Breast Cancer Now Forum

2:32 PM Hello all, I haven’t posted for ages, just because I’ve been hectic with other stuff. Sending warm and gentle hugs to you all. I started to read through previous posts but I don’t think I have much I can add other than I really do empathise and send my very best thoughts. The unknown, the waiting, pain, sweats...! I’m sorry everyone who’s having a particularly tough time at the moment. I’m really sorry to stomp in but in the very off chance... I wondered if anyone has had or has heard of having a rib removed? My mets are only in one place at the moment (one of my ribs), I have a meeting with a surgeon on Wednesday who has suggested he cited remove the rib. I had an unsuccessful biopsy a week or so ago (they couldn’t get samples because it was getting too close to puncturing my lung apparently). I have no idea about this surgery and I can’t find a thing about it for secondary breast cancer anywhere. Please don’t feel obliged to respond! I’m okay and I think other people on here at the mo need more support than I do. I’d just love to hear from anyone that has anything to say on this?! Thanks all xxxx ... View more

Jellytot! I haven't been on the forum for ages but just dropped in today and saw your question about an oophorectomy. I had one last year. It was very easy compared to lots of the other things I'd had and you've probably had. I had 3 incisions, was in and out in a day and exactly a week after the op I travelled by train to my mindfulness class and had lunch out (and I'm a wimp!!). There were just 3 little plasters covering the incision areas (one was in my belly button!). I found the referred pain a bit uncomfortable... It was sore in my back/shoulder a bit and I felt full of wind (from them puffing air in so they can see what they're doing). I set up camp in my living room, right next to our kitchen and loo and was a bit couch bound for a few days. But it really wasn't that bad. If you'd like to know anything else please give me a shout. Xxx ... View more

Hello all, I joined a week or 2 ago and then disappeared but I'm catching up tonight and will reply properly... Just wanted to reiterate to newcomers and newly diagnosed that it does get easier and this thread is really helpful and positive. I'm 39 and by bone mets were diagnosed a month ago now. So many good things have happened and nice times in the past month as well as plenty of tears and sad bits. Warm wishes and gentle hugs to all. Abbey xx ... View more

PMOL, France! Carolyn, Devon! Suzy, Wales! Wendy... Sainsbury's! I believe it's very pleasant this time of year though, plenty of air conditioning, BBQ charcoal and ice cream. Enjoy! Xxxx Hope your mind isn't on the scans too much Wendy. Xx PMOL, what a bloomin' great sounding project. How old is your daughter? I love this idea, such a lovely idea. Are you an artist? I'm not! My dad is though so I'm writing and he's illustrating. I'm researching childhood chronic and life limiting illness and we'll see what comes. I always wanted to write a children's book or 10, so I'd better get a wriggle on! Suzy! Your feet will be so hot in wellies!! Sounds like a brilliant wedding though, I'm having a clothes give away next week and am giving away every pair of high heels I have. I rarely wear them and think they're a bit bloody stupid anyway. Life it too short for sore feet and I love to dance with abandon anyway! Hope you have lots of fun. I love a canal boat, my husband Barry want to own and rent one out. Rashly I told him the night before my big appointment, 'love if it's spread, you can get a houseboat'!!! Oops! He was googling them that night... Every cloud...! We have no money but he has a small gardening business that he'd like to sell so we can move back up home. Okay, it's time to move before I nap again. Take care and all the best everyone xxxx ... View more

London sure is hot isn't it Wendy? I'm in N16. I just plastered on fake tan for the first time in a long time... It's sliding off already! I have 2 fans on but I can feel a hot flush heading this way...! It is nice to know there are people RIGHT HERE who know how all this feels (I don't mean the sliding tan, although maybe you do?!). Ha ha!! I'm loving the expandable hugging. Iced buns... The M&S one is my ultimate favourite. It makes car journeys worthwhile! I hope people have some nice weekends lined up? I'm going up to my folks in Scotland... First time we'll have had a cuddle since I got the news the other week. Half dreading it, half excited. My dad and I are working on a children's picture book together though so hopefully that'll be a good distraction. Happy end of the week to you all gals. Xxx ... View more

How welcoming and lovely are you guys?! Thank you all very much for making me feel included and part of the group already. Xx I hadn't heard the news from Manchester the other morning when I wrote... So sad and so shocking. I said to my mum that although we feel like we've had a bad hand, those poor families have it so much worse. Funnyface, what causes raised glucose? Are you feeling bad? Hope your appointment was helpful? First time round I found the constipation one of the most crappy (excuse the bad pun) SE! I had loads of infections during chemo around my mastectomy site and was gobbling all the oramorph and tablets they'd give me in hospital. Little did I know what effect they'd have! When the horrible 2015 attack on Paris happened I was up the whole night and sitting on the loo reading about it all as it unfolded. It was a bleak night. I had the imprint on the loo seat on me for hours after I got up...! Barton, thanks for the hug... I hope you stretched those arms wide to get around my ever expanding body!! Ha! Xx JT, I used aqueous cream to wash with, nothing else. I used aloe Vera gel (highest % of aloe Vera you can get without other stuff, I got mine on Amazon) I put it on straight after the zapping, then throughout the day whenever I remembered and before bed (during my chest zapping last year I mean). I felt a bit hot and itchy after the first one then absolutely fine... Weirdly after I finished my skin went very dark and peeled off but it didn't hurt. I walked to the hospital every day to help to fight the fatigue but I did have an afternoon nap (or 3!). I didn't work but that's mainly because I had already left my job before I was diagnosed (I was a primary teacher). I think it's all down to the individual...? Xxx PMOL, good advice about friends... I've noticed that if I post anything on Facebook EVERYONE likes it!! Makes me laugh a bit!! But I'm touched everyone I know is being so supportive. All of you that have children, especially young ones, it must be quite a different experience than to mine... I think this would all be so much harder if I had children in the equation. You must have to be steel to cope with yourself and your children. I find my parents, husband and friends more than enough to contend with (I mean worrying about them). JT, you asked about my treatment plan... Here's a quick rundown on my medical stuff/cancer file! I was signed off with stress from teaching in 2014 (5 Head teachers in 5 years, all very tricky). I got married that year but felt really ill on the day (throwing up while my poor mum held my hair back!!ha ha)! My husband and I started to try for a baby (I came of the pill). My breast started behaving oddly. I was diagnosed straight away, but it went from 'oh it's just a little bit of grade 1' to 'oh it's more than that, it's all through the breast and chest wall, high grade and in the lymph' etc etc. So mastectomy, clearance, chemo and rads. I had cellulitis lots during chemo and stayed in hositysl for a few weeks where I made very siexusl friends with my ward mates, all of whom already knew they had terminal cancer (various types). I think that time opened my eyes up to the possibility of that happening... Anyhoo! I had an oophorectomy (to avoid 10 years Zoladex injections!) and started Tamoxifen. I had a few scans for aches that turned out to be nothing... But an unrelated ache led to a bone then CT lthe other week and one area on my 6th rib was confirmed as mets. I've stated on Letrozole (which I was going to be starting anyway). I'm waiting for a blood test and an appointment for getting zolendronic acid (spelling??) which I am weirdly anxious about??! I had a Picc line during chemo and I'm nervous about all the needle stuff now... I'm really not a big fan. Having the line in made everything so easy and painless!! Oh my!!! I've written an essay!!! I'm so sorry for ranting on and on and on!!! I PROMISE shorted posts from now on everyone!!!! SORRY!!!! Xxxxx ... View more

Thank you very much. Xx My inner gremlin has definitely found its way out!! Next week I'm having lots of friends over for a 'Cocktails and Clothes' evening so that they can unburden me of all my smaller sized clothes!!! I'll look up the other forum too, thanks for the welcome. Xx ... View more

JT! Sorry... typo xxx ... View more

Hello there, my first time posting... I hope I don't bugger it up! I just wanted to say 'hi' for now. I started to read all of your posts (ignoring the film my husband and I are supposed to be watching) and you all made me smile. I'm 39, my primary was 2 years ago, just found out about rib mets a couple of weeks ago. Weirdly, I think I'm alright just now... I think I was very prepared or maybe I'm just in complete denial! Either way I appear to be having the opposite reaction than you JC... I'm eating like the Hungry Caterpillar (although no green leaves in sight for me!), I just start thinking about food properly again soon... Thank you in advance for being here everyone, it already makes a difference justcknowing im all signed up. Good night and may your nights be hot flush free (fat chance eh?!) Xxxxx ... View more