Breast Cancer Now Forum

I too am one of the ladies who found this wonderful forum , and the thread about embarking was a wonderful lifeline for me in those awful dark days.  I was Dx 8 years ago this week . A large lump with its friends in my axilla too. After all the treatment I am happy to be moving on and living life to the full . It has been a privilege and a pleasure  to chat with all the ladies on this thread, what friends we have become. How the time has gone by. We have kept in touch and share joys and sometimes sadness too .    ... View more

Sorry no I had not seen this earlier as I have just seem this thread. No I do not have any answers I think there is more than one Libby x   ... View more

I have been so interested in reading all this. I read in the insert info in my Arimidex tablets that they can raise cholesterol levels. I did ask my Onc about this but his advice  was ' keep taking the tablets'  However my father and 3 male cousins all aged under 42 years have died of coronary heart disease and high cholesterol was a major factor in this. My brother has a very high cholesterol too but that was found when he was in the Royal Navy aged 30 and he has been on statins. Meanwhile I am the only female member of my family to have their cholesterol levels tested.... and yes mine is high too. So I always thought I might be in line for heart disease. Sorry I think this has strayed from the original topic .....   @Guest user wrote: Hi all, i hope you can help. I finished my treatment 6 years ago (surgery, chemo, radiothreapy and tamoxifen) I am now post menopausal and everythign has changed beyond all recognition. Apart form totally zero libido, my vagina has become so small that not only can i no loner have penetrative sex but even inserting a pessarie for example would feel uncomfortable. No matter how lubricated the size is just an issue more than dryness. Now i was very sexually active before and even during my treatment so none of this feels like it's a pyscholigical thing it is very definatley physical. My concern is that i am getting married in 6 weeks time and i really really don't want to spend my wedding night/honeymoon dreading any form of intamacy. Up to now i always manage to steer any sexual activity away from me and happily perform oral sex on my partner but he so desperately wants to make love to me but i will do anything to avoid it and i hate that!!!! I would do anything to get things back to how they were I can't have HRT or anything hormone related becasue of the breast cancer so the usual avenues are closed to me. I would even risk the HRT for this if my GP would give it to me as it bothers me so much   Please help and thank you for reading Libby   ... View more

Today is the 7th anniversary of the routine mammo .... and we all know what happened next. I found this thread some while after my Dx. And I have been so grateful for the ongoing love and support we have shared. It has been wonderful to meet so many very special ladies xxx   ... View more

As Eurotunnel have ceased their annual worldwide insurance I have had to look around. Next Weds I have an appt at my bank to consider changing my account to take advantage to their upgrade account. Some 5 years ago they did not want to know, now it is looking different. I had a long conversation with a lady about health issues , on the phone and they will now cover me with an extra amount, but this is looking a lot less than a one trip cover. I have hope that I can change my account. My only health issue is continuing on Arimidex plus arendronic acid and AdCal D3  ... View more

Hi I was Dx 5 years ago. I was on Arimidex from my now retired Onc who had told me I needed to take it for 10 years,( not the usual 5 )  then he retired. His successor did not agree when I saw him in Dec 2014. But prior to discharging me at that  time he agreed to see me again in Dec 2015. By then he had changed his mind and I continued. In any case the Chigcago conference in May or June this year had research which showed that some of us ER +ve ladies would benefit from 10 years on Arimidex. I should add that I was post menopausal at Dx J  ... View more

I too would love to know the title/s author of the book/s that have helped you so much. I could PM you if necessary. Meanwhile thank you for sharing and I hope your recovery progresses well. J x ... View more

I have used  Eurotunnel for worldwide annual travel insurance for the last few years. Unfortunately when I tried to renew this ( having had no claims) I was told no worldwide cover at all available. So back to square one  ... View more

Hi Jan how did you get on? It is terribly worrying when one finds a 'new' lump. Hope it was good news ? ... View more

Hi whilst I do not have lymph oedema I was advised by the specialist nurse at the Breast clinic to have a sleeve for long haul flights. My GP provided 'emergency' anti-biotics. Meanwhile as I travelled to a place where there are mozzies I had picked up from a fellow traveller a tip to take an anti histamine tablet each morning and added to that I had some Marmite ( love it or hate it ) on toast each morning too. I think the theory behind the latter is that it is not just the getting bitten but the bodies response to the bite and the subsequent scratching which increases the risk of infection. Certainly I did have very few bites, but not on my at risk arm. But loads of folks there were badly affected without the measures I took. Really not sure whether the antihistamines or the Marmite helped, or both? ... View more

Thanks Flo. It was the most massive relief. But it was difficult to find where to post...... Can there be a particular thread for this mods, ie. local reoccurence or new primary outside of I am recently diagnosed? Mods ?? ... View more

Ok I can now answer my own question. I had an appt with BS last week for results. All is well, I do have some fibro-fatty tissue. And sclerosing stroma, no atypia or malignancy. So basically all OK. Apparently what one can see on the outside (scars) is not necessarily mirrored on the inside. Just posting in case this might help someone in the future. X ... View more

Thanks Sam. I have already phoned the help line, last Friday.As always v.helpful in assuaging my fears x ... View more

Hi Poemsgalore I did not have endometriosis. I had endometrial thickening which was verified by intra vaginal u/s ( whoops to much info?) the treatment for this was offered by hysterectomy. A return to Arimidex cured this. I honestly think that I must be rather sensitive to something in the generic brands of anastrozole. Hope all goes well with you x ... View more

Hi Poemsgalore I had bleeding on anastrozole when I was changed by my GP from Arimidex ( yes I know it is the 'same' thing) after trips back and forth to gynae it was clear that I developed endometrial thickening and they suggested a hysterectomy. Fortunately my Onc wrote to my GP and I was put back on Arimidex and have had no further problems. I too am well past a natural menopause. ... View more

Hi I only found out about the clips a year or so later on from treatment, when I had a chest x-Ray as I had fractured my sternum. I posted on the old type thread and cannot find it now. The replies inc a clip on You Tube which showed the BS inserting the clips for identifying rads post -op. I had never been aware of them before ... View more

The info about the gauntlet gardening gloves is really very helpful. I do a lot of gardening and am constantly worried about scratches/bites on my 'at risk arm', also the info about antiseptic wipes.When I go out to garden I have wipes and Savlon lined up in the kitchen,'just in case'. My GP readily prescribed a 2wk supply of a-bs I take these away on holiday too, again just in case. Although she is extremely reticent to prescribe my AI s or refer me for a DEXA scan Happy gardening whilst the sun shines x ... View more