Breast Cancer Now Forum

Oh PS had mine done at the ROYAL FREE on london. 70 miles from us love bloss xxxx ... View more

Hi ladies. 8m 10 days oost op double mastecomy an double DIEP first op 15 hrs then emergency 3 days later on one side 3 hrs. Came home last night. Altho i used the private healthcare my company provides both my breast surgeon an plastic surgeons ( I had 2 due the length of time of reconstructin.But they ALL also worked within NHS Ive had my wounds changed twice. Theve been ok . Its very very early days for me. i realise that. Had 9 drains. last 1 removed yesterday. im sore as hell. Even had to have my belly button repositioned following DIEP. but my wounds are just taped with dressings on the drain an belly button sites. According to senior plastics nurse doing dressings change yesterday alls healing well. No issues of non healing. Even the difficult T bit I also had skin Reduction on my previous HH cup breasts. It was a bloody tough op I will agree. Tougher than I think you can prepare yourself 4. Me thinking ive had 4 children with a bit of gas an air. So itta be ok!!!!! ER underestimated the pain level. But then I had a drain kinked inder a rib which until they realised was agony . Im fairly drug intolant. So everything sent me into space so in the end just had good old paracemol an ibrophen. Have to say im expecting a 12 week recovery. At the moment everything hurts but ive not had any previous chemo or radiotherapy which is why i may not be having healing issues. I was told by team to wear certain firm support knickers from M & S. To help compress stomach which ive done from day 5. Theve also told me massage technique but from week 3. Got app for 3rd dressing change this friday. Got some discolouration on 1 boob. but assume thats bruising. Thank you for info regarding Guys & St Thomas for DIEP HELPSHEET. just got my husband to print it out for me. Youve all had horrendous recoveries. And your all a long way further than me. Maybe mine is to come. But I just wanted to post incase someone else is just about to undergo this an its obviously a massive operation. To say that so far for me. Even tho I had to return to surgery for a second op due to a bleed. And im sore as hell all over and my stomache feels so tight i cant stand staight. YET. its been ok for me with regards to healing an surgeon follow ups. I have appointments in place for results and checks. I hope all you lovely ladies stop suffering all these awful complications soon. We think after surgery thats it dont we. If it were only true. Sending Hugs to you all Love Bloss xxx ... View more

Hi em. Brave lady. I had DMX and imeadiate reconstruction. Mine was done 27th but still in hospital due to my jaunt back to theatre tuesday. Ive still got 1 of my drains in. suppose I should be thankful and I am as I had 8 or 9!!!! But like u said SORE. ive got double sore cos of stomach reconstruction altho theve done an amazing job. Think your very very brave to go flat . But expect u will have option to change ur mind if u ever do. Sending gentle hugs Love Bloss xxx ... View more

Hi Sunset. Hope all went well for you. Sending very gentle hugs Love Bloss xxx ... View more

Hi ladies. How sad is that ? Like we dont have enough to deal with that major high street stores like Debenhams & M & S & John lewis dont ALL offer a mastectomy bra fitting service by empathatic trained staff. How you supposed to get online!!!!! Maybe we should start a petition. And they need to look at customer demand instead of moaning about a loss of profits. If they cant supply ..... not like theres not many people needing it!!!!!! still in hospital. See what tomorro brings. Love Bloss xxx ... View more

Hi bootyboo. Cant advise anything except havent they given you a number to ring if ur worried / concerns? If they have Id ring and ask better then worrying. Malteasers must be like a yeast type smell. I hope things soon get a bit better for you. Im still in hospital dont think home for me tomorrow. Still see what surgeon saz in morning. Sounds like your having a rough time too lovely. Hope it settles soon. love Bloss xxx ... View more

Hi diddy.. ROYAL FREE GO THERE its 70 miles from us. In 15 trs theve only had 1 failure. Both my plastic surgeons consultants work within NHS. I was just fortunate to be a tiny cog in a big company that provides private health care to employees.We not rich or posh im just ur normal woman in the supermarket m&co an new look!!!! I was on high dependency for 4 days on NHS as private dont have the experience to cope with the imeadiate aftercare. id rather be on a bay than my room. They were beyond amazing ALL OF THEM. Not one indifferent person whether they were cleaner tea lady health support worker or nurse or sister. Ask for it. wonder who uve got. The bra is ANITA product code 5521 006 im wearing an E cup but im still swollen so will probably go down to DD. They told us to go thro Amazon cos they were cheaper. Hubbie didnt search to c if he could get em anywhere else he just did it. Think he said they were £42 amazingly comfortable tho. If u want any tips ive gleened about what to take in just ask. GOOD LUCK LOVELY. love Bloss xxx ... View more

Hi CarolynHugs back to Brave Lady youself love Bloss xxxx ... View more

Hi diddy. Excuse the spelling mistakes wording ect. I think i left my brain in recovery. RADIOTHERAPY see!!! can alter the effect of the breast which is why they probably want to get u throu that b4 reconstruction. Perhaps then u could have the uneffected breast reduced to match reconstructed one. Us heavy boobed ladies are considered lucky by our smaller friends. If only they knew hey!!!!. Having previously been HH obviously not now ( thank god) ive bin fitted post op with a sports bra. These r obviously r a new revelation to me i imagine post op ud be able to put whatever u were using to pad out the mastected side and otta be quite securley held. The one they gave me aslso has an expander included as post op ur swollen. My husband ordered me a couple as the 1 ive bin given is obv not gonna be enough i have to wear it day an nite for 6 weeks. They arnt cheap about £42 each. but theve no wire. let me no if u want the name nake ect might help they have a lot of support but are soft. Wishing you good luck for surgery. love bloss xxx ... View more

Ho carolyn. Nah im no braver than anyone else on here. Everyones brave everyones battle with this poxy desease is personal. Im just bloody stubborn ive watched breast cancer go throu my ex husbands family, watched the lumpectomies the radiotherapies the chemo, watched it return , over 20 yrs Ive watched it. I always knew if it were me, Id have the bloody lot off. I alwaz knew in my gut. Itta come back. So hence my 3 month wait to jump throu the hoops to convince them I knew what i was doing and I knew how bad the op itta be. Which i clearly didnt!!!! But althou i listened to everything they said and very carefully weighed up options. My gut was there. So eventually it won. I did wonder if id pushed my luck a little to far as i was being ran to theatre on tues morning. But I never once even when i told the poor nurse trying to get me off the bed when i was in agony throu the night waiting for theatre in the morning that it was inhumane, I never once regretted my decision. The surgeons are marvellous skilled an dedicated, but they leave us to live the life they decicde is best for us. maybe if id had normal sized boobs not HH cup, maybe id have given the lumpectomy an radiotherapy a go. But i wasnt so id alwaz gotta have an op on my so called uneffected breast anyway. I wait to see what the lab results say when theve ploughed their way thro the two lumps of breast tissue theve removed each weighing 2 kilo each!!!For me it was a case of get em off. And reconstruct. I didnt care what size i ended up. But yes they have done an amazing job. Yeh their always an my stomach gonna be numb. And yeh ive no nipples. Well i mite have em reconstructed in 6 months to a yrs time. But does it matter? Im not brave their are far bigger battles out there with far younger women with surgeons although dedicated think they no best who will have far longer battles tham me. Yeh mine was horriffic the pain far worse than words can describe and yeh i had to go back for a second op. But thats it. Its done. No radiotherapy no symptoms of radiotherapy. Im not sure yet about chemo. Its unlikely but who bloody nos im back with the rest of the HMSWAITING GAME ship. For me it was the only way. Its been a week outta my life and probably 12 getting back to strength. But i came through it. Everyone on here is brave. For me this forum has been the positive of breast cancer. Total strangers bonded by a common fear all at different stages and all there for each other. This time last year I was preparing for my youngest 21 yr olds surprise birthday party. Who have guessed a yr later id be posting this on this forum from my hospital bed having undergone 18hrs of surgery. Its a bloody epedemic the senior plastics nurse here. Nurse Rachett!!! we came to an understanding. She is actually ok. She said the youngest she had had is 20 4 months ago. She is the one thats asked me to be a model for prespective mastectomy patients to come to their evenings to show an tell. To best help prepare them. it would be an honour to give something back. But this forum has made me many wonderful friends and all our journeys are personel an shocking. You lot have got me throu. Our partners and husbands are amazing too, but their bloody clueless in shock they dont no so they go with doctors. The soctors look at what they are dealing with not the whole person We think well were relying on them cos weve stopped thinking. I was lucky i had the time it was a gamble but good old gut feelings. But in ur head cancers running all through your body. I spoke to my ex suster in law. She ended up with a mastectomy but is flat. She had the lumps the radiotherapy the chemo endured all that then ended up with mastectomy She hates how she looks. it cost her her marriage well its what she puts it down to anyway. I had a chance of failure. im not outta woods yet but im in a better place for sucess. Its just my way. Ive misssd you all. sending love to everyone Bloss (ha im gonna have to b called bloody typoo soon)xxxx ... View more

Thank you all sooooo much. im deeply touched by all ur kind words an good wishes. Im getting there. But feel like that bloke from the john lewis christmas ad. i no im lucky to be in a private room but im on a private floor. Slike the bloody Shard ( not that ive bin there). tuesdays jaunt back to theatre put me back so wont b home now till monday. Still got 2 drains in but better than the 7 or 8 i had. They used to confuse the poor nurses bloody long tubes all knotted up. Ive gotta be checked every 2 hrs and they cant work out which drain goes to which hole to measure volume. Funny as. My daughter texts this morning how was ur night. P*xy busy thats how. I have nurse thorough on last nite an tonight. Dont get me wrong she is lovely. But thorough. So 7.40pm and 11.40pm and 3.40am in she comes. lights on, Shes scrubbing up to operation standard in my room. Then she has to measure the output of both drains on different sides within different non clear rattly carrier bags, get the drift. Then she has to remove my bra check blood flow to each breast anyway u get the drift. im finally drifting off at 5am when ta dah. Its blood pressure time and tempture taking!!!! at 7 they need to take a blood test!!! i give up get up an ask for t. 8 oclock its obs again 8.30 the plastic surgeon turns up. 9am breakfast arrives.But so does Matthew the pyhsio. Lets go 4 a walk around the corridors saz he. Off we hobble me looking like ive gone to tesco in my jammies with a carrier bag in each hand each with a drain bottle in. Round the private floor i hobble. Back to cold t an toast. Then thinks me right i will have a wash, now u have to remember what once took 2 mins now takes 10 but i manage to sit. Sit and wash, teeth blah blah. At 12oclock i thought ill have a doze. My husband arrives at 12.45 my lunch. and at 1.30 3 distant relatives ive seen once in 5 yrs turn up. I only told em i was going in 3 days b4 in case i died on the table, well thought it was fair to warn em!!!. So all in all im knackered. gonna have supper at 7 and then the night circus starts at 7.40. Thought i was here 4 a rest!!!!. Just had call to say my results expexted in on 8th wont be ready. Now got appointment for 15th. Not surprised, breast surgoen rang my husband at 11.30am to say she was done with me and i was now with plastic surgeons she had performed mastectomy and lymph node surgery ( she thinks clear she only took 3) she told him each breast weighed in at 2 kilo so thats to large lunps for lab to go through, bet they just stood in wonder at those to heaps 😷 . Ha my daughters friend remarking that the breast surgeon carried out all that quicker than it took her hubby to go to homebase an buy a new shower door 😨 . Anyway you lovely lot posting from my mobile is hard to send reassurance an support to you lovely ladies. So I apologise for it all being me but i dont see everything clearly. My supper has arrived on a silver tray. Fu*king bonkers. Fetta cheese salad starter, meadley of vegtables , I could have had rib eye steak but not keen on meat. And fresh fruit salad. Honest to god you couldnt write it. Talk about how the other half live. Sending you all love and gratefull thanks from the bottom of my heart love Bloss xxxxxxxxxx ... View more

Hi carolyn. Dunno how i ended up posting on there. Im bloody dangerours on techi stuff. Im ok thanks. Deeply touched by everyones kind thoughts an good wishes. Ive posted today but from my mobile. So no telling where it is!!!!. Im still in hospital. had op sat 15 1/2 hrs !!!but had a setback an had to have a second visit as emergency tues 7.30 am another 2 1/2 hr op... So its set me back. But all good at mo. Should be out monday. Its been tougher than I could have ever imagined. They asked me if i had regrets or would go thro it now i no whats involved. I think i probably did get a tougher ride than it should . I looked at them an said NO i have no regrets and YES i would still do it . they looked at each other nodded an seemed happy . Ive been asked to be a model , they run evenings here about 4 times a year for ladies about to undergo mastecomy gives them the chance to see and ask. It would be an honour to give something back. Its now just a waiting game for results. they were supposed to b back on 8th but they wont be. So got appointment for 15th. Hope your doing ok too. love bloss xxxx ... View more

Hi You AMAZING LOT. Your the ones that have got me through the last 3 months nitemare. You lot were the ones I spoke to. It was u lot helping me. Happyboobs 2 I take the follwing vitamin supplements with leterzole and altho only bin on it 4 months 8ve bin ok. I take a 3000mg oderless garlic supplement a calcuim and a ex strengh cod liver oil an seatone, sold by boots. it gets fab reviews from joint pain suffers sod all to do with cancer. I just buy it all. iam so unbelievably touched at you messages. I cant put into words. Nurse rachett turned up trumps by the end. ALTHOUGH on the sunday when theyd tried me on so many painkillers i was so high they could have saved emseleves the anasecthic an operated on me on tramadol!!!!! she did suggest i should EAT i thought p*iss off an leave me alone to die. Anyway she b4ings me a ready for this ........ a CRACKER. yep im nil by mouth since 6am sat. Its afternoon sunday im in so much pain i cant describe it. Ive got a mouth like a grannies gusset!!! sorry granny. and she brings me a dry jacobs cream cracker. Oh a a liquid energy drink now ffs surely someone could invent a energy drink that was room temp an tasted the nearest i can think of of drinking condensed milk through a straw. Anyway it set the cracker lovely in my mouth. Told em to take me off everything an i had paracetmol iv an ibrophen hows ur pain on a 1 -10 ? 20 sazs me an u lot are making it worse. Ive no drug tolorance anyway. But nurse rachett was there come in dpecially to see me when i ce back from theatre a second time muttering once wasnt enough then. I thought if shes got her crackees. Well im gonna hobble to bathroom to sit an have a wash. yep me gairs like a grannies an i couldnt give a f*ck. Then its off to hobble aroround the block or the closed doors. sorry for spelling mistakes think me brains still on the table. But your the lovely lot. YOU ALL OF YOU. Oh headlines on me paper a jab new of course to cure cancer!!!! Yeh righto. wheres me drain bags. LOVE TO YOU ALL AND THANK YOU BLOSS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ... View more

Hi peggycat. Really. WOW. gonna have a look now xxxx ... View more

Hi tat an good luck sarah. Manuel has just delivered me morning paper!!! Hi madam what would u like? Er mail please, bless him his obviously got a big night lined up so ive got the times!!!Physo just been an ive walked around the corridors. So im knackered. Its like being the man in the john lewis christmas ad up here. All in our rooms with call buttons. how the other half live eah. Think the tv on the wall could launch next space rocket. I asked how u switched it on an got goven a computer pad!!!+. Think i will give that a miss no telling how the bloody thing works. Sending love and whatever your day holds, hope its berarable. love bloss xxxdd ... View more

Hi lovely ladies. Im back in the land of living an drifting off planet hell. Had op sat. 15 1/2 hrs. Went in at 7.30am out at 9.40pm recovery until 1am. Pain was horrendous, bless em they tried everything. That all made me sick, which seing as i didnt have a bit of me on my front torso not stitched was worse. in the end they realised one of my 8 drains was kinked up under my ribs an touching it. They even tried injecting me with local anasethic but when that didnt work they realised an managed to tug the drain free of my ribs. Anyway u wanna wash was sundays gem an lets get u in a chair. To be fair EVERYONE HERE HAS BEEN AND STILL IS AMAZING. No arms no legs no stomach. wriggle they said!!!! So sat in a chair. ur feel better tomorro they assurred. Mon was same except i thought my boob was gonna pop. Monday eve they realised id gotto go back theatre emergency first thing tues. So back to theatre tues 7.30am another 2 1/2 hrs. My poor hubby got a call as he was boarding the train to visit. Anyway id had a bleed, 1 in 10, just alwaz gotta be me eah. They removed a 250ml blood clot ssorted out the bleed and back to recovery went me. So all good sinc3 then. Left high dependency wed eve for 12th floor of looney tunes planet!!!! private wing to u an me. this is ur call bell for catering saz the nurse handing me over from dependency. Pi*sing herself larf8ng at my amazed face. What!!! its a hospital not the shard!!! But yep u press the buzzer an a suit knocks on ur door an adks u yes madam what can o get u. Ha i havent asked for a glass of blossomhill yet. So im slowly recovering down to 2 drains now. Surgeons done an amazing job. But its been tougher than i could have imagined. Would i do it again? have i any regrets they asked me. Yep i would an no i dont. Even in my worst parts not once did i ever regret doing it. Even when i asked the surgeon upon reaching theatre on the tues if i was gonna die. Cos i felt so bad i thought i was. Id do it all again. I may be released sunday. Depends. As like the rest of u lovlies waiting 4 lymph nodes but she only took 3 she thinks i got it b4 it got to them. Just have to wait. So ive been thinking of u all going throu ur own private hells. So im sending gentle cos i cant stand up straight yet hugs an all my love. Bloss xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ... View more

Hi Helly, Glad you got the op outta way, my daughter in laws birthday today, I phoned her to wish her birthday greetings and said Id be round lqater, to which she replied my grandson aged 3 had stomache upset, I told her Id stick it all throu their letterbox, NO WAY was I risking catching something at this stage, especially as 3 consultants have to be together.Love Love Love the name, you had a NURSE RATCHET TOOOOOOOO, ha I bet she has sisters all over the place. Hope you feeling not to sore, I no 16 days is a long time, whos doing your results a lab in Timbuctoo, why 16 days? Anyway Sending GENTLE hugs glad all done, for now,  Be spoiled, Love Bloss XXX ... View more

Hi to all you amazing ladies, So many good lucks, with you all with me your all amazing. Yep ITS HERE, fu*king gone on about it for long enough havent I? So its after midnight so my operation is officially tomorrow!!!!! Im domestically ready, ya know half of Tesco in the house!!!, even the dogs didn't escape and have been at the dog cleaners, bathed cliped and sparkling white, on their just washed beds, like I said my husband commented if they didn't put me out soon the washing machine would need replacing!!!. Ive managed to remeber my password so will hopefully be able to update from my mobile, dunno how today will pan out with my 2 hospitals, not looking forward to the radioactive bit, but then who bloody does, (stupid remark), Im very strangely calm, thought I'd be a gibbering mess, maybe tomorrow, even managed to order new worktops and sink for our kitchen today as we have decided to replace them to tart up the kitchen, like you do when your facing a major operation!!!!. My case or two small baggage cases (never could travel light) are packed, been told I will be in a hospital gown for 3 days, the not showering bit is worrying me for 4 days, but I have an inkling I'm not going to be up to much, (except maybe throwing up over nurse Rachett) for a few days, gonna be a mass of stitches with five different site, under my arm (lymph nodes removal) T cuts down and under each boob, cut from hip bone to hip bone just above me what nott, my belly button has to be resited and stitched, two drains each boob three in my stomach, so christ knows how i move as wont be able to use arms to lever up or legs due to stomach, gonna be like a bloody ladybird on her back. Suppose the good ship morphine may keep me afloat for a couple of days, so apologies if I post a lot of sh*t. Just want to say to EVERYBODY THANK YOU, as everyone on here knows (yawn) its been a long wait for me and you amazing ladies have held me up when I couldn't stand anymore, so your all to have a glass of BlossomHill at 8am!!!! to cheer me on, don't suppose they will put it in the drip, iM blossomhill free now, thought seing as there gonna knock me out for 15 hours best not tempt fate. So lovlies may post tomorrow eve, probably have a pillow and duvet in the bath (empty) as hubby will be snoring soundly, and I won't be able to sleep, were staying down tomorrow night hotels just steps away from hospital. Sending you all love and hugs Love Bloss XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ... View more

Hi Anita, Don't feel sorry for yourself, I was diagnosed on 20th Novemebr, offiical results on 25th November, My surgery is now tomorrow (as its after midnight!!!) so 3 months, Its horrendous, the wait is scary cos you think its spreading everywhere, I won't know about lymph nodes until after the op. Please don't apologise for feeling sh*t, its allowed. I imagine the soreness (I'm gonna know soon enough eah) must wear you down, add in the worry the mind tricks the PMT, hey lady stop being so hard on yourself. Well this is it for me, the roller coaster starts 9am tomorrow, got my tumor marking then 3pm the radioactive injection and lymph node mapping, then 6.30 Saturday morning checking in for operation at 8am, Ive managed to get logged on via me mobile, amazing for a techi pleb like me!!!! So will try to update you, expect itta be in a few days as in the words of the pre op nurse, "I gonna think Ive been hit by a train when I come round". So hugs to you and don't forget we are allowed to feel miserable and down and fed up, we bloody well have earned it and continue to earn it, hope your on the way up soon lovely. Love Bloss XXX ... View more

Hi BottyBoo - Think your oncologist will order em or your breast surgeon, everyone seems to get different, ASK ASK ASK, he who makes the most fuss (Im not suggesting you make a fuss, BUT >>>>> You have twins, one cries and screams all the time, one sits there and is good as gold, ? who gets the most attention. So ASK ASK ASK Love Bloss XXX  ... View more