Breast cancer

Hi Jenney - good to hear from you! So pleased your portacath wound has healed. Hope the fec chemo goes well. I don't think I shall be having any chemo but a free boob job and tummy tuck will have to do! The worse thing for me just now is the waiting as I still don't have a date for the op. & I'm just praying that the cancer cells will stay contained where they are while I wait.
It's lovely to hear how we are all being helped by the friends we've made on this site. I agree with all you say - the journey is made much easier by sharing our stories.
I would appreciate more info. on how long people took to recover after a DIEP flap op., which bits hurt most, any hot tips that may help things to go well.
Speak soon,
love, Wendy xxx

Thanks to you all (sorry useless with names), for the encouraging words. I do feel more positive today, i know whats happening with my op and treatment and why mastectomy is only option for me, at least i'll ave one pert boob (when they reconsruct) when i'm 70, ha ha. Good luck to jenney (?) with your first course of chemo, let me know what its like. Your all making me jelous with your talk of chocolate and drink, i think i need to have my own personal party now, tho afta wk'end i said i would never drink again (as i always say after one to many). Nite nite ladies xxx

Hi wendy, I think you are doing really well and taking it all in your stride. I remember being where you are back in April and I know it is so hard trying to hold it all together.. I have 5 more radiotherapies to go and hopefully that is it, just taking the tamoxifen for 5 years. Luckily, i got away with a lumpectomy as the tumour like you was small and they took lots of margin and fingers crossed i will be fine.The worst bit for me was they lymph node removal, only think they took 5 but I have had lots of discomfort, but perhaps I was a bit tight as did lots of keep fit beforehand...
let me know how you get on. I know if I ever found anything else I would need a mastectomy and like you say, a boob job sounds ok.. Did you ever watch that programme on Sky1 recently about breast cancer, they showed a few people that had the 2x mastectomy and had implants and they looked just amazing, so good luck...
Thinking of you
Lisa xx

Evening all,

Sam - in your profile you say that you are single, and now you are sending a Karl back to his mum???

Paula - I was told that read meat is a strictly no-no, must be well cooked until after treatment!!!! Is it you that's eating seafood? Perhaps pate as well? Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.

Moisturising "bad" arm: Picture your arm - divide into 4 zones/positions. Zone 1 Shoulder: collarbone to armpit, zone 2 overarm: armpit to elbow, zone 3 underarm: elbow to wrist, zone 4 hand. The rest is copied from the paper I got from study people:

"Start by placing cream in the palm of your non-affected hand. Put your hand in position 1, the shoulder. Sweep up towards the neck in slow rhytmical strokes covering the whole area. Then move to position 2 and continue to sweep upwards. Work your way down your arm until you reach the hand. Place your hand on the back of your affected hand. Pull your fingers through the web spaces and pull backwards over the back of the hand. Finish by sweeping up the arm to position 1."

My back is much better now, but had a worse time with the booster this time than the first. Of course it could also be due to the chemo...? Trying to do my walking and arm stretches (that takes me 20-25 mins) every day , but not succeeding all the time. Did walk to doctors surgery for nurse to flush my line this morning, which is 30 mins there and back. To those of you with dogs - I know it is pathetic! Will try to go to gym tomorrow.

For those of you with menopause problems - I have been there since I was 48 and still going through it, so please feel free to ask anything you want.

Sounds like the majority of us have some good days at the moment, hope it keeps that way. That is what we are looking forward to during the bad days :-).

Love to all,

Laila xxx

Hi Lailla, yes I eat everything going, unless it is nailed down of course, even then my left arm is still pretty strong lol. Seriously my onc has told me to eat whatever I fancy as I have gone through AC with a great white blood cell count. She said I started off very healthy and have got through the worse, Taxol really isn't going to affect my count now. My problem is my red blood count so lots of green veg for me, which to be honest was always a big part of my diet anyway. As I worked out hugely before this I need my protein because of my muscle mass and it dosen't seem to affect my bloods.
Even my kids are looking at me strangely as we all work out (well I used too), I am now eating sugar which I never did before, funnily enough though when offered a sweet tonight I said no. Can't wait to go for a decent run after this and a decent workout, roll on maybe a year cos I could'nt run to the door at the mo let alone the six miles a day I used to do for fun lol xxxx

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site & have really enjoyed reading some of the older posts...wish I'd joined sooner.
It's 5.30 in the morning...can't sleep due to the steroids. Having 2nd chemo later today (Taxotere & Cyclophosphamide..having 4 cycles in total).
Was diagnosed May 6th 2009, had to wait a while for histology .Had lumpectomy & margins cleared with node sampling. Found small spread to 1 node. To have Radiotherapy to boob & nodes once chemo done.
I work as a Community Macmillan nurse, absolutely love it! ( not at work at the moment...it totally drains me & I don't feel at my best to support people in a palliative situation..need to get myself 'sorted'..but OMG what an impact having cancer myself, will make on how I relate to my patients in the future !!)
The tips about the nails are brill ladies & it feels sooo good to find the emotions you go through are 'normal' (if I can say that).
Great to find a few of you are dog lovers...we have a gorgeous little Patterdale/Lakeland cross, called Colin & I try my best to walk him with hubby at least once a day.
Felt drained after 1st chemo, ached all over & had a sore, horrible mouth..have a feeling I'll be a little worse with each, but nearly half way there :)
Have lost most of my hair already so Dave (my hubby) shaved it off. I like the scalves etc...have co-ordinated them to match various outfits...don't think the wig will come out much...Colin looks better in it than me!!!!
Love & hugs to everyone
Lesley

HI everyone, i just thawt i let everyone no about the bra,s in primark, there called super boost and they are brilliant. They sell in all colours for 5 pound and you can remove the gel from any side, i got 2 one pink the other black size 36c I'm right chuffed as i think the bra,s we have to purchase can be very expensive, Anyway I'm at hospital later for my monthly zoladex injection its not to bad better than the chemo, all done in 5 minutes, And if any off you are facebook peeps i would love to be your friends add me as sharon milbourne was Hayes. Iv,e put lots off pics on , loving my hair at moment all good things come to us in the end, as i always say go with the flo, not liking the early menopause tho lol xx

Morning Peeps!

Kay, I bet you will be glad to get home and have a rest from all the animals. So pleased they all survived. You've really kept us going with your tales.

Here's one from me. Poppy, the 10 week old Golden Retriever was here for an hour or so this morning. A baby blackbird decided to fall out it's nest before it could fly. Mummy and Daddy blackbird kept appearing and feeding it. It was under the hedge. Anyway Poppy arrives and starts charging round the garden. It didn't see the baby bird at all. But Mummy and Daddy blackbird went into protective mode and started squawking like mad and dive bombing the pup. Then a large frog appeared from next door's pond. So frog is jumping around, pup is chasing the frog, blackbirds are dive bombing the pup. We are in hysterics. Helen grabbed Poppy and took her home! Entertainment over for today.

Welcome to the mad house, Lesley. Paula and I used to suffer dreadfully on the steroids. I would get as little as 2/3 hours sleep a night for the 4 days I was on them. Paula and I used to "meet up in cyberspace" for hot chocolate in the middle of the night. This last chemo I was told to ditch the steroids, as I had never been sick or felt nauseous. A normal sleeping pattern has returned and it is marvellous.

Here's something else to make you smile. Those of you who have a drippy nose, due to lack of nasal hair, will appreciate this. Last night I went to my friend Chris's for a few glasses of the old vino. I told her that Duncan had shaved the back of my neck as the dark hair was showing under the blonde wig. "What have you done with the hair" she says. Told her in was in the bin. To which she replied (as only good friends can)

"Look Chemo head ! use that one brain cell you still have left. You could have stuck the hair up your nose and solved another side effect!" Nearly choked on my wine! I just love friends who can make a joke of things instead of being concerned and morose.

We are all sounding quite positive at the moment, so keep it up girls.

Laila. I'm starting on your massaging technique today. I'll let you know how I get on.

Love to you all
Jean xx

Hi Girlies

Laila – I am single in that I’m not, and have never been, married. Karl and I have been together for 8 years and he doesn’t live with me, but since my last chemo and him seeing how rough I was with it, he’s been here virtually all the time – until I sent him back to his Mum that is!! He’ll be back once he’s germ free, though he’s not moving in!!! Lol

Hi Lesley – welcome to Share, so sorry you find yourself here but you’re in great (if somewhat mad) company!! Lol You sound very positive and upbeat, keep it up. I’ve got my 3^rd (of 6) chemo next week so not too far ahead of you. Your work is amazing and you will be even better at it now you’ve first hand experience of all of this, my hat goes off to you. Look forward to “chatting” to you lots more xxx

Jean – Poppy sounds adorable.

Well it’s yet another wet day in Rugby today so won’t be doing much today. Will pop over to my parents later and take my niece and nephew off their hands for an hour or so. In between rain showers we’ll go to the park I think let them run around and let off steam, giving my poor mum and dad a break. They’ve had them every day for 4 weeks so far, they’ve another 2 weeks to go before the children go on holiday and they get a well deserved rest, bless them. I love my niece and nephew dearly but my goodness they are hyper all the time. Lol

Paula – did you go out bald last night? I think you’re so brave, I couldn’t go out with nothing on my little baldy head lol Though I must admit I’m much cooler in my hats/scarves than I am in Lexy or Millie. I get so hot in them in that I’m sure I’m going to spontaneously combust!! Lol I can just about sit in the house with my baldy head but that’s as far as I go lol.

As Jean has said, everyone seems in good spirits today. Those having chemo today, good luck with it and it’s another one crossed off xx Everyone else, have a great day

Love Sam xxx

Hi Jean & Sam...thanks for making me feel welcome & Madonna I'm a Facebook fanatic so I'll add you!
Had a scare today ladies..went for 2nd chemo & reacted to the Taxotere..needed IV Hydrocortisone & Piriton to 'pull me round'...poor Dave was petrified.
Had a rest & then what they call a challenge, where the drug is administered over a longer period of time. Managed to tolerate it but boy do I feel whacked now.
Getting ready for the crappy few days to follow but gonna have a nice dinner before I lose my taste again & my mouth gets sore.
Hopefully I'll feel more like my old self when I next speak.
Jean..the crack about the nostril hair did make me laugh n yeh you need friends who can do that for you
Take care everyone
Lesley xxxxx