Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi all, I hope everyone is doing well. I was just walking my old black lab on the beach, and this amazing group came to mind. A good friend of our is waiting to see if he’s got prostate cancer. This group helped me so much through the dark days. I’m fine, just struggling with the tablets, letrozole didn’t go well with me, so I was changed to anastrozle, that’s no better, aches and pains, tiredness and hot flushes, but it’s better than the alternative. I’ve still got my chemo curled, I thought they would only last 6 months🤷‍♀️. Thank you again for your support and love to you all 💕💕💕 ... View more

To all my lovely October 2020 chemo starters. What a year it has been, full of many lows, yes, but how things have changed. Now I am complaining about my curly hair and pesky chin hairs that have to go. At lest now I do have hair to complain about. When I first found my lump, my 3rd grandson was bor, and because of my op, my sons family came up from Devon for the day just to see me which was great and so memorable. To be fair I am more or less back to normal now, getting used to the tablets, but as I haven’t has any follow up appointments, I do feel as though I feel dumped by the hospital, I understand I will have a mammogram next May. I don’t know about any of you, but nowadays I do get a bit more emotional about everything, especially about people with cancer. I try to push that to one side. Hopefully this is the new beginning for us all, yesterday I heard that my daughters friend who had been diagnosed with non Hodgkins Lymphoma at the same time as my diagnosis, she’s only 30, has just received the all clear. What a wonderful piece of news. Thank you to each and everyone of you, this forum has been a life line, thank you all so much and chin up 😀😀💪💪💪   ... View more

Dear Not a Jockey, I am so pleased for you, when will this marathon ever end. Dear Umlydia I did feel emotional reading your last post, I don’t want people to feel sorry for me but I just want understanding.  My appointment on Monday with the breast nurse has been postponed as she has to self isolate due to COVID 🤷‍♀️. On a new drug now, Anastrozole due to my previous side effects, hope this is better but it does say expect drowsiness and contains latulose 🤷‍♀️. look after yourselves 💪💪💕💕💕 ... View more

Dear Not a jockey, you are having a tough time, please take care of yourself and enjoy life today as much as you can. Up until last year I worked in a pharmacy so I have a good relationship with them. There isn’t a shortage of Letrozole but there isn’t a choice of manufacturers. Unfortunately doctors and nurses don’t normally know of shortages, but the pharmacy are the ones who can tell you .  I spoke to my oncologist Friday about my aches and pains and fatigue, he said it was classic side effects. He suggested changing brands, which I have since found out that’s not an option, so his will be sending me a prescription for an alternative drug. I must say since all this started I get more emotional, especially when I hear people like Bowel Baby who has grade 4 bowel cancer and she is so young. Thank goodness it’s a nice sunny day today, went out for a delicious seafood lunch with my husband and black Labrador, and a beautiful walk down the canal after, a great way to lift the spirits. Stay strong everyone, we’ve all gone so far 💕💕💪💪. Mandy xx ... View more

Hi Carmen, what a wonderful view, I bet you can’t wait to move. New start wonderful. So pleased to hear you are getting on well with Letrozole, I must admit I am struggling a bit. My knees and shoulder can sometimes be really painful and my thighs ache and make me feel so tired, and my stomach is like a gurgling washing machine🤷‍♀️. I’ve been having a few reflexology sessions through McMillan, and they have been lovely. Last Monday they emailed my oncologist and breast nurse with details of my symptoms and when they didn’t hear anything they rang the oncologists secretary. By magic I have n appointment with my oncologist at his hormone clinic this Friday. I’ve never me the man, only spoken to him twice. Fingers crossed we can work something out. hope everyone is progressing well mandy xx💕💕 ... View more

Dear NJA, so glad you are feeling a little better it is really tough after treatment. I find that a lot of people think you look well so everything is ok 🤷‍♀️. I’m in sunny Essex trying to catch up with a bit of gardening, we have 3/4 acres so you can’t let the grass grow under your feet. My husband is a nightmare in the garden, he will cut the grass if I can’t but I prefer to do it when able. My son now lives in Devon on the Two Moors Way, between Dartmoor and Exmoor, it’s a beautiful area. He has just started a business with a couple of self contained properties from a barn conversion, best time to start a holiday business. hope you all are having a lovely sunny bank holiday. Mandy 💪💪💕💕 ... View more

Dear NJA i do feel for you, we’ve all been through so much and we just expect to be back to ‘normal’ once we’ve finished treatment. I think it will take a while for anyone whose been through so much, and we all recover at different rates with different issues. Thank goodness your doctor is acting quickly and understanding your issues.  Look after yourself and try and have a lovely time.   Mandy xx ... View more

Dear Carmen I am so pleased for you, you have been so much over the last couple of years. I’m glad you are coping well with Letrozole, I’m finding my legs and knee aren’t. I’m finding it difficult getting up out of chairs and by the end of the day my legs are so heavy and ache like anything. I’m still doing aerobics and walking my dog but this doesn’t seem to help or hinder my legs. I suppose if these are the only side effects I can live with it, opposed to what others suffer. Managed to take my 85 year old mum out for a belated birthday lunch at a fantastic pub in Suffolk village of Pin Mill. The weather wasn’t perfect but lunch was.  Take care all of you and stay strong 💪💪💕💕💕 ... View more

Hi Carmen, don’t worry too much about the Letrozole, I was really worried and I’ve now bee on it for 2 months. So far the main issue I have is my knee joints, getting up and down I feel like an old bid. Like you I’m vain 😄 and I hate my grey hair, but not only that it’s growing back CURLY 😮, if any one remembers, I don’t want to look like Ena Sharples 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I hope you don’t get many side effects 💪💪💕💕 ... View more

Hi Carmen, no problem we are all going through difficult times. My psoriasis is still giving me jip, but time and the sun will help. I have not seen a doctor since I had my lumpectomy last July, and it does bother me as how does anyone know if I’m ok. After radiotherapy I just feel left, how do they know if it’s gone and I’m “All Clear”? There just doesn’t seem to be finality to all this. What has helped was that 2 weeks ago we were freed from Essex and ventured down to Devon to see my sons family. It was lovely, the sun was shining and this was just the second time I saw my youngest grandson, he is 1 next week.  We had a wonderful long weekend as my so. Has just finished his holiday cottages, so we could stay there.  Hopefully this country is getting back to normal, and so will we all 💕💕💪💪💪 Mandy xx ... View more

Hi Carmen, yes how exciting but I’ve got those pesky chin whiskers, I didn’t miss those. I can’t wait to dye my hair must I must wait, especially as my psoriasis is quite bad in my head. I am on the Bosom Pals Support group on fb as they are based in Southend, and I’m not sure if anyone feels it yet but I just feel in limbo since radiotherapy and chemo has finished. A lot on that group feel the same and they have written to breast cancer now asking for scans as well as mammograms to ensure cancer doesn’t return elsewhere. They said they understand how we feel and they will pass our concerns on but there are no plans at present 🤷‍♀️. My next appointment with a breast cancer nurse isn’t until July.  I feel so sad about your radiotherapy appointments, I was lucky, I got a time mostly 8.30 and I was in and out in about 15 mins. Good luck to you all 💪💪💕💕💕 ... View more

Dear NAJ, I’m so pleased you are looking on the bright side and taking an interest in your hobbies, you have been through so much. I don’t know what I would have done without my Labrador Bella, I’ve cursed her when I have had to walk her, but I’m sure it did me good, I chat to her all the time and she understands what I’ve been through 😀. I don’t think my toe nails have much longer to go, they a rocking in the nail bed 😬, but been through worse. Happy Easter to you all and stay strong 💪💪💕💕💕💕💕 ... View more

Hi Carmen, yes I’m 61 and I was large breasted which I always hated. Now since radiotherapy the breast I had a lumpectomy etc is a great size and yes pert. I wish the good one was the way but that won’t happen. I must say though, I often used to sleep on my front, and I did the other night, and it was still painful and all that day I got shooting pains. I wonder if that’s normal and I’m still healing?  I finished radiotherapy 3 weeks ago, and not heard a thing from the hospital, I do feel as though I’ve been dumped.  I want to ask questions about the pain and about the Letrozole.  Anyway if I don’t hear soon I’ll ring the breast care nurses. Carmen, radiotherapy is a walk in the park compared to chemo, I hope it all goes well. I hope everyone has a lovely Easter. Mandy 💕💕💪💪💪 ... View more

Hello All, I’m from October 2020 Chemo Starters. I wonder if anyone can tell me about side effects ofLetrozole, all I can find on line are really negative reviews. Does everyone get such bad reactions and how soon do you get side effect. I have just started Letrozole a week ago after a lumpectomy with lymph node removal, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thank you all ... View more

Linflo58 you poor thing, I know exactly how you feel. My psoriasis has been ok for for a number of years now, it’s been up and down since I was 16 ( I’m now 61 😬). I finished radiotherapy on Monday, but 3 weeks after I finished chemotherapy, my psoriasis started to come back aggressively. Now 3 weeks later it’s so bad and it’s everywhere, even on my face ( which hasn’t happened before). The thing is people around me say ‘great you’ve finished all your treatment, now you can get back to normal’ but I’m in so much pain and feel so low. I know this will go away with time, but it’s such a blow to my self esteem. It makes you wonder what’s next. I’m not usually so pessimistic, but .....  Mandy xxx   ... View more

Dear Umlydia I was always worried about Lymphedema, but as time has worn on I’m not so bad. Make sure you do your exercises, and a lady at the hospital said that using weights is a good way to keep healthy. Good news, you’re on the road to recovery. Chin up and love your attitude 💪💪 ... View more

Hi NAJ Yep my nails are dreadful too, ridges, white spots and slightly yellowish. I do feel tired but still able to function.  My hair is a mess, will my bald patch at the top ever grow back, plus looking forward to getting my eyelashes back. Still struggling with my rashes and spots, but does anyone suffer with a dry mouth from time to time, not like when you are chemo, but just dry. 💕💕 ... View more

Hi linflo58, like you I drive myself to radiotherapy every day. I’m just over half way through and I do feel tired.  I think it’s to do with the stress of it all plus chemo and radiotherapy. yes Carmen Verandah my spots are creeping up my neck and on my face and head. They are driving me mad 😬😬 ... View more

Good luck Umlydia we’ve all been through dreadful times, if we knew what we had to go through at the beginning, I’m not sure if I could have gone through it all.  Looks like I’ve got a fungal skin infection, everyday I get more and more spots and they itch like anything.  I’ve got a wash to use, so I hope it sorts it out quickly. I’ve just bought some magnetic eyelashes thinking they would be easy to use 🤷‍♀️, oh well I’ll still give them a go 🤣🤣 ... View more

Hi Carmen Verandah i do put fake tan oil in my moisturiser, which gives me a bit of colour and makes me feel a little better, also cannot go out without painting on my eyebrows. I’ve always had dark well defined eyebrows, and I’m not me without them. Im am sure that by summer we will all be feeling and looking a lot better 💕💕💕 ... View more