Breast Cancer Care Forum

Good to hear from you all! All’s good here, still having yearly appointments with mammogram (Nov) Breast surgeon (Jan) & oncologist (July) so I’m regularly prodded at, which always causes anxiety followed by relief (fortunately!)  Will be thinking of you Ellie, hope it all goes well and nothing worrying is found xxx ... View more

Happy New Year from me too! I can’t say I don’t think about what we’ve been through on a fairly regular basis because I still see the surgeon each year, then there’s the annual mammogram and then the annual trip to see the oncologist as well as the tablets!! But I’m getting on with life and probably fitter and healthier than I have been for years! Yoga, running and going to Bootcamp weekly are things I probably wouldn’t have done beforehand, or if I did then I’d be forever making excuses not to go! Great to hear from you both :) Loads of love to you all xxx ... View more

So good to hear Claire :) Xxx ... View more

Ah great news :) Hope everyone is well and enjoying the sunshine ☀️ Xxx ... View more

There hasn’t been any moving on courses near enough to me and being back at work I guess makes it just that bit more difficult. Everyone I’ve heard who have been in them say how good they are. I have to admit although I feel I have moved on, the worry of a reoccurrence is never too far away from my mind even if the memories of chemotherapy are definitely firmly in the past and I sometimes think ‘did I really go through all of that?!’ I am quite happy and positive tho, and really enjoying my new found exercise routine of yoga and running - do t think I’ve ever been so fit!! Aches and stiffness are a feature of every day life for me too. Side effects of Anastrozole for me tho, and although I get them checked out from time to time incase I’m ignoring something more serious, I can usually put up with it fortunately. I can understand you not wanting another operation Fifi! But if it’s going to improve your quality of life then it’s worth doing. Lots of love to you all :) xx ... View more

Happy New Year to you all too 😊🎉 xx ... View more

Ah that is good news and a huge relief! Our poor brains do go into overdrive at the hint of possible bad news.... So pleased for you 😊 Xxx ... View more

Oh Mechele, that's really not the news you needed! I have everything crossed for you that it’s the radiotherapy not anything else.... But it’s a flipping long time to wait for results! Pretty sure I’d be feeling exactly the same as you, not easy to be feeling positive when we’ve been through it all before :/ I’ve got my mammogram on Tuesday, appointment with the breast surgeon beginning of January and not sure when I’m seeing the oncologist again - thought it was supposed to be 6 mths after my last appt, but that was over 6 mths ago! Apart from that, everything seems to be going well! Sending you loads of love - please keep us updated as you know we’re always here for you to load off to xxx ... View more

Ah Claire that's so good to hear!! Be good and take it easy 😊 I'm really well, the cellulitis cleared up with a double dose of antibiotics and after a couple of weeks I was able to wear my compression sleeve again which was a relief as my arm was getting big again and I was worried all my good work was being g undone. I go runnning once a week, yoga twice a week and walk as much as I can in between. I'm also convinced all this exercise is helping control my lymphodema as well as easing the side effects of the Anastrozole. I feel so much more energetic for it too 😊 Hope everyone else is doing well - so good to catch up xxx ... View more

Thanks Cassy, I was thinking that having spare antibiotics would be a good thing especially if I go abroad. It's nearly cleared up now except for a tender lump at the top of my arm which I'm guessing might have been an insect bite which maybe caused it. Hopefully it'll improve quickly and I can wear my compression sleeve soon to get the rest of my arm back to normal size! Hope you are well 😊 Xxx ... View more

Hi 😊 Well I had been really pleased with how everything was going then last Sunday developed cellulitis in my lymphodema arm and I'm on a double course of antibiotics. It's improving but I'm annoyed mainly because as I can't wear my compression sleeve, my arm has swollen up again. I was doing so well too!! No idea how I got cellulitis. I know it's a complication you have to look out for and treat quickly when you have lymphodema but I'm at a loss as to how to prevent it happening again :/ Hopefully it'll. e all back to normal in a week or two tho :) Great to hear from you both, hope everyone else is doing well 😊 Xxx ... View more

Ah Mechele - sorry to hear that!! Hope you're all fixed soon and recover quickly xxx ... View more

I'm on Anastrozole! ... View more

Hi Elizabeth, I found it made my joints stiff and I was achey but I honestly don't really think about it much now. I think the fact that I walk regularly even if it's just the 10 min walk to school and back, has helped relieve the side effects. Hope it suits you better too :) xxx ... View more

Hi Cassy and Claire, great to hear from you both! I often look back and can't believe it's a year ago we were all suffering so badly. I'm doing well (I'm assuming!) Haven't seen an oncologist since June (I think) and my last appointment was rearranged from last week until 24 April. I was annoyed because I just wanted to go over a few niggles to set my mind at rest. I did go and see my GP though, and she's been great. It's mainly my achey hips which we're sure is an Anastrozole side effect but don't want to be missing something important! So I've had a blood test as a marker (how that works, I don't know) and I'm happier about that. I've been walking loads more than I ever did, joined a running club to do their walk to run program which I have loved doing and started back at yoga which I'm sure helps with the Anastrozole aches and pains. I'm doing the Race for Life in May - I really want to run it, but we'll see! Wanted to post a photo but I can't seem to do it in my phone :/ My hair is back to how I have it 8 years ago before I started to grow it and I'm really happy to keep it that way now. If I had t lost it all, I don't think I would have been brave enough to go short again. It is dyed though - I just wasn't ready to be grey. Have the best Easter everyone!! Loads of love ❤️ Kim xxx ... View more

Hi Mechele, I had 2/9 nodes positive and was told beforehand (when the biopsy had found one was) that if there was 9 or over positive (I think it was 9!) then I would need a MRI scan to check that it hadn't spread further. I have a friend who has now been diagnosed and having a double masectomy in the next few weeks - such a shock even though I know how common it is. I don't know if she'll need chemotherapy, but I'm guessing if she needs a double masectomy, then she will 😕 Awful time for her - as we all know too well! Loads of love to you all xxx ... View more

Mine was Telford too but I think different consultants have different ways of doing things. My sister in law is with Telford too and the way her consultant did things was different to mine (she's not had her first mammogram yet, just other things) Obviously I don't actually know, but maybe if there was something suspicious they'd have asked to see her sooner? Thinking of when I had my follow up appointments after the mammogram that found the cancer.... I have everything crossed for you both that it comes back normal xxx ... View more