Breast Cancer Now Forum

Cat, yes I'm hoping they will be able to change it for me - but it will mess up the schedules they've already done so a nuisance for them too. Fingers crossed for when I see them on Tuesday! Eliza xx ... View more

Hi Cat, Apparently I won't get a gown either. There is a chair in the treatment room and you undress and put you stuff on that. I am spitting mad today as I have just found out that due to the dozy doc ticking the wrong box on her form I have been allocated treatment times at the opposite end of the day from the ones I would like. The suggestion is that when I go to my planning appointment on Tuesday I discuss with the radiographers changing the times. I feel it really shouldn't be down to me and the radiographers to sort out the mess the doc has made, but there ... Eliza xx ... View more

Hi, The plan for me is surgery, radiotherapy and tamoxifen - no chemo. I've had the surgery, started the tamoxifen and will start rads next month. The plan may change if the HER2 result comes back positive, but I've been told that although it is possible it isn't likely. Eliza xx ... View more

Good news about the swimming. I will have to ask about that as I think I had assumed it wasn't possible. Another example of the different policies, I suppose. Eliza xx ... View more

Hi, I too will be starting rads in February - planning appointment on 3rd. I was dx 5th November and had WLE and SNB at the end of November. 10mm IDC with area of associated DCIS (more specialist vocabulary!) and my nodes were clear. I'm now on tamoxifen as it was very strongly ER+ and also PR+. I'm going to be having 15 + 3 boosters. I know what you mean about it feeling freaky, Di. That is exactly how I feel too. Eliza xx ... View more

Hello everyone, I'm going too! Looking forward to seeing you all. Eliza xx ... View more

Thanks, RoadRunner. So far I haven't needed to have a relationship with a local pharmacist so I'll just have to try to forge one now! Eliza xx ... View more

Yes, very interesting as I have just started Tamoxifen and was issued with APS from the hospital pharmacy. I will have to get future supplies via my GP, of course, so having all this information is really useful, thanks. I don't want to end up with the CP Pharmaceuticals one as so many people seem to have problems with it, but if the APS doesn't give me much trouble I would be happy to stick with that rather than want the Nolvadex. Presumably the problem is that you can't specify APS? It will be interesting to see how we both get on with Tamoxifen, Lomalinda. Can anyone tell me how long it took for some of the side effects to start? I have also started taking Glucosamine in the hopes of minimising problems with joints and onc seemed to think this was worth trying. Eliza xx ... View more

Thanks, Lolly. Sounds like it is standard then. I didn't realise they have to send a batch at once. I'm now waiting for appointment for rads planning. ... View more

Hi Gillian, In theory ICAS are truly independent and the contract is awarded through a tendering process. It isn't always a local or a user-led service that gets the contract, but they could be worth a try. You may also find that there is an independent local advocacy service who could support you with this - either a general one, one aimed at users of health services or one for people with physical disabilities and long-term illnesses. You might be able to find one in your area by looking at Action for Advocacy's website as they list many of the advocacy services throughout the country. Hope this helps and hopefully Jane will have some ideas. Eliza xx ... View more

Hi Carole, There is a factsheet on travel insurance somewhere on this site and it has a list of companies and some info about them. It might be worth downloading it and trying some of those listed. 800.00 sounds horrendous! Eliza xx ... View more

Hello Lynda, I had core biopsy and had to wait a week for the result. However, they were fairly sure from the mammogram and ultrasound that it was bc and they told me that at the time (saying that they could be wrong but made it clear that they would be surprised if the pathology came back negative). They were happy to discuss with me what would be likely if the pathology did confirm it and personally I was grateful for this. Getting the result was less good, because at that clinic they phone you with the result and the bcn who phoned me wasn't the one I had spoken to the week before, was a bit abrupt and wasn't all that helpful. But she was the only person at the clinic who was anything other than extremely helpful and supportive. Like Lomalinda, I used the week to gather information and that helped me to feel more in control. It helped a bit with the shock. It also meant that although the bcn who phoned wasn't terribly helpful I felt confident enough to push her a bit. Fortunately I didn't have long to wait for the appointment because when I phoned up I was offered an immediate late cancellation and was able to take it because I work round the corner from the clinic! I went alone more from practical reasons than actual choice, but that worked well for me. Good luck with you appointment, Eliza xx ... View more

I'm currently very grateful for the screening process picking up my bc when I hadn't been able to feel anything. But I agree with snowwhite that there is a need for proper briefing when going for screening. I turned up for my first routine screening appointment because I felt it would be silly not to get into the system just in case at any point ... What I didn't expect was that I would be recalled and then go on to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer with breath-taking rapidity. The initial information leaflet and the information in the recall letter all stressed that even if you are recalled for the next stage it is unlikely to be breast cancer - but it was. I had a lot of support from family, friends and colleagues from the moment I was recalled, but the shock was (and, at just less than 3 months from that screening appointment, still is) still monumental. I'm not sure I would go so far as to call for pre-screening counselling, but I do agree with Molennium that more information about what happens if you are diagnosed should be provided. Jane's points on the take up of screening are important and I think that the support needs of what are often described as "hard to reach" groups should be considered when thinking about information about a possible diagnosis (although I've no ideas on how to do this). Eliza ... View more

Thornton v Shoe lane parking - gosh, I thought I'd forgotten that until you mentioned it, Sal! I too am rather miffed about delays. I left hospital on 27th November and don't get to see the oncologist to discuss rads and hormone therapy until next Monday. Good for you for the foot stamping (making the point always makes me feel so much better). At the other end of the efficiency scale, I do have my appointment to see my surgeon again in December. Thinking of you, Carole. Eliza xx ... View more

Hi Carole, I had WLE and SNB a month ago. I too had clear margins and no node involvement so don't have to have more surgery. I now have an appointment with the oncologist to arrange radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Hope your results will be good and you can then move onto the next stage. Eliza xx ... View more

Thanks, Sandra. It probably hasn't been helped by the fact that I've had problems with that shoulder in the past. Ironing sounds a good one as it feels productive, although I was told not to for 3 weeks (vacuum cleaning and hanging out washing too). Anyway, the 3 weeks are up so I've started again and hopefully that will help too. I know what you mean about not being able to sit down although I used the first few days to catch up on a reading backlog so felt I was doing something useful. Eliza xx ... View more

Hi Sandra and everyone, I too went back to work for the day yesterday - although it was mainly a Christmas lunch! Good to see people again. I'm still waiting to get my appointment to see the oncologist. My underarm wound is still quite sore and I haven't yet got back full movement of that shoulder, but I an doing my exercises and hopefully it will improve over Christmas. Can anyone give me an idea of how long it took for them to get full movement, please? Merry Christmas everyone! Eliza xx ... View more

Hello Moose, I got my biopsy results over the phone because that is what they do at that particular clinic. So there is no reason why they can't do that if you choose to phone them while you are away. I agree it is hard to make a decision without knowing the facts, but to add in my bit - I too was told that a couple of months delay would make no difference (although in the end I didn't need to take that time). Eliza xx ... View more

Lots of interesting points here, but I am just going to pick up on the lack of end date one. I do a number of things that I feel are good for me or which make me feel good. For example, I try to have good brisk walks which I believe are good for my health given my sedentary job. Reading a good book and taking long baths with lots of bubbles are both activities that make me feel relaxed. These have no end date, and although I wouldn't say I intend to carry on with them for ever, I certainly intend to do so while I can and I feel they do me good. This may mean that I am dependent on walking, reading and hogging the bathroom, but so long as these activities enhance my life I don't have a problem with that. It would be different if I felt I was dependent on something that was likely to cause me damage or if I felt I was likely to have a major panic because I couldn't walk, read or take long baths. I think this is probably the key point for me. Eliza ... View more