Breast Cancer Now Forum

Oh I usually listen but missed the last show. I'll download on the iplayer radio for my walk today. Thanks. Did you have snow last night at all? I got caught in a really unexpected heavy flurry on the way home from yoga last night. It lasted about 2 hours! Hope that's all we'll get and it won't be a repeat of last year! I've got my 1 year check up on Friday. I'm veering between anxiety that there will be another find and a confidence that all will be clear.. Fingers crossed it will be the latter! Hope all is well x Fiona ... View more

Hi Michelle. I was also told that it was cumulative with the peak being 10days after your last session which was pretty much the case for me. I was really lucky with my skin though I was fastidious with moisturising with double base 3 times a day but My skin was tender though throughout and for a few weeks after. I'd say I felt the effects for up to 4 weeks after I finished. How are you getting on with it? X ... View more

Ah that makes sense now Christine, thanks. I was 8/8 oestrogen and 7/8 progesterone receptor hence their strong insistence for me too. ... View more

Hi Michelle, what was the test that you scored 4/8? Was it based on how oestrogen +ve the cancer is? I really didn't want to have the tamoxifen but 2 oncologists and my therapist have all said they feel strongly that it's necessary but I didn't see any test results which I think would helpy accept. I haven't started yet as was waiting for the rheumatologist to see what's going on with my joints but she's now said I can get started... I'm dreading it tbh. Not sure I can take more joint pain! Gigi.. Ive just seen your message... That's terrible, I hope your partner is OK? Christine, I lost all my hair and have taken biotin since the day I stopped chemo and I'm delighted to report that my hair is really so much thicker than before. Can't say for certain it's the biotin but I'm not stopping it just yet. For the neuropathy I'm finding gabapentin helping but lm also still dropping things not really stopping it. I walked 5miles yesterday and today but very Slowly .. Patience is key!! Xx ... View more

And congratulations on the new hair... Its such a treat isn't it.. I couldn't believe how thickly my eyelashes came back! ... View more

Hi Dorabel, I finished 2nd August and I still have pains and tingling. I've been told neuropathy can last for anything from months to years as it takes little time for nerves to be damaged but a very long time for them to mend so I'm not expecting to be rid of the symptoms for at least 6months but more likely 12. For speaking with a few people who have experienced it I've concluded 12months I think is the best bet. X ... View more

Hi Michelle, yes it's an old injury but not sure why it's flared up again now. My physio is working on it but seemingly I have hyper mobility that's causing more problems. Still, it's not so bad compared to the last few months and it'll pass I'm sure. I've read of others having the hair too but mixed information on what happens... Like every other stage of this journey, I guess I just have to wait and see what happens! When do you start your rads? Do you know how many weeks? How are you feeling? We can wait until Jan if suits, just wait and see how you feel. Hope you and your family are all well Fiona x ... View more

Ladies, bit of a strange question but since my hair started to come back, and it's come back really well.. Yay!.. however I seem to be developing quite a set of blonde lamb chop style side sideburns. They're very downy for want of a better word and I wondered, has this happened to any of you? wondering if I should maybe get them threaded off or perhaps theyll disappear themselves, fingers crossed 🤞.. What i don't want to do is make it worse. Otherwise, things are going quite well though I'm often surprised when fatigue hits me out of nowhere, like today. I had physio and that's about all I've managed! My hip seems to be playing up really badly now as though it had just taken a back seat while I had all the other treatment and now feels like it it's turn again... Very annoying. Some days I can walk a really brisk 5k and feel good though I've yet to manage running longer than about 2mins..though I've been told a 1m walk 1min run for 15mins and build up from there is the way it get back into it. My parents arrive on Thursday to celebrate my Mums 80th birthday which were all looking forward to... Any excuse for a party I think so I must be improving. Hope you're all well and thinking if we might try agree a date to meet up before Christmas as Michelle suggested? Fiona xx ... View more

Hi Sally, congratulations on finishing chemo. I also just stuck with this board with radio and now A good number of us have so had radio so can offer support and I agree with Dorabel, even the fatigue is nothing like chemo. It still hits but its a light slap rather than being beaten up with chemo.. For me anyway! Best of luck with the new boob... One thing though, Why will it be blue?? Fiona x ... View more

Thanks Michelle... I'm looking forward to stopping the daily trek but I'm told that the side effects will peak in 10 days after the last radio and then subside again so 3oct for me will be when this all reall start to end! Meeting would be lovely, count me in Have a good day, all x ... View more

Hey ladies.... It is really lovely to read everyone moving on and getting on well after chemo. Michelle, amazing result for you, I'm so delighted for you. I had a really strange experience of being absolutely floored for 4 weeks after I finished chemo early because of the neuropathy. My body just seemed to explode with strange and unusual side effects but I'm pleased that they have, for the most part, started to fade. I have been left with neuropathy on my hand and feet and now, what my oncologist seems to think is the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in my hands feet and knees but I'm being referred to a new consultant for review. I'm on week 3, the final week of radio, and, touch wood, it's been very uneventful.. Even the fatigue just feels like tiredness after the chemo! Ive been given double base gel/cream to use and for me it's been excellent. I apply 3 times a day, in the morning before radio, and then in then in the afternoon and before bed... So far so good! Next stop for me is starting tamoxifen and possibly zoladex but I'm resisting those monthly injections as I think it's too much but will see.. The oncologist says there's room for discussion! Sending lots of good thoughts to all.. I'm with the rest of you.. I didn't want to join a new group.. I like this one! Xx ... View more

Hi Michelle, sending lots of positive thoughts for tomorrow, you'll do great I'm sure... and fingers crossed for good results for both you and your daughter! ... I'll be thinking of you x ... View more

Hope everything goes well tomorrow Christine, I'll be thinking of you. X ... View more

Michelle that is the best news... Really wonderful to hear that. Thanks all for your kind support with this pain and Christine, that's really helpful on the endocrine experience, thanks. As the nurse said yesterday, it's your chemo and it's preventative for belts and braces but if it's impacting the healthy me then I should go with the onco and stop as I've had a lot already. So, that's what I'm going to do. Next stop radiotherapy then endocrine. Hope the sickness has subsided Gigi and enjoy the wedding jencat.. It's a lovely day for it Have good day all and thanks as ever for being such a great group x ... View more

I've not had Herceptin, sorry Gigi..do you have any ondansetron that might help with the sickness? I saw my oncologist yesterday and it was timely as my foot pain has become really intense. I already have morton's neuroma so the nerves on my left foot were already inflamed but now have gone crazy and its so sore to walk ! She's lowering my dose for Thursday but if it doesn't subside, which both she and I are doubtful of, then this will be my last chemo. In some ways I'm ecstatic and in others a bit anxious of finishing early. I know though that it wouldn't be suggested if she didn't think it was okay to do it. I suppose quality of life is the key and if I can't walk pain-free then I'll be absolutely miserable! I don't think I'd have managed to remain positive about this whole period if I hadn't been able to have my walks most days tho I'm at 30mins max at the moment before fatigued. We did talk about next stage of treatment, endocrine, and the possibility of adding monthly injections of zoladex to the daily tamoxifen but I'm not sold on it at all. I don't know how I'd manage to move on if i had to go to the doctor for monthly injections for possibly the next 5 years .. Anyone else going down this path at all? Hope you feel better soon Gigi and Michelle, I hope your appointment goes well today, I'll be thinking of you. X ... View more

Jersey has been recommended to us too, it looks like it might be the new place to be! As for Lucca, I haven't heard of there at all.. I'll check it out, thanks. It feels like a never ending conveyor belt taking us from one treatment to another.. Roll on Christmas 🤶! ... View more

Mine were borderline a few weeks ago. On the recommendation of the nurse I ate loads of spinach and kale and drank homemade green smoothies and they went back up again over a few days. It may or may not have been because of all the greens but I figured it wouldn't do me any harm. Hope you get back on track Linda x ... View more

Hi Christine, this evening I was prescribed tramadol, 50mg tablets, to see if that helps. I was a bit worried about taking it but my gp has assured me that it's a low dose but will hopefully be enough to cut through the pain without the weeping side effects.. I'll keep you posted Also it's.interesting what you sat about the mirena coil Christine. I also have one that was fitted last year to stop unmanageable heavy periods. My oncologist said she'd usually recommend that it was removed for ER+ but as it was so recently fitted it won't have contributed to the cancer but that she'd be happier if it was removed. It's my choice and I think I will remove it but I couldn't cope with the heavy periods again but maybe the tamoxifen will see to that? Another thing to think about that I could do without! Xx ... View more

Sorry to read of the previous woes but great news that almost everyone is through chemo or just about to finish . I'm a little jealous as I still have 6 sessions over 6 more weeks to go. The fatigue is really kicking in now and I definitely over did it while we had family here but I know I'll make it through. My joints are very sore and struggling to find a drug that helps but doesn't make me feel down. Unfortunately cocodamol is effective but makes me very weepy! Hot baths help but in this weather as quite unappealing. Also, when I finish chemo on 30 August I'll have a 3 week break before I start 3 weeks/15sessions of rads on 24 Sept so I'm looking forward to that too and hope to have a little holiday again. Not quite sure where yet, maybe Mallorca but as its been so hot at home I wouldn't mind going somewhere cooler. We'll see. Any suggestions most welcome I'm definitely eating too much ice cream and not enough salads during this heat wave but I figure I'll work it off when I'm done the chemo and it'll give me a post chemo focus! That's what I'm telling myself anyway as I scoff another scoop! I'm still getting out for walks for a few hours a few times a week but think I'll need something a bit more to shift it! A very dear friend just had a baby girl yesterday which was wonderful news and made me very happy as she's been long awaited. Its nice to see life continuing even tho I feel somewhat stuck in a rut but it made me feel hopeful. Best wishes to all and hope you aren't melting too much xx ... View more

Gigi, I'm so sorry to hear your struggles. Having fatigue is so hard and it seems like you have the turbo version! How disappointing to not make it to the festival but I also feel that social media helps when we're limited and makes things seem a bit closer and allows us to see what's going on. Is there anything that you can do in terms of food that may help? My nurse advised that on the taxol drugs you can't have enough kale and spinach which boosts your bloods but also energy. I don't know for sure if it works but I've been trying anyway. Hopefully your medical team will be able to suggest some things to help and that once the other drug gets out of your system you'll start to revive and get back to your energetic self. Thinking of you and hope this challenging time starts to pass by soon xxx ... View more