***Tamoxigang - thread number 40!***

[GoodbyeRubyTuesday]

Hello all! New thread as we have almost filled the last one. Help yourself to chocolate chip muffins from the trolley! :)

I am ok(ish) about op- I know I will find it hard and scary (ga has a real bad effect on my mood) but I also know it needs to be done (last couple of days have been quite painful so I don't want to carry on like this).

Pay

Part of reason I am scared is am back at same hospital where I had a really painful time with embolisation - one of anaesthetist was really rude when I was in pain (their fault for putting line in my sore arm) which made it worse. I will be very direct with them about all this so doesn't happen again.

Girls can come in but I probably will just speak to them by FaceTime for few days whilSt I am really in pain/unable to move/covered in Lines as I don't want them to see me like that . So will mean wont see them for a few days .

But just thinking of all books, films , snack etc can take to make it as bearable as possible.

Morning All

Welcome to really , sorry you have to join us .
The waiting for a treatment plan is truly horrid . Whatever we can do to help , please ask .
There are no stupid qs (cos I've already asked all of those !)

Gigs what time are you in tomorrow ? And how long are you likely to be in chokey for ? plans which tunnelling tools to pack
Can totally understand your reticence about hospitals . They are not a place of great joy for the likes of us are they ?

No granny's today , she had a better offer
We are off into town (as soon as it opens)
DS wants to buy The Lord Of The Rings books .
DD wants to go to PaperChase .

I am on the hunt for bras .
As I can't find any mastectomy bras that fit me , I've decided to buy normal ones and see pockets in them
I've just sewn one , and I'm really impressed (even if I say so myself)

Hope everyone has a good day today
Later Lovelies x

am glad you've found us really - there'll be wine later.
Have a lovely day today gig and hope all goes smoothly in chokey...will be sending snacks over I'm sure.
Am feeling a bit sick again,though last meds taken on Friday (off them for 2 weeks !) An ex bf is coming by later to have cake -will be nice to see him as he lives miles away and my parents v fond of him -he came to my dad's 80th and that was the first time we'd seen him in years and dad was delighted. Nice bloke-designer,very brilliant painter too.
Oh and then meditation group later.

That sounds a nice day mas ESP cake.

Topsy i noticed they have new style post op bras on m and s website if they are any use?

You are right hospital not the best but I do have better idea now on what to take to help. Officially it's a 10 day stay (like last op) but may be only 7 if goes ok. I am prepared for 10 so can have nice surprise if out earlier.

Supervising big gig doing her homework (I know... Stupid for such a little kid)- it is making me wonder if its too early for .

Oh and I have my candle lit and my arse on the box for you tomorrow topsy. Who else has appt etc this week -I know malt has round 2.

oh yes, will be sending topsy vibes for tomorrow too x

Boo to homework gigs!
Keep finding hair on my shoulders today not loads yet but definitely more than usual, I did wash it today very delicately. So just as I get the confidence to go out again I'm now worried about that
Mas enjoy your afternoon
Topsy enjoy the shopping hope you find some bras

Winging in from French France. Sorry I've been AWOL and I haven't had time to read back, but wanted to send gentle hugs to Gigs for op. will put French treats on the trolley to make you well again. xx

Not sure when I'll be back on, but waving (fluently in French of course!!) to all. Hope everyone's as well as they can be.

bonjour smee !
Someone was asking about new swimsuit and whether one can sew pocket into the bosoms- well,I think you can as there's a sort of bra shelf bit,separate from the main swimsuit fabric,so a wee pocket could be added...it's the Zoggs one I linked to earlier- it seems to fit ok by the way, it's just that I look chubby !

Hello! Sorry I've disappeared so long, I think I needed a break from cancer thinking to sort some life stuff out and then felt bad about being away so long (especially when I left on such a down note.) Hopefully it's ok if I jump back in now.

I've got my last chemo on Wed (Yayayayay!) and surgery should happen 16 Sept. Somehow I've got to move in the middle, with my brother who I get along with much better than my mom, and work up the energy to pack yet again. It's a very good move just have to get over this hump.

Good news too - they did a ct scan after round 7 and the lump has shrunk so much they can't see it. Yayayay!

I've been thinking about you all but haven't caught up on your stories. Hope everyone's doing well.

Sparkle lovely to hear from you and great news about end of chemo DMV shrinking lump !
How have you been ? My 2nd one is on Thursday
Didn't find a sofa but think we've found one online we like just ordered some fabric samples

Sparkle lovely to hear from you and great news about end of chemo and shrinking lump !
How have you been ? My 2nd one is on Thursday
Didn't find a sofa but think we've found one online we like just ordered some fabric samples

Oh dear not even had wine !

hey sparkle that's good news ! we have two sparkles - you and sparklerainbow* Am off to meditation in a sec.

Thanks for the lovely welcome

As for asking questions!? Think I have thousands of things going round in my head! It all feels a bit surreal at the moment. I have spoken about the diagnosis, but that's about it!

The doctor that I saw, explained to me that they would preform a lumpectomy to remove the lump, and remove some of my lymph nodes. Then depending on the results of that, they would then decide if I needed further surgery, before possibly starting radiotherapy or Chemo!

When she examined me, she said that because of the position of my lump she would need to reduce the size of my breast to create a better cosmetic appearance, and then later on I could have surgery on the other breast to reduce it to the same size.

I have been thinking about this ALOT and have looked on line about people choosing to have a mastectomy, because it solves the problem in just one surgery, hopefully. Would I be mad to be thinking that a mastectomy is the best route?! Is it weird that I am even thinking this?

I'm just thinking IF the lumpectomy is going to cause my breast to be an odd shape and size, then maybe I should just go for the more drastic option straight away?

I don't know whether to talk to my breast care nurse about this, or if I should just go along with what the doctor has suggested.

So much stuff to think about! xx

Really I'd definitely talk to your beast care nurse about it you want to be sure that you are getting the best treatment for you, I know when I was diagnosed and they told me id need a lumpectomy I asked about mastectomy thinking it would be better just to get rid of it completely. My surgeon told me that in my case it was too drastic and there was no need. He moved things around a bit when he did the op so my boobs do look the same apart from the scar.
Obviously your case is a bit different I guess I'd want to know exactly how big a difference in size there will be.

Not sure that rambling has helped lol

really ditto what malt said, contact your BCN as she will have access to your info and can talk through the pros and cons of the various options for you.

gigs wishing you good luck for your op and that everything goes smoothly so you can break free early.

topsy will be thinking of you tomorrow.

sparkle that is fab news :)

bonjour to smee very jealous

amber- hope you are feeling calmer now? - saw your posts on FB about church stuff

MAS hope you had good cake, catch-up and meditation :)

malt a bit of hair coming out is normal with cold cap - don't let that stop you making the most of your "best" days before Thursday. Don't you be worrying about not feeling/being sick either - my --geek- research says that FEC has a 90% chance of causing nausea and vomiting - you are the lucky 1 in 10, so make the most of it :)

to everyone else I've missed.

Hello, may I join you please ?

diagnosed 10 days ago, further biopsies this week after MRI revealed more possible problems, surgery booked for 2nd Sep.

Feeling confident but underlying worry is bubbling up

Hi all - just dashing in to say hi, and good luck to everyone having treatment and hospital appointments this week.

Welcome to all the new people - but of course very sorry that you find yourselves here, hopefully we will be able to answer questions and hand hold for you

foofooyeah - I think the waiting time between diagnosis and the first stage in your treatment (i.e. surgery) is always very hard - you'll still be in a bit of a shocked state from receiving your DX, if you can find lots of practical things to do to fill in the time, it helps to keep your mind from working overtime, and from worrying about all the unknowns. Try to concentrate on dealing with the things you know are definitely going happen (your op) and then take it a step at a time from there.

Do you have breast cancer? (I ask because although we have a 'tamoxifen' title, we have a lot of women on here who have other types of cancer) and if so, have you been told what kind of surgery you are having? (lumpectomy/mastectomy/ lymph node clearance?)

We've had lots of different treatments between us, I had mastectomy/lymph node clearance/chemo/radiotherapy/herceptin/tamoxifen, - diagnosed 5 yrs ago, - so very happy to answer any questions you (or any of the other new people) have on any of those treatments.

Off to read through and catch up with all the posts, as I have got very behind. lots of love to all. Ruby sweetheart - glad you are feeling a bit better xx

Hugs to Gigs xx

topsy - massive good vibes for tomorrow xx

Reallyreallyworried -have just read your post, hugs to you too, and everything I said above applies to you too of course. I second what others have said about talking to your breast care nurse so you are happy with the choice you make for your surgery. She'll be able to tell you about reconstructive surgery etc. and what that will involve. She's there to help you, and IME breast care nurses provide a great buffer and often have better understanding of the things that are concerning you, than surgeons who can sometimes be a bit clinical and remote!

2 sparkles! Cancer must make us shine, maybe it's all the radiation. Hello sparklerainbow, I like your name.

Malt, I wasn't too sick on F/EC either. It doesn't mean anything about how well it's working on the cancer. Out out damn cells.

Morning peeps and hello to really and foofoo I spent yesterday travelling/ eating birthday cake. Will put a on and put birthday cake on trolley.

really I had lumpectomy and when I lost weight afterwards it only came off other side - surgeon said radiation set the fat cells on lump side. Did feel a bit lopsided for a while until put some weight back on! Shape wise it was not a problem and the scar is fairly well hidden. With a bra on no one would notice but was offered chicken fillet thingy to put in bra and even up the size but didn't bother.
More travelling today but everyone except me is asleep.
+ve vibes for topsy and gigs. Thinking of you today.

sparkle good to see you again and yay for last chemo. This move shouldn't be as difficult as the last, should it? Take all the help you are offered, moving is hard work.
We are going to see scale of problem with dmil. She has sold (fingers crossed) her mum's house and has to pack up. She also has stuff to pack from her own house and will move to her new house in our street once she has electrics done and new carpets. Then she will try and sell her old house once it is less cluttered...

Thanks Betsy I have coffee and cake to look forward to with friends this afternoon, not seen them since dx so bit of a step forward for me.
Welcome to foo foo but sorry you have to be here. Ask us anything I was clueless about everything when I came here, still am about a lot of things
Jchoc hope you had a happy birthday and good luck with mils house
Morning Kurri
Gigs best of luck for your op I'll be thinking of you and also thinking of topsy for your results

Off for my blood test in a bit before round 2 on Thursday

Hi, just popping in to send lots of gentle hugs gigs way and to sit on paranoia box for topsy . I am in the tunnel now gigs in the shrubbery in Russell Square.

Off now for another days tour guiding, my East End tour was rubbish as It's a long time since it was my slightly dodgy place for partying and now it is all very hip and trendy, and isle of dogs not a bit like call the midwife, but how many tour guides can point out where slaggy Luisa had her fashion stall and pop up shop and other exciting Apprentice locations eh?

really and foofoo I am sorry you have joined the Hotel California that is Cancerland, you can check in but you never really leave. I had lumpectomy, mastectomy, and chemo 12 years ago after finding a grade 3 lump.. Unfortunately the margins were not clear on my lumpectomy and they found DCIS throughout that breast. I have never got around to reconstruction as I am a wimp about surgery and with a decent prosthesis and the right clothes and swimwear I only occasionally feel concerned / self conscious but it is a very personal decision and one that you should certainly talk through with your BCN. My DH and DDs accept it as just being me, we talk about it openly, as nothing seems to be off limits for my oldest DDs piss taking

Must shoot, Tower and Buck Palace today

Waves to everyone smee "I'm not sure when I will be back" how cool is that?!