Breast Cancer Now Forum

how very hard with your son.  If you go by train, will you go on your own, or with OH?  Hard to know what to do about his discharge.. thinking of you.. Pleased you've had a good break, and that you got a meal in the pub.. Buggy sounds where it belongs...  😉 Ugh! Hayfever! I'm doing so much better.  Losing a pint of fluid from my lung has made a big difference.  I can walk the dogs OK now!  AND with multiple bone mets, it's good for me to do so!  Impact stuff is good for me - wonder if I can get OH to do a little bop each day???? (highly unlikely, it has to be said!) Bloods and covid test this morning, prior to telephone consultation next week with nurse, and then treatment on Thursday.  Onc agreed with me that the fluid that appeared in my joints was the bone infusion.  I get this month "off", then start is in earnest but with steroids to help (deep joy!)  However, it's better than holy bones!!!   Take care, be good (well, maybe!) ... View more

Do feel for you with ES JCJ.... one feels so helpless....  Hope it doesn't take over the holiday completely... What are you up to this week Katy? Yesterday went very well indeed.  They were so KIND, and I really felt looked after.  The doc drained a "small" amount - turned out to be half a litre, which didn't look small to me!  Last time I had this done a different doc was obnoxious, and after it, I was just "let go".  Yestrday I was wheeled into a recovery area, given tea/sandwich and then taken in a chair to X-Ray.  I said I could walk, but the experienced nurse just looked at me and I realised I could be kind to myself, bless her.  I was under orders to rest yesterday, so I haven't put it to the test yet.  Going for a toddle with the dogs soon. I sent a Tweet to my MP last night about foreign aid, asking them not to reduce it.  Then realised that the tweet had been sent from the dog's Twitter account!  Every dog has one, right? I hope the sun is shining on you today - looks set to be hot here... ... View more

I didn't get a notification of your posts on Thursday.  I don't know, I take my eyes of you for a minute, and look what you get up to!!! Hope cottage/holiday is just what you need and that you don't end up worrying too much.  Pleased OH had a a long chat with ES, and that he's getting help...  hope BIL improves and that you get your new dress!! I shall be doing a BBQ tomorrow, so no worries about not having a roast... It turns out I don't have fluid on the heart.  My assumption because I was told the HEART echo showed fluid. full stop.  It transpires its on the lungs, so they're doing a pleural tap on Monday, and hoping they are more successful than last time they tried!  At least I won't have the consultant from hell this time.  Last lady I saw had the bedside manner of a Rottweiler!   Apparently she talks to other consultants just the same!  I did this post this morning, but when I pushed the "post" button, it wouldn't go and I lost it!  Had to start again... Lovely sunny day here - actually hot!  Got sundress out... in fleece now, but... it WAS nice.. Hope you're having a good weekend x ... View more

Morning! The pain is gone, just left with the breathlessness, but I do feel more alert and alive, which is good.  Probably lack of pain killers!!  I agree about SEs... not sure they are convinced, but I will explain why I think it - when I see them.  Appointment today has been cancelled cause I have been put on the list for NEXT week's MDT, and wasn't discussed yesterday.  Have another appointment for next week, and at least the ultrasound will have been done by then, and maybe the two other CT's booked... I've been enjoying being in the garden (mostly sitting) and watching the birds...  Late brekkie in a minute - I'm  hearing good things about the 16-8 diet, in terms of giving our bodies time to heal/restore.... hope you find a good home for the buggy!  We have disposed of lots of things via Freecycle, and acquired one or two too! ... View more

So pleased the injection was OK, and that daughter's reaction has gone down. There's asparagus in the shed, and still the goodies left over from Christmas, so help yourself to the florentines and biscotti.  No cheese straws left I'm afraid.  We'll make you some mushroom and asparagus risotto later... COnsltant said everything responding to treatment, but I was really breathless when I got to his office and he was very concerned.  There's no cancer reason for it, so he asked for a heart echo, a high Res. lung CT, and a head scan to see what's causing the earache.  The heart echo happened the following day and shows fluid on the heart, which would explain it.  Resp. consultant they spoke to said it's not much, but I now have an ultrasound lung/heart booked for Monday, and if they CAN drain it, they will.  Can't get to the end of the drive/road without being breathless now.  Anyhow, that was all trumped by my knee filling up with fluid to twice it's normal size - could hardly walk!  Also, pre-damaged elbow same, followed by other knee and other wrist.   I had to get OH to buy a toilet seat raiser, cause I couldn't get off the loo!  Felt so ancient.  My personal theory is that the bone infusion caused all the "vulnerable" joints to react, but we'll see what anyone else thinks.  It's all gone down now, thankfully, and the earache is much less.  I asked the consultant how many  bone mets I had, and he said "just the one".  The copy of the CT reports he gave me said "multiple...." so I've got them checking that.  I'm apparently due to be discussed at MDT this morning, and they're asking their radiologist to make sense of it all.  The two scans I had last month contradict each other apparently!  Consultant was concerned when I said I felt better before I was diagnosed!  Six weeks ago I was still doing Pilates.  Don't think I could now.  Appointment with him tomorrow. I'm loving the sunshine, but it's been pretty windy with it.  Lunch stuff was blowing away yesterday! Hope the back is surviving, and that you two are OK....     ... View more

Good to hear from you both. GD woke up Monday and said "I'm sad daddy".  "Why are you sad?"  "I miss Granny & Grandad"... cute... hopefully we will see her next month when we head North for 2 weeks in Northumberland.  They are going to come for one weekend.  However, yesterday they ended up in local lockdown that turned out to not be local lockdown, so we're all just keeping fingers crossed. Consultant this afternoon... podiatrist this morning.  I'll have to drag myself off the CBA bench, which is hard.  I've had earache since Friday... Saw Lymph nurse on Monday (exciting week eh?) and she wants to put me on permanent antibiotics because I've had cellulitis twice in 12 months.  I'll chat that through with the onc this afternoon - feels like there's already a lot going into my body. If he's not happy, I'll ask the GP for "just in case" antibiotics. it sounds like there might be warmer weather on the way - won't that be lovely?  We have loads of things grown from seed that we can't plant out, because the ground is so sodden.  The dahlias are coming along well though. So pleased the advent calendar was well received after all that work.   I agree that telephone appointments really work for some things, and must make life easier for the GPs as well as patients. The downside is that my BiL was asked to take a photo of his throat (!) and send it in.  Got a message back to say it looked fine.  When he got a second opinion a few weeks later, he had cancer in his throat.  Fortunately, he didn't just accept the first response.  He's going through treatment now, and it sounds much worse than anything we had to endure... Time for brekkie... ttfn ... View more

Oooh, the thumb sounds nasty! Hope you enjoyed the girls/the visit/eurovision We had a fantastic week with Little Legs (who has very long legs!) and she didn't want to go home today.  She wants to stay with G & G... however, having loved seeing them, we're pleased to have a rest, and the house back to ourselves!  We did have fun though, and some good laughs. Plenty of left over nibbles in the shed - I recommend the cheese straws.. I had the new bone infusion on Thursday, and Friday felt like I had a nasty dose of flu... ached.. sore throat, swollen glands, streaming nose... It co-incided with really awful weather, so we got the Brio out, then  snuggled up with a DVD...  Fortunately, it only lasted a day.  It also gave me stabbing pains in some bones, which apparently is the treatment working.  I wonder if that means I have more bone mets than was thought?  I'll ask the consultant on Wednesday if I should have a bone scan. He couldn't give me a prognosis until after my first staging scan.  Not sure whether or not I want one. At one level, it's what you want to know, at another level, you absolutely DON'T want to know... (if you get my drift).   At least I have time to sit on a bench to think now... Hope you're weekends were good xx ... View more

Yay!!! Prosecco and limoncello in the shed!!! We had some on Christmas day aka yesterday!  Fabulous day..... ... View more

I'm sure if the mammo was not good you'd have had some contact by now.... Advent calendar looks amazing! Cheese straws in abundance in the shed. OH made 230! Drinking G&T now... It's been a hard weekend.   Breathing is worse, and i feel generally worse than before diagnosis .  I do a little blog, and said that, so I've been lectured about doing too much, and my best friend texted to say she was upset to read my blog!  I was on the FF bench!!! The Christmas tree and lights are up, ready for GD to decorate it tomorrow afternoon 😁 Bloods and Covid test tomorrow. Telephone appointment Wednesday, treatment Thursday, including the new one 🤞 Hope you manage to get a break d ... View more

Right.... Cranberry and pistachio biscotti in the shed.  Florentines too....  cheese straws will be there tomorrow...  Christmas dinner with all the trimmings on Tuesday.  Crackers too!  I might draw the line at playing carols.....  Sitting on the k*******d bench now.  Whenever I stand or do anything, my back (armpit height) starts talking to me.  I am getting wise to it now, so before cooking today I took some paracetamol.  It's tiring being in pain, and if you're tired before you start.... Oh for some warm weather outside Benchland.  We are getting excited, but I'm sort of wondering how I'll cope with a 4 year old for a week....don't know you how manage the little ones!  I'm out of practise!  I shall get some respite with my 3 hospital appointments this week - as you say, it all comes together.  It'll be weird to be back in the chemo suite having treatment.  It's all in a new bit.  My fab nurse made me laugh yesterday.  I texted her to say "would you Adam and Eve it, after 3 months battling constipation, I've got diarrhoea".  She simply replied "oh poo!" I think I'll join you on the CBA bench.  Since I had the rib/back issue I've done no exercise at all, other than raise glass to mouth, and the scales are noticing.  Enjoy the weekend.  Tipping it down here.   ... View more

Oh JCJ, how hard!  Respite care?  Don't suppose he would agree to that.... Salted caramel custard sounds amazing. How do you make the sauce? I'm going to make some pistachio and cranberry biscotti.  I'll put some in the shed.  Hopefully florentines too at the weekend. We're cooking for Christmas!  It got cancelled so last minute,  the turkey is in the freezer along with pigs in blankets, sprouts etc. OH made stuffing this week. Apricot and walnut being my favourite. They all arrive Monday. Christmas is Tuesday!!  Big tree in the loft, so we'll put that up too.  Been to the charity shop for books to wrap up to put under it.  I shall put Christmas meal in shed next week.  Changing my mind about the zoo.  I'm still very tired, rib still healing and the forecast isn't good. Next week is also 3 hospital appointment week,  and I'm starting a bone strengthening treatment which could make me feel flu-y.  £200 is a lot of money.  We'll take her to a local farm expedition lots of animals. At 4 she'll be happy with that, and it's not a major event/whole day... Hope your week's go well xx     ... View more

Hope you like the hair, and you survived the salon! Hope dentist went well too. I have to go to the dentist next week too, on instructions from the oncologist.  It seems that the scan showed signs of healing on a vertebrae.  That's good, that there are signs of healing, but having bone mets was news to me!  I had the rest of the scan (abdomen) done on Tuesday and my Onc Nurse and then consultant phoned me Wednesday morning with initial results (how good is that!)  The pleural effusion is slightly smaller... there is healing on the spine... and the liver is improved too.  All in all, the treatment is doing what we want it to do in every area, so that's great news.  As I'd only been on it for just over 2 months when scanned, that's very encouraging. It is possible that the pain is a cracked rib (which you can do with a cough apparently).  It's been pretty much (bad) all week, but last night seemed better, and early signs are today will be too.  Fingers crossed.. I was on the Wide Awake bench last night, trying to catch a sleep fairy....  one came to see me eventually.. I went down to church yesterday afternoon to bury some ashes for/with a family.  They were in a right state when I got there.  They nearest had come from an hour away, and others from a long way... and, standing looking at the hole, wife said to hubby "you did put the ashes in the car, didn't you?"  "No, I thought you did!!!"  They were mortified... I calmed them down, assured them these things happen in life, and we would re-arrange.  We are meeting again this afternoon!  In the end, we were laughing, and I said "when I write my book......" which made them laugh too.... Hope all's well with you and yours, and the weekend is good.  I'll stock up the shed in a bit... ... View more

hedgehogs!  How brilliant Good to see you on here again Cat... Had an adventure last night.... developed serious chest pain (at the back) very quickly, and was advised by the  onc nurse to phone emergency no... and by them to go to ED to check for a clot. To cut a long story short, no-one in Adult ED or radiology could use my amazing new portocath... felt unsafe at times, feeling light headed on a trolley with sides up, and no way of getting help if it got worse... but I have no clot, no infection, probably the mets causing the pain, and I am home with higher duty pain killers.  I'm trying to manage without the Codeine, cause the treatment makes me constipated, and Codeine does the same... don't fancy a double whammy!  It's scary how quickly it came on - earlier in the week I felt great.... I'm under orders to BE this weekend.  Be fed. Be watered. Be looked after. Be spoiled. Be pampered...  sounds good! ... View more

Oh how GRIM!!!  You (one) gets all worked up and......  So sorry that happened.  December feels like a long way away, and you were hoping for support/help.  Can you phone someone to get on a cancellation list? I got a scan appointment through today - for the original date at the end of next month!  I rang Radiology Reception and explained and asked if last week's request for a CT sooner was on the system... she came back with a cancellation for next week!!! We discovered Lidl this morning.... a bit further away than we normally go, but so much cheaper and lots of different things...  Having been to the charity shop first, I ran out of steam and left OH to pay for it all and  unload it.  That's it for today... on the K.... bench....  I will look up West with Giraffes........ Terrible 2s x 3 sounds exhausting, shall I budge up? ... View more

Hope arrangements can be OK for YD... and ES! What a treat! I hope bridges can indeed be built, and that he thinks of his dad this week too. Hope the appointment goes really well today, that you are heard and helped..... well done with the timing.. tough call to make. Pizza sounds yummy... Pilates this morning... pedicure this afternoon... sounds like a good day..... "work" in between.... take care... J xx   ... View more

The dress is amazing!  I love bright colours!  Not at all sure how you walk in those denim boot/jeans!!!  I'd be flat on my face!  CanI pass on the hat????  😂 😂   A new birdbath sounds like a good idea!  My big spend/treat is I'm thinking of taking the family to the zoo when they come down.  3 concessionary tickets, one adult and one child = nearly £200!!!!!  It won't be any cheaper next year.... and I think making good memories is important, with or without health issues. Spent a lovely afternoon yesterday in my old schoolfriends' garden, basking in the sunshine.  They have a corner that's out of the wind, so having gone dressed in LOTS of layers, I was peeling them off one after the other!  today is cold and it's a soup day, so there's fresh mushroom soup in the shed, with homemade bread... no word about a scan yet... ... View more

Well, cancer is a roller coaster isn't it?  The lovely nurse who did my injections on Thursday agreed the variation in breathe/cough was probably normal, but it could be an indicator of a clot on the lungs, to which one is prone on this treatment, so she did another blood test to rule it out.  She phoned at nearly 7pm Friday evening (tying up loose ends before she went home/annual leave for a week) to say that the levels were slightly raised, which also could be normal because of the cancer, BUT she had spoken with consultant who has requested a CT scan to make sure.  It'll be the full CT that's due end May, not just a lung one... so I'm sitting on the Nervous Bench waiting for an appointment.  Daughter says they probably won't leave it too long if they are considering a clot... I've left a delicious pud in the shed - blackcurrant fool.... it's tasty and refreshing and surely the fruit compensates for the cream??!!! Delighted the boots are good - still need them here, despite the sun... ttfn ... View more

OOOH!  New boots!  I love shoes/boots.. those caps are so annoying aren't they?  Hopefully you will never have to go to eye hosp.... do you have anyone who could give you a lift, if absolutely necessary? The paint not matching is a B*****r My life is fairly ordinary by comparison!  The breathing got worse, the cough got worse, so I feared the worst!  However, daughter says any lung condition leads to these things being variable day to day, and she's a respiratory specialist physio, so she knows about these things.  I should have phoned her before I booked the church for my funeral!!!!!  As it happens, the blood test results this week are, in the words of the specialist oncology nurse "extraordinary".  My immune system is that of someone not on chemo and the liver function tests are down to within normal levels, which she says is a very good sign that the treatment is doing what we want it to do.  The Lovely lady got the consultant to prescribe "just in case" antibiotics in case the UTI comes back. Lovely sunshine here today, but the wind is parky...  time to get off the cba bench I think, but can I be bothered???? Your laugh for the day.... DIL collected GD from nursery.  GD was accompanied by a teacher.  "show mummy your picture and tell her what it is"..   "it's your bottom mummy".  OK.. now show mummy y our other picture..... what is it?   "It's a vagina"!!!!!!  "Is that language you would normally use at home?"  "Yes, we just name the body parts as they are".... "OK, that's great that you do that, only she said that she'd been looking at them on the computer"......  "VOLCANOES!  We were looking at VOLCANOES"  One red faced mummy!!!! ... View more

I hate stilton, but the soup is great!    The roast chicken was good too...  I've just popped in some home made lemon curd..... I was feeling so pleased with myself at how I was doing.  Got brought up short yesterday.  It was a glorious day, and I walked down to church at a "normal" pace.  Couldn't talk when I got there, I was so out of breath.  Then, coming home, which is more uphill, I was a distance behind another lady from the congregation.  I couldn't have caught her up if I'd tried, but I just plodded firmly and puffily.  I stayed the same distance behind her all the way... and she is 88 and slow!!!!!!!!  Not good for the ego!!! Grandchildren are hilarious.  The caravan is just north of Bamburgh, on a  small, private site, overlooking a tidal estuary which is a bird sanctuary.  A good friend owns one of the 'vans.  They're not rented out at all, but they can let non family members stay for up to 2 weeks each year.  We get those 2 weeks!!  Heaven.... Son & family live in Newcastle, so for the last few years they've joined us for a week.  Last yaer they were only allowed to visit (Covid) but we got permission for little one to stay overnight.  That was their second visit, and as the afternoon went on I checked that she really was happy to stay with us.. yes.. you're happy for Mummy and Daddy to go home?  "Bye bye Mummy.  Bye bye Daddy"  Priceless! Have a good week.....xx   ... View more

it was me with the sparklers... sorry... but it was such FUN!!! Holidays, mammo... no holidays.... sore thumb.. and SWIMMING????  Go you!  I've given up on the hairy legs...and am still wondering why the first hair to return after chemo was the bit outside the bikini line?  Someone's having a laugh at us... I've been seeing lots of people in the garden ( one at a time, I hasten to add) which has been wonderful, if cold! We have just heard that we can go back to our favourite spot in Northumberland this summer, so I'm very excited.  We borrow a friend's caravan in an idyllic spot. I'm feeling so much better - almost no side effects now (just a little fatigue) and I feel better than I have for months, as the cough and breathlessness are almost gone.  I'm assuming that means the treatment is working! Back to the unpaid work a bit now (no vicar in the village).... Homemade broccoli and stilton soup is there, with fresh home made bread if you want to warm up.  Soup made with creme fraiche rather than cream, and it's yummy....   ttfn ... View more