New member

Hi 

Warm welcome to the club no one wants to join :-/    You won't regret peering through the door here...

I know how you are feeling; I was a bit like that when I first signed up. My wife was the breast cancer patient.  I say was as that was 7 years ago. After treatment she still has no evidence of disease - So we're living the 'new normal' but I felt a bit useless at first 

You could also join the Main Breast Group (link) as most under 50's are members of both breast groups to cover all the bases.

There is also a Family and Friends Group here you could join but if it is treatment info and advice the breast groups are the place to be. Although the FF group covers family members with loved ones of all cancer types.

Is you wife newly diagnosed or already having treatment of some kind ?

If you have any questions (probably loads) just reply back there is always someone here that can help. The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked 

Take care, G n' J

Hi and thanks for the reply.  She was initially diagnosed 4 years ago (she was 43 at the time), with LCIS.  She had mastectomy, axillary nodes removed, then chemo and radiotherapy.  She had reconstructive surgery last year and we were hoping to be able to draw a line as there are loads of breast cancer patients that go for many years with no further sign of the disease.

A few months back we discovered that it had returned, and spread to her womb.  She had now had a full hysterectomy and is now on different meds to try and control things.

I guess I trying to find someone to talk to - my parents are more interested in their own problems, I can't really discuss too much with my wife as I'm supposed to be supporting her and not the other way round, and I obviously can't talk to her family.

I tried the webchat when she was first 're-diagnosed' and ended it after a comment from the lady that I regarded as unwelcome at best

Hi

So sorry to read after 4 years your wife was found to have Womb Secondaries. It is fairly uncommon for breast cancer to come back in the womb but unfortunately can happen.

After a full hysto I would think she is feeling a bit down as without ovaries her oestrogen levels will be really low now and put her into an early menopause   How is she in herself post op at the moment ?

Know it is your wife going through all this but it is tough being the partner/carer too, trying to keep things normal without making cancer the elephant in the room so can understand why you need to 'chat' if only to help keep you sane.

There is a Breast Secondary Group here as well (Mac has groups for just about everything)

You are doing the right thing by coming here, someone has to care for the carer or the wheels eventually fall off.  Assume you are working as well as caring which makes it doubly tough to keep going.

What meds is she taking ? as they can come with their own side effects too.

Take care, G n' J

Hi - she had the op a few weeks back and is back to work following recovery.  She was climbing the walls even after a week but she did behave herself, despite her boredom!

In terms of the meds, I think she is now on letrozole (I'm pretty sure it's not anastrozole), together with a new treatment, the name of which escapes me at the moment.  All I know it was introduced in the last 18-24 months and is taken in a similar pattern to the contraceptive pill (ie 3 weeks on and a week off), and it is very expensive!

Side effects? She's having a few various ones, the main one being a metallic taste.  I understand that they could be much worse, as it's a kind of half-chemo type med

Morning 

My wife was taking Letrozole for 5 years. Know your wife hasn't been on them for very long as yet but I'm assuming she is taking one of the 'generic brands' as (Femara®) is 10 times the price. There are around 6 brands of these so if she finds herself not getting on with them after a couple of months sometimes a change of brand helps.  If she is going to be taking Letrozole long term they can cause bone thinning and osteopaenia has she had a bone density (Dexa) scan ?

The metallic taste is common with chemo and some of the newer targeted Biological Therapies. If this is affecting her appetite some find a pineapple chunk or ginger nut biscuit before eating helps kick start the taste buds. J went the spicy route to get flavour others prefer a blander type of food. We lived off home made chinese, curry and chilli meals for ages 

If you click the biological link above you should be able to find her new med name to get more info on it especially regarding any side effects - maybe you were given a scant leaflet from her onco unit ? Most of these new drugs are given 2 names a registered one and a common name which can confuse things a little. 3 weeks on and 1 week off tablet could be something like Ribociclib / Kisqali ® but there are several others on that list.

If you want to chat with other members who may be taking or have had the same meds as your wife best place to start would be starting a discussion in the Secondary Breast Group you joined 

Great to know these new and very expensive therapies are gradually being made available to the NHS they are literally life savers.

((man)) Hugs G n' J