Breast Cancer Now Forum

thanks danielafedric and revcat.... it's difficult to know what to do for the best sometimes when the experts give conflicting advice, at least now with your information i can discuss what options i might have whereas before it was just accepting what i was told i'm armed with a bit more knowledge now.  thanks ladies x ... View more

i've been taking tamoxifen since 2012 following masectomy chemo (fec T) and radiotherapy,i had reconstruction in 2013 and my 2year check up was clear yay!!  i still get bad joint pain especially the knees they feel really weak (possibly trying to hold up my increased weight gain) i also feel a bit 'wooly headed' and like butterfly i work with mental health and people with dementia and find myself needing to follow my own advice and write everything down which is useful (until you forget where you put your list) it does make me feel stressed tho' that i am going to make some error,  I was hoping someone could help answer how long do these effects last and is it from the treatment or worse is it just me ... View more

i had a hysteroscopy in sept due to the thickening of the lining of the womb,they removed 2 polyps but were unable to remove 2 more at that time ( i think there must be some sort of party going on down there) so i'm due to go again in june,  The advice given to me was that the benefits of tamoxifen outway the negatives but they will continue to monitor it,  should i be thinking more about other options? ... View more

i've been on tamoxifen since 2012 i initially had terrible side-effects feeling really nauseaous worse than the chemo,it was suggested i try taking it tea-time with food and since then i feel a lot better. sometimes it's tweaking it until you find a way that's suits you,  hope that's useful for you x ... View more

hiya wintersocks. just checking to see how your doing and to wish you well for your scan on wednesday. I know it's a hard time but having all the facts and your treatment plan does make it easier and gives you more of a focus and a time line to work towards. I also hope Gabby is doing ok,my breast care nurse is still the same as from diagnosis although her input is less because my needs are less which is a good thing but she's just a phone call away. Good luck both with the chemo if you can use the support around you it is manageable, i tried to think of it as a relatively short period of my time to gain a lifetime and it is surprising how quickly you cross off each session. love n hugs shazza x ... View more

hiya wintersocks. Sorry to hear of your diagnosis its a scary unreal time your going through at the moment,i've recently finished my treatment,like you i had chemo followed by masectomy and rads,it's a hard slog but it is treatable and beatable and you can get through it. my son was 15 and my main concern but he has handled it quite well,and used to buff my head when my hair fell out, although can't say i was quite so keen when he nicknamed me Carl after "an idiot abroad" when it started to grow back. I found keeping a diary helped as it not only allowed me to poor thoughts and feelings out but kept a record of how i was feeling so i could monitor my symptoms/side-effects,it's also useful to look back on and see how far you've moved on. Katyb61 gave some good advice if help is offered take up the offer,it also helped my family as it let them feel they were doing something positive as indeed they were (mind you i'm paying for it now) This terrible time will pass and there will be good days and bad but you will find your strength to get through it. I wish you and your family all the best and will look out to see how your doing take care x ... View more

really pleased to hear the good news it such a relief when your able to just focus on the treatment take care x ... View more

thanks revcat i haven't noticed any hair coming out it's just i seem to be spreading the hair about to fill in the gaps!and the tingly feeling is similar to when i started the chemo so i'm thinking the worst (as you do)i'll try and keep it in perspective tho after reading what is the norm,glad to hear it's not just me with a tingly head thanks again for replying,hope your keeping well x ... View more

hiya jedikitty i had my masectomy and lympth node clearout oct4th following 6 sessions of chemo 3 fec 3 tax,i was like you had never had an op or been in hospital before except to have my son (now that smarted a bit). i went in the morning on the tuesday had the op and was home by the wednesday, i didn't get a chance to read any of my magazines or abuse the morphine as planned. i found it uncomfortable and awkward at times with the drains but if you've support around you take their offers of help, my lot said they felt better being able to do something and i am eternally grateful to them. it's surprising how quickly you adapt and adjust to being a "uniboobster" it's not a great look but my other half still fancies me and probably for the first time ever i've invested in a bra that fits properly (matalan do good post surgery)so it's not obvious when i go out. i hope all goes well for you on wednesday and there's nothing wrong with having a "wibbly" moment x ... View more

hiya purple glad to hear your eating and sleeping better and getting on with things even tho it's never far from your thoughts. just wanted to wish you well with your ct scan to-morrow everythings crossed for you. hope all went well for janey and her visit to consultant,good luck to you both x ... View more

good on you girl fighting talk! breast cancer is treatable and beatable even if i am sat here with one bosom and an inch of hair i'm still sat here and feeling ok about it, although would have preferred hair to be long blonde n glossy not short curly and very much like sheeps wool,still can't have everything,let us know how you get on, take care xx ... View more

thanks lisa and crazylesley and jan i went to the hairdressers and she trimmed and shaped my hair as the the style was becoming scarily like my old headmistress,it was quite dark with tight curls and much coarser than my old hair,i might leave it a little longer following your advice don't want to ruin it now i've just got it back. thanks again all of you x ... View more

hiya purple42 all the things you described i.e feeling sick,unable to eat, constant worrying not feeling your coping is similar to how i felt at the beginging,it seemed as if i were in "limbo" and everything was on hold there was a constant knot in my stomach from anxiety and like you i just wanted to get on with it and have all the facts. looking back this was probably the worst time,there were good days and bad sometimes i'd be really positive and other times i was picking my funeral songs.It was a case really of just going with the flow until i knew what i was dealing with. It seems a good idea to see your gp I take zopiclone sleeping tablets on and off which has helped as i needed some respite from my thoughts and feeling tired from lack of sleep seems to highten the emotions,and a milky drink when i couldn't face food helped. moving house and dealing with breast cancer sounds like one very capable lady to me. hope your results are positive and the move went well good luck xx ... View more

hiya purple,i can understand your fears i was diagnosed in april i also needed chemo first because the lymph nodes were affected this was followed by masectomy, tumour was appro 6cms then rads. i also had a ct and bone scan i found this the worst time waiting for results as your mind and thoughts are all over the place my son was only 15 so i had worries about him to.there doesn't seem to be many words that help and i thought if someone says "think positive" to me one more time i would throttle them even tho they meant well. i kept a diary which i found helped as i could put thoughts and feelings down and it kept a track of things as one day can roll into the next,it's quite good to read back as i can see how further on i am now mentally as well as physically. it does and will get better i hope all goes well with you and your treatment ... View more

thanks lorna45 and katytc feel a bit more positive about restarting the tamoxifen now,i did try taking it at night but not with a full belly so will take your advise and hopefully it will sort out the sickness. thanks again and have a good christmas ... View more

i've also experienced similar aches and pains even in my fingers and toes i've found i do loosen up once i get started but at night it can be worse when i'm trying to relax, i do take a co-codomol if its bad but i also take zimovane sleeping tablet which gives me some respite from the aches and i can manage to sleep,(every thing seems worse when i'm tired)i plan to reduce the zimovane when my symptoms are less acute hope this is of some help ... View more