way of making me go ahead with one removed. Am I being paranoid? Sorry to go on, but there are two boxes worth of very soggy tissues in my bin. Thanks for listening. ... View more

Hi All, Cress, thanks for the info. I'm going to give the ancestry thing a break and have decided to restart learning Spanish which is something I started a couple of years ago and had to give up through lack of time to do it. I've left a message for my BCN to call me back about being tested, but like you say, I think I'll let that keep until after chemo. I think it has implications for the mx I'm going to have afterwards though. Mandy, sorry to hear your having a bad day, hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow. Learning piano sounds like hard work, I think I'd Stick to the Housewives of Beverley Hills, are those women for real???!! QD, what's your degree in? I've mucked up my husbands VAT return too. I've told him if he wants it right to do it himself. That went down like a turd in a water strike! ... View more

Hi All. Cybele, I hope you're feeling a bit less rubbish. My contact person throughout my treatment is my BCN whatever stage I'm at. I have a particular nurse, but if she's not available and it's an emergency there's a mobile number which I can call at any time. I've only phoned once and someone was there so's it's not been an issue for me so far, but I understand that if my BCN can't help me then she will point me in the right direction for someone who can. Mandy, how long will you have to wait for the recon? My doctor who urged me not to return to work suggested I took up a hobby because I've been so bored (there's only so much Jeremy Kyle a person can take). I decided to look into my family tree which is something I've been meaning to do for years as my Mums Mum has always been a mystery as she lost touch with her daugters (she and my Grandad were divorced when my Mum was about 5). My Mum had BC at 61 and her Sister, my Aunt had a cancerous lump removed when she was in her 30s, although my Aunt isn't the kind of person who will go into any detail. Well through my new hobby I've found that my Grandmother died of BC at 44 years and my Great Grandmother died at 26 years. I'm waiting for a copy of her death certificate to see what she died of. How many people do you have to have had in your family with BC to get tested for BRACA? ... View more

Hi. I wrote a message on here at about 8 or 9pm yesterday, but although I know it was there last night when I looked again at about 10pm, it's disappeared this morning. Does anyone know if the messages are sometimes banned? I didn't swear or anything. I hope I'm not in trouble! ... View more

H144, I know what you mean. No one who hasn't experienced this horrible process will understand that we try to put a happy, positive face on for their benefit. I don't think they mean to be how they are, but it's through this lack of understanding that we often come unstuck and their perception of our situation becomes distorted though it's no ones fault. That's why we all come to BCCUK; it's our straw that never breaks thanks to God (if there is one). My HR Manager came to see me at home on Monday (she's a lovely lady), but the first thing she always says is 'you look really well'. It makes me want to whip my wig and make up off and get back into my pyjamas just to prove that it's a disguise and that I really feel rubbish. I at least know that she is total discretion and will NOT make any comments to others at work so I don't have that issue, I'm truely sorry you do. I regret that I rather snapped at her 'well I wish I felt it'. I think I may have upset her which I really didn't want to do. Ho hum. ... View more

Hi All, Cybele, I hope it's gone OK for you today and you're feeling better. Big hug. You're right about me following your therapy by a few days. Your blog has really helped me prepare for what's going to happen in advance, so many thanks. I've spoken to my HR Dept. who've said I can't work from home because my job interacts with so many people and my boss says she would rather I concentrated on getting myself better. I can't help but wonder of the fact that she's employed her completely unqualified daughter to cover my absence has something to do with it. I'm going to have a think about it over the next few weeks and make a decision after FEC 4. I've been reassured (verbally) by our HR Dept that my job is safe! My company gives a bonus for not going off sick and we don't get paid for the first 3 days of sick leave so no one goes off when they're ill and colds and viruses rule our open plan office. This means my doctors comment about the potential to die has also put me off returning. I really feel like I'm just going to give in to the horrors of chemo and sort myself out when it's all over. I'll be looking at the 'situations vacant' in my local paper! Good luck to all those having treatment, there seems to be quite a bit going on at the moment. We're all moving slowly but surely to the end of the horror so hang on in there. Love Clare XX ... View more

Hi Ladies, I hope you're all as well as can be expected. QD, that's awful about your fingers and joints, hopefully FEC will be a little less unkind. Cybele, I'm so sorry, big hug. I was going to return to work because I want to be a bit more normal, so orgainised with my HR Dept that I'd come in for 2 weeks in every 3 (1 week for chemo which I'd take as A/L). I went to the doctor feeling the first little bit in control since being dx and he said why chance it when my prognosis is good but if I get an infection at work I could die. I now have another sick certificate. This is going to go on until at least the end of chemo and I feel like my brain is now mush and I've given up thinking that I have any control over my life; it's made me feel exhausted. Sorry to have a moan to you, I feel that you are the only ones who will understand, some others think that I'm lucky to get some time off work! ... View more

Hi All. I love the idea of tit sisters, we can all stick together with turksh delight! Maire, how's your car, did you manage to get it sorted out without losing the plot? QD, thanks for the warning about wind wigs, it's very blowy out there so I made sure I had a hooded coat on today when I went into town. I kept saying to my OH 'how's it looking now?' Cress, you always cheer me up, I think I may try behaving badly when I go back to work. My HR Manager is also a friend and she's kept me up to date with the office goings on. Apparently people keep asking what's wrong with me, not how I am but what's wrong with me. It's not the women asking either, it's the men. How rude! MZ, how are you coping with work? I'm thinking of going back quite soon as I want my life to feel a little bit more 'normal'. Cybele, sorry I missed yesterday, not a good day for me, but a belated happy birthday! Hugs to all. ... View more

Hi, I can't get to sleep at all. Poo. I hope you're all doing better than me because I feel horrible and I know I'll dream of needles and syringes tonight, or rather this morning! If I ever get there. Cress, I hope your booby appointment goes well, hopefully it'll make you feel a bit less rubbish. Maire, thanks for your kind words and support, at least I'm half way through the chemo even if I've got a long way to go with other treatments, it's the bit I was most dreading. Cybele, congrats on having a lovely oh whose so good at helping your through this, it sounds like you need it. DQ, I ate TD at 4.30 this morning before my tastebuds decide I won't like it for a while. It's the only thing thats been good in the last 24 hrs! I can't believe £3k for teeth straightening! My orthodontist forgot to charge me many moons ago when I had mine done. Try to stay under the radar! ... View more

Hi. Thanks for the support. I'm back from the hospital now and it all went OK in the end. Cress, I did have my bloods done on Friday and you were right about the quick recovery once they start to recover and mine had just come up enough for me to have the cycle thankfully. I've also taken your point concerning the lady who changed her day to Tuesday and done the same myself, the chemo nurse said she thought that was a good idea. After all that's been said on this thread, I asked the nurse to use my left arm (my good arm) for the cannula which she was happy to do, although she did let me know that they would use my right arm if it was necessary at some stage, I hope it won't be. Previously they have just used my right (bad) arm, so I'm glad to be wiser. I'm off to get comfy on the sofa and watch a film now, I shall also be eating Turkish Delight. ... View more

Hi All. I've just had a call from the hospital about my blood; it's not up to scratch and they want me to come in early to have another test before FEC 3. Oh hell, please don't let it be put off, I don't think I can bear it. At least they looked at the results before I arrived. I'll take Turkish Delight with me in case I need to sob and console myself at the same time. ... View more

QD, I live in North Shropshire, are you anywhere near? Thoughts of Turkish Delight are distracting me from FEC 3 on Monday and that can only be good! ... View more

Hi QD, may I come to your house for a turkish delight tea? It's my favorite kind of naughtiness. ... View more

Hi All. I've just realised that you get used to so many things that rattle you at first. I went for my bloods today (I go to the nurse at my GP). The first time I went (for FEC 1) I fainted! The second time I was OK, but the nurse had laid me down to start with. This third time the nurse laid me down, turned around for the needle, turned back and I'd fallen asleep! I've been very tired lately but that's just embarrassing. At least it was embarrassing until I read Cybeles' account of the 'dignity gown'. Now I feel positively OK about the incident (sorry Cybele). Now it's time to lose sleep and get into mega panic mode for Mondays poison onslaught. I shall being eating toffee popcorn and turkish delight for tea, nothing green or healthy will be passing my lips. XX ... View more

Wendy, It must be very hard for you to cope with this, I'm so sorry and I hope your results are negetive. I wish you and your daughters all the best. I suppose this would be the time when prevention is better the the cure, but I'm sure that's no consulation. ... View more

Hi All. I'm fed up and needed to tell someone. My OH has got a stinky cold and has had an allergic reaction to something (don't know what). He's been to the GP and has tablets and cream. There's no way I'm sharing a bed with his germs and lord knows what tonight. Lisa Lou, I was so sorry to read about your hair, I do admire those of you who are coping with keeping the family life 'normal'. I'm free to indulge myself in deep self pity and can't imagine the pressure you're under. Maire, it's good to hear your 2nd tax has been a bit better, hopefully your treatments will all go in that direction. Cybele, I hope your treatment goes as well as can be expected, perhaps the meds will make the difference this time. Well done for holding out for what you wanted, it's easy to be swept under the carpet if you feel they think you're being 'difficult', I'm glad you didn't let her. Wendy, will your daughters be able to be tested too? Good luck to all having treatment. ... View more