Breast Cancer Now Forum

Well done to the brave ladies that have their first dose already.  Hope you feel better than you expected, and respect to you xxxxxxx ... View more

Got my start date - 17th March.  PICC line going in next Tuesday.  Feel sick with nerves about both. Who needs chemo to feel sick??? ... View more

I too have used my new electric razor - a funny thing.  I could see in the mirror that the razor was on my armpit, but not feel it.  Definitely a good idea to use an electric one then!!  I have been showering since 2 days after the op - no problems and the dressing stayed in place. ... View more

My mum's cousin's daughter refused chemo about 10 years ago and instead has followed a very strict organic vegan diet, and she is still well.  I am going to start chemo in a couple of weeks and am very worried about it, but I know I would be petrified of IT coming back if I don't do it.  I can guess how you feel a bit, I absolutely didn't want an implant which I was offered, and opted instead for a reduction which is not a decision on your scale at all, but hope you can understand that I felt I was being very heavily steered in a direction that wasn't right for me.  Whatever path we choose, we all wish one another love and good luck xxxx ... View more

Wiggy fittings here are done through the hospital referring you to the local wiggy shop, and they phone up to arrange an appointment.  I am hoping it will work like the voucher for glasses as I have now got a prescription exemption certificate ie be the equivalent of so much off the price?  Am having my lucious locks snipped off next week I hope as the doctor thought, and I think he is probably on to something, that short hair is less distressing than longer hair when it falls out.  The big question is, which unnatural colour to treat myself to?  Peroxide blonde, puprle or pink? ... View more

Good luck Janey for the 4th.  I am expecting a phone call tomorrow giving me my first appointment date.  I also have to fit in getting a PICC fitted.  It all makes me feel extremely nervous.  AND my boob still hurts from surgery - I mean how is it going to heal itself if all the normal cell replication stops?? ... View more

For MK5:  My friend's mum went somewhere in Southend. If no luck finding it, pm me and I'll ask my friend what it was called. If all else fails, just a few miles down the road in Ipswich is Frobishers! ... View more

Oh JETS and Lollymum - my daughter also doing her GCSEs this year - and prom and all that.  😞 ... View more

Hi.  I'll be joining the March 2015 gang!!  I'll be having FEC-T.  Thought I might treat myself to a dedicated sick bowl. ... View more

And me too - WLE, lymph node removal, breast reduction instead of pockets or implants and tomorrow to find out chemo, rads or both.  EEEEK!!!  Oh yeah, mum told me just now about her grandmother and two cousins who have had breast cancer.  Why not tell me before????? ... View more

Ok, so not as bad as I was expecting!  I was upset by the angle of my nipple, and it is not symmetrical anymore, and obviously there is now a very clear line between ordinary skin and nipple whereas before there was more of a gradual change, and the whole breast is a stupid shape, but hopefully will start looking less like something glued on my chest when the swelling starts going down.  The lines are not as livid as I thought they would be, but it all feels weird, both in terms of the changes that have happened and the large patches of changed sensation.  My nipple is driving me crazy!!!  It is so sensitive and when my bra moves over it is so tingly/agonizing. The rest of my breast feels hard because of the swelling.   HOWEVER, I had a bit of an epiphany overnight, I think all the talk at hospital about implants/reduction/end result had sort of blinded me to the fact that this was not a cosmetic procedure - this was done to save my life and then they have done a patch up on what is left.  I don't particularly like it, but I might care less about that as time moves on and healing takes place both physically and mentally, but it is healthy.  Its a shame that it is not immediately a good match for its neighbour, but I hope that gets better and I don't have to go for more surgery as I don't particularly want to go through the operation, pain afterwards and having to do all this getting used to a new breast again. ... View more

Sunflowers - we have the same results day.  Keep me posted!!   ... View more

Yes, completely feel like this, although ....  had surgery on 12th Feb and am now realising that the results appointment might not be as straight forward as I thought it would be.  Also, will be on drugs for at least 5 years, and have a lifetime risk of lymphoedema, so not quite the, "I'll be better by September" message I took from my first appointment.  Decisions have had to be made so fast, that this week after surgery has been a chance to process a lot.  Also, massively bunged up so not enjoying that!!! ... View more

Thats really interesting.  I got some swelling above my collar bone and in my arm pit last summer, scanned and nothing there, but went back 3 weeks ago with lumps in that breast and now have all the lymph nodes cleared as well as the lumps.  Still have the swelling above my collar bone. ... View more

Feeling better after a pedicure, which I had since I mustn't have nail varnished fingernails on Thursday.  Talking about it has made me much clearer in my head that I do not want an implant.  It is too late to change to a double reduction on Thursday, but lets see how necessary it is anyway after all the treatment!  The real nub of it is that there is no solution that is going to be the perfect solution, its just making sure I get the best one for me.  That's going to be about the fewest number of ops and least amount of fiddling around.  I'm ringing the nurse later, and this is really all about if they needed to take the whole breast, but if they are talking about a quarter of it now, that would be a massive increase and that is not likely.  I can't stop thinking what a luxury it is to be able to have all these options to consider.  My life, very luckily, is not in danger.  I have a lovely family who are all desperate to help me, and I have been diagnosed in 2015 when treatment is very good.   ... View more

I'm having 3 lumps in left breast removed, and all my lymph nodes taken out too on that side.  That side of things weirdly doesn't worry me, and I don't feel worried about having a breast covered in scars - strange eh?  Masectomy and immediate reconstruction with implant was suggested in case breast was too reduced to match the other side, but I don't think I could bear any sensory difference in weight or movement, so they said after all the treatment I could have the other breast have an implant too, which to me makes it twice as bad!!!  I asked for a reduction which they say is doable - I have an E cup and they reckon they will be taking about a quarter of my breast away so I will still have shape, but it will be smaller than the other side until/if I have that side reduced.  If I was going in on Thursday to have that op having got through all the cancer treatment, I know I wouldn't be able to make myself do it, so AAAAAAGH!!!  They are being all cheery about having perky little boobs after it is all done and all I can think is, I don't want any of this so stop being cheerful and bossy.  The nurse is saying that long term two ops will give the best outcome.  There is also no way I'm brave enough to have them cutting any other bits of my body up either.  I HATE THIS.  I didn't sleep much last night worrying about something going on with my son at college, so I'm not good today. ... View more

I've had a cry today too.  Surgery on Thursday, and don't think I have made the right decision as regards reconstruction for me.  The options I was offered were all about implants and the idea makes me cry, so I asked for a reduction on both sides at the same time, which they were prepared to do but advised waiting until after all treatment to have the healthy side done.  I accepted that advice, but I don't think I will ever be going back for an operation unless it was for more cancer, and I really, really wish I had asked for it all to be done in one go and then lived with the potential lopsidedness.  I used to have a nightmare when I was breastfeeding that something would happen to my nipples and they would fall off (!!!!) and now they actually are going to be cut off and reattached and the idea of THAT makes me want to cry too.   I mean who needs nipples when you are 49 and you've done all your breast feeding and not feeling that you are going to be getting anything out on a topless beach ever again anyway.  I honestly feel at the moment that I would rather be flat on both sides when I wake up on Thursday so that I don't have to have any more surgery.  Everyone keeps telling me that I will change my mind, but the idea of waking up and having a lump of something on my chest makes me feel sick, so how can I be so wrong?  It feels as if there are no good solutions available for me now.  Perhaps that is just part of having breast cancer, and I had better get used to it! ... View more

Thank you - like you I want to get back to the gym. I've opted for 2 surgeries, the last one after all the other treatment so they can make the other one match. ... View more

The pert boobs idea is very attractive I have to say!! ... View more