Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Angel, so pleased you had good news - a great way to start the new year and long may it last! Hope everyone who had surgery is doing well. Hope you survived in the motorhome June-at least its been mild! I got eyebrows for Christmas so must have been a good girl ! Hair is slowly getting there- bit of a Sinead O connor going on up top ! Wondering when I will feel comfortable to go commando in public. Not ready yet to wave goodbye to the wig. Off to the south for NYeve, seeing some friends that we havent got together with since diagnosis. Happy and Healthy New year to everyone ! xx ... View more

Hi everyone! Sorry not posted for a while but what with daily rads,a series of men arriving to do jobs and needing cups of tea, christmas coming up rather quickly and my daughters BD, going back to work, I don't know where the time has gone! I'll be thinking of those having ops this week, and the best of luck to you all x Not enjoying the rads but as long as the students don't get their hands on me the better it is. My arm aches so much, speed is definately a neccessity! Think I upset them coz they were debating which CD to put on and I requested no Michael Bouble as I have had him crooning at me the last few times! Apologies to Bouble fans out there ! Tamoxifen going down OK Queenie. Hot flushes though ! I have abandoned the bed socks much to OH relief!! Even kept warm during an arctic hockey game at my daughters school although the wig threatened to leave my head at one point. Can you imagine the horror of seeing a wig tearing up a hockey pitch like some kind of wild animal ? That was nearly me folks but will power and a quick reflex action saved the day !! Great meeting up with Lisha last week ! ( although she has considerably more hair than me .....) !! ... View more

3rd Zap today and easier than zap one but am still at the end of my tether by the time they come back in the room. They are hoping to find a way of supporting my elbow a bit more tomorrow. Think my face on their cctv must have said it all. Think i would prefer a Bush Tucker Trial....as long as it wasn't spiders....or eating dangly bits! Looking forward to meeting up with Lisha to compare notes! Good luck to all this week and hope everyones's hair/hats stayed on with the wind yesterday! x ... View more

Loving the flying hat story Lisha! We gotta laugh ! Had my first Zap today and didn't find it very easy. The machine stopped working and I was left with my arms above my head for what seemed like an age.I was scared to move in case they zapped the wrong bit and quite frankly was at the end of my tether and starting to panic. Not like me ! The staff were great and let me have a rest before a second attempt which I managed but I was shaking as it must have irritated a nerve. Not looking forward to tomorrow 😞 ... View more

Had a disastrous start to false eyelashes as they were too long and I felt I looked like a tranny! At the weekend I contemplated throwing them out but then I thought that I would trim them so I left them long at the outer edge and shorter towards the middle. I managed to stick them on and mighty fine they looked too ! What with the wig, drawn on eyebrows and false lashes, the only thing not false was my teeth ! They are Eyelure reusable lashes suitable for contact lens wearers. I put eyeliner on first and then the lashes.Its worth a try i think ! ... View more

June, so pleased that you have just one to go now - that is good news! I start rads on Monday. Have been given nifty little blue number to wear during treatment - unzips to expose the area. They rang to check I was still alive/coming for treatment and said not to wear the gown to the hospital but to change into it once I arrived!!! I suspect some poor soul must have turned up wearing one at some stage. Fantastic a garment as it is, I will resist the urge to wear it on nights out on the town/gardening ! Really pleased for you too Angel. Excellent news! Desperate for the hair to grow but not much is happening. Its still in a sulk because I pulled out some stubble with toupe tape. Sigh ... View more

Hi June, you are really going through it ! At least the Herceptin and Pax are in the system now and it seems like the premed is working so hopefully the next dose will go better too. Good luck with the udder cream.....I could joke about it getting you moooving but I will resist ! Hope it sorts the hands out I bet they're sore!No washing up !! Take care Andrea ... View more

Hi everyone ! Angel good luck for your tests this week, hoping for some good news for you :-)! Hi Queenie, fellow FECmate, I haven't had the flu jab yet, onc recommended 3 weeks post chemo so another needle awaits. Feeling Yeuk but blaming the Filigrastim injections, zero energy, taste buds departed but somehow loving Marmite at the moment! Hope the planning scan went well and you like your tattoos! Luckylil, hope your last FEC went well, and keep posting. Its great to hear from you. Send us some sunshine ! ... View more

Hi Lucklil, great to have you join our thread. We are going global ! I only managed one dose of the Tax as I developed an infection and it had wiped out my neuts despite taking Filigrastim. This resulted in a very swift admission to hospital and IV antibiotics without which I could have been extremely ill. My neuts have always struggled, even on the FEC and maybe that was an indicator that it was going to take it out of me. I was extremely tired, felt very flu like and ill but how much was the infection I don't know. Its a tricky one to answer as we are all different. After my experience I would air on the side of caution and certainly plan to stay closer to a hospital at least until you pick up. What does your oncologist think? You could maybe try one cycle and see how it goes but you are so far away from help in the bush. When my temp went to 38, the hospital said it was imperative to get antibiotics in within the hour. Other ladies have had a more positive time of it, its just a hard call isn't it ? Hope you have friends in South Africa that can support you ! Wishing you all the very best in making a decision thats right for you ! Andrea x ... View more

Had the last dose of the toxins today and also had a planning scan for the rads. Had my first ever tattoos - 2 little dots, together with some impressive felt tip art work over my boob. Didn't take long ! Gave me loads of info - said I was advised not to exposed the affected area to sun or cold winds. Damm, there goes my bare breasted rambling hobby :-)Start radiotherapy 28th Nov and finish 23rd Dec. Just managed to get it over before Christmas. What a year ! Fellow FECers hope your S/E are minimal, TAXers too - you are amazing ( this one couldn't take it) hope the nails hang in there and the TAX truck doesn't stay too long. Now onwards to Movicol, oranges,branflakes and steroids. YUM ... View more

Hi ladies, back from a few days away and dropped in to see how you are all doing. Firstly a belated Happy Birthday to Shapb, hope you were able to enjoy a piece of birthday cake and a glass of something alcoholic ! Sorry June - a rough old half term week for you. We will still be around for you ! Just a bummer when you have a date on the calendar and its all change. I had to invest in toupee tape last week as my wig although fine for normal wear can slip when I am doing something more active. Seven quid it was - rip off ( yes quite literally if u read on and wasn't that taking advantage of a bald and desperate woman ?!) On my few days break with the family we were biking, horse riding and lazer shooting - all requiring hats of some kind. There was no way without extra security that hat and wig would stay put. The toupee tape was brilliant - wig in tact even when removing snug riding hat. However it did rip out my newly grown fluff when I took the wig off and I will now be growing hair in stripes...... Zebra Mum...seemed such a good idea at the time ! To all those that have had the last of their chemo I hope you feel much better soon ! To those having it this week , good luck. Queenie, hope all goes well fellow FECer - get on the movicol girl and show those bowels who's boss ! Lisha I am seeing onc tomorrow so I hopefully will have some sort of schedule regards RADs and we can get a coffee in . I will be going back to work after the chemo ends and just working the RADs around work.Mmmm not really looking forward to that but its progress and getting back to normality! x ... View more

O Angel, not what you want to hear and being on your own too so hard. My heart goes out to you. The truth is none of us know, and none can really say what will happen to us in the future.Like you say there are plenty of ladies out there who are doing really well 5/10/20 years post treatment. We have to believe that we will get there too ! x ... View more

Great tracks Sharon !- thought of some more as I was trying to sleep next to snoring OH last night. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor, The Show Must Go On - Queen, Fight For this Love Cheryl Cole, Waka Waka Shakira ( dont laugh lyrics as the start good motivator !!) These will either inspire or get people stamping on their I pods ! He He ... View more

OO Shroomie, sorry u feeling so rubbish.Once it passes the up feeling will be so much better knowing there will be no more chemo. I am streaming with cold but energy picking up now with my mood. Cross coz my mascara found 2 lashes on the left and then proceeded to stick them together...just not fair! Good luck with the MUGA scan June and next lot of chemo. Queenie glad the Movicol kicked in ! I have managed to conquer the constipation by starting Movicol day before chemo. Having it on day and day after and eating an orange a day together with as much bran/veg as I can tolerate. One of my girls is veggie and I cook a veg lasagne which is good to go ! Once first week is over, normal service resumes...We are all different though, so may not work for all! At the risk of sounding totally cheesy I am also listening to Ben Howard's' Keep Your Head Up' - a track to do chemo with ! Anyone else got any good music to keep us going? xx ... View more

Fantastic Shroomie, all done ! Every day now a climb back to normality without being slammed back down by another dose of the toxins ! I can't wait, though just hating the S/E, they have got worse every time. Where did u get the Rapidlash?? Heard that its worth a go. My hairdresser reckoned I should be more or less back to my hairstyle (short) by end of Feb. I have a bit more fuzz on top but it all looks grey to me 😞 Think me and my wig will be in a relationship for some months to come...Going away next w/e for short break with family. It was to celebrate end of chemo but not quite worked that way as I was delayed. On a positive note though, I will be on my up time, so its worked better. Hope the wig manages to stay aloft as we will be biking/doing active stuff. Lisha would love to meet up for coffee. Once I know whats happening with Rads I will PM you! Hope the drive to Coventry not too stressful! Good luck Angel/Slendablenda with last lot. Andrea ... View more

Hi everyone ! Still feeling rubbish, in fact felt faint drawing my eyebrows on this morning. Decided I am dehydrated so am making a bigger effort to drink. My daughter noticed that around my eyes look bruised so think must be not drinking enough.False eyelashes abandoned ! In fact they have mysteriously disappeared after I removed them...think the cat has something to do with it. Its acting suspiciously... Lisha, glad the shingles are settled down - TEN tabs a day??!! Gosh but at least you are up and about, well in and out of the loo ! Queenie, looks like if the flushes are signs of menopause i am with you girl. My onc says she will do blood test to test for it and then may switch me from Tamoxifen to another drug if I am in menopause. Read in paper today there is a new drug for oestrogen pos breast cancer with results 20% better than Tamoxifen. Prob not available yet, but sounds promising. Now then, must top up my pint mug with some more liquid....gin? Best wishes so everyone FECing and Taxing xx ... View more

Hi Everyone, Gosh finding it hard to function this week on all levels! I think I could fall out with my own shadow too. Hi Queenie, I am cold too - where are those hot flushes when u need 'em? Hope the Movicol helps - I hate the stuff but mixed it with fresh orange and managed to get it down. I tried false eye lashes today as my own have disappeared. I can't decide if I look like a tranny !!! They are quite long. Waiting to see if my friend notices, she's coming over later. Slenderbenda, hope all goes according to plan for you tomorrow.Think you are the first of us to have the last of the chemo. It has been such an endurance test. My last one 2 weeks tomorrow, neuts permitting. Hears to energy returning and taste buds and hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, LIFE ! ... View more