Breast Cancer Now Forum

Safe travels to you Casey. Until we meet again, keep the fire burning wherever you are and we'll all be along by & by. Then oh man, what a party that will be! with my love and gratitude for your friendship The Riviera Kid xxx ... View more

God speed dear Jane, it was a pleasure and a privilege to have known you. Xxx ... View more

I had a terrible time on tamoxifen, it didn't suit me at all. I was fortunate that, although I was just 42 and not in menopause, my Oncologist and Consultant agreed that I could have an oophorectomy and go onto letrozole instead. Drastic for sure, and there are other risks caused by the oophorectomy, but the letrozole suits me much better. I still have side effects, but they are physical rather than emotional/psychological and I can cope with them in the interests of doing my best to avoid recurrence. ... View more

For myself I would say absolutely yes. My diagnosis followed a horrendously stressful time in my life when I went through every stress trigger you can name (divorce, death of parent, remarriage, birth, made redundant, partner made redundant, conceived twins, relocated when they were 8 weeks old) all happened within 10 years and I eventually suffered clinical depression. The cancer showed up about a year after life started to settle down. ... View more

Just adding my penny's worth - I have always had terrible veins. When I was pregnant every blood test was a game of hunt the vein, so I asked for a portacath right from the start and it was fitted before my chemo started. I found it a Godsend - every chemo was delivered that way and although accessing it was a bit ouchy, I was given some numbing cream that made it all bearable. I had no real problems with my port and I'd definitely have another if I had to. One thing I did find though is that the phlebotomy department at the hospital were not trained to use ports. So although the Onc unit were able to take blood that way, if I had to go to the main blood department in the hospital I still had to have blood taken via vein. I also ended up in the EAU in the middle of the night with an infection and nobody on there was trained to take blood from one either. They seem to be something that only specialised Oncology nurses know how to use - at least where I am. That said - because the veins in my arm and hand weren't being used for chemo it did mean they were still accessible for bloods when necessary. I'm sorry you were treated so badly - there's no excuse for it. I think because it's just a day at the office for the staff at the hospital they sometimes forget that people going through such a traumatic experience have several less layers of skin (metaphorically speaking) than your average Joe or Josephine. ... View more

Mea Culpa. I haven't been here in weeks. And there you are Jane, having a horrible time. Big hugs to you - I know how hard it is to have someone close living the final stages of their life and yet everyone trying so hard to pretend it's not so. I'm so sorry, I've been selfish - I've kept to my own (non-bc) ways of communication, keeping in touch with many of you via FB and phone, but forgotten that not everybody is on the same systems. I should know better than to hide myself away in my little house of denial. I'm sorry if I have let anyone down - I will do better in 2011. ... View more

Hello all Thanks for the good wishes re my SIL. All family members now know what's going on, so I am able to say a bit more. She made a dramatic recovery once the steroids kicked in and had brain surgery yesterday, which seems to have gone well. It wasn't lying over anything vital, so no damage to faculties etc - she was alert and chatting just fine last night, looking at coming home on Wednesday - amazing what they can do!! Current opinion seems to be that this is NOT BC mets, but 'just' rotten bad luck and unrelated. Won't know for sure until next week, but that seems to be the score for now. Things looking (cautiously) more positive than they were a week ago, so keep sending those vibes. Catch you all soon. Gen x ... View more

Hi Belinda I'm in Bury St Edmunds too, but a little further down the line from you as I finished my treatment last November. I had my radiotherapy (4 weeks) at Addenbrookes. I had a 3.5cm tumour with no nodes affected, but was advised to have chemo because I was young (41 at the time). I did the E-CMF regime - it seems to be the chemo of choice for node negative cancers in this region. It goes on for a long time compared to some of the other regimes, but it's doable. Not fun, not pleasant, but definitely doable. As for the choice on whether to go for chemo or not - my own view was that I wanted to throw everything I possibly could at it so that I could feel as if I gave myself the best chance of a full recovery. It's a very personal thing, I wouldn't presume to say whether you should or shouldn't do it, but that's my take on it. Best of luck. So many of us crop up here from a quite a small radius, there are 4 or 5 people from Bury who have been here in the last 18 months. Must be something in the water!! ... View more

Hi all Hugs to you Rosie, be kind to yourself. xx Theresa - I'm sorry you've fallen foul of the moderators yet again. I don't post on any threads other than this one now. A lot of the others feel like treading on eggshells to me. I'm just posting to ask for vibes/prayers for my lovely sis in law. She had BC 4 years ago, and out of the blue we're all having a terrible weekend. I won't say more - it's a public site and not my story to broadcast, plus I know many of us are avoiding gloomy tales if at all possible. If anyone wants to know more details then do pm or email and I'll let you know what's afoot. Hugs to everyone, seize the day. xx ... View more

That's very shocking Theresa - I hope you've received a satisfactory explanation and an apology. ... View more

I can understand how you feel about that Eliza. There's no such thing as 'routine' any more really, is there? When routine once turned out to be the worst then we lose our blissful ignorance/innocence I think. In one way it's great that such a close eye is being kept upon you, but if it's going to be leading to additional worries and false panics periodically then there are psychological well-being issues to be considered too. I admire you for taking part. ... View more

Hi all Congratulations to you Helen!! Great to see you back in one piece Nicky!! Carole - I'm sorry that pesky seroma has caused you so much hassle, you never do anything the simple way do you love? Now........I've lost track of what else I've read. Hugs to anyone who needs them - I guess that's just about everyone really so GROUP HUUUUUUG!!!! Now it's me, me, Me. I got myself another pesky dose of cellulitis on Friday - just 6 weeks after the last lot - as my Facebook buddies will already know. For anybody who doesn't know what that is (and I didn't) it's a severe infection of the skin (all layers, not just the top). It seems the problem is my nipple was so cremated by rads it keeps cracking and then bugs get in. Then because the tissue in my boob is so damaged they throw themselves an Ugly Bug Ball unhindered. Literally in the space of about an hour both times, from being perfectly well I went very cold, shivery and feverish and my boob swells, hurts and goes bright red & hot. Obviously the first time it happened I thought IBC and panicked as my boob looked just like the strawberry described by Theresa. But then the swelling, heat and redness starts spreading down my stomach, my fever gets worse and before you know it I'm in a bad way. Fortunately this time I managed to avoid hospital by seeing the doc within 3 hours of it starting and had mega-doses of antibiotics to take at home (plus it was still confined to my boob when I saw him), but really I think I should probably have been admitted because I was really unwell on Saturday in particular and actually it was a worse 'do' than last time. Very painful. Anyway, on the mend now although still very red, sore and swollen and not feeling too chipper. So that's another week off work - I never thought I'd be 43 and in poor health, they'll probably sack me soon. I'll be at the docs on Friday for some 'just in case' antibiotics to keep at home as it seems once it happens the likelihood of it coming back is quite high. The moral of this story is don't get cellulitis ladies, it's not fun!! Sorry for the self-indulgent rant after such a long absence. I am shameful - but I really do, for my own mental wellbeing, need to not be visiting a breast cancer site every day at the moment. I know a lot of you feel the same way to various extents - and I see most of you on FB or speak on the phone so I haven't disappeared. ... View more

Just a quickie - I'm sorry I'm not posting much at the moment, I am periodically lurking, but finding it hard to get time to do much online with the children at home for the summer and trying to juggle work as well. Just wanted to join the circle around Val, Carole & Theresa. I hope all resolves itself happily and soon for you all. Normal service will be resumed in a couple of weeks! ... View more

I would, however, add heartfelt birthday wishes for you Sal. xxxxxxxxx ... View more

Evening all Another quickie, but I note that many of us are suffering with our thermostats. I work in a Victorian building - it's lovely, very pretty, but hell in the summer. I have a fan on my desk, which I need to switch on about every 15 minutes at the moment - but when I do it blows the papers everywhere and gives me earache because it blows right in my face. I get home from work and have to get straight into the shower because I just am never comfortable there and its so hard to concentrate. I'm the same at night. I have a tower fan by the bed but I'm either being blasted away by a gale or too hot so constantly either throwing off the duvet or dragging it back over me.Couple that with hot flushes every half hour and I'm fit to be tied. I can't remember the last time I had a decent kip. I'm so tired. Oh and I've put on nearly a stone since my ooph operation. I've changed nothing, in fact I eat and drink way less, but still I expand to horrific proportions. Overall I'd rate my week as 'Bleurgh.' ... View more

Hi all Long time no speak. My bad - been busy, but no excuse. This is just a quickie to let you know that Maddie & I did our Race for Life today - my profile pic shows that the Storm Riders ride again. Maddie raced with 'My Mummy' on her back. Very moving actually - this time last year I was bald and nauseous, and my mum & s-i-l did the race. I vowed I'd do it this year and, even though it was BOILING hot, there I was TOTALLY doing it!! I'll update more fully soon. Love to my fellow SR's - we rock. xxxx ... View more

Carole - I thought your results weren't til Friday? Glad you got them sooner though - particularly since they are so good!! Go you!! That's excellent news. Letrazole is what I'm on (brand name is Femara). As my Onc says 'it's certainly not a smartie' but I've found the SE's better than the tamoxifen. However - maybe the fact that you didn't have many SE's was indicative of the tamox not working too well for you, in hindsight. Get that ooph booked in asap love! Ooh I'm chuffed for you, I really am. Meanwhile - hello to all the lovely new Storm Dogs. Lily is growing fast now - she's not a cute little puppy any more, but a gangly teenager. She's all legs as well and very slim for a lab. If we can get her to stop eating her own poo and stop waking up at 5am for breakfast she'd be the ideal pooch! Busy busy here as usual. I must dash, the boys are off out to Beaver Scouts in a minute. ... View more

Happy Birthday Victoria - the sun is shining in Suffolk this morning all ready for you! I'm still sitting here in my dressing gown - I really should get my act into gear, so much to do today! ... View more

Just a quick one Jacq - best of luck for tomorrow, vibing away for you here and looking forward to seeing you back with it all done and dusted very soon. Theresa, I'm sorry you've had such a worrying time but glad things haven't turned out to be as you feared. I'm on holiday now for the next week, the children are home for half term. Tomorrow night Jez & I are going to see Joe Bonnamassa in London (he's a guitarist), on Saturday night the children are in a show with their drama group (an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland), Monday is bil's birthday so there's a bbq in the offing then on Wednesday it's Joe & Sam's 8th birthday. Busy week!! ... View more

Well I'm now on day 6 of the imaginitively titled 'Vagifem' which my Onc suggested my GP prescribe for me. It's very low dose and only locally absorbed oestrogen, plus you don't take it for long at all - it's a matter of weeks, then supposedly it lasts a few months then you start again, but my goodness the difference. My libido was always on the high side in the past, so the reduction following breast cancer, chemo, rads, oophorectomy and femara has taken its toll but I do still have such a thing. I'm probably more closely matched to my DH in that regard now (he's older than me and on antidepressants - bless us, we're hardly love's young dream) but I have noticed a difference already. No pain at all. In fact, dare I say..........:D 😄 :D! For me, after all I've been through, the loving relationship without discomfort is worth the negligible risk. I hope I'm not here in due course to eat my words, but that's how I feel right now. ... View more