Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi girls, I know it’s been months but just wondering how everyone is doing? I’m back at work now and almost back to normal. Next mastectomy is booked for March next year but at least I know what to expect now! Hope everyone is doing ok, been thinking of you all and wondering how you’re all doing xx ... View more

Thanks Colista, my last chemo was weeks ago tho I thought I’d escaped. Have got gel varnish on to stop nails breaking and to hide how ugly they look. This one nail has broken really low down but my daughter has suggested fixing it with acrylic but not sure if that’s a good idea. Just when I thought I was getting back to normal too 🙄 ... View more

Hi girls, have any of you lost any fingernails through chemo before. Didn’t lose any last year but tonight one fell off and I don’t know what to do with it. Do I put a plaster on it to protect it, the skin is so soft underneath. Don’t know if that could get full of backteria as it’s moist. I’m so squeamish. Bloody typical my hair starts growing back and my nails fall off! ... View more

I don’t know what was worse with chemo, the constipation or the opposite. You take the medication and it just sends you the other way. Or is it sickness you’re talking about. If the anti sickness tablets they have you aren’t working ask for something else. There are loads they can try you with. I was so lucky as I didn’t suffer from sickness. Good job as I couldn’t get up from sitting on the toilet and the bath is too far away 😂 Seriously though hope you start to feel better soon Colista xx ... View more

Hey girls. Lovely to hear from you Delly, hope you are well. How you feeling now Colista? Unicorngirlmummy how’s it going with you? I was back seeing surgeon yesterday and he’s happy with the way I’m healing, although drained a lot of liquid from wound and l look a lot more deflated now. Back on 27th Aug to start pumping me up. Surgeon wants to wait a good while before doing the right breast due to rads last year so thinking maybe end of the year. Good news is pathology came back clear so I’m cancer free again and I don’t need rads this time. Can go back to work in a few weeks too, although I’m dreading it, but that’s another story. Big hugs to everyone xx ... View more

Aw Warcol it’s a long day isn’t it, my 1st one was 8 hours, I had tax, carbo and Herceptin, get Herceptin jags every 3 weeks now till Jan so still not free of trips to the chemo ward, luckily I’ve made a few friends on the way so it’s nice to catch up. I got my letter from PIP today, I got the standard rate but didn’t get mobility. Apparently I’m capable of walking 50m! I’m not even going to argue, but looking at the points I got I just made it. Pity my interview wasn’t just after surgery instead of the week before. Hope your side effects aren’t too rough but rough enough for PIP!xx ... View more

Warcol good luck with chemo, I did the same, ate all the food I knew I went off with chemo 1st round. What chemo are you having? I know everyone is different but I found it a little bit easier going 2nd time round, don’t know if it’s cos I knew what to expect or if it’s because I was so determined not to let it break me again. Maybe it was because I still hadn’t fully recovered from the last lot so I’m still so tired all the time I didn’t notice a difference lol. Big hugs to you anyway - you go girl xx ... View more

Hi girls, op went well, still a bit nippy. I was in hospital for 5 days but actually quite enjoyed my stay, I was the youngest one there but quite enjoyed the company of the old dears in there. I got sent home with my drain which was horrible as I didn’t like moving about with it in. Got it out yesterday but I’m still leaking, my wee girl is helping me change the soggy dressings. Hate the feel of my boob with the deflated implant, can’t wait till they start pumping me up. Still got my nipple too. At the moment it looks like Sloth from the Goonies 😂. I got PIP but not actually sure what I’m getting as money in my bank but not had a letter yet. It’s not a huge amount if it’s backdated so assuming I didn’t get full amount. Still think cancer sufferers should get full amount regardless! Anyway how is everyone else doing?xx ... View more

Hey girls. Aw Unicorngirlmummy I’m so sorry. Why can’t they operate. I hope they manage to find a solution. Big hugs and thinking about you. Haven’t found out if I got PIP yet, could take up to another 4 weeks. I hope to god I do tho as been signed off for another 3 months. The interview wasn’t as bad as I thought, don’t know if that’s a good thing or not tho. I’m bricking it for tomo, I am such a woos. I just hate the anaesthetic and worried what I’ll be like when I come round, and how I react to what’s left of my boob. Why us, it’s just no fair. Hope everyone else is good and enjoying the sun despite everything we’re going through. Big hugs to you all xxx ... View more

Hi girls, hope your all well. My surgery is booked for the 4th July and I’m bricking it, but kids are away with their dad so timing is good. After much tooing and froing im going for a single mastectomy with expander recon. I was getting the double but surgeon suggested not having recon till next year but I just can’t do it. It might be fickle but I need boobs. If all heals well I’ll get the right boob done later in year. I want to be recovered next year and put all this behind me, not be having more surgery and be off work again. Chemo is all finished and I’m not too bad but oncologist doesn’t want me going back to work in case I pick up an infection and have to put surgery back. I have my PIP interview next Tuesday and they coming to my house. Don’t know whether to do the housework or leave it so they see how I normally live. My fingers are so bad with the neuropathy everything is a struggle! I’m dreading it tho, I’m such an emotional wreck just now I’m scared I blub my way through it! I’m just glad the school hols start in a fortnight so we can chill and I don’t have to get up early. Just back from my daughters end of year show and yip, I cried. Can only imagine what I’ll be like next week when she leaves Primary school for good. Is anyone else an emotional wreck? ... View more

Hi Samantha I hope you are ok. I didn’t tell many people until I found out my treatment plan and explained what was happening to my kids, I was worried someone would let slip to them. But I found the more people I told the more support I got, and you will need the support. I eventually started updating everyone through Facebook and the messages of support I got really helped me through. I was 1st diagnosed in Sept 16 then got a different cancer in the other breast in Jan this year so had to tell everyone I had it again, and again the support has been amazing. You’ll find that so many people have stories to tell and again it will help with your own journey. I’m awaiting a mastectomy and have had loads of advice from friends who I didn’t know had experience of them, either their own or someone they know. Everyone is different but I do think letting more people in will help you xx ... View more

Thanks Evie I will do, will def need the hugs nearer the time. Just wish it was all over now xx ... View more

Hi, saw my surgeon yesterday, and he had a change of tune. He wanted me to have the double but not have recon till next year to give me time to recover from chemo etc. This however is not an option for me, I want boobs of some sort. So as a compromise we are going for the single mastectomy with an expander. If all goes well and heals ok he’ll do the right one later in the year with expander. If the expander fails then we’re going to wait and he’ll do the right one and I’ll get the back flaps recon later in year on both. It’s a risk I’m willing to take as mentally i know I won’t be able to cope looking at myself with no breasts at all. So I had a bit of an emotional rollercoaster day. At least I have a date that suits as kids will be away with their dad on hol so won’t have to worry about them. It’s in 4 weeks so trying to mentally prepare myself. Thanks for asking 😊 xx ... View more

Sorry I should have explained better. My surgeon wants to do the surgery in next 4 weeks, and is trying to book an all day theatre with enough surgical staff but it won’t be at my usual hospital. If he gets that it will be the double. If he can’t get it in the right time frame he will do the op himself but if I go for flaps he will do them one at a time, as he won’t get a theatre for long enough. He will however be able to do both himself if I go for expanders. There are 5 points they consider for failure, rads within a year, previous scarring, smoking, diabetes and obesity. I hit 3 of these with scarring, rads and diabetes, albeit type 2 caused by chemo last year so have been tested again. I know I need them both removed but scared if I only get one done and I have a bad time I might not go through with the other boob, but as I’ve had cancer twice in a short space of time I know I have to, for my kids sake more than anything else. I don’t think I’m getting rads this time, my surgeon said no but oncologist hasn’t ruled it out yet, I’m seeing her early next month so might find out more then. ... View more

Thanks for replying ladies. Evie I’m worried about just getting one done and the other in a few months, worried they don’t look even. I keep changing my mind, I know the expanders have a high risk of failing but was so scared to ask what failing meant. I really need to brave up lol. My breasts are too big for the largest implant my hospital does so those are ruled out. How was your recovery?xx ... View more

Hi girls, good to hear from you Delly, hope you’re doing ok, Warcol how are you doing? And Unicorngirllass what’s the news with you? Are you getting more treatment? I had my final chemo yesterday, it was supposed to be last Fri but for the 1st time it was postponed as my red blood count was low, which explains why I’ve been feeling so tired. The downside is it’s bumped my Herceptin schedule which is every 3 saturdays until Jan, so I’ll miss my chemo buddies that I’ve made. Saw my surgeon and plastic surgeon on Mon. He is trying to book a theatre for a 10-14 hour op in the next 4 weeks for the double mastectomy. But it might not be in the hospital I’ve had all my treatment which I’m upset about, it’s further out and I’m worried I won’t get visitors. If he can’t he just wants to do the one boob and the other in a few months which I don’t want. I need to get back to work I’m skint, I want it all over and done with. So he’s given me another option, instead of the flaps op from my back, he’ll put expanders in which get inflated every month until I’m happy with them. There is a 1 in 3 chance of failure tho due to radiotherapy last year. I’m also now getting to keep my nipples but there will be no sensation which is fine, but at least they will be there. So still more decisions to make. Honestly chemo is the easy part. At least with the expanders I’ll have less recover and no scars on my back, and if they do fail we can then do the flaps surgery as a back up. Hope you girls are all doing ok, looking forward to hearing your news. Big hugs to you all xx ... View more

Well had my scan, still not the right boob!! Have requested again just for peace of mind. On the plus side the tumour in left boob is now 5mm down from 13mm on 6 April. I just don’t understand, they say they don’t want to scan right breast too often yet left breast been scanned 5 times this year alone. Anyway hope everyone is doing ok. Delly you’ve been very quiet, hope you’re doing ok xxx ... View more

Warcol - Hope your coil removal wasn’t too uncomfortable. I wasn’t supposed to get an MRI scan but my liver scan was inconclusive so I got one on the end. Was a bit of a relief actually as I was so scared it had spread but I was lucky. I started chemo just over 3 weeks from my 2nd diagnosis, I can’t fault my cancer team really. My only complaint is I asked for my right boob to be checked again and it kept getting missed, my boobs are out of sync with scans but going on Fri finally. I’m just paranoid that after the 2nd diagnosis something might be lurking. I also never applied for PIP last time but thought I deserve it this time. Got a txt back today that they have my form, now the decision as to the dreaded interview. You would think cancer would be automatic. Hope your hear about your MRI soon xx ... View more

Thanks Jill, It really is, dreading the interview stage if I get that far. I had a lovely woman from Macmillan fill the form in for me. She said be honest and imagine yourself at your worst. It was 5 days after chemo, I couldn’t get any worse lol. What we have to go through for a little help! ... View more