**T*A*M*O*X*I*F*E*N 11 **

[MaryAnnSingleton]

new thread here !

Why don't you use what the Head said to go back and talk to them about how they'll handle it? Would that maybe be an easy way to have a further conversation and put your mind at rest.?

KK - yes, great photos - bet you felt a mile high!

Lovely day with NZ friends here although am having to take painkillers for my back....

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a 17 year old boy to do in London? WE're going down for a family do and might spend a couple of extra days if I can come up with an enticing programme. Any thoughts welcome. (New game to take your minds off BC)

Hello.

Thanks for the invite MAS.

As I was clicking add message I felt a bit scared like I was acknowledging I might have cancer. I am sure you all know I am a bit mad so that won't come as a surprise.

hello FAB and welcome, - have just read through your thread and see you are going through an awful lot of waiting at the moment, which is very hard for you. I echo what Smee posted on your other thread though - usually if they think it's cancer they act pretty quickly.

Don't worry about messaging on this thread - lots of people post who are going through tests or have found a lump, and just want a bit of support, - often people pop in find and eventually they have nothing sinister wrong, which is great. Everyone's welcome

Thank you.

I already asked DH if he would stay with me if I had cancer and if I had to have the breast taken off .

Bless you - your mind is working overtime, not surprising considering how long you've been waiting. If it's any consolation I had a mastectomy and my DH says he doesn't even think about it, - but I'm sure it won't come to that with you

Hello FAB. As Kurri says, doesn't matter if you have cancer or not - we'll be delighted if you get good news (which you will!) and we totally get how scary it is waiting, so you're in the right place. Let us distract you with virtual cake.

SR, what sort of 17 year old is he? Give us some pointers and I'll have a think. Sorry your back's painful. I prescribe a glass of . I'd bet that'll help.

Thank you for kind photo comments SR (I somehow missed your post ) Sorry your back's still playing up though.

I don't know London all that well, - only as an occasional visitor. But I'll be interested in any suggestion you get as I plan a day out with DD later in the summer. Would he like to see a show at the theatre in the evening?

Will I only have the ultrasound and mammogram on one breast, does any one know?

They will probably mammogram both breasts but might only ultrasound the one that is a problem (then if anything showed up on the mammo for the unaffected breast they'd investigate that).

Okay, thank you.

Hi FAB, I am a red herring here really, but they let me stay . I had bleeding from my nipples, so I was sent for mammogram and ultrasound, of both breasts, although symptoms initiailly in just one. I had to go for an appointment first with the consultant like you, and then go back a couple of weeks later for the scans, then go back again a week later for a needle biopsy and then return again a week later for the consultants appointment. I think it is a postcode lottery as to which type of service you get, some people on here had the initial consultation and test all on the same day. A few months later I had a mass removed from one breast, which finally proved to be non-cancerous. So try not to worry, as others have said most breast clinic referrals turn out to be fine.

Lovely photos Kurri, you must be so proud, she looks proud too.
Science museum is good for all ages SR. I will have a think further, things like London eye, or Thames boat trip are good too. Some times the Thames water barrier do tours.

xpost, they ultrasounded (if that is a word) both breasts for me even though mammo was clear as far as they could see, and symptoms were only in one breast.

Your mammo might not show enough depending on age, I like to think mine was unclear as I am so young (nearly 40) and not because I had not long finished breast feeding and wreaked my breasts producing three beautiful dc!

LOL.

I am not worried at all but if I have a biopsy or any mass removed will my breasts be scarred? I am not bothered but want to be prepared.

Hello,

Hope I'm not barging in....I posted in the main area and was kindly directed here. Just looking for a bit of advice. One of my best friend's has breast cancer and is having a double mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time. Luckily its not spread and so once that is all done and dusted she'll be in the clear.

I want to help and support her in any way I can. And obviously I will ask (and respect!) her wishes.

I'm trying to wrack my brain to think of what I can do to help. Visiting (as and when she wants), offered to look after DC, obv chatting, etc. But if you've had something similar or have a friend who has, is there anything that you really appreciated - emotionally or practically - that helped, even a little bit. Meals cooked? Just being treated normally? Anything that helped to make the recovery more comfy?

Also I've always found forums a great place for support for various things - she's not a particularly internety person, but I was wondering whether it would be really great for her to have somewhere to vent and talk about it with people that know rather than people like me that are just trying to empathise and imagine (and are probably off the mark anyway). Is this the best place - or would you suggest other places?

Sorry to hear about your friend pleasenap, I can only speak from my own experience but I found normal conversations about everyday things, were what I wanted, - but in the knowledge that if I needed a shoulder to cry on my friends were there.

She'll be pretty sore and tired for a while after her op, so I'm sure she'd appreciate any practical help with children cooking etc.,
I think for me it was just nice that people were thinking of me, and I had friends who would loan me DVD's and books, bring me a bunch of flowers from their garden - little things, but they meant a lot. I would take your lead from her, if she wants to talk about it let her know you're there or on the end of the phone.

If she wants to come on here, she would of course be very welcome, - it's sometimes a lot easier to talk about thing on a forum that you might not want to discuss with family in case you worry them. Also you often have little niggles after an op. or during treatment it's nice to be able to chat to people who've been through it and share tips

My sister has been feeling alright today after her chemo on Monday, she has been feeling nauseous but has been taking anti sickness tablets. She had a blood transfusion yesterday and looks very rosy cheeked today.

Thank you for all your help. I'm sure I'll be back on here soon.

I'm pleased she's feeling OK Jenny, - I'm sure the blood transfusion will have given her a bit of a boost too. she may well find the nausea settles down a bit after about a week.

It's a useful idea for her to keep a note of any side effects she has, because they'll ask about them at her next chemo session and its easy to forget what you felt like the previous week, - then she can be forearmed with the necessary drugs for the next time.

hello all- jenny-am sure your sis will be perked up by blood transfusion -and pleasenap,glad you found your way here- if your friend would find it helpful then I'm sure she'd get a lot of support from this forum- much nicer and less scary than the one on the Breast Cancer care site (which is good of course,but this one is friendlier and smaller)
FAB - if you do have an op you will have scars and depending where it is possibly a bit of wonkiness. If they do any node sampling then you'll have a small crescent shaped scar under the arm which is v uncomfortable. My scars are 2 years old and fading nicely.

FAB, yup, there's likely to be scars, but a good surgeon will keep them to a minimum and they fade over time. A relative of mine swears by BioOil to rub on old healed scars, which you can get from good chemists - it helps fade scarring.
Pleasenap, the thing that's helped me most is humour and people treating me no differently other than quiet acknowledgement that I can't do as much as normal on this chemotherapy stuff. Sometimes it's really handy to have transport to appointments so that's something people can offer (especially if they fancy being a sensible 'chemo buddy' if they're ok with hospitals. Someone to just sit and chat and drive us back home etc. Saves partners having to do it every time, etc.)

Morning everyone else! Waiting for carpet cleaners to arrive here - had forgotten they were turning up so had to do a mad dash round the house, moving stuff . Silly moo.

Good advice for our newcomers here already I see! Hello FAB and pleasenap -welcome. You are welcome to chat here all you like, even after you find out you are totally fine. And i think it is probably one of the better places to come, simply because we aren't always talking cancer - but we always will , if you like.

On the scarring front, they really do try to minimise it. I saw my onc two weeks ago for a check up, two years after a lumpectomy. he stood back, looked me up and down (I was topless) and said - 'Well, you could get those out on Polzeath beach and no-one would be any the wiser'. And i think he is right. Obviously it depends how much they have to take, and where that is, but they do their best to put scars in skin folds, and to re-shape what remains.

Jenny I am glad your sister seems perky.

MAS - I am glad your work went well, never in any doubt really.

KK - the pics are fab and you look great. I am glad to hear the skin is improving on Eucerin. It usually works very fast for me, too.

Smee that your ds gets the year's hoolie as well. We can compare notes come the autumn.

Amber - Hooray for a sensible and compassionate nurse.

PS I am going on holiday tomorrow so may be gone until the start of August. But I'll be thinking of you all. Take care.

Fingers crossed for manageable treatments, good diagnoses, successful work and lots and lots of cake.

x

have a lovely restful time Cakes !! x