Breast Cancer Now Forum

Good morning Suzie68 How brilliant to read your post! I start chemo next Wednesday (picc line goes in tomorrow) and am so grateful to read your positive feedback on your experience of chemo.  There is so much on the site about the negative side of chemo so well done you, for pointing out that not everyone has a bad experience (apart from hair loss, bowel issues ..!) I've just returned from a weeks holiday in Kefalonia and unfortunately spent Tuesday night hardly sleeping because of stressing about what might happen instead of thinking about holiday memories ... Yesterday I spent the day with my darling daughter ( her 26th birthday) and had a great time, and was not worrying about what could go wrong because it was her day and there was no way I would put a downer on it! I can't deny I'm not concerned about certain things (hair loss isn't one of them, possibly down to my age - 57 in a couple of months) but who knows what might happen - I'm staying positive and know that the treatment will be helping my road to recovery. Thanks again, hope you have a good day Janex ... View more

Hi Jinny & Angel My picc line goes in on Friday too, and start chemo on next Wednesday also.  I'm TNBC also Jinny, will be thinking of you both over the next few days. Stay strong. Janex ... View more

Thanks Carole I hope you get an appointment this week and get a better idea about the best treatment for you. Take care Best wishes Janex ... View more

Hi Carole Hope you're enjoying the remainder of the Bank Holiday. The sun's shining here, so what a treat! Like you, I really hoped I would not have to go down the chemo route, but once all my results were known I actually felt it was the way to go because of the information I was given. Hope you get an appointment this week. I'm off for a week in Greece tomorrow and hope that a change of scene and good weather will prepare me for what's coming up.  Take care, keep me posted. Best wishes Janex   ... View more

Hi Just to throw another fellow sufferer into the mix here, I'm a few months from turning 57, had my results on the 16th May. Turns out IDC tumour is triple negative, they also found DCIS (not so bothered about that but its a mystery as to why nothing showed on ultrasound). The IDC tumour was grade 3. I was simply told the plan for my treatment was chemo. Saw oncologist last Wednesday, and start my treatment on 11 June. Following chemo will need more surgery and then radio to follow that. Kalo, I think you need to discuss this further for your own peace of mind. Take care, thinking of you Janex ... View more

Hi I start chemo on 11 June. Have very mixed emotions about it, but since finding out I have TNBC there's not much choice in the matter.  Good luck to everyone, lets help each other get through this part of our treatment! Best wishes to you all Janex ... View more

Hi Wendy You must be so pleased to finally get your results. I'm so sorry that you have had to wait such a long time. I had mine on Friday and saw the oncologist yesterday. A few things I was not too thrilled about but the best bit of course is that 'it' hasn't affected any lymph nodes. They've agreed to let me go out to Greece next week, so yesterday I booked my flight and leave on Tuesday! My picc line is being done on 6 June and chemo starts on 11th (would have been sooner but my husband won't be back from Greece until the 10th). So, all systems go, had my hair cut today, tried on a few hats, made people laugh at the hairdressers, so I'm ready to kick this ............. into touch! I hope your appointment comes through quickly for you. I've been amazed at how quickly everything has started happening now - it certainly makes me feel better now I know whats coming up. Although my surgeon said on Friday that I should just focus on getting through chemo first and not worry about what was happening next! I like to be prepared......  Take care of yourself, sorry if I've prattled on, I found the waiting a nightmare, and my wait was much shorter than yours. You will beat this! Best wishes to you and everyone about to start the next 'phase'. Janex ... View more

Hi Sodastream Thanks for that, my head is like a sieve at the moment so need to put pen to paper! ... View more

Hi 23Dec Yes you are! I'm just looking at the forum as going for my oncology appt tomorrow, had results last Friday and now find myself starting on the chemo route! As I'm hoping to get away for a quick holiday in a couple of weeks won't be starting until June. Best wishes Janex ... View more

Hi Wendy & Jan So pleased both of you had good results, after the waiting it must be a great relief to know what's going to happen next. Good luck with your oncology appointments and rad treatment. Best wishes Janex ... View more

Hi Sisterjayne Yes, it really is awful being awake in the early hours - I've never been a good sleeper and over the last few weeks it's got much worse. I've been awake for hours pondering on my results given yesterday. Now know both idc and dcis involved and triple negative. Both grade 3. Original tumour is larger than originally thought, plus area of dcis. Good thing is following snb the nodes are clear. Had a wle on 1st May and now know after chemo will have further surgery, then rads, which will in all likelihood affect my implants so possibly looking at more surgery. Hoping it will all be done by Christmas! On a happier note, have appointment with oncologist this Wednesday having been told before surgery it would take 2 weeks following results, so at least that cuts the waiting down. Also my surgeon said I could go over to Greece for a week's holiday, to give me a bit of a boost before starting chemo. I hope as I write this you've managed to go back to sleep! My best wishes to you, once you've had your surgery you will feel the process has started properly to make you well again. Janex ... View more

Hi Gilly Thank you for replying, I didn't really expect anyone to respond. So sorry that you're going through this and I wish you the very best of luck. I get my results on Friday, so we'll see what happens then. I'm finding it difficult to deal with so many feelings and struggle to sleep or even eat a proper meal. My husband is on a mission to get me to put weight on to replace the 10lbs or so I've lost in the last 5 weeks - apparently I'm a bag of bones now! I'm almost 57 and feel I should just be getting on with it and not obsessing over what might happen. Anyway, thanks once again Gilly for taking the time to reply, I think yours will be the only response! Take care of yourself too Best wishes Janex ... View more

Hi Wendy So sorry you're having to wait so long, it seems ludicrous that at a time like this they talk about backlogs due to bank holidays, we have bank holidays every year ......... Thinking of you, take care, keep me posted Janex ... View more

Hi Jan My daughter has come over with her boyfriend so they're preparing dinner for us, which is very nice. Not had much chance to rest as have had visitors and phone calls throughout the afternoon, lots of flowers now and cards, which is lovely. My breast care nurse rang to check on me, still no firm date for results. Started with a few niggles and pain now so taken paracetamol - hope I sleep tonight! Might relegate husband to another bedroom. So pleased it's been sunny today, my spirits have really felt lifted. Hope you're doing ok, have a good weekend and keep resting. By the way, I was eating my breakfast at 5am today after the cat woke me at 4 to be fed!! Best wishes Janex ... View more

Hi Wendy The travelling is a bit of a nuisance, isn't it? I hope I can go to Preston for rad treatment, that's a 50 mile round trip but at least part of it will be M6 (A6 if there are hold ups/accidents on M6). Daren't think about chemo - really hoping won't be going down that route. I know my first results showed my bc to be ER neg but have no knowledge of HER2 so presume that will be known in a couple of weeks. Just had a short walk because it's a beautiful day, I am running on pure adrenalin I know, and tomorrow will no doubt be quite different! (I was like this a couple of other times after various operations - creature of habit) I think I'm babbling a bit too! Hope it's sunny where you are. Keep me posted re your results. Have a good weekend Best wishes Janex ... View more

Hi Wendy I see the surgeon at Lancaster, had my surgery in Kendal and went to sunny Barrow to have trace and scan a couple of days ago! Have to say, treatment at WGH yesterday was brilliant, even though they had no radiologist so had to go to Lancaster first thing to be marked up!!! Have to say, even having had only a few hours sleep feel on top of the world this morning! How are things with you? Sorry about last remark if you're not so good, just so glad the op's over. Told last night should have results in 2 weeks, but then there's the bank holiday to consider, so who knows. Take care. Best wishes Janex ... View more

Hi Jan Glad you got it over and done with and home in good time. Sounds like you're feeling ok, which is great. I got back at 10.30 last night and was just pleased to sleep in my own bed, apart from my husband snoring, that is! Hope you progress well, have you had a date for your results yet? Btw, which part of the country are you in, I'm on the edge of the Lake District (beautiful area but not so great for hospitals!) take care, perhaps we could swap notes as we have similarities in diagnosis. Best wishes Jane ... View more

Well, here I am having my breakfast just wanting today to be over. Spent 5 hours with a 90 mile round trip to have tracer & scan yesterday. This morning, I'm going to LRI for 9am to be 'marked up' and then have to be at WGH by 11am. Apparently the hospital where I'm having my lumpectomy is short of a piece of equipment. Will be last on list because of this so surgery around 4.30pm. Won't hold my breath. As my lovely radiographer said yesterday, 'it's going to be a heck of a long day for you Jane'. Glad I'm actually not bothered about the op, had several over the years, so still feeling very positive ..... Best of luck to all of you out of there having surgery today, and hope things run more smoothly for you! ... View more

Hi Sandie73 So very sorry to hear your news - I received my bombshell on 9 April and went into almost denial thinking it was quite a minor blip! Mad I know but I have since grasped what's happening. You talk about swinging from feeling positive and then into total despair. If there is one piece of advice I can give you it's this - being positive has a very big effect on how you will get through this awful stage of your life, so every time you feel at rock bottom think about something that makes you happy, doesn't matter what it is. Concentrate on that feeling and believe that you will overcome whatever BC has in store for you. Treatment has improved so much in recent years - just take each day as it comes and take comfort from other women who have been through this who post on this site. My surgery is 1st May - I've got so many things going on I have to remind myself not to make plans for Thursday! Take care of yourself, spoil yourself if you can with a few treats, and remember everyone using this site is supporting you. By the way, the bit about being positive came from my daughter's friend, she's a doctor in Newcastle and worked on the Oncology unit last year. Gosh, this is a long post, sorry!! xxxx ... View more