**t*a*m*o*x*i*f*e*n** number 14

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

Drift, I asked my surgeon about swimming after op and she said I can go back to it as soon as I want to, so long as the wound has healed. I had mastectomy so obviously different, but a scar's a scar. Long walks helped me a lot, but crying I'd say is sane. I cried lots at first and was incredibly shaky about it all. It does get easier, honest.

jane, i haven't a clue what happened to Miss P. Haven't kept in touch with all the school stuff - couldn't wait to leave !

deescent...was it you who mentioned seroma. if you can cope with it i would leave it alone,i ended up with a complicated seroma that not only was under my arm but then went right up to my collar bone i kept having to be drained by a doctor bc nurses were not allowed to do it as it had to be done under ultra sound.mine was rock hard and bloody hurt every time it was drained it filled back up again.they do slow down eventually.

14k..bless you having to wait longer is so unfair,sometimes bc nurses can get things moving so well worth getting in touch with them.

had a busy day kids are off for half term here so took them clothes shopping because ive been out all day not had a chance to do my exercises paying the price now my hands huge such a pain.only got 3 more rads to go im getting so excited to be almost finished my treatment.

pinkstarlight - if you have 3 more rads does that mean 3 more days? Sounds like a good place to be, I need to gather strength for what lies ahead and that sounds encouraging. I want to know roughly what time zone this will take ifgwim.

How goes radiotherapy affect you? I've been reading through the literature and it mentions side effects. Please tell me.

hello drift - radiotherapy is really quite manageable , the daily toing and fro-ing might be a bit of a grind but really it's no big deal. Prepare your skin beforehand with liberal use of aqueous cream,and religiously apply every day during rads. The effects of radiotherapy go on for sometime afterwards and the skin might be burned or break down, but it soon heals.

For new folk : I was diagnosed at 50, 2.4 cms grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma and intermediate DCIS, no nodes. WLE and sentinel node biopsy in May 2009 followed by radiotherapy and tamoxifen.

driftwood...im having to have 15 sessions of rads and now only have 3 more to go i was really wary as i have really sensitive skin,but so far apart from feeling a little tender and itchy now and then my skin is doing really well. like mas says pile on the aqueous cream but what i do and it seems to be working for me is to wash off all cream before i go for treatment as apparently that can cause you to burn.you might have seen ive been grumbling about my stomach and painfull ribs but ive had this problem since chemo i had a severe reaction to taxatere and had to have my chemo stopped its left me still suffering from some side effects.when i go for my treatment i run in to the same people and we have all become quite friendly one person is having to have 7 weeks of rads hes on his last week and hes doing fine and never fails not to make us all laugh with his funny stories.

i had chemo first when i had my chemo stopped my op was rushed through much earlier than expected,i started rads exactly 6 weeks after my op i had seroma problems so unsure if 6 weeks is about normal time zone or not. originally my care plan said that i would have chemo a months break,op another months break then rads.

I hope butterflies has some good news tomorrow,good luck
really tired but can't sleep
sweet dreams everyone.

Morning all - hope you managed some sleep 14k. We're in Asia and 7 hours ahead of the UK. DH has the day off so DD2 is off to school, DD1 is on half term and needs a sari for Deepavali assembly at school next week (we're all trooping off to source that - no doubt she'll want the only color they don't have in her size....). Then, bong, bong bong, midday is my appointment. The clinic's website tells you to be prepared to spend a long time with them in case you are asked to wait for results / further tests but, reassuringly, it notes that the clinic is located in one of the best shopping malls so potential for retail therapy is huge!!!! Check back in later.

Drift - you asked about swimming. I had a two week appointment with my surgeon and my scar was healing nicely and he said I could swim so I was straight down the pool and dived in. DO NOT DIVE! I was still a bit bruised and had a small amount of swelling. Swimming really helped with lifting my mood and good arm exercise meant that I soon dispensed with the exercise sheet I had been given.. I live across the park from a pool and paymonthly so can go whenever ther is a session so 7ish weeks on I'm back to swimming atleast 3times a week. Visiting mum at moment so swam at her local pool yesterday. Hope this helps. Really I am physically pretty much the same as I was before the op. Still fat and 45! I think my lump was 13mm and I had clear nodes and margins so did not need any further surgery or chemo., luckily my lump was hormone receptor positive so I can have tamoxifen and I start 4 weeks of rads next week. I count myself lucky that it was caught early and treated so promptly.

Butterflies - hope you are not waiting around too much - thinking of you.

Hooray for Pink and her 3 sessions of rads :)

Smee I left at 16 for financial reasons mainly - ie the fees and we had no money... Immediately regretted it but all water under the bridge now. Didn' go back for years then 9 years ago went to the old girls agm and last year went to the end of term carol concert and it took me right back... Almost all the teachers I had have left now, just one or two coming out of retirement to do a bit of supply...

Porridge, coffee and toast and marmalade anyone?

Good luck butterflies . If you are 7 hours ahead of us you are probably already in the clinic .
Hope it all goes well , candle being lit for you .

Coffee please jane , lots of it !

coffee for me please jane
butterflies thinking of you right now x
Must do cleaning today,then collecting my charge to take her to her new house after school

Morning Topsy Bucket of coffee coming your way :)

another coming up :) mas

must stop reading paper and do something before visiting Mum and going home later!

Hi still got a sloshing seroma. Will have to get a larger sports type bra to accommodate swollen boob!

Did any of you get told to do exercises after a wle/sentinel op? I haven't been given any - or do they leave it a while post-op?

Looking forward to a nice Jane Austen film with box of Lindt chocs and dd to cuddle this afternoon.

Bless you for the candle Topsy and thank you for all the positive thoughts ladies. I think it worked as the first thing the consultant said to me was "I don't think you have cancer".

Turns out I have a cyst 3.6 x 2 x 3mm in the left side - she explained that as it's oval, wider than it is tall, clear margins and a solid-coloured centre, she could be 99.8% sure it was just a cyst. The other side I have an architectural distortion (BIRADS cat 4?) that she is 90% confident is nothing - she explained that it's the same as having 2 hands that are different - nobody has identical boobs!

Anyway, my family history and current state of mind mean that anything less than 100% certainty won't suffice for me (and I couldn't face going through the same in 6 months) so next Thursday I am booked in for a wire guided biopsy (left side) and a surgical biopsy (under GA) for the right side - in at 7am and home by tea time.

We also discussed mammograms, preventative mastectomies (she recommends waiting for at least 9 months thinking it over if there is no diagnosis), and genetic testing (impact on medical insurance as we are expat).

All in all I was with her for 40 minutes, had lots of discussion and she was lovely - so were the nurses.

Your thoughts worked ladies and although I'm not 100% off the hook, it's looking OK. Hope your days are shaping up too xx

butterflies - wooooo hooooo ! That's fab news . I can totally understand why you want to get the biopsies though . You need to know 100% that you are in the clear .

No helpful advice for you dee , but I am sure someone else will be along to help soon .

Had last nights left over pizza for brekkie this morning ... I have such bad dietary habits right now . Oncs told me to eat what I want , when I want it . But I am sure they would be a bit if they saw what I actually put away !

Butterflies, so pleased to hear that your dx looks so hopeful although you still have lots to consider I know. Further tests will hopeful confirm the good news and give you an idea on how to move forward. Glad the staff were lovely

butterflies glad it is good news so far.

Topsy someone said dark choc was on a list somewhere so that's what I'm eating!

Dee I did have a leaflet and dvd in a box I was given right at the start It's at home though. Think it recommended very light excercises building up over a couple of weeks. Will look for a link.

On yet another bus....

Jane I've just looked up the breastcancercare website and am going to do their exercises thank you

I've been told just to pat water dry off the wound after showering, but I had a wash standing up in the bath to avoid getting it wet at all.

Can anyone tell me at what point you can gently soap the area and whether patting with damp cotton wool in the mean time is a good thing? Thank you