Breast Cancer Care Forum

David, I'm going to try to pop by every so often too - just a few of the right words at the right time from people who were in or had been through BC helped me enormously - I'd like to repay the debt. ... View more

Finished my primary BC treatment today with my last radiotherapy - so bar some more herceptin, a load of scans and starting tamoxifen I'm done. Been quite the struggle, mostly with the chemo, but I never thought I'd see today so I'm more than glad it's finally hear. I'll never be exactly the same person I was but in a strange way I feel stronger for what I've been through. Good luck everyone. ... View more

Well, that's me done - just had my last radiotherapy session! Just another 9 x Herceptin, a few scans and five years of tamoxifen to go but otherwise I'm done, didn't believe I'd ever see this day. Thank you to everyone on here for your support over the last seven months. xxx Phil. ... View more

A mate of mine is really into running marathon's/iron-man's challenges etc. Well he asked me who I'd like him to run one for, I suggested BCC and he's contacted them and is running on their behalf - cool eh! ... View more

Yvonne, I had very bad pain in my sternum at one point, I didn't know what it was but it turned out to be simple (but quite severe) heartburn - I'd never had it before so didn't know it was just that. Not sure if that's any help to you but you never know. ... View more

Hi Jelly, 3 weeks since my last chemo, just got over it, had a nasty tummy thing but that seems like history - can't believe I've got through it to be honest, just had kind of resigned myself to not coming out the other side. Had my radiation prep on Monday, god tattoos hurt don't they! start it on the 25th, was going to be this coming Monday but they weren't sure about my tummy so that's fine. Going to give myself a fortnight after the radition to recover then we're getting away somewhere nice for a week, the kids can look after themselves, I genuinely can't wait :) ... View more

Well, the 6th of 6 chemo cycles just went in, still got 12 more herceptins, 3 weeks of radio and 5 years of some tablet but I can't say I'm not pleased. ... View more

When you guys mention 'Tax' do you mean 'Tamoxifen' - as I've only just found out I'm going to be taking that for five years at the end. Thanks in advance. ... View more

Sorry I've not been around, sometimes I prefer to try to forget about cancer and obviously coming here is the opposite of that. My 5th of 6 chemo cycles starts tomorrow and my 3-weeks of radiotherapy is now set for the 18th of March. I can do this now, wasn't sure for such a while but the light at the end of the tunnel is clear. ... View more

Had my second chemo this morning, ok so far, went well except the canula was hard to go in, took the nurse three attempt and the first one made me swear (which I never do at home). ... View more

Well, it had to happen, it all fell out in chunks the other day - at least it's easier for guys ... View more

Last night and today were bad, got a bladder infection and had very bad runs, zero sleep - may be coming out of the worst of it though after the sweatiest sleep of my life. ... View more

Sorry to hear about that Derek, did they do a sentintel or full lymph node removal at the same time? My mastectomy went ok, well better than yours seemingly, but they did have to go in for all my nodes a fortnight after (and at >1day notice). That was more complex, had a drain tube sat on a nerve so I was glad when that came out. Wives are brilliant aren't they, I'm sure I'd do a far worse job for her than she's doing for me right now - don't know where she gets the patience. Good luck and let me know if you want or need a chat ok. Hugs, Phil. ... View more

Hi Jelly, sorry it's hit you - seeing my Onc tomorrow - and my GP about my BP too - just don't feel myself at all, went shopping with my wife today and had to go back to the car about 80% of the way around. Mate got me a nice deerstalker though, and I found a nice enough barbour trapper hat so I'm all set for the hair-loss. Look after yourself ok. ... View more

Thank you for the extra details, a lot of that was quite new to me, I have no issues with how it affects my looks in any way - but the lymphatic damage sounds...odd I guess, must do some more reading about that as just the full node removal seems to have little impact on me (so far - wasn't done too long ago). That said I live down in Dorset and we sometimes get mosquitoes so I'm going to have to avoid them forever. The truth is that in some ways I needed a kick up the arse for the last couple of years, I'd just got too content in some ways - although I've had many, many dark thoughts about the cancer 'taking' me it had galvanised my mind about how things will be IF I get through. My (nearly 17yo) son has been a great help but he's something of a done-deal in terms of personality, me popping my clogs wouldn't change him too much I don't think, but my 13yo daughter isn't there yet and I want to be around so that she can finish becoming who she's going to be without this millstone around her neck. My wife's mother died of breast cancer when she was only 17 and I'm not sure she ever dealt with it well, so if I can hang about a few years I'll be happy that she'll be who she always was going to be. May even sneak in a few extra holidays in there with my wife sometime too :) Thanks once again, in some ways just having you to talk with has been the best thing I've done on this site - thank you. ... View more

Thanks Ian, good tip about the 4pm thing, I have found myself waking at about 5am recently. Interesting about the skin-tags, I tend to get lots of them. I will have to have radiation but I'm not quite sure about its long-term implications, I know you get a big bit of discoloured skin but I can live with that, what else am I missing? Oh and I'm on Herceptin, at least for now, BP's in the sky so you never know. I'm ever so glad for you putting your hand up, I've found it hard to accept how fed-up I have been with all this because I just keep feeling others deserve to 'moan' more than myself - I'm loved, great job who are being ace about all this time off, family's great, no body-image/hair issues - just don't feel like I should complain but that doesn't stop the worries. So great to know that someone else in the same situation came out the other side, I'm determined to use this as an excuse to fix the work/life thing and drop a few pounds etc. So it's really nice of you to reply :) ... View more

Thanks everyone who posted on this, this section had been perhaps a little dorment for a while so I'd not expected much activity and have just started chemo, hence my late responses. Very good news from yourself clunkshift/Ian - looks like I'm on a very simialr path to you, though only 43 (which may help a little I guess), chemo's going a bit better than I'd expected but my blood pressure has gone through the roof so a little worried about that. I think my modelling career may be over too ;) Thanks everyone, really nice to know there are other guys out there, the ladies seem to get the worst out of BC but it doesn't mean it's fun for us either I guess. ... View more

I'd seen my blood pressure go up quite a lot since my Herceptin on Wednesday but we went for a ~2 mile walk today down the beach and back and when I checked it had gone back to normal - so there we go, just needed some light exercise. ... View more

I live at the beach on the south coast, we get some sun here just about every day of the year, even over winter, maybe I should invest in a burqa. ... View more

I'm on a different regime from you wonderful ladies (as I believe FEC-T is focussed on females and I'm already quite good at interior design, flower arranging and cooking :) ) but it turns out that one of my drugs means I can't go into direct sunlight. Should I start reading the 'Twilight' books yet or see just how far this goes, my eyes haven't turned red just yet. Anyone else been told this? ... View more