Breast Cancer Now Forum

Happy Birthday, nannabarb! 🙂 Have a wonderful day! ... View more

Thank you, everybody, for the encouraging words regarding the Tamoxifen and skin care during rads. Am already experiencing chemopausal hot flushes and really don't like the idea of spending the next few years with more of the same. It's about 20 years too early for that. 😞 Foxyferret, thanks for the tip about the aloe vera. I have some of that too and will definitely use it. Btw I like your choice of costume for the party and could think of a few people I'd recommend to be bitten... Have a nice evening everyone! ... View more

They did tell me about using gentle, perfume free soap, though not about what to put on afterwards, just said 'don't put anything on'. I have some aqueous cream at home, might use it then.. As the lymph vessels go all the way in/through the armpit I imagine you can get cording there too. Mine has been acting up during the chemo, a lot of tightness - sometimes only the upper arm, recently all the way down to the wrist - so I am expecting it to be annoying during the rads as well. Shoulder exercises today are limited to pouring the kettle and lifting the tea cup... 😉 ... View more

Thanks, Ali! 🙂 Am putting my feet up and taking it easy for the rest of the day. The skin is doing ok so far. Internally there is some pinching and pulling going on though. Having no problems with wetness in the armpit as my sweat gland hasn't been working since the operation (ANC). Unfortuntaly that means I am loopsided, as the other armpit is happily sweating away... What kind of cream are you putting on? I was told not to put anything whatsoever on the boob that's getting nuked. Huh, it's puzzling how patients are getting given completely different advise in different places/from different health care professionals... Quickly pinching a biscuit, then I am off for another cup of tea... ... View more

Ooh, a party sounds lovely! I might just join the other Uncle Festers, not much dressing up required. Have been for zapping session number 4 this morning and afterwards did some quick grocery shopping. Bah, utterly exhausted now from the walk around the shop and to the bus stop with my one bag. I am trying to be patient with myself and pace myself and rest when needed, but there is so much to do and I can't keep up with it... Ugh! During my chat with the Onc on Monday she gave me the prescription for Tamoxifen. So here I am sitting now with the box of tablets, trying to convince myself to start taking them... Not much success just yet. So glad I made it through the chemo and relieved that right now I don't have to put more poison into my body. Until I start taking the tablets... Also very much put off by all the side effects. This is not what I had in mind for the next 5 years! I just want my life back. I want off this roller coaster ride but it just keeps going! Sorry, rant over. Might need some time on the CSL bench... Off to make a cup of tea... Hope everyone else is in a better mood. xx ... View more

Zapping session number 2 went well today. RevCat, they do play music in the nuking chamber, only I haven't really been paying attention to it so far. Ali, you're right, the machine should go 'ping' when it's done. Disappointing that it doesn't... Kitchen is still a mess, but as there is nobody else to take care of it but me I will have to tackle it sooner or later. Am ok as long as I am not looking at the state of it, only I am running out of pots and bowl and also out of space to put the dirty dishes. It's a tiny kitchen after all... Maybe after lunch, sigh... The baby hair is growing nicely, but very unevenly. I have a nice layer of grey fluff around the sides and back, but sadly nothing yet on top, so that I currently look like an old man. Not very attractive... My parents are the only people who have seen it so far, so nobody is patting and stroking it, thank goodness! Sleep fairies... hm, I shall be off later to catch one. Any ideas on the best way to do that? Am rather slow moving these days and keep dropping things... ... View more

Thank you, Ali and Katy! Felt utterly spoilt last night indeed. Now having a good sleep on the other hand is a totally different matter. Stupid flushes keep waking me up, finding it hard to go back to sleep... Kitchen is still in a terrible state, but apart from no motivation (still) there is no time for dealing with it right now. Have to get ready for my second zapping session... Hope you're all having a good day! xx ... View more

Thank you, RevCat, for the reassuring words and the hug. Have turned my back on the messy kitchen, it can wait. Have decided to change my bed sheets instead and have a lovely bath. Maybe that will make me feel better. 🙂 And tomorrow is another day... ... View more

It looks like I have been missing plenty in Benchland. Due to my mushy chemo-brain I am not entirely sure though what's been going on. Yesterday was the last day of my last chemo cycle, so I am now officially finished - woohoo! 🙂 - and I went out with a few friends to celebrate. It was a good feeling today not having to go for another juicing session. Instead I had to be there early in the morning for my first radiotherapy. And afterwards I had the (dreaded, as usually) meeting with my onc to discuss the tamoxifen. She tried her best talking me into taking them. Also she examined me spending quite some time on THE breast - the 'troublemaker', which apparently has two lumpy areas, and now wants me to have an ultra sound. Went home exhausted and ever so slighly worried. What are the chances for something nasty growing while being on chemo? 😕 My legs are tired, my kitchen is a mess... Feel like kicking and screaming, but as I don't have the energy, I shall rest on the CBA bench, again. Is it all over yet? Sigh... xx ... View more

Grumpy, I am so sorry about Barley. Sending you a big hug! Oooh, fireworks, dancing and glitterberry juice - the excitement! Haven't been to a good party in a long time. Feel the need to let my hair down - ha, if only I had any... 😉 Let me just throw on something glam. See you all in a bit... 🙂 ... View more

I have just joined you ladies with tittoos, I got mine on Tuesday. Only 3 though, so not enough to win any competition. By now all eyebrows are gone and the last one of the eyelashes is clinging on desperately. There is a thin layer of fluff sprouting on my otherwise bald head, making me feel like a dandelion clock. Can't wait for 'proper hair'... 10 days of my last cycle of chemo left and then radiotherapy starts straight away. No rest for the wicked... 😉 Katy - yahoo and congrats! CM - congrats on having your port out. 🙂 ... View more

Are there any spare thwacking ladles around? Mine broke and am in desperate need of a replacement...! Going back and forth between FF bench and CSL. Hm, I should say I am wobbling and staggering between the two. I love the idea of a bonfire! Am sure I find something I'd be happy to burn... Ah, brand new thwacking ladle, here it is! Reinforced hadle and extra grip. Thwack! And off I go, ahem, wobble... See you ladies at the bonfire! ... View more

I've been popping in every so often to see what's been happening in benchland but it's been a while since I've last posted... After 3 FEC I had my first cycle of Docetaxel and got pleasantly surprised in some ways. The first weekend wasn't much fun at all though with all the weakness, aches and pains and the hours stretching almost endlessly. I crawled out the other side and finally had my first good week - taste, appetite and slightly more energy - so endulged quite thouroughly. Well, I deserve it. 2/3 are done, tomorrow treatment number 5 is looming. After that it's only one more, that sounds soooo much better. Well, so far so good, I am afraid though chemopause has struck. My period has stopped and I am being attacked by hot flushes... 😞 My ONC will be happy, I am sure - I am not. This is so not ok, but nothing I can do... CBA bench, CSL bench, guilty bench - been on them all - like a bleeping merry-go-round... And am fed up with having no hair - I don't mind but I am over it, if that makes any sense. Am feeling like Mr. Potato Head and getting really annoyed with looking at myself being 'topless'... Will grab a few spoones and one of RevCat's lovely cupcakes and then I'll be off to cheer myself up with some yummy dinner... Thanks for letting me ramble... Hugs to all you wonderful benchland ladies! xx ... View more