Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Jacey I completed 25 sessions of rads in Dec 15 and can definitely tell you not to use after sun lotion. A rad burn' or redness is not actually a burn like you would get from the sun or something hot. It is an immflamatory response to the radiation. Use Aloe Vera Gel, keep in the fridge or E45. Hope this is helpful. ... View more

Any old friends still out there? Long time no talk! Francine xx ... View more

Hi Sharon So sorry to hear your sad news. You're right it's a horrible disease. My father died from non Hodgkin's lymphoma and bone secondaries, horrible. My sister had BC in 2012 and then me in 2015, my other sister is petrified she might get it. Casts a blight over so many families. I suppose having a large family has it's blessings and its curses. I've had the cast taken off my wrist now but it's still very painful. Fed up, as we'll be moving house in a month or so and I could do without a hammy hand. Hoping the business sale will go through at the end of September so we can retire and have a well earned rest! Sending love to all you other lovely ladies. Xx Francine ... View more

Hallo girls. How are we all? I'm looking forward to getting rid of my cast, whom I've named Bertha! It's been very hot and itchy especially in the hot spell lately. You just don't realise how much you need two hands. Thank goodness I have my OH to help me, get dressed and showered. Should be OK for our meeting up in October which I'm so looking forward to. Xx Francine ... View more

Excited now! Off to London this weekend, for daughter's birthday, cast and all, did I mention that I'd broken my wrist? Not the greatest thing to be wearing in the heat, oh the itching! Going to posh restaurant so not sure how I'll manage with the food, hoping to find something I can eat with one hand! Francine x ... View more

I'll get my trains sorted then. X ... View more

Think it will be Kings Cross/St Pancras for me but I'll check. Anyone else coming in to there? Francine x ... View more

I'm in, can't wait to meet you all. Sharon and I went to The Breast Cancer Care Candlelight Carol Concert together last year, which was lovely, so I'll recognise someone! Lunch sounds lovely, I will try and resist taking my top off, it was touch and go in the Fracture Clinic last week, lol ... View more

Hallo everyone. Haven't been on for a while as I've been busy putting my business up for sale. Pleased to say that I've had an offer at the asking price and hopefully will have completion by mid September. Can't wait, so looking forward to OH and I  taking a holiday and planning our retirement. Pleased to say my follow up mammo last month was clear so It's just continuing with the Anastrazole for the next 5 or 10 yrs, whatever they decide. Bit of bad luck though, tripped over an uneven pavement last weekend and broke my wrist. Incredibly painful and I'm in a cast for 5 weeks. I could trip over a pin honestly. You don't realise how much you need two hands til you only have one. Can't even go to the loo on my own or put my bra on. Thirty years ago having my husband helping me to get undressed would have been quite exciting!    How is everyone else doing? Do we have a date for a London meet up yet.    Love Francine xx ... View more

Well hopefully results next week. Every time a white envelope drops through the door my heart does a flip! It's cruel I think to have to wait so long. Just keeping busy and trying not to think about it. ... View more

Hallo ladies, remember me?! Haven't posted for ages , been so busy trying to sell my business and keeping it going in the meantime. OH hasn't been too well also. Have just had my first mammo since treatment finished in December, rather painful I have to say. Now have to wait 3 weeks for results, nerve wracking. How are you all? Count me in for a meet up. Love Francine xx ... View more

Hi everyone. Haven't posted for a while, OH has been having some health problems and it's been a struggle keeping our business going. We've taken the decision to try and sell it later this year, as we want to be able to take time for ourselves and our health. It's a bit sad as we've put a lot in to it but we need to put ourselves first now. I just don't have the energy or desire post BC to keep it going? My view on life has changed completely. Physically, I feel very tired and am also battling with the SEs of the Anastrazole, like you Beryl. The onc has said that my tumour was highly ER+ so I should think about it carefully before I stop taking it. However, looking st my stats, she said given my age and that no nodes were involved, stopping it would only render me 3% more likely to die fom a recurrence in the next 5 yrs. So it's my decision. Going to carry on taking it for a while and give it some more thought. It's a dilemma. Suebee, keeping all crossed that your underarm problems are nothing to worry about and just SE from all your treatment. I still get a burning pain in my boob and sharp needle like pains. Onc says it's nerve damage from ops and rads and should stop eventually. BC is the gift that keeps on giving eh! Wonder how Sharon is? Sending big hugs to everyone. Love Francine ... View more

Good evening lovely ladies. Pleased to say the Anastrazole hot flushes seem to have eased a bit and the pain in my wrists is definitely not so bad. Perhaps my body is starting to acclimatise to it a bit although I am still dried up line a prune! Ashamed to say I haven't managed to get to yoga for the last 2 weeks. OH shipped off to A & E last weekend with chest pains and I was worried it was his heart again. However, he has pleurisy apparently so had been put on strong antibiotics and painkillers. It hurts him to breathe too deeply and moving about is also difficult. I'm running our business on my own at the moment so am pooped. Still I'm grateful to be fit enough to do this after last year. Daughter is coming up this weekend to lend a hand before I strangle him! Such a bad patient. I was hoping 2016 might be a better year for us but it hasn't started too well. Love to everyone xx Francine ... View more

Hi Ginny I was diagnosed with BC in Jan 2015 and have just finished treatment. I didn't have chemo thank goodness but had 3 ops, a life threatening illness and 25 sessions of rads. It was a hard year to be sure. I run my own business in the water treatment industry, which is very male dominated and it was an immense struggle to keep it going last year. It's a small company and it' just wasn't practical to bring in extra help, as the learning curve means it takes anyone a long time to add any 'value' to the business. Just had to keep going as best we could, as our income depended on it. However, when my treatment finished I felt totally mentally and physically exhausted, just didn't want to carry on with it, didn't want to speak to any customers and had no concentration. I felt I had become a different person and no longer had the desire to run the business, my whole perspective on life had changed. My husband said he no longer recognised me, where was the determined, feisty person he had known for 40 years? Of course I am much older than you, in my 60s and my daughter is older than you (!) and it is particularly sad that you were diagnosed as such a young age it must have been a profound shock for you and your loved ones. I have had to learn a new way of coping with my business and my attitude to it. Yes, I don't have the same drive and determination I had before but Other parts of my personality have developed and I don't get wound up about silly things now and the odd annoying customer! I have started to regain my interest in the business (hooray) but will be putting plans in place to sell it in a year or two. You have been through a horrible ordeal and however young you are, it will have taken a toll on you mentally and physically. Be kind to yourself And don't beat yourself up about how you are feeling at work. No one can predict what's ahead of them in life but you are still young, with plenty of career and life ahead of you. Can you express how you feel to your manager/boss? He/she will probably be very understanding and sympathetic and will want to help and support you, as you are a valuable member of staff. I have my HR hat on here (!) much better to support and keep a good member of staff than have to train someone knew up! Do you feel like a bit of time off would help or would you prefer to keep on working? Of course,it could be that this experience has made you question whether you actually want to carry on in this demanding job or whether you would like to do something different with the rest of your working life. You are still young enough to make a change. Please keep in touch and I send you lots of virtual hugs X Francine ... View more

Hi Pandorra. Great news. Glad to hear all is good with you. Monday is the anniversary of my diagnosis and it's been a hell of a ride! Thank you all for the support you gave me. Struggling a bit with the Anastrazole, hot flushes, insomnia etc but pushing on X Francine ... View more

What lovely news Sharon, you deserve all the good things happening, especially a nice and hopefully hunky man! Glad you're still enjoying your job and the food I bet! I wondered how you were and you too Beryl. Sending hugs to you. My boob has now healed from the rads, thanks to some really good dressings I was recommended to use. The nurse at my GP was great and ordered them in, bugger the cost she said. The hospital gave me some cheap ones and they didn't work at all well. After 25 rads which ended at the beginning of December I felt pretty tired but was intent on going down to Somerset to spend Xmas with all the family, including sister over from South Africa. It was lovely to be with everyone but I was exhausted when I got back and not very well. Probably too much for me but sod it, I wasn't going to miss it. Feeling sad as sister has gone back now and I miss her. Hoping to go out and see her in 2017, health permitting. I'm having a few problems with my stomach again so doc has put me on some meds for irritable bowel and steroids. Just another set of tablets to add to the pile! OH has got a clot in his leg and is on 6 weeks of heparin injections in the tum. I am doing them, as he has a thing about needles and I'm getting very good at it I have to say! I've told him not to have a row with me just before I do them as I might get a bit heavy handed, lol. Have started at a yoga class once a week but finding it hard, even the gentle exercises. I'm so lacking in stamina. Can't wait to start swimming again but going to wait another month or so for the skin on the boob to be a bit stronger. It's still giving out some heat but no longer painful. Love to you all xx Francine ... View more

Hi Beryl Happy New Year! Sorry to hear you've been poorly. My OH had the flu jab and came down with a bad cold and chest a few days later. He is convinced it was the jab. He's had them in previous years and no problems but apparently they've changed the vaccine this year. I know it's a dead virus but I'm sure this one caused some sort of problem. He's not having one again he says! This is s difficult time of the year for you I'm sure so I can only send you virtual hugs. It was 27 Jan last year when I was told I had BC and I had my first op on my birthday, 10 Feb. This day last year I was still in blissful ignorance of what was ahead of me, good job really.! Still I'm pleased to say that the boob is now healed after the rads although still quite warm. I'm not experiencing any real pain but every so often feel a pulling and some soreness at the op site. I suppose it's scar tissue and rads causing it. Not complaining as I know lots of other ladies in a lot more discomfort than me a lot further down the line. Xx Francine ... View more

Happy New Year everyone! Let's hope it's a good one for us all. 2015 can piss off as far as I'm concerned! I had a lovely time with all my family at Xmas but found it very tiring. Well worth it though. Spending some time with my sister now who's over from South Africa which is great. We're talking for England and driving the OH mad! Love Francine xx ... View more