Breast Cancer Now Forum

Julie, if you find that shop that sells odd cup sized bikinis then let me know! - might be good idea for an apprentice challenge LOL! I'm off on me jollys in Aug too, so going to stuff my swollen side into my usual bikini top and hope there's no overflow! Sorry no one else has posted on your topic, guess its not that usual - or those suffering are just 'getting on' with it. Hope you manage to contact your consultant soon, let me know how you get on, take care x ... View more

Hi again, Unfortunately some health care professionals also only think LD affects limbs, but my arm is ok (touching wood/crossing fingers!) I asked my LD nurse does she see many people with it just in the breast, and she says she sees lots of ladies with it! The tape, is a stretchy, self adhesive, material with channels on the sticky side, apparently, it lifts the skin, therefore allowing the lymph to circulate, it is applied from the swelling and taken over to the opposite armpit, encouraging the lymph to re-direct, or summat like that LOL, I'm sure someone will be along to correct me 🙂 I have to also massage the area, also to encourage the lymph to drain. You could try taking some painkillers an hour before your mammo, may make it a little less uncomfortable. Keep in touch, let us know how you get on - there are a few of us with breast LD on the forums, they just don't post that often, good luck, ill be thinking of you x. ... View more

Hiya Julie, Sorry your having problems, I finished rads Xmas eve, and my bc boob started to swell end of Feb/march, was referred back to clinic by gp in April was told I now have lymphoedema, am currently having the kinesio tape applied by the LD nurse weekly, but im still waiting for it to reduce the swelling. Yes, its painful, achy, heavy, and a damn nuisance! This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but do contact your BCN, just to check your swelling out - just a warning, I had to have a mammo, and due to swelling and not 6 months from op, it was REALLY painful. I do hope, yours turns out to be just a blip, and your swelling soon subside, take care x ... View more

Old n lumpy, I see you've not yet started tamoxifen, you might be ok, I've been on tamoxifen since end Nov, and apart from a few warm moments at night (and I literally mean a. couple!) I've been ok, not everyone gets the SE, so just wait n see. sorry so many of you are having these problems, take care all x ... View more

Hi there, I'm not yet a yr on from treatment finishing (dec 2010), but my boob is as you've described, and I was dx with lymphoedema in April, I'm currently trying the tape to see if it will reduce the swelling. Do contact your BCN, just as a warning I had to have a mammo just to rule any nasties out! And it was quite painful, due to swelling. Hope everything turns out ok, keep in touch, let us know how you get on x ... View more

Exactly, if you want to lose weight then that's brill, as being slimmer makes us feel better, and a good excuse for some retail therapy! but as you say when I was first dx I looked at people I worked with one drinks 2 bottles of wine EVERY night, one chain smokes at every opportunity and I was completely gobsmacked as to 'why me' and not them. Good luck with the diet! Hope you are successful, and tamoxifen doesn't make it harder (ive noticed weight creeping up, due to tamoxifen) Take care x ... View more

Hi there, I think we all ask ourselves the same after the initial dx, I was 36 when dx and had never heard of anyone my age with bc - thought it was something to worry about when I was older. My opinion is sh?t happens, loads of ladies/men get bc of all ages, I've never smoked am not overweight eat fairly well don't drink loads just an occasional wine at the weekend, no family history of any cancers, So I've just carried on as before, and hope the tamoxifen works! Take care, and try not to worry x ... View more

Hi there miscally, good advice from norberte, get yourself sorted it may be mild now, but I wouldn't have thought it would get better on its own, maybe with a little massage. I'm only low down on the food chain I go for taping on Fri - wooohooo . I was told rads had affected my boob and it can only be treated not cured. Take care speak soon 😉 x ... View more

Hi there livelife. I had my op Oct 2010 rads finished Xmas eve, I have swelling, pain, lumpyness heaviness in my affected boob, and was dx with lymohoedema in April, although I'd had the swelling for a while before this, I'm currently awaiting treatment in the firm of taping, and have been massaging that area since I've been to the lymohoedema clinic. You need to either see your gp or ring your BCN so that you can be seen at the breast clinic, as they may want to do a mammo or scan just to check that it is JUST swelling and nothing sinister, I had a mammo, which was quite sore due to the swelling. I hope it turns out to be nothing but get it checked out just to be safe, good luck luvvie n take care - keep in touch x ... View more

Good luck Lilly for next week, really hope you see some improvement. Keep us posted on how it goes. Thinking of everyone else x ... View more

Well our little group is filling up now, Sandra - no ironing for 2 yrs - lucky thing, have you got an amazing OH who irons, or do you buy non iron clothing LOL. Heather - glad its not ld, but sorry about your other troubles, of course you are welcome here anytime to keep us up to date x Andie - I'm a non swimmer, but I had a little chuckle when I imagined u practicing 'dry' swimming - sorry 😉 Take care all x ... View more

Hi queenie! I have felt as you have, lonely, sad, even angry, when people on the forums, tell others oooh you'll defo have chemo cos of your age! Well at 37 I don't consider myself REALLY young but certainly not ancient either, I also haven't met any others in the same boat, but that doesn't bother me now, although when first dx I would have loved to have met someone to chat to. As for tamoxifen, I've had a few warm moments at night, and a strange thirst thing, but other than that nothing, not even a late period! As more time passes, I'm sure things will get easier, so don't wish any SE on yourself, enjoy life! And drink lots of coffee with choccie muffin n crew! (another northener here) Take care x ... View more

Hi all, Andie - big hugs lovie, you sound really fed up, can't help with any advice on sleeves or taping, my ld, is in my breast and I'm currently waiting for the taping (8 July), but I'm sure someone will be able to advise you. Heather - glad your getting seen quickly , let us know what your surgeon thinks it is - fingers crossed its just a mild irritation from rads . Norberte - ld was talked about before my WLE, but only ARM ld, no one mentioned you could get it in your breast, even my surgeon said it was unusual, and was I sure I hadn't had any infection in my boob (mmmmm, think is have noticed). Anyway onwards and upwards, Hugs to all that need one x ... View more

Helloooooo ladies, Lily - no I'm not a tweeter/twitterer don't do Facebook either, just this forum for now! It's good that your lymph nurse has sorted lots of ladies in the past, hope you get it sorted quickly, let me know how you get on with being massaged. Heather - I get pain in my ribs with my ld, in fact today it hurts just breathing, which is pretty hard to avoid!! My symptoms came on shortly after rads had finished, my boob is swollen and sore, sometimes it aches other times its like a stabbing pain, occasionally its fine, hope you get it sorted whatever it is, I was told by my onc, that rib pain can occur any time after rads, but it might be worth ringing your onc or bcn up. Norberte - impostor!!!!! Never!!!!!!! You are more than welcome on here, any advice is gratefully received , as for the damn massaging , I am doing it twice a day, saying to myself *be gentle*, *be gentle* - a bit like a chant!!!! Then I get fed up, loose concentration and press on too hard!!!! It seemed better when I had a week off work, so I thought it was working, but since being back, boob has swollen more! Anyway waiting for 8th July hopefully taping the bu&&er will sort it. Take care everyone, hope all SE are small ones x ... View more

Hi lily, Good to hear from you again, not sure you can get notifications on threads, maybe save this discussion to your profile then I think it changes colour when a new post is posted, (not sure though). Glad things are moving on, I don't go to clinic again til 8th July - that's for the taping, I'm really hoping that it works, as my massaging doesn't seem to be doing much. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the lump the nurse found is nothing, as you say its easy for others to say don't worry it'll be fine, my nurse said my boob was lumpy, but she said most likely to be the lymph fibrosing sitting there stagnating in my boob (nice!!!!!!!) And I'd had a mammo before being referred , so hopefully she was right. I do get a lot of pain, a dragging sensation, and a general 'awareness' of my breast (if you get what I mean!!!!!!!!) Hope you get 'kick started' soon and you notice an improvement, I wasn't massaged just given a leaflet, and told not to press on! Suppose its different treatment depending on where you are (I'm in sunny lancashire!) Take care, keep in touch - there's not many of us out there! X ... View more

Thanks, alto n mummysboob 😄 ... View more

37 th birthday today !!!!!!!!! ... View more

Cecelia, thanks for the kind b'day wishes 🙂 Hope you continue to feel better, your nearing the finish line for tamoxifen, wooohoooo x ... View more

It's all soooooo confusing isn't it? No further %, didn't really get told an awful lot, and didn't ask, just wanted to know that they'd got 'of' all! Also onc did make my chemo decision, I was deffo never asked (would've remembered that!). Was fine on rads, it hit me more when they'd finished - tiredness that is, skin was ok, fine on tamoxifen too, considering folks on here say it hits you harder if your pre menapausal which at 36 (37 tomorrow!) I am 😄 maybe just early days yet! Hope your keeping well chuck x ... View more

Hi again cecelia, Onc never have me the chemo option, said I didn't need it, so I 'just' had rads n tamoxifen, currently 8 months on from dx, trying to get my life back to 'normal' whatever that is! Take care, x ... View more