Breast Cancer Now Forum

Mrs Velo - you are absolutely allowed to have bad days, as many as you want!  It's definitely not acting like a spoilt child.  Getting a diagnosis like this is life changing and I don't think any of us will be the person we were before.  But we'll be stronger, that's for sure.   I also think a lot of us have not wanted our family and friends to be upset or worried so we've "protected" them by putting on a brave face.  Maybe we're all just amazing actresses because they're then thinking "well if she's ok with all this, I don't need to worry too much about it either".     Angie - I bet it felt amazing to be able to use the aloe gel.  Such a relief for you.  My arm still hurts but then I'm still holding the Kindle the same way.  I might have to go back to real books for a while.   I'm in just after 3pm today and then have four gorgeous days off.  Tuesday though I've got a Herceptin injection in one hospital in the morning and radiotherapy in another hospital (20 miles away) in the afternoon.   Enjoy your weekend ladies.   Deb x ... View more

Hi Angie.   No, I'm not doing the exercises they gave me after I had my lymph nodes taken away.  That was back in November and I kind of got out of the habit.  I should dig the leaflet out again.  I'm still doing regular stuff like house cleaning and shopping, though the lymph nodes were taken from my right side, and I'm left handed so don't use my right hand/arm so much.  I was worried a couple of days ago and my arm felt a bit swollen and bruised - turned out it was due to the way I hold my Kindle.  Numpty!   I hope you're not feeling too sore today.  Could you maybe use a moisturiser at weekends but just make sure the residue is all washed off prior to your radiotherapy?  I'm doing something similar with my deodorant.  I got some bionsen as my usual one has aluminium in it but have found it doesn't work for me at all, so I'm back to using the usual one for these two days.   Deb x ... View more

Hi all.   Two sessions done and another 13 to go.  So far it's been fine, though I know it's early days.  The weirdest thing is when they're moving me into position and say "we know you want to help, but don't" then I'm pushed and prodded and wiggled about.  They're so lovely though - all quite young.   I've woken up a couple of nights with a pain in my shoulder - across where my bra strap would lie if I was wearing a bra.  I don't know if it's a coincidence or a result of keeping my arms above my head in those support cups.  I'll keep an eye on it.     Have a lovely Sunday everyone.  We had friends over last night and have lots of leftovers so I don't even have to cook today.  (Yay!) x ... View more

Good luck to all the ladies starting today x ... View more

Hi Angie.   Yes, it's been a bit of a slog.  We have a two-week holiday planned for the beginning of June, and I can't wait.   Regarding deodorant.  The one I usually use has aluminium in it so I've bought one called Bionsen.  It's a solid one rather than a spray or roll-on.  It does smell rather gorgeous.   Deb x ... View more

Hi all.   I'll be joining you, to start my radiotherapy on 11th April, finishing on 3rd May (because of the bank holidays).   I was diagnosed with DCIS back in July - that seems so long ago now!  They were happy to wait for me to have my Sept hols so I had a therapeutic mammoplasty at the beginning of Oct (with the other boob reduced to match).  Some of the calcifications were a bit more advanced than expected so I had an op on my lymph nodes at the beginning of Nov.  Thankfully they were all clear (well there was one micromet, but that doesn't really count).   I finished 12 weekly chemo sessions yesterday and now have a couple of weeks break before the radiotherapy starts.  Though I have to pop over to the hospital for my Herceptin injection on Tuesday, and will be doing that for another 9 months.  I think Tamoxifen, or something similar, will start soon too.   Deb x ... View more

Hi Alabama   I used Paxman scalp cooling for my 12 weekly sessions.  I usually went to the hospital on a Tuesday and washed my hair Wednesday and Saturday morning.  I mostly used very cool, almost cold, water.   I used baby shampoo throughout and that's been fine.  I also tried with Simple conditioner but didn't get on with it so just went back to my usual one.  I dried my hair using my hairdryer on a cooler setting and also straightened it but didn't take the straighteners too close to the roots.   I'm chuffed to say that, apart from some very minor shedding (I've been pulling less out of the bath plughole than I normally do) I've kept all of my hair.  Yesterday was my last chemo - I move onto radiotherapy on 11th April.   I hope this helps to reassure you.  The cold cap isn't nice and added so much time to my treatment, and I won't say I'll miss it, but I'm so pleased I did it and would do it again in a heartbeat.   Deb x ... View more

We're a group of 4 mums who met at the school gates and have stayed friends (our boys are all grown up now).  One of the ladies, over Christmas, said "statistically they say it happens to 1 in 4, so one of us was going to get it".  Well I'm so glad I could step up to the breach for the rest of you!   I've also had two people so far tell me that my decision to cold cap is about vanity.  Not understanding that it's more about self esteem and trying to keep a little bit of "me"   Deb x ... View more

Hi Welsh J.  I had my second Taxol yesterday.   My side effects in my first week were very minor - a bit of an upset tummy on the Saturday - which was five days later (that could have been the pizza from the night before!) and I've been quite spotty (although I have been slapping on a lot more moisturiser).  My nurse said if I didn't have side effects in the first week, this was likely to continue going forward, apart from the tiredness increasing.   I asked about hair loss and when I'll know if cold capping is doing its job and the nurse said I should know by about session 5 or 6.     They asked me if anyone had talked to me about a line (which they haven't) as having the treatment weekly can be quite hard on the veins.  I'm not sure if I'm keen though.   Debs x ... View more

Well done Welsh J!  We're getting there.   I'm glad it was so much better for you than you thought.   Deb x ... View more

B74 - you're not being depressing at all.  This is just a safe place to vent where we know that other people on here "get" us x   MMJJ - if the T is for Taxol, that's what I'm on.  I know I only had it yesterday but so far I'm surprised at the lack of side effects.  I've taken my stomach lining tablet, and my anti-sickness ones, and haven't felt bad at all (I know it could still hit me like a ton of bricks)   Debs x ... View more

Hello HelenBumbleBee.  It is all a bit overwhelming to start off with, isn't it?  But, don't worry, you've found this lovely site now (I'm so glad I did).   As Kip says, we're all just starting off so in the same place as you.  We'll just support each other every step of the way.   Debs x ... View more

Hi Welshj and all.  I tried to post, telling you how it went today but kept getting error messages (several posts might all appear at the same time).   It was better than I expected.  The nurses were great, talking me through the drugs and what they were for, as they were being adminstered.   I need a bigger cold cap as they had to force it on my head (which won't help the roots) but after the first 15 minutes I was numb so it was fine.  Heavy though.   I'm home now, have had a good tea and am ready for bed.   D ... View more

Hi Welshj and all.  I'm home now and it all went really well.   There was a bit of waiting around, mainly because they're still playing catch up after Christmas.  The administering of the drugs was very straightforward, with the nurse naming each one as she gave it and telling me what it was for.  There were 4-5 of us in the room.  The chairs were recliners and there were heated pads to put over us to keep us warm (that sounds a bit like we were all huddled up together - we weren't!)   The cold capping was a bit troublesome, mostly because they didn't have a cap in my size so I had to have slightly too small one.  I had a pain in one temple to start off with so the nurse put a piece of gauze between the cap and my skin and the pain went straight away.  After about 15-20 mins it was all numb so I couldn't feel anything.  It's a bit heavy though.  At one point I nipped out to the loo and could see in the mirror I didn't look as daft as I felt!   So home now and I'm feeling fine though tired.  I'll see how it is when the drugs wear off, but they've sent me home with half a pharmacy to use if I need to    D ... View more

Hi Alif.  I start 12 weekly Taxol sessions tomorrow at 9.30am.  It's the fear of the unknown that gets us isn't it?  But we'll be absolutely fine, you know.   I have a huge mound of stuff put aside to take with me - everything from cross-stitch to sherbert lemons - you'd think I was going on safari!   D ... View more

Thinking of you all today ladies.  I hope everything goes well - in fact I know it will!   D ... View more

Hi MMJJ!     That makes 5 of us so far going into battle in January.  You're mostly all starting on 4th but I'm a little behind you on 7th.  I'm lucky that my husband is retired so can run me to and from the hospital.  I didn't realise, until I was going through all the "bumph" they gave me, that Taxol has alcohol so could make me over the limit for driving.   I hope you all have a fab New Years Eve.  I plan on eating a lot of pate and blue cheese while I still can!   D     ... View more

Thanks Sunnydaze, it's brilliant to read such a positive post.  You're right, it's fear of the unknown that gets us.   G  - I'm coldcapping too.  The nurse said, with the thickness of my hair, I have an 80% chance of keeping it so fingers crossed.  Just in case, I've bought a couple of beanies from a brilliant website called Hats 4 Heads.  Lots of lovely styles and good prices.   I'm still suffering from the cough and cold I developed after the flu jab.  My husband's just about to go up to stay with his family for the New Year but I've decided to stay at home.  I think it'll do him the world of good to be away from all the stress and my poorlyness (is that a word?)   D ... View more

I'm new here too.  I start my chemo on 7th January - Taxol for 12 weeks and 3-weekly Herceptin for a year.   I went for the talk at the hospital this afternoon and came away with so much info to read.  The nurses were lovely and kept trying to feed me lemon cake.   I had my flu jab last Saturday and have developed an impressive cough.  Fingers crossed it's gone by Christmas. ... View more