AWAKE.........

Hi DMM and welcome to the Awake Thread. It was LondonLass who started the thread and lots of people have come and gone over the years. You're very welcome to swing by and have a chat with whoever is lingering around. You can show us pics of your garden or your cat or dog or your knitting we accept anything.

Normal? What's that? Anyway I hope you get some sleep tonight xxx

 This thread was originally started by myself when I was struggling to sleep. However it has evolved over the years and although it is still for those people who struggle with sleep, it is also a place for people to come and share their fears and concerns or a place to catch up have a chat and even have a laugh!

Over the years beautiful friendships have formed and that is why the thread continues and it welcomes everybody with open arms! After all we are all in this together! 

DMM firstly can I say…..

I’m sorry you are struggling with sleep, it really is a complete nightmare and impacts every part of your life! Can I ask are you taking any meds at the moment? Hormonal medications can cause disruption to sleep as can going through the menopause or just the worry of what you are going through or have been through… apologies I’m not sure where you are at with diagnosis/treatment.

What I can say as I speak from experience is that difficulties with sleep can come and go. I have had periods when I have slept well and thought great things are back to normal, then a week later I am waking at 2am every night and am unable to get back to sleep! 
One piece of advice that I will give is don’t stress about it! Don’t lie in bed tossing and turning, sometimes it’s better to get up go have a wee, a drink, ten minutes reading, whatever you need to make yourself feel sleepy again. I know from experience that just lying there doesn’t work, especially if you start thinking about everything that’s been worrying you for the last 10years!! 

This thread has helped so many people over the years and I hope it continues to for many more years! Whether it’s through the night or general chit chat through the daytime, it has and always will be a safe space for Fruit Loops to come and seek support, advice or to just have a laugh. So Fruit Loops both old and New, Keep Talking. Together we can get through anything!! 

Love to you all. Sal xxx

Thank you so much for your reply... I will take what u have said on board about wakening up! I am post op 2 years nearly, and I thought I would feel better by now. I did have a bad reaction to the radiotherapy so it maybe is just that.

Thanks again for caring. Take carex

Hi DMM I am 12years on from Diagnosis, well almost. It was August that I was officially diagnosed. First surgery in the September.

Now I can't use myself as an example as I have been 'living with' Secondaries since 2015. So am still having treatment due to new activity in sternum!

HOWEVER I can say that I have watched LOTS of ladies finish there treatment and then move on with their lives! Some ladies literally just picked up their lives where they left it and were able to just get on with things.

Others have taken longer due to worries about recurrence or delayed side effects etc. But they have slowly but surely moved on.

Some people have hung around for support and to give comfort to others. I think between everyone that I have had the pleasure in meeting, I can HONESTLY say THERE IS NO NORMAL or USUALLY in all this. EVERYONE is on their own 'journey' for use of a better word, and there is no right or wrong in all this.

This is your Cancer journey and your body and mind will cope with everything in its own good time!! 

I am able to tell you I thought I was doing great and coping so well, until I wasn't!! The day I admitted I couldn't cope any longer....which was about 4years in.....was the day I genuinely started dealing with my 'new' life, which included my new body, scars, lumps and metal work included!!

Once I regained some form of control I was able to sleep better... although I think now I need to rename the thread Staying AWAKE?? As that's a whole new struggle... thanks to drugs!

Best piece of advice I can offer is listen to your body and don't compare yourself to anyone else! Be kind to yourself and I'll try and make an effort to keep an eye out for your night time posts IF I'm up!!

Sending you a BIG (((((HUG)))) and ((((hugs)))) to all the Fruit Loops!!

LP sends his love too. He's currently sulking because my appointment at Chemo unit was cancelled and he was looking forward to raiding the nurses sweet cupboard!!! With a bit of luck he can go next week! Fingers crossed! Xxx

Just in case you didn’t know, DMM LP? Stands for Lucky Pants, a cheeky wee fluffy soul who is adept at finding food whenever he accompanies folk to appointments (safely in a pocket till he gets there!) but is also good at holding hands (paws) to comfort too. 

(not sure LondonLass explained, she may well pop a picture of him on here for you!) 

Hugs xxx

Night night Fruit Loops, hope you manage to sleep ok, it’s really humid and still here…. Getting an early night hoping for some zzzz’s. Sending sleepy fairy dust for all who witsh

hugs xxx

Apologies DMM 

introducing Lucky Pants….

a cheeky little Guinea Pig, who has offered a lot of support over the years! 
You’ll start to see why we call ourselves the Fruit Loops!! 

Night night moomy  sleep well Hun xxx

Night night Fruit Loops, hope you sleep well and stay safe, plenty of sleepy fairy dust for all who wish 

hugs xxx

It’s a bit cooler but still humid here, just watched the Proms concert and now off to bed.,,,

night night all Fruit Loops, hope you sleep well and stay safe, plenty of sleepy fairy dust for all who wish 

hugs xxx

Good morning....

The storms got here too. We were fortunate. Some places had golf ball sized hail and there is flooding. It's just drizzling today and much cooler.....probably still 20 something but it feels cold.

The cooler weather gave us time to consider plans for the winter. I thought OH had decided against long drives....but no, he's decided he wants to return to Portugal. So we browsed and were horrified to discover many places are already booked. Ok,  if we wanted an apartment on the coast but for 8- 10 weeks we wanted space but not at the £20,000 cost some are expecting. Last year's bungalow was booked but luckily I have found a house with a garden and gorgeous views just out of the town of Sao Bras d' Alportel. OH said book it so I did. That's Christmas sorted and our teacher son will fly into Faro to join us plus another son will also be in Portugal and will drop in and out. I am so excited. Just the more mundane things like a mammogram and echographie and the neurologist for the neuropathy to deal with in between. ( Plus stock piling prescriptions which have to paid for in Portugal so only for emergencies!)

Hope the chemo has gone well....I noticed at least two people were off today for a first/ or another round. Plus those of you with ongoing difficulties from your secondary treatments and those who are just starting on the appointment treadmill either returning or beginning. 

Thinking of you all......