Breast Cancer Now Forum

FANTASTIC news. I am so pleased for you! I am doing ok. The radiotherpy burns are a lot better and apart from a really weird coloured boob and a strange thick peeling nipple, its getting there. I still have fatigue and keep falling aseep randomly. I have started Tamoxifen. I still have appoitnemts with the genetic councellor, the gynacolgist (no periods since Jan) and also the ecocardiagram to sort out. I am back at work this week but not completely full time. I have done about 2/3 hours and I am not working tomorrow! I am too tired. I had two surgical dental extractions finally last week and the stitches out yesterday. ... View more

I am glad to hear you are ok after the op!   The wedding and the trip was great thanks. Now I am buried under piles of laundry. We are away with friends this weekend and then I go to Hungary on monday for dental work (ouch) which I can finaly have done.   I have three weekly Herceptin still - tomorrow is the day.   My radio burns got worse in the week after radio! I wasn't expecting it. I got some gel stuff to put on and cover with gauze parafin dressing but it was very messy and very difficult to do with big boobs!. i am still putting cream on 3 weeks later as its a mess. My breast is still the wrong colour and really hot but it has peeled and the skin is now all intact and no brakages (had under arm and under brast). I am getting pain though. At least I dont seem to need ice packs after the hydrogel.   I worked today for 4 hours and then collapsed in a heap after a trip to pick up my tamoifen - i wil start that tomorrow. Its already 3 weeks late as I coudn't get hold of the prescription so one more day is not going to hurt!   My plan is to try and be back at work in a couple of weeks properly - mind you, i got a letter fro the National insurance asking me to come for  medical, it came while I was away so they fined me!         ... View more

OUCH   I had 20 days of radiotherpy.   I now have a dark brown burn under my arm which is killing me. My breast is light brown brown and sore. My npple is painful and I have what lok like fag burns under my ample bosom.   Can't wait to fly on Thursday ... View more

oooh just saw the period and flushes info.   I had my last period in jan too. I get occasional hot flushes on my head rather than body and face and I have no idea if they will come back. I am 41, shop is closed with the drugs so honestly if they never come back I will be now delighted. It isn't like they were ever going to be of any use to me.   I was told today to use cold compresses on my breast a few times a day and to use the cream which will help to protect it and heal it. My skin isn't blistered or cracked but its getting close i think and the burns are not looking good. Luckily I am not sensitive and with the pain from my leg i have sort of ignored it. I think the nurse was suprised I hadn't said hi tilll day 16. ... View more

Hi Everyone   I am still going.   Today was day 16 out of 20 for Radio. I am getting there. I have slight soreness, browner patches on my breast and under my arm and today my nipple looked strange. Not at all painful or worrying but the techincican made sure I saw the nurse who has prescribed some cream to make sure it doesn't get worse as y next 4 treatments are boost treatments and a bit different.   I had my first of my three wekly herceptins this morning too. So nice to have had no needle for 3 weeks I can't even describe. Found the vain no issue, didn't bleed or bruise and it didn't hurt. So different.   I saw a question about working during Radio. It really depends. For the first week I didn't notice much difference but after that I have had some real bouts of extreme fatigue. I literally couldn't keep my eyes open and had no choice but to sleep. There are three afternoons where I slept for four or ive hours, got up for a while and then had a whole nights sleep and still felt wrecked on waking. It certainly seems to be cumlaitve and it affects you more as the time goes on. Apparently it can go on for weeks afterwards as the ceels repair and the body works hard.    I finish radio next Wednesday - Judah Sunday to Wednesday to go. I then see the radio nurse again and to check I am ok as she saw me today and wants to see me at the end. I have an appointment with the oncologist that week and I will ask if he wants any more tests etc and find out about tamoxifen or any other drugs etc. not sure exactly of the plan on that as we have left it till the end.    I still have the herniated disk and it has become worse with radio as I have been doing the 70km round trip every day and sitting and driving really isn't helping. I saw the back specialist last week and he wanted me to have spinal injections but I have refused for the moment as I have a flight on 18th and a wedding on 21st and I dont want the pain the hassle or the risk of a failed epidural (I get migraines). He sent me to the pain clinic and wants to see me when I get back. The pain doctor has given me something for nerve pain, a long acting narcotic for the pain and something to take for breakthrogh pain - we shall see. To that aim, I have worked almost nothing during radio because with the pain of the drive and the fatigue it hard. I work 7am - 3pm so some days I have managed 7am- 9am before I have gone out and the occasoinal 1pm-3pm but this week I think I did 2 or 3 hours!! Ridicuous really that I can work less wth radio than chemo but its just the way that it has worked. out.    I really would say I feel a 100 times better than I did a month ago. I don't feel 'ill' or word down. I am still in pain but it is becoming better managed. Today I made hubby work from home as I knew I coudn't deal with the drive the radio the herceptin and the drive but mainly I do it alone now. Sundays he comes with me 🙂 Next week someone local is starting too and I may try and get some lifts. Some days I really aven't been safe to drive and Israeli Motorways are a law to themselves - well nobody takes any notice of the laws put it that way - its very frighteing.    So I am nearly there. I finish on Wed. I fly the folowing Thurs. We have the wedding of my brother on Sunday and then a week at Butlins Bognor with my husband, 12 yr old son and my folks are coming too so we can see them 🙂   Ladies - we are nearly there! ... View more

Omg I shaves my armpits last week, so strange:) I've had seven of twenty radios now. Drive is killing my slipped disk but I have physio tomorrow and spine specialise on Tuesday (after radiotherapy Dr appt and actual radiotherapy!). I may then need a nap after driving home. How are you finding it. I'm starting to tire out. Sudden fatigue from nowhere in the last couple of days. My breast is a bit sore when I sleep on my front and tender but so far no burns. Told to use aloe vera without alcahol.I have seven weeks brown black and grey fluff. I've been going naked head in public this week as at 41degrees I just had to. I feel better showing off my fluff baldy bits and excema Here i n israel no one looked twice with my head covered. I looked religious. Many women cover their hair here. Once it got hot and I wore sleeveless tunics, I didn't look modest in the same way so people were staring as the head covering looked out of place. I decided at that point it was brave it point and I was right, less staring. Still nervous around kids old enough to notice but too young to hear why. I'm going to go with 'my hair was poorly bit now its getting better'. For example today in then post office I heard a small child ask her daddy about it. I hadn't thought of what to say though. Anyway I'm back on.morphone which is why I'm not sleeping at 1.30am:) ... View more

hi everyone,   It sounds like everyone is making progress, albeit maybe not exactly how they expected to be.   After 6 weeks of NOT havinv my last 6 taxols, I finaly got the NO MORE TAXOL go ahead as it was causing too much damage. They are happy with how much i have had and my ACs before that.     The CT showed a bady herniated disk which was being made worse by the taxol. I saw the orthooedist who was angry no one had sent me earlier as he would have oeprated to releive the pressure on the nerves. The nerve damage is now semi permanent or permanent and I need intensive physio and have a leg splint to stop me falling. The pain is much much better ghough after orphone and steroids and lack of taxol so nt too worried.   I started radiotherpy today too. I am getting 4 weeks (20 days), Sunday to Thursday each week (working days here). luckily the car was serviced and tested for the year yesterday so i is now good for the every day 70km round trip!   I have almost 7 weeks of hair growth and it isn't nearly enough. The top isn't growing properly - grow hair grow - you have 5.5 weeks until this wedding 🙂     ... View more

agree - quite mad. ridiculous use of a bleep ... View more

C h I n k in the armour of my cancer. Chinking my glasses Chemo nk in the side of the car Sorry totally wrong. Thousands of words 'can' be used in a derogatory way but bleeping out an ordinary adjective like this is crazy. If its staying its wrong. Needs removing. Really really wrong. How about just sanctioning someone who is racsist rather than a proper word in proper usage. Real shame and really changes my opinion of the way this forum.is run today . ... View more

C h I n k ... View more

**bleep** is a noise. Its a description of a noise. Wrong!! ... View more

I have just been reading everyone's update - so here is mine.   This week, on Thursday, should have been my 12th Herceptin and Taxol. Instead, I haven't actually had Taxol, only herceptin for the last 5 treatments and today it was confirmed that I won't be having more.   They have been trying to decide for ages if I had a slipped disk issue or a neuropathy issue as I have had such extreme pain in my hip back and leg and also my knee to toes on one leg isn't working properly. After having CTs they finally confimed that I have a nasty herniated disk and they think that the Taxol was making the pain worse (yeah - I told them that 5 weeks ago:)). So no more chemo for me.   I now have 5 weeks of head fluff.    I feel like I am living at the hosital though as stil going weekly for Herceptin and seem to be there all the time.   Sunday I had my appointment with the radiothepry dr who wa lovely. She exaplined the options which look like 4 weeks or more likely 6 weeks of radio, Sunday to Thursday (70k round trip as usual each time). I am waiting to hear, now I am clear for radio today, if I get to do it now or wait till July as I can't split it over my time in the UK at the end fo June.    Today I saw the oncologist to discuss what has happenned and what next (thanks could have done that on the phone).   Tomorrow I have to go and see the orthorpeadist as he only works Tuesdays!!   Thursday is m last weekly weekly Herceptin.   I have Herceptin next week too and then its three weekly after that.   So that is me. My pain i much reduced but nerve function is weird.   Apparently I wont get any scans or anything at the end of the treatment - they just assume as it was adjuvent treatment that everyting will be fine and I will get annual mamos and twice yearly checks of some type.   So I am stil here, chemo done and onwards 🙂   Oh and I may need back surgery!! trying not to think aout that   If I dont start radio in the next two weeks I want to travel to Hngary for dental work - I am SO desperate and now hav the all clear to do work.       ... View more

i agree about the violation. I found someone putting a wire into my breast totally horrendous. I cant really explain it but it was terrible even though it didn't hurt. I dont know about how bad being 'dumped' into menopause is - I think it depdends on the individual and the symptoms. I dont know what state I am in. I am 41. I had a period as I started AC and one 4 weeks later in mid Jan. I haven't had another one since during AC or TAxol and due to complications have not had taxol for two weeks. I don't know if my periods have stopped or if they will come back. I would be happy enough if they have stopped because if I end up on tablets that would harm a potential baby anyway there is really no reason to be having or dealing with periods. I haven't conceived about 8 years anyway so I doubt it was ever going to happen. in the last few weeks I have had a few tiny hot flushes where I had a hot head and cold body but there are a number of other things that this could be due to that I have reason to beleive in too. I really don't know. It is VERY hard to make decisions when in pain or when feeling yucky J - i totally get that. It is also overwhelming. Do you need to make these decisions right now? I was told I get herceptin now and probably tamoxifen later but that will probably reviewed when we get to it. i haven't been told any of your info and it doesn't look like I will have to think bout it thank goodness. ... View more

Continued Scary lumps in your breast as it heals which is freaky. Its scar tissue. I keep getting a lump.under arm as scar tissue although its been checked and it's fine. The scars from this surgery are tiny. I have a two inch faded flat scar on my breast and a one inch one under my arm near side of breast. They don't actually go in anywhere near where you think they will so don't freak. Hope its not to grafic. You are gonna do great. The op is a doddle. ... View more

You don't need a special bra, just a soft one. I was told to wear it day and night apart from showers wrx for two weeks. I needed it for three. The reason is to support the small scar under your arm. I have big boobs so it took longer to be comfortable without at night. No drain for this procrdure. Never heard of one for this. The operation itself is simple and quick. Its a day job or evening overnight job in this county (Israel). I had my op late at night and was signed for release before breakfast. For my lumpecomy and snb they were removing the lump and checking the nodes. The day of the op I had two procedures under local before the op. The first one I don't know if it will be applicable. They numbed my breast and put a metal.wire straight in down and through the tumour. They then took special photos of this a bit like the mamogram. I kid you not this was the worse bit of the whole cancer. It didn't hurt but I felt violated and lying there for forty five mins while they fiddles with this wirenin my breast I was crying hysterically. It was just me but I found it really hard. After this (applicable I'm sure)/I had another aneasthtic injection and three injections of dye to the breast. I had to massage it for a few mins then they took a special photo inde something that looked like a MRI machine. It made the glands glow and they marked them on the skin with a felt tip. The actual op was fine. Healing was straight forward. Be warned you van feel sca ... View more

Thanks Marli Saw neurologist today and I have to have PetCT of brain and CT of leg to get further info. Ho ho ... View more

By the way Hazel you are going to find that op a doddle once you are feeling better. Don't worry about it. Doing it knowing you are clear is the key! ... View more

Hazel that is just incredible. I am delighted for you. It must be such a weight off your mind!   I am having a fun week. For the second week in a row I had herceptin but no taxol as they were concerned that the chemo was damaging my nerves in my legs. I saw the oncologist yesterday however and he thiks that I just have a slipped disk (just!!). tomorrow I see the neurologist and we shall take it from there - I see scans in my future.   The good news is they finally gave me morphine - oh the bliss and the relief!   The other funny news is that as I was at the hopsital on a non chemo day it wasn't a Thursday. That means that the wig shop/office was open. I popped my head in (remembering I am doing it in a wek second language) and I got practically dragged in by the man and lady although they were closing. They plonked some on my head, gave me an expensive one to take home and try for a few days and insisted  come back tomorrow for a proper fitting for a wig. There is a sign on the wall that says 'no charge'. I assume they must just give them out and expect them back at the end but I don't know how it works. I know its a hairdresser too and they wash wigs. Its a bit exciting and a bit scary but  thought why not. I won't be wearing it all the time but it may be useful here and there and maybe for this wedding.   Having said that - I can now confirm two weeks post taxol I have fluff and stubble instead of random stubble. So strange. I also have a head of scabby excema so I won't be going out like this any time soon 🙂   Ah well, neurologist tomorrow, pain dr on Sunday, herceptin next thursday, herceptin the folowng thrusday, Oncologist the Sunday adn then Radiotherp dr in three weeks on Sunday to discuss that. The oncologist has said that he will either stop taol all togethether once my leg is sorted or he will do two more at most (not six) which for me I find to be excellent news.  ... View more

Gosh everyone is coming to the end but not me!!   So I mised taxol again today and just had herceptin but they gave me morphine too - yummy but didn't last anywhere near long enough - only aout 3 hour 😞   I am still in agony with the neuropathy in my ankle leg and hip so they wouldn't do taxol. I see the oncolgist on Sunday and the nueorlogist on Tuesday and hopefuly they will decide to can it and move to radio. I DO not want more taxol. I simply can't take it  ... View more

Don't worry about herceptin. I have it with taxol and its a breeze. Doesn't do anything. Can't believe so many people are finishing. I can't see the neurologist till a week today so I don't know what will happen but in theory had six weeks of taxol left before radio. Don't know what will happen now but the neuropathy is the same. Yuk. So painful. ... View more