Breast Cancer Now Forum

Ok Tommyticklemouse - just because you have eyebrows! Stop your boasting please!!!! ... View more

Hi Clare My Oncologist said to check with my car insurance company that it was ok for me to drive myself after my chemo sessions as different insurance companies have different rules. Better to play safe and see what they say rather than find that they have an issue with it if you just happen to have to make a claim. Happy driving Mazzalou ... View more

Hi Starlight Are you sure that the hairs are that bad? If you only have a couple I think that a pair of tweezers should do the trick. However, rather than remove them what about bleaching them with Jolen facial bleach, but, whatever you do, please make sure that you do a skin test first as your skin is probably hyper-sensitive? I think it might be best to wait until after you have completed your rads, but please double-check with your oncologist to see what they advise before you go putting anything onto your face. On the plus side though, at least it is a sign that things are returning to normal, even if, like me I would rather the hairs that are appearing on my legs were on my eyelids and head instead!!! ... View more

Me too and link forwarded on to all my family, friends and colleagues ... View more

The reason Victorian women never had breast cancer is simple - not so very long ago you didn't even SAY the word 'cancer' in case you 'caught' it! So people didn't say it therefore it never existed! Seriously though, let's face it how many of us in Victorian England would have survived infancy, and then, if we did, would have died before reaching adulthood, or during childbirth so the Big C didn't stand a chance of getting to you first. Let's just be thankful that at least being around in the 21st century means that, although we might have survived all these other things only for breast cancer to hit us, we do have the treatment that helps us tackle and, hopefully, overcome the disease. As my BCN said 'there is nothing we can do to overcome the fact that we are women'! ... View more

Last one today and no more 60 mile round trips arriving an hour early so that I get parking - yippee! Told to carry on not using deodorant for another couple of weeks and keep up the aqueous cream for the same period as the effects continue working for this amount of time. Consultant said that my skin looks fine so hope it stays that way as a couple of weeks time is Christmas! So all done for me now, apart from 3 weekly herceptins and muga scans and a ct scan so it's been a long haul since discovering my 'lump' in March. Then the op, the chemo and the rads - what am I going to put on next year's calendar now that my life will be without quite so many hospital appointments?!! Good luck to all of you still wearing your rad gowns, and wishing you all a merry Christmas, and above all, a much better 2012 than 2011 has proved to be! Mazzalou xxx ... View more

Wow! I think that you Dawn, Blondie and Fairview J are an inspiration to all of us breast cancer ladies who are on herceptin for a year ie 18 doses. I have now had 5 and will have my 3rd MUGA scan on Monday so I will be thinking of you 3 musketeers. I raise my glass to you and wish you all a long and healthy life, and thank goodness for herceptin. Cheers! ... View more

Good morning Queenie No I am not on tamoxifen as very weakly hormone receptive and oncologist said that I wouldn't derive any benefit from it. However, I am HR2+ hence the herceptin for me - you can't win em all! ... View more

Hope all goes well for you today Sunflower and that you have been worrying yourself over nothing. I also don't bother with the hospital gowns that do up at the back - I just put on my cardi back-to-front - so much easier. I'm nearly there - penultimate one today and review session and then last one Thursday and then just another 13 herceptins to go for me. Remember to smile for the radiologists! ... View more

I know that I am not supposed to be here, but I just wanted to offer my support to all you 'November diagnosed' out there. This Thursday I will have the last of my 15 rads which have followed my mx mid-April, then my chemo of 3 FEC and 3 docetaxels and also my on-going herceptin, so other than the herceptin I'm nearly there! Keep smiling and remember that all of your treatment is 'do-able' and you'll all get there in the end so good luck to each and every one of you. Merry Christmas and let's hope for a better year next year. Mazzalou x ... View more

Hi Gill-R I just wanted to say that there is a lady who I have seen on more than one occasion receiving treatment in my Macmillan unit who is well into her 90's. ... View more

Hi Zigzag I am on herceptin and had my 5th of 18 last week with no problems. I have another MUGA scan next Monday which will be my 3rd. I had very high readings in the 80s for my first two so hope that this one will be as good. Please remember that herceptin is not a chemo drug, but it might be a good idea to ask about having a portacath inserted if there is any likelihood of your chemo drugs causing problems with your veins like mine did. A portacath makes life so much easier in getting blood samples out and herceptin and chemo drugs in. I was told that the benefits of herceptin far outweigh the side-effects of herceptin, and any affect on your heart is very carefully monitored. Good luck and hope that this helps you make your decision. ... View more

What a small world! . I cannot praise my GP in Thetford and the team at the West Suffolk enough, and must mention too the radiologists at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital. ... View more

Hi Andy Yes, they are fantastic at Bury. So far since March I have had 33 appointments there, and that's not counting the N & N or Addenbrooks! I don't know what chemo you are on Andy. I had 3 FEC followed by 3 docetaxel. With my 1st 2 FEC I was sick on the 1st evening but that is all, and not at all with docetaxel but other side effects though. Be sure to let them know if sickness is a problem for you, and also mention your vein problem too. I actually live in Thetford so you must be very near to me. I am at the N & N Mon to Thurs this week for the last of my rads and then on Monday I have a MUGA scan and a CT scan at the West Suffolk. I am there again on Friday for a follow-up, and again on Tuesday 20th for herceptin in the Macmillan unit. If you are at the West Suffolk on any of these days let me know if you would like to meet up. Good luck for Tuesday and let me know how you get on please Mazzalou ... View more

Hi Andy I, too, have been receiving treatment at the West Suffolk hospital and can not praise them more highly. I finished chemo 9 weeks ago but will still be having my herceptin there every 3 weeks until the end of next summer so might even get to see you in the Macmillan unit there - next one is on Tuesday December 20th. I had my op at the West Suffolk in April and it's been a long old haul since then. 4 more rads to go this week at the Norfolk & Norwich University hospital where I happened to meet a man last week who has just had his 1st chemo, and whose daughter was also diagnosed 3 years ago with breast cancer - what a cruel twist of fate for this family. My veins gave up after my 3 FEC treatments so for my 3 docetaxels I had a portacath inserted which will now stay with me until I finish my herceptin. Can't help you re the pain though as I didn't suffer like you, my veins just wouldn't co-operate in giving up blood. I'm sure that someone will soon come up with some advice for you. Just wondering if you happen to live near me so would be lovely to hear back from you Mazzalou x ... View more

Hi DJ007 I also had 3 FECs and 3 docetaxels, and my eyelashes and eyebrows stuck with me through the FEC, but abandoned ship once I started on the tax! I'm now 9 weeks post chemo and still no sign of them - in fact, my I'm sure my eyebrows are getting sparser! How long after chemo are you now, and how are the brows and lashes? Your hair looks good to me - I'm sure I had more hair on my head when I was born! It just looks very wispy and alarmingly grey. Am I expecting too much too soon? I usually have my hair cut every 4 to 6 weeks as it seems to grow quickly but I am beginning to wonder if it has gone post-chemo into hibernation for the winter!!! ... View more

Hi Marigold So far so good for me too and I have only 4 more to go. Like you, I also have a 35 minute to the hospital, but make sure I get there at least an hour early to beat the visiting time parking situation, so most of the time is spent waiting around whilst the treatment is on time and a case of 'in and out'. I feel fine so far, and was told yesterday after 11 sessions that my skin is looking fine as they keep a check on it at my hospital so will keep slapping on the aqueous cream for a couple of weeks after treatment finishes too. We are all different in how we react to the treatment so let's hope that we are both very lucky and escape the fatigue that is supposed to be one of the side-effects of radiotherapy. ... View more

Thanks for you help on this one jo-jo. My head massage with almond oil and leaving it on for a couple of hours has almost cleared it so now I am dazzled by my nice, clean and shiney scalp! Just waiting for the hair to cover it up now and not cradle cap! Did your cradle cap have bits of hair embedded in it too? Do I take it that you had a very young baby to look after as well as having to endure chemo? i bet that that was tough, although an incentive to get through this though. You must be quite young yourself so hats off to you - well done Maralyn x ... View more