Breast Cancer Now Forum

so sorry to hear your news. Teke one step at a time and after you recover from the shock don't be surprised if you hit a downer. It is hard to be positive all the time, be kind to yourself and get as much help and support you can, all the best for the journey ahead xx ... View more

Next eclipse is 2016 ! Hope you are ok x ... View more

As you will probably have worked out by now everyone is different and reactions to side effects are so different for each person. I am just coming up to my 6 th and last one and my energy levels are really low now as the chemo is cumulative and although you may or may not have nausea, taste buds shot to bits, aches and pains, sore mouth, headaches, upset tummy, the fatigue builds as you go along. I stopped work when I was first diagnosed and have a year off, and I have a teenage son at home so no little ones to keep me busy and a husband to help. I would say get some help for the chemo week at least and see if you can arrange help for the kids and food to be cooked for you that week. You will not be able to plan much until you know how you will be affected by side effects, but take whatever help you can and be kind to yourself, it will take it's toll on you emotiomally as well add I hope you have a good network of friends and family to support you through this. Are you having surgery after the chemo? Please take good care of yourself nd find out from work the sick pay situation as you will need some time off. Best of luck for Friday and I hope you have little side effects and get through it ok. Virtual hugs xx ... View more

Hi I also felt better with number 5 which was odd but not complaining! I have had one meeting with surgeon and told her I wanted recon at same time as mx and that I wanted bilateral. She agreed even though I ma having rads after but I still have some questions and am having another meeting after the MRI following last chemo. I may call the help line on here to see if I can get some answers. Hope we all get through next few weeks ok and can follow each other into surgery and recovery. I have decided to go blond rather than grey as I have been colouring my brown hair for years now and it seems a good time to change my look but no sign of it growing back yet, love to all ... View more

Hi all just realised I started chemo 3 months ago as well. What a bizarre 3 months it has been. My last chemo is 31 March and I am also really tired and sooo fed up of having no hair, brows and eyelashes nearly gone and can't taste chocolate which. Is one of the biggest pleasures of my previous life ! I have mx to go through in May and feel sick at the thought of it and then rads, it's a pretty difficult time to be positive or cheerful. I have also had echo heart checks twice now and will have another after chemo is finished. I was told it is necessary to check as chemo and herceptin can affect the heart. I am excited about the last chemo and keep telling myself there is only a few more weeks of feeling like this, virtual hugs to you all xx ... View more

Good luck tomorrow, I am due to have mx at beginning of May and am really anxious about it. It is nice to get some support from here, will be thinking of you, post an update when you feel up to it, deep breaths xx ... View more

If you have been taking steroids they will cause your face to go redder and be a bit swollen but it will disappear after a few days. Hope that is all it is x ... View more

Ian not as young as you but I was also referred to breast clinic although GP thought thre was mothing really wrong, I had mammogram, ultrasound and biopsies and then told I very probably had cancer. I was on my own as well as I didn't think for a minute there would be bad news. I hope all this proves to be a negative outcome and you can carry on with your life. If not, the team will sort out the best treatment for you and you need to keep posting on this website for support and to help with any questions you may have. I am coming to end of chemo and then it's surgery and rads so long way to go yet. Let us know how the appointments go and lots of virtual hugs to you x ... View more

My picc line gets sore after each chemo but a hot pad or hot water bottle on the site for 20 mins a few times a day really works, hope that helps x ... View more

Thanks for this I'm going to get one and see if it works for me, here's hoping ... View more

Hi sorry not replied before, had my second herceptin and tax yesterday, I had palpitations with the first one so my onc has reduced my steroids this time so will see if it happens again. My eyelashes seem to be coming out but don't feel anywhere near as sick as with fec. I had bad leg and back pain fro 3 days and had toasty in bed and take painkillers sonexpecting the same this time which hits on day 3. Oh well only one more to go . How are you coping? Oh another thing I have really bad night sweats and I have just looked at getting a menopausal magnet that gas been talked about on another thread so will try it as sleeping only 2 hours at a time is exhausting, good luck all xx ... View more

Hi the red face is from the steroids I presume you are taking and goes away when you stop taking them, I have them for about 3days and they make me really hungry as well. The best thing for constipation I have found is natural liquorice called panda which is very gentle on the tummy and I have one or two bars just for a day or two and it helps. My chemo now gives me diarrhoea so I have the opposite problem. My blood count has been great so far so don't worry it may be fine all the way through. It took me a week to get over feeling rubbish, was very emotional as well as being physically low so now I just give in to it and do nothing if I don't feel like it, rest up and you will wake up one day and feel human again and off you go until the next time. Your body will tell you what you can and can't do and also eat whatever you fancy as this changes as you go through chemo cycles. Try and write down your symptoms as your oncologist will be able to give you different drugs to help with the side effects as you go on. Hope this helps xx ... View more

Hope chemo was ok for you and you don't feel too bad. What is the name of your chemo drug? Let me know if you have any weird side effects, I may be able to help you with dealing with them. Rest up xx ... View more

I bet you are worrying more about telling them than anything else, i hope you tell them soon so you can get that one more thing dealt with, I know it's hard but you need to not stress if you can help it. The lady's name is Tracey so that should let you know if you know her or not. please contact her, is your hair still there or not? I had a lovely day yesterday feeling so much better than last week. It takes longer to get over each chemo now but at least this week will be a good one. Hugs to you x ... View more

Thanks for advice x ... View more

Thanks will do xx ... View more

Hi I live in Wadhurst and I got my amazing wig from a great lady in crowborough, I saw her at her house or she will come to you. My wig is synthetic but looks so amazing people who don't know think I hav been to the hairdressers, she fitted it and cut it for me. She also cut my hair off to about an inch as it was falling out in handfuls which was really distressing and I felt a weight had been lifted. If you want her name I can let you have it, not sure if I'm supposed to put it on general message. My son was very quiet when I told him and he went straight on to the Internet to look up information, he sent me a link to a lady who was having the same chemo drugs as me and had written a diary which was a great help as I had an idea of what to expect. They will look up all sorts of scary things so I was very matter of fact and tried to be as positive as possible, kids are all so different as we all are. A friend asked me today if I ever forget I have cancer and I thought I cant remember what it is like to not think about it. I have another so who is 22 and the two of them are talking more now than they have ever done so I think telling all of your boys is better so they can help each other and talk together. By the way my wig was £130 so not loads of money. Yes you are right once in the chemo cycles start you get on with it, we have no choice so each one is one more down until the end. Lots of love to you, let me know about wig lady. Xx ... View more

Hi I am in Wadhurst and have had my 4 chemo out 6 and thennhaving surgery. Which is a real worry. I am 54 so can help with any questions you might have. Have you had surgery? Hope you keep in touch Hazel x nn ... View more