Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Francine,   Very glad to hear from you.   I hope the shoulder/ boob pain eases soon and great news re nodes.  I can see why you'd want a MX on the other boob, and I'm pretty sure I'd feel the same as it must be so difficult to have such a difference in size but the surgery problems would make me think twice too. I guess you'll just have to see how you feel as time goes on.   Rosie, Cheryl and I met up in London for lunch a few weeks ago and then Rosie and I went on to the BCC carol concert at St Paul's.  It was just as lovely as the one we went to a couple of years ago so hopefully it'll become a regular thing and we'll all get to see you there as well.   I wish you a happy and healthy New Year too, and lots of lovely fun things in life. xx Sharon ... View more

Very relieved to hear that Beryl and might just have a little gin to celebrate on your behalf xx ... View more

Hi Beryl,   I've been thinking about you, any news? Hope you're OK but still here if you want to talk   xx Sharon ... View more

Hi Beryl,  so sorry to hear you're having to go through these checks and fingers crossed it turns out to be nothing to worry about.  If it's any consolation that's happened to me at each of my annual check ups and it's always been fine.  I think the consultants just like to be ultra cautious with those of us who've already had cancer.  By strange coincidence I had my third annual check today and for once didn't have to have a biopsy, just consultant check, mammo and ultrasound.    Do you know when you're having the tests?  Hope they get it done quickly for you so you don't have to worry for too long.  Stay in touch won't you.   Take good care of yourself xx Sharon ... View more

Hi Beryl,   Just swapping text messages with Francine and she's had her mastectomy now but had some problems with the anasthetic so still recovering, poor thing.  I think everyone else is pretty much OK (Rosemary seems to be having more than her fair share of medical problems but not cancer related thank heavens) and we are all, as always, cheerful albeit mildly obsessed with cake!   Glad things are on the up and up for you  xx ... View more

Francine we haven't heard from you in a while, are you OK? Anything I can do to help? xx Sharon ... View more

Oh no Francine, you poor love! So pleased to hear that at least you've got some doctors who are on the ball and it does sound as if a mastectomy is the right way forward for you.  Have you got a date yet? Anything I can do to help?  Oh, I could weep for you, just seems like a constant rollercoaster where no sooner have you coped with one life-changing event than another comes along and it must be exhausting.     Please do let us all know how things are progressing so we can support you as you go through this and you've got my email and phone number so call or email whenever you want, will be a pleasure to talk to you. xx Sharon ... View more

Ooooh, hello Francine & Beryl! *waves at you madly*   So pleased to hear that you're both OK, hope life is going well for you with plenty to make you happy? As Rosemary says, lots of ups and downs for the Facebook crowd but we're all still hanging in there, and dare I say it, we all seem to be able to appreciate life a bit more these days.  Nothing like a peek at your own mortality to make you focus on the good things is there! xx Sharon   ... View more

Hi lovelies,    Yup, still here but don't use it as much nowadays, really just when there is something I don't want to talk about on FB (because my family use FB too).   It's annual check up time though so I check on here a bit more often than usual because it's a difficult time for all of us isn't it.  Fingers and toes crossed that we all get through this years checks OK.   xxx ... View more

Hi lovely ladies,   Looking forward to meeting up with those of you who are free next Tuesday.  Exciting!   Are you able to make it Francine?  If you are (really hope so!) we could meet you at Kings Cross before we travel over to the V&A Museum in South Kensington.  They have indoor and outdoor areas to sit and natter over lunch or a snack so it won't matter what the weather is doing.  Think you've got my mobile number if you want to call or text.   What about you Pandorra? Have left you a message on FB too and would just love to meet you.   Sorry you can't make it Beryl (was going to inspect your cardigan to see if the buttons really had popped off and offer to sew them back on for you  ) but you'll be in our thoughts and hopefully we can have another get-together in Spring as you say. Glad they've managed to save your ring for you too, just be careful not to lose it in the compost heap when you're doing the garden!   Love to all xx Sharon ... View more

Woohoo! So pleased you're coming Pandorra,can't wait to meet you (half expecting you to look like James Bond!)    Oh, can't wait! xx ... View more

Pandorra you're here! We've missed you!   So sorry you're having a hard time with the hormone treatment, have you spoken to your medical team to see if they can swap you to a different drug?   Not sure if you got my message but Rosemary has been incredibly organised and set up a get-together for us on 4 October in London (Kings Cross area) and it would be so lovely if you could come along, please do if you can (yup, I'm totally prepared to beg!)  xx Sharon ... View more

Hi Francine,   You're not one for a quiet life are you!? Glad to hear the cast has gone and hope your hand starts to recover soon.  So pleased to hear that you're going to retire, I think you've had more than enough to deal with over the last couple of years so some time to relax and just enjoy yourself has got to be a good thing.   Do you use Facebook?  Rosemary, Cheryl, Eileen, SueBee and some others connected on there so it would be great to see you too if you use it.     xx Sharon     ... View more

Thanks Eileen, I'm sure you're right and it's just one of those things that all families face, just a bit exaggerated in ours because it's so huge! But on the other hand, having such a big family is fantastic whenever any of us need some support so it works both ways.  I suspect it all feels a bit worse than it would otherwise because my hormones are now well and truly out of control, this menopausal malarkey isn't a whole lot of fun is it *repeats to self: Power surges not hot flushes*  xx Sharon ... View more

Thanks Rosemary.  Feeling particularly low as I have to tell my sister about our aunt tomorrow (my sister will be just back from her holiday) and I know she will be devastated as she is even closer to my aunt than I am,  Also, it was her who raised the genetic issue when one of our other aunts died so I know it is worrying her and that this will panic her completely.  Just wish I could protect her from it all. ... View more

Hi lovely ladies,   Hope you don't mind me offloading on here, no need for replies, just wanted to let off some steam really. I'm posting on here rather than FB as I am connected with relatives on FB and they don't all know yet about what I want to say.  A relative, my dear Aunt, has just been diagnosed with late stage lung cancer so we're all reeling a bit.  Went to a different Aunt's funeral last Friday, also cancer, so it's bringing back all sorts of angst for me (my Mum was one of 16 children and so far we've lost 4 to cancer of different types).  I HATE this awful disease! I just wish there was something I could do to help but I know there just isn't.  Also, selfishly, I'm wondering if we have some sort of dodgy gene in the family or if it's just normal to lose this many relatives to cancer.  They are all in their 70s or older now so perhaps it's just normal.  Sigh.  Getting older is much more difficult than I thought it would be.   Anyway, sorry for the morose post, just feeling low this weekend but sure I'll pick up again soon. xx Sharon ... View more

Hi Eileen,   You can find me on FB under sharonjager.54 and connect with everyone else that way?   With you on the cake thing too, I consider myself more of an expert eater than a baker! xx ... View more

Hi Chic,   I have a small back size too and the only places I've found that provide them are Rigby & Peller (very expensive but best bra fitting I've ever had and great bras) and Figleaves and Bravissimo. Bravissimo do have some very pretty sets and their online service is good if you can't get to one of their stores.   For immediate post-surgery bras I found Royce good (but not big enough cup sizes for me) and Macom were excellent.   Once I was able to move back to underwired bras I moved on to Wacoal after trying several others    Hope that helps. xx Sharon ... View more

Hi Eileen, I was thinking about you just the other day and wondering if you'd retired yet. Going to be a big, and emotional, last day for you so I hope it goes really well and is a wonderful celebration of all your hard work over the years. And now there'll be even more time for all the fun things in life, woohoo!   Francine I hope you enjoy your visit, anything planned in addition to the lovely restaurant? I guess you'll have to do what Eileen says and ask for soup or pureed veg, unless your daughter is prepared to cut up all your food for you so you can eat one-handed (personally I don't know why we don't all just eat with spoons, it would make life much easier!)   Been trying to think of a landmark near Kings Cross where we could all meet but struggling a bit as there isn't much around there that I know of. Might just have to be in the station itself but I'll keep thinking.   xx Sharon ... View more