Breast Cancer Now Forum

Have been popping back on here to see how Kate is doing, and am absolutely delighted to hear she is improving. That's brilliant news !!! Passing on my very best wishes to Kate and her family. with much love Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Haven't been on the Forum for months now but have been following Kate's blog regularly, and had heard this news. Sending Kate and her family all my love. She is a huge inspiration to us all, and is in my thoughts. Julie xxx ... View more

Hey Girls How are you all ? Have just sent you an e-mail with all my news so won't bore you again with it ! Oh Ali, what are you like ? Falling over in public - nice one ! Seriously hon, hope you're feeling better now but I bet you've got some lovely bruises. Oh bless Emily, tell her I'll meet her one day I promise. Actually, once the summer arrives (if ever), we'll take a trip out your way and drop in for a cuppa ! xx Kelly, I was thinking of you on Monday. Please try not to worry about your mammogram - it WILL be fine xx Mel - how are you honey ? Thanks for posting and e-mailing, its so good to hear from you xx Lesley/Sarah/Lynne - where are you ? and how are you ? xxx Right girls, that's me done for now, going for a curry tonight and very much looking forward to it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend Love to all Julie xxxx ... View more

What a great thread ! My earliest memory is falling down the stairs and hitting my head on my Nan's hoover (a large blue stand-up thing with one of those material type bags that collected the dust). I was only a toddler and I remember my poor old Nan rushing down the stairs in a right old panic. I also remember (distinctly) walking through heaps of autumn leaves, holding my Grandad's hand, and again must've been very small as the leaves were almost up to my knees. Ah, happy days.... Julie xx ... View more

Hi Fiona & Magsi Thanks so much for your comments. I'm really looking forward to it now ! Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Ladies God, I'm really worried now... I've got my first mammogram on Monday and haven't been bothered about it until now. Am even going on my own. I've just been under the maybe naieve impression that even though I finished chemo at the end of August, followed by rads. that at this early stage, SURELY there won't be anything there ? I'm also on herceptin now. Lots of love to anyone who's in a similar boat at the minute, and remember to let us know once you get your results back. I'm sure we'll all be fine girls! Love Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Mel ! Great to hear from you again, and bless your heart, you've still got that sense of humour. Good for you x Really looking forward to meeting everyone on 24th May - no, we haven't got a venue sorted out yet though - lol. Best I check out the "entertainment scene" there. I thought we could go clubbing after a nice meal. I AM joking of course ho-hummers, don't panic ! Will e-mail you all anyway x Anyway, big hugs to everyone as usual, especially you Mel - and keep going girl, we're all with you. Julie xxxx ... View more

Hi Waitingangel and Liz Welcome to the site, which you will find an absolute lifeline. I was diagnosed nearly a year ago (4th April), had eight sessions of chemo, a mastectomy and node removal, radiotherapy and am now on herceptin and due my reconstruction at the end of next month (phew!). Obviously the news at first is devastating and there's so much information to take in, but at the end of the day I remember thinking "well, its sink or swim" and swim I did !! Everyone refers to this as a roller-coaster and its definitely that - you have up days and down days, but eventually you DO see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have to say Paula's message is one of the best I've read on here - how uplifting ! Thankyou Paula xx Good luck ladies with all your treatment, I wish you all the very best Lots of love and a huge hug Julie xxx ... View more

Hi lizzie I'm also on herceptin - am due my fifth this Wednesday, but apart from a consistently runny nose, I don't feel too bad at all. I would certainly ask for your hormone level to be tested - I haven't had a period since last June and had a feeling I was menopausal, only to be tested last month, and told I am ! Oh, its great being a woman isn't it ? (not !) Hope you get it sorted out though. Let us know. Love Julie xx ... View more

Hey Girls Where are you all ? Yeah ok, I know I'm probably the worst one for deserting the forums just lately, so I'll shut up... Good to hear from you Sarah, and well done on your third FEC - how many more have you to go ? Interested to hear about your kittens - they must be pretty special if you took them on holiday with you - lol ! What breed are they ? We own a black one-eyed cat called Jasper and he's thoroughly spoiled. He was a rescue cat (his owners dumped him and he had such a bad eye infection when he was found that it had to be removed). I saw his gorgeous face on the front page of our local paper and a few phone calls later, and visits, he was ours. We've now had him four years and love him dearly. Sarah, you must let one of us have your e-mail address, then you can join in the e-mails - and can hopefully come to the grand meet up in May ! Anyway girls, hoping the rest of you are doing well - have been emailing you so I'm not totally deserting you - lol ! Have a good week everyone - big hugs especially to you Mel. Love Julie xxxxx ... View more

I have been following this post with interest, and now have decided to add my "half penneth" ! I would say I have to agree with buttons500. I too have a "hit list" or "haunt list" whichever you prefer to call it - lol, so I fully intend on making my presence known to a few people when my time comes. I'm also ready for my big chat with that man upstairs - if he DOES exist, and I think it will become rather heated - at which point I'll probably be sent back downstairs to that hotter part of the afterlife, but at least I'll have had my say. At the end of the day, as much as I fully respect everyone's different beliefs and points of view, I guess none of us will really know until we get there will we ? Love to all Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Girls Firstly, can I apologise for being so rubbish - I haven't been on here for bloomin' ages ! Mind you, at least we've kept in touch via e-mail I suppose ! Dawn - so sorry I missed out on sending you Happy Birthday wishes for your BIG birthday - all downhill from now on girl - lol !. Sounds like you had a fabulous weekend. Please e-mail us some photos - I'm sure you look gorgeous - stop putting yourself down !! xx Mel - hope you're doing ok my lovely - been thinking of you lots xx Lesley - Try not to worry about your MRI scan (easier said than done I know), I'm sure it'll be fine. 2 rads to go - that's brilliant ! Well done, another hurdle out the way xx Be thinking of you tomorrow xx Lynne - Hope you're having a better week - it'll soon be Friday - lol (I wish) xx Kelly - Car sounds great - get you ! Is this because you're a dog owner now ? How is Princess Daisy doing ? More photos please ! Its nearly a year since I was diagnosed too (4th April) Like you, I can remember every single detail of that goddamn awful day and am absolutely dreading it. Trying to think of something I can do that day to take my mind off it xx How did you get on with your Oncologist by the way ? Sarah - Hope you're ok honey xx Lee - Welcome back - brilliant news about your test results xx Ali - You are such a busy-bee aren't you - do you ever get time to just sit down and do nothing ?? - lol ! xx Well girls, not a lot to report this end unfortunately. Bathroom on hold (understandable because of OH's current circumstances, which you know about). Not doing much for Easter (again due to circumstances), but hoping to at least have a nice day out somewhere on Sunday, although the weather isn't going to be up to much apparently. My hair is now getting on my nerves - never mind a hair "do", mines more of a hair "don't" at the minute. Shouldn't complain really though. Anyway, love to all, big hugs especially to Mel, and will be back on again soon, Take care Julie xxx ... View more

Kelly I'm so so sorry to hear this news. Like Ali says, you know where we are if you need us. Love Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Juliet I'm so sorry to read your message and I know I'm not alone when I say I know how you feel. Having to cope with this and the recent loss of your husband is awful for you. I was 41 when diagnosed last April. My kids were 13 and 11 at the time, and my hubby and I decided not to tell them what was going on for fear of worrying them. It was an ultrasound scan, and subsequent biopsy that found my tumour. I did have a mammogram but it wasn't seen on there. I had a week to wait for the results of the biopsy, and it was hell. I managed to keep my feelings from the kids (although my eldest caught me on a "Breast Cancer" website - as you do - and said afterwards that she knew something was going on. Unfortunately when I was given the news on 4th April, we decided that the girls had to know. We told them that the next few months were going to be hard, but we WOULD get through it. And get through it we have, I'm proud to say. I've had my chemo, mastectomy, rads and am now on herceptin and will be having a reconstruction in April. All the way through, we've kept the girls informed of whats been going on, they've watched me have chemo, I showed them my scar as soon as I had my mastectomy, and overall we've (somehow) managed to keep a sense of humour which has helped us all enormously. I remember my daughter (who is now nearly 15) saying at the time "if you're alright, we're alright". We've had some fun days out in between chemo/ops etc and as a family have grown even stronger together. Friends do mean well, but I know what you mean about them referring to a "check up". I had the same comments, and wanted to scream at them "its not a bl**dy check up - I'm scared to death!!!". But unless you've been through it, its hard to understand I guess. I can't remember seeing your last message, but I'm presuming you've found something and your GP has referred you to the hospital ? You may well get your results there and then - it could just be a cyst in which case I don't think they would do a biopsy. In my case, as I say, they did the biopsy and I had to wait a week for the results. Its up to you, but I would advise not telling your son until you know exactly what you're dealing with, as like you say you don't want to worry him unecessarily. I know you're confused and scared honey, and its not stupid at all. Hopefully Wednesday will give you some answers, and I'm keeping everything crossed for you that its good news. IF by any chance its not, remember we're all here for you - you're not alone in this. Thinking of you, good luck for Wednesday and remember to post on here to let us know how you got on. much love, and a big hug Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Girls Just a quickie before I set off to pick Beth up from Trampolining Club. Jess is going out with her mates for a chinese tonight, so Andy is just running her and her friends into town. See, you girls with little ones - this is what happens when they get older, you feel like a bloomin taxi service ! Yep, I'm still ok for 24th May - seems a long way off but I'm really looking forward to it. Sarah, you're more than welcome to join us honey - Mel will fill you in. Talking of which, Mel I hope you're feeling much better now - send us a message when you can x Ali - have a fab party - what are you going dressed as ? And remember, we need to see photos - lol x Lynne - The Bathroom ? Nope, still not done. Don't get me started...... x Its really windy here too - hey at least we don't have to worry about our hair getting in our faces do we - ha ha ! x Kelly/Dawn/Lesley - hoping you're all ok too x Have a lovely weekend everyone, big hugs to all. Be back on again soon. Julie xxx P.S Sarah, I suffered with really bad sickness and found that cyclizine worked for me (just in case you want to suggest it to your Onc.) x ... View more

Hi Girls Mel - oh honey, I'm sorry to hear you're poorley - like Lynne, I'm sending you a big cyber hug and wishing you better soon xxx Lynne - I'm with you on the weekends situation. I'm soooooooo bored at work (enthusiasm has STILL not kicked in), and I long for the weekends. Then before you know it, its bl**dy Monday morning again.... Have to say, on the Lost theme, (and Ali won't be happy) that Sawyer just doesn't do it for me. Jack every time please. Oooh what I could do with him....... I can't believe you don't watch it Lynne - especially as Steph does!!! Would take you ages to catch up now though I guess. Anyway hon, hope you're getting a better nights sleep this week xxx Ali - Yes, sorry, I'm a Jack admirer, not Sawyer !! Have to say, I loved reading about your Ikea trauma - oh how funny ! That kind of thing only usually happens to me ! xxx Lesley - Hope you're ok. This sore spot couldn't be from the rads. could it ? Only I remember my Rads. Team telling me that the beam could literally "come out the other side" as it were ! Try not to worry too much (easier said than done, I know) - let us know how you get on after seeing your Onc. As for Lost, yes by the looks of it, Kate has got Aaron ! Which means that Claire is either dead, or stayed on the Island (but why would she let Aaron go?). Jack obviously isnt too keen on seeing him but that could be, if you remember, Claire's his half sister, making Aaron his nephew ! (For you ladies who aren't Lost fans, I'm sorry....) . I can't figure out who the Oceanic Six are either - just had an idea, I might google it and see what comes up (what a saddo) !! xxx Kelly - Thanks for keeping us posted with your e-mail. Hope Daisy is keeping you distracted, in the nicest way xxx Dawn - I had an e-bay day on Sunday, and am selling loads of stuff on there too ! Hope your herceptin went ok today xxx Sarah - where are you ?/how are you ? xxx We're ok here - well apart from OH's job situation. Will be e-mailing you with updates about that as you never know who reads these threads so can't say too much (oooh get me, sounding cryptic!). We haven't told the girls the situation - god knows they had enough stress to deal with last year and it would'nt be fair on them. Anyway my lovelies, kids hassling me asking whats for tea - and I haven't got a clue - LOL ! Be back on again soon Love to you all Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Rebecca Firstly welcome to our very exclusive club - the club none of us want to really join ! This site has been an absolute godsend to me since I was diagnosed last year, and you'll find tons of support and advice like I have. I was 41 when diagnosed last April, I had eight sessions of chemo, followed by a mastectomy and lymph node removal, radiotherapy, and now I'm on herceptin. Oh, and due a reconstruction in April. The last year has been a complete roller coaster ride, the initial news hit me and my family (I have two girls who were 13 and 10 at the time) like a ton of bricks and I have to say the first two weeks were the worst, what with scan after scan, breaking the news to people, etc. Once I had my treatment plan I started to feel better, and the good days started outnumbering the bad. I even got my sense of humour back, which I have to say helped enormously ! Rebecca, I know exactly how you're feeling at the moment - its so so scary, but I promise you, you'll get through it. If I can do it anyone can ! Sending you lots of love and very best wishes for the rest of your treatment. Remember, you're amongst friends on here - the girls on this forum are wonderful. Keep posting so we know how you are. Lots of love Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Liz I'm sorry to hear you're feeling so low. Losing your hair is awful - I cried buckets too. Like most ladies, once mine started to come out in handfuls, I got my hubby to shave it off for me. (this is after I'd attempted to just hack it off with the scissors myself - you can imagine what I looked like - lol!). Anyway, I did order a wig but in the end never wore it, preferring bandanas instead. I had loads of different ones to go with each outfit and really got used to them. One bonus to not having any hair is getting ready to go out in no time - and I saved loads of money on my usual highlights and regular haircuts! (and hubby was glad I wasn't pinching his razor to shave my legs!) I don't mean to make light of what is a horrible situation for you, but like Kelly said, it really does get better with time and before you know it, it'll start coming back and you'll be having bad hair days again (like I'm starting to now!). Dry those tears, have a large glass of wine and remember your friends on here are with you all the way ! Wishing you all the best with the rest of your treatment Lots of love Julie xxx ... View more

Hi Girls Firstly, Ali congratulations on finishing your rads. honey! I can understand you feeling a bit lost now. I'll be scared when all my treatment is done too. Will definitely be looking at the website for Morston Hall by the way! Yes, I'm doing Race for Life aswell with a load of girls from work, and my two girls too. The youngest hates walking anywhere but has promised me that she's not going to moan all the way round - LOL ! x Lynne - hope you're ok x Mel/Lesley/Dawn/Kelly - hope you're all ok too - Mel hope you had a fab time - e-mail us over some photos ! x Anyway girls, this week hasn't been the best for me unfortunately (not health wise though so don't worry) - will e-mail you all, as I don't really want to share my woes with the whole of the forum - lol ! Lots of love, and hugs as always Julie xxx ... View more