Breast cancer

FormerMember
FormerMember
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Hello my name is Heather I have just been diagnosed with brest cancer last week for the first time (and last I hope) Both my sisters have had cancer,one died seven month ago Im a bit scared of what to expect with the chemo. Can anyone tell me how soon after the treatment do you start to feel ill? How soon do you lose your hair?
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Hello all, ive been reading through everyones messages, and its amazing just how many people come on here now.
    Im going into hospital tomorrow to be admitted, then on friday im having a breast reduction and removal of lymph nodes. Im excited in a way, because its the next stage of this journey...
    Glorious weather and ill be in hospital.
    Im still getting the after effects of the chemo, my feet hurt, and i have peeling skin on the bottom of them. My nails on my fingers have grown alot but they sometimes hurt and the tips of my fingers too.
    Its going to be weird being away from the kids epecially as ive been doing alot more with them lately, but my husbund is brillant with them and my mum and dad are on hand to help too.
    I hope everyone is keeping well.
    tc love Blossom xx
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Hi Chelle
    I know the feeling you know your hair is growing back but when you show people they sort of look with that look where!!!! but i have a lot of hair now it flicking up over my ears now. I had all my treatment at ipswich,i only live abot 10 min away from the hospital.a young lady who i saw most days having radiotherapy lived Sudbury way had her chemo at Bury but came to ipswich for treatment.so you might come this way.
    yes the grandchildren have just left they love going in pool they only live across the road from me so i see them daily,the other weekend they had my scaffs on and play pirates as my son has a large air bed in there and they used it as a boat my daughter and i had to wear scaffs as well so they do have alot of fun in there.Our youngest dog (Layla just turned 2 ) went for a swim last week,it is all fenced off as a rule and have a Telescopic roof but my husband and son had taken it off for a good clean so we put the sola cover on to keep the heat in while they were working on it and of cause the gate was left open. so her being a nosey dog thought she could walk on water as it just look like a blue floor my husband heard a splash and there she was we were more worried about her geting caught under the cover it's like large bubble wrap,i was ready to jump in to get her as the steps were all coverd over but she managed to get to the edge and we pulled her out,i she was ok after we dried her .Her uncle Archie who is 6 gave her a telling off with his barking they not small dogs
    Rhodesian Ridgebacks . it like having another couple more kids around.
    hope yor chemo went ok take care Margaret
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Hi Blossom
    just read you post,i had the same with my nails and fingers hurting,i had lovely long painted nails through my chemo,but 4-5 week after my nails started to die off and turned all yellow/white so i cut them really short to stop them breaking really low down but it didn.t hurt as i think the nerves were killed of to,so watch out to see if the whites of your nails creep down to the wicks,mine still look abit of a mess at the moment but i do have a bit of colour growing back.
    i wish you well with your op you will be coming out a new women.
    take care Margaret
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Hi everyone. Chemo done but what a flippin day. All was going smoothly until my oncologist said 'don't worry Paula I will get your prescription sent down to the pharmacy'. NEVER believe them girls, my 12.15 chemo appointment turned into a 3.15 because she forgot!!! Anyway it turned out o.k cos my friend had taken me so we hit the pub for lunch lol
    Good news is she has told me I can ditch the steroids so fingers crossed if the other anti sickness drugs work tonight will be the last night Jean and I meet for hot chocolate at 3am (no offence Jean lol)
    Lorraine you are an inspiration!!! I keep thinking if I stay as positive as you it will be o.k. Not bothered about the hair to be honest, least of my problems and friends and family are used to me bald now. Like Steff I almost like to shock people lol.
    Blossom, lots of positive vibes for tomorrow, lots of good luckxxxx
    Margaret, you have hair!!! I can't wait for that feeling xxxx
    Chelle, sorry to hear about the sugar levels, bloody double wammy for you to cope with although I must admit you sound so strong and it looks like as always you will stay positive and keep ploughing on.
    Sam can you book me in with your hypnotist? I have a few underlying issues that need dealing with, can't stop eating, love beer,etc etc lol
    No doubt tomorrow I will hit chemo coma as I have hit the steroids on the head, if not see you then xxxxx
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Evening everyone just ad a quick read threw all your post and hope you don't mind me joining you, I finished my chemo in Feb now taking Tamoxifen everyday for 5 years and have Zoladex injections every 4 weeks (I'm very menopausal) lol. My hair back now and i love it brown, no gray i was never a keep fit girl b4 but think they changed my brain in theatre cause now i ride my sons bike everywhere, feel like a new woman. Anyway ad my letter from consultant today for September to see about my breast reconstruction, hope its sooner rather than later, said i would be avin it off my stomach so i get a tummy tuck, nice. I got myself a pet cat charlie from animal rescue so i can say i getting new boob tummy tuck and got a new pussy lol. Hope everyone well and keep smiling xx
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Morning girlies,

    Hi Maddona of course we don't mind you joining in. The more the merrier :-). I too will be taking Tamoxifen in the autumn and will have the choice whether to have either Zoladex or my ovaries blocked surgically. Did you have a choice, if so what where your reasons for choosing the injections? I haven't given it much thought yet but i'm sure i won't know which will be best!! My poor husband is dreading me being menopausal and his life becoming hell lol!! I like the idea of having a tummy tuck for breast recon!! :-D Lets hope it is sooner rather than later. It must be great having hair again...and no grey you lucky thing!! :-) Mine is just making an appearance, some brown and some looking light!!! Or should that be grey Lol!! I bet Charlie is great company, my cats (Frankie and Benny!! Yes my daughter named them after the food chain!!), have always known when i needed some love and comfort through all this.

    Hi Paula what a nightmare...hospitals...grrhh!! At least you turned it into a positive with a pub lunch...like your thinking :-). Did you manage to sleep last night?? I really hope you don't get the chemo coma...boo, i hated that :-(!! Thanks for your lovely words about me sounding positive, people that know me say i am, although occasionally i do have my anxious days. I think we are all like me on here. Positive mostly then have the odd blip! You always sound so positive too and your posts are funny, they make me chuckle.
    Despite my sugar levels raising i'm managing them better this time which means i'm not so sleepy..woo-hoo!!

    Hi Margaret, poor Layla! I bet your heart was in your mouth!! Our pets are as big a worry as our kids!!! Hope shes recovered from her ordeal. Good ole Archie putting her straight!! Hopefully she won't do that again! It sounds like you and your family or should i say pirates are having a lovely time in the sun :-)
    I live just outside Bury so think i'll have little choice about going to Cambridge for rads.

    Hi Blossom, good luck for tomorrow. It's such a lovely feeling to move on to the next stage isn't it? Lets hope your feet and nails improve quickly x

    Hi Jean have you been up all night??

    Hi Marmalade, i'm missing your posts. Hope your ok and enjoying this great weather x x

    Hello to everyone else i've not mentioned, hope your all well.

    Love to all Chelle x x

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Blossom:- The best of luck for Friday....I will be thiking of you.

    Madonna:- Do you have an expander implant in at the moment? Have you had Radiotherapy? Your story is a bit similar to mine so I am curious. I am also having the DIEP Tummy tuck thinngy either in October or January. I am wanting the tummy scar to be as low as possible so I can wear a bikini. I keep harassing my surgeon about this.

    I am really looking forward to the operation. This expander implant is huge. I have to do so much fiddling about to wear summer clothes and look even.It will be so nice to have soft skin again.

    Love

    Marian
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Hi everyone, just thought I would let you know still had no steroids and sickness, touch wood is still at bay. Had a great nights sleep and although I couldn't do a marathon I am not feeling too sleepy. and haven't raided the fridge yet today lol. Hopefully if the sickness is kept under control I will not have to have them for the rest of my treatment which means I won't have to buy the hammock Steff recommended lol xxx
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Paula brill you managing without the steroids - i am going to ask when i have next one on 8th July. Still can picture you in hammock though :-)

    Chelle my weekend away with willow foundation is sorted now - 14 15 aug 2 nights dinner bed breakfast and evening meal with drinks for with our meal thrown in - its a hotel in ambleside (lakes) called Regent by the Lake - i have a loft room with own balcony and spa bath - how cool is that - they even ask if you need transport and would arrange that if not. It says costs £390 for bed and breakfast for 2 nights and we having evening meals too :-) - i cant flippin wait - wish i waws there now.

    Only a quicky post as running back to the sunshine to try and blend the brown stripe i have on my shiny head - as its where my parting used to be lol :-)

    Speak to everyone later x stef
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember
    Afternoon Girls, Hi Chelle, i got 3 options Zoladex, radiotherapy or surgery went with Zoladex because it was best for me, to many side effects with ovarian surgery was told cud get brittle bones, heart problems and psychological effects from mild to severe. Radiotherapy would be a problem when having my recon with them taking it from my tummy so i picked what was best for me the Zoladex injection every 28 days its only for two year and after that i could always av surgery if need be, but I'm happy at the moment. Do get hot flushes and bit Manny sometimes but not to bad iv,e noticed hot drinks and spicy food makes you worse so i give them a miss, and I'm loosing the pounds for once while on chemo i ballooned up to a size 18 now i got down to a 14 my body is my temple so my hubby keeps saying, e eats all the pies lol. Sometimes i think i look better now than i ever did and people keep saying how good i look they cant believe iv got cancer it does boost Ur confidence. We just got back from bike ride be for my hubby goes on afters iv,e never been a keep fit fanatic but love biking, wen i took my cap off i looked like Ken Dodd lol. Frankie and Benny love the names there's one up road from where i live mm. Hi marion no i don,t have expander implant just the Zoladex and Tamoxifen, i cant understand y everyone has different treatment its like they say cos I'm young just get on with it, and i no women who,s ad recons straight away think its like a lottery, iv,e never been very lucky lol. Bet you cant wait for your op, hope I'm there with you, I'm ready now. My surgeon did say wen i have my recon the scar will be below the bikini line. :) Hi paula sorry you av been feeling sick but it does get better seems ages ago now wen i ad the gammy mouth and saw bottom lol, now only saw bum i get is from riding a bike lol take care all xxx