*TAMOXIGANG* 43 *

[MaryAnnSingleton]

New thread !!

[Shootingatpigeons]

My friends who had reconstruction had all but one the operation that is a tummy tuck and new boob in one at the time of their mastectomy, the other at another hospital had the one using back muscle later. I was actually a bit put out by Dr geek seemingly saying bad news is it is Cancer, good news is you will wake up with a new and better boob and a tummy tuck when I was still very much struggling with the bad news. He has changed his approach now, I think the hospital of geeks just got a bit carried away because they had pioneered the operation. It is a huge operation,11 hours, but everyone I know is really pleased with the result, none had hnds problems, she was so unlucky, actually they are probably most pleased with the tummy tuck since it is nice to get rid of the damage done by children and gravity however I think that having a gap between mx and reconstruction probably makes the choices more complex?

I would add Betsy that Dr Geek though a bit put out at the time, and clearly thought I was a weirdo, now says that he thinks I made the right decision, if flatness doesn't bother you psychologically it really is better to leave well alone, it can't be a bad thing to avoid further surgery and problems down the line. I get a bit fed up of people expecting you to have had reconstruction without realising it isn't an easy option. I was in any case a gym bunny and preferred my core muscles to stay put though that doesn't apply anymore

mas Russell brand had a lovely chant in his desert island discs, did you hear it, it will be on the R4 iplayer. I meant to look into it more on my long list of things I won't get round to

marshy and smee afraid to report that between about a day after they start Year 7 and around 16 when they realise the "cool" police are not worth bothering about you are on to a loser on the coat front, they will hide it in their bag/locker even if you threaten grounding if they don't take it and risk dying of hypothermia in the gutter by the bus stop. Teenagers are stupid.

handbags hope you get rid of your accessory, yes they are revolting but then mine came out early and I had to have a grumpy doctor with a very big syringe drain it so it is probably the lesser of two evils......

ruby yeah for run. I used to be able to cope with anything with a good run. When my ex went off with Miss America my flatmates commented that others would have taken to the bottle but I took to the road, there were some incidents that took 7 miles to sort out in my head .....

[kitkat1967]

good news handbags - fingers crossed that you get to say goodbye tomorrow.

[HerNextDoorAt21]

marshy and kitkat - my complications with reconstruction have been extremely unusual and I think I have taken the hit for the whole of Northern Ireland this year as complications go - another lady I met recently was healed and back at work in no time. A girkl I was in hopstial with who had the LD flap a year or so after her MX was also fine. Please dont let me put you off !

The main reason I chose the LD flap was because my surgeon was almost sure that I would not need rads and I wanted to get it all done in one go and then forget about if (hopefully) forever ... it didn't turn out tht way but I still stand by the decision I made and that I will not have to be worrying about getting implants changed 10 ish years down the line.

Just commented as it was topial - I will have to catch up with the rest of this busy htread later :0)

[HerNextDoorAt21]

ah betsy on that link, the man Mr McIntosh was one of the surgeons who came and visitied me on the ward to advise on the placement of the leeches after my initial surgery - he is a LOVELY fella :)

[HerNextDoorAt21]

I was going to say .... Friends of the Cancer Centre is at the hospital where I see my surgeon (seeing her this week) - if anyone wants a DVD, I can get one and post it to you

[handbagsatdawn]

Pigeons laughing to myself about your coats comment. Dd1 just started yr7 and is already refusing to wear a coat, instead favouring the school blazer as her top layer. She went out this morning in a virtual monsoon, but still no coat. Her school newsletter from the snowy season earlier this year had photos of the girls sledging down the school hill with just their blazers for warmth. So it's pretty universal that hyperthermia is preferable to looking uncool.

[MomOfTwoGirls2]

smee I'm feeling good other than not sleeping well. Trying to keep away from bugs this week. I'm still a bit hyper though, and think thats why I'm not sleeping. Was blaming the steriods last week, but no steriods since Thurs. Am cooking up a storm in the kitchen today. Want to restock my freezer for next chemo round.

Watching all the discussions regards reconstruction with interest. My Onc is predicting I'll be BRCA based on extent of family history. If do, I'll be going down that route too. Probably not until next year.

[smee]

Mom, I was like that - kind of like a hamster on a wheel. I cooked lots too. I'm usually a big reader, but couldn't read at all when I was having treatment as my mind wouldn't settle. Think it's just how it takes some of us. Lack of sleep's annoying though and the last thing you need.

Pigeons & Handbags yes the coat thing I'm sure is long term. He's already been doing it for a couple of years..

How was your weekend, HND?? Hope a lot of fun and wound being sore didn't wreck it?

[Knittingnovice]

Afternoon all, can't comment on the reconstruction discussion as they just took bits of my bowel.

Ruby I can recommend c25k, I made it to week 6 before pregnancy backache made running too painful, I am hoping that once chemo starts, bf stops and pain is under control to get back to running as I really miss it. I am doing little bits of yoga and pilates but no where near the level I used too.

Had my pre chemo appointment with the nurse this am. It was the same nurse who did my pre chemo two years ago and she was really lovely. I'm already causing problems though. I have to have 48 hours on a pump of 5fu, which will need to be disconnected when we are in cardiff so they are going to have to show dh how to disconnect it and flush my picc line, which I an sure he will love.
I also found out that I am probably going to loose my hair which I didn't before. I know there are things you can do to stop this but if don't really care about my hair that much so I've arranged with my sister (& hairdresser) to get a pixie cut at the weekend.I'm sure there will then be some raised eyebrows in the school playground after half term, good conversation starter I think!!

[weebarra]

Saw the prof today and all as expected - NST in both breasts, stage 3, grade 3, triple -ve.
He will be recommending bilateral mx after chemo due to family history.
Interesting to hear the chat about reconstruction, will have to listen to the R4 thing.
Hope everyone is well - good on you for doing the running Ruby, promising myself I will do some after chemo!

[handbagsatdawn]

Weebarra wow to your news. All very sudden for you, but at least you now have your diagnosis and treatment plan and you can start looking forward. Have a look at this blog if you get the chance lauralouiseandhernaughtydisease.blogspot.co.uk/. This was written by a lovely young lady who had chemo followed by double mx.

[foofooyeah]

kitkat very happy to get heads together for recon discussion.

I also want to change my consultant, has anyone else done this! It's just that the ther be is always always praised by everyone I see, and has been used by other friends. I haven't really clicked with mine. Also when a friend suggested she had a DMX she just said "if that's what you want"

Feel a bit nervous about suggesting it but at the same time it's my body.

Yes I was going to go for implants or the expander thing. I currently have large breasts 38f so thinking it will be a big change and don't intend to go that big .... Better lose of this belly! Else it will be bigger then my chest. I didn't think losing my bust would bother me but maybe it does deep down.

[foofooyeah]

hernextdoor you haven't out me off ld flap. Im just looking for the simplest solution. i used to think that the stomach one would be fabulous, but that length of time in surgery put me off.

[foofooyeah]

Oh and legoland fab, very quiet, no queues and stayed dry

[GoodbyeRubyTuesday]

Evening all,

Had my first run this morning as when I set out for my walk I decided actually I wanted to run :) luckily I had already installed the app on my phone so was able to get started on first day of Couch to 5k. Recently got back from yoga class and feel very chilled out.

Haven't had a chance to speak to any uni people but had an email to say I've been assigned a mentor, she's a "professional councillor" apparently I will meet her next week. I will still contact my tutor and other academic people too as want everyone to know what's going on before any issues crop up.

handbags my running shoes are purple and a sort of pale lime green and my new top is purple with fluoro yellow cuffs! :)

knitting hopefully you'll be able to run again soon. I barely exercised between surgery last November (I actually had a bowel reconstruction I suppose! ) and end of chemo, but have been building up since. Bugger about the 5FU, sounds like such a pain. Good that you'll still be able to go to Cardiff though. Are you having just the 5FU? I had capecitabine and MAS and trice are taking it, it's converted to 5FU in the body so I wonder if the side effects are similar. Supposedly 5FU is easier on the bowels, when I was in hospital during chemo the on call oncology team wanted to change me to it as they felt I wasn't tolerating the capecitabine well enough. My oncologist does not take kindly to suggestions.

weebarra sounds like a lot to take in even if you were expecting it. Good to have a plan in place though :)

shooting yes I felt much calmer after the run. Plus it's so nice to be out while the world is waking up, seeing all the ducks on the lake etc. It feels so good to be doing something as well, for so long I've been not active and now I feel much more powerful. All very positive. Do you still run?

This is getting a bit long so will leave it there. Off to have some apple pudding :) have a lovely evening everyone, hugs for all of those who need them and some of my dad's super delicious apple pudding on the trolley :)

[GoodbyeRubyTuesday]

Ooh gosh thread is nearly full. I will make a new one unless anyone has objections?

[GoodbyeRubyTuesday]

New thread here so come on over!

[kitkat1967]

foo - i have an expander in at the moment (we thought I would have Rads so could not have reconstruction done at the time of mx) and have been quite happy with that part of the process. I had some expansion in the original op then the rest done once a week for 4 weeks. My understanding is that if I go for an implant it would be very straightforward to do that from where I am now.
I'm going to go bigger I think - mainly to counteract the shrinkage that seems to have occured (either during chemo or in recent years) - but not much - maybe half a cup size - the surgeon has expanded the new breast to allow for an increase and will do a lift and implant on the other one if that's what i want. (I'm only a small 34B at the moment).
Once I know about the rads situation the surgeon said to book a long appointment with him to go through it all and discuss options.

HND - you haven't put me of the LD Flap I've done that myself . It's just a personal decision that I know I would not be happy to have my back muscle compromised. I assume you could have had exactly the same problems from the 'tummy tuck' reconstruction so not specific to the flap.

Weebarra - that's big news for you even though you say you were expecting it. Are you cracking on with chemo first then? Have you already seen the onc?