**Tamoxigang heading towards hearts and valentines - thread 47**

[BetsyBoop]

roses are red
violets are blue
sugar is sweet
but cakes are better

Pickle, mine are due midweek. I'm probably being fearful cos of previous experiences when the wirds 'highly unlikely' have been used and I've turned out to be Little Miss Unlikely.
I don't want to tempt fate by saying I've been lucky so far (well that's a positive way of looking at it but very true). So I'll say nothing.
Shhhhhh

Kitkat the sewing group sounds great, bet your skirt will be lovely and it will be unique !

Harriet good luck tomorrow. Are you taking anyone with you I'm not very assertive either !

Goodness hope you get your results soon and that they're good

Pickle in glad you're feeling a bit better

Also keep thinking about really, hope she's ok

Love to everyone else, group hug after the sad news about Figgy x

Not been on thread for a while and sorry not had time to read last weeks post yet - been mad half term - but Mum in tomorrow for lumpectomy and all a bit confused. Quick question please - for prognostic indicators such as Oncotype DX does tissue need to be taken at stage of lumpectomy? I ask as no one has used any prognostic indicators as far as I know yet and want to make sure that tissue saved for this purpose tomorrow if it needs to be. Thanks so much everyone.

Also as per harrietv post can you not just ask for Brca test then? you have to prove overwhelming evidence it maybe necessary?

Hi worriedsick, I don't know about prognostic indicators, so I'll be interested to see responses to that. But on genetic testing, they will only test if clinically justified - they are overwhelmed with people wanting testing, in part due to the Angelina Jolie effect. My oncologist said it wasn't worth testing me (mother and aunt with breast cancer in their 80s). I believe her, but when I found my surgeon had referred me privately (without asking) I thought I might as well take that appointment - which is Tuesday.

No idea about prognostic indicators.
Re genetic testing, I was tested because of age at dx (36) and paternal GM who died of BC at 42, though no other history. Turns out that my dad, Dsis and I are all BRCA2.

No idea either worried but I hope your mums op goes well

Back to rads today for me, number 10 of 20 so half way !

worried - I believe there is a set of criteria that you have to meet to make the oncotype test worth doing - I think some are - not TNBC, not HER+, not in nodes, not grade 3. The reasons for that are that in those circumstances you would get chemo anyway (for various reasons). And I guess at the other end of the scale if they know you don't need chemo you don't need the test either.
My DM and aunt had BC at 70 and mid-70s and that is not considered relevant as at that age it is in 1 in 2 of women. I have, however, been urging my 44 yr old DSIS to get a check up as she is entitled to becasue of me.

well done Malt - you're making progress . How is your skin holding out?

I've been to the gym this morning so about to shower and head to work!!

kitkat "gym, shower and off to work" those 3 things seem so ar awar for me ATM! Never thought I would feel a twinge of jealousy at that combination!

Am also jealous of sewing club.

Wave to pickle glad your feeling a bit stronger.

My birthday was fine, new tops looked ok as put a ba and bit of padding on ..... Pls should get anther drain out today. Yippee.

Not too bad kith at it's slightly red but worse under my boob where the air doesn't get to it ( saggy boobs )! Enjoy your day at work

X posted with foo foo glad you had a good birthday, do you wear scarves I find they cover a multitude of sins and look quite sophisticated !

foo - I ended up with 2 softie's - one in the mx/TE side and 1 in the other side to lift it a bit to try to get an even'ish look. And then wore patterned tops and cardigans - don't think anyone would have been able to tell what was going on. My BCN was fab for advice like that and she recommended scarfs. Glad you are going to lose a drain today .

Glad you're not suffering Malt - hopefully you get can through the second half without too much redness.

And Foo - only a few weeks ago I didn't think I would manage those words but it is surprising how quickly I have settled back. (didn't do the gym bit before BC).

The last few nights I have only been waking once in the night so maybe my vitamins are helping. I haven't taken the glucosomine or condrotin yet as the box says to consult your doctor if you have diabetes - am sure it would be fine but don't want to risk anything that might put my blood sugar up.

Morning all. Glad you had a lovely birthday foofoo.

malt half way through is great as it is easier to see the finish line.

I have a bone marrow biopsy booked for 10th March. I asked the consultant today if I'd be out in time for that and he said he thought it was overly optimistic. That's two weeks today so I'm here for at least 2 more weeks and probably longer. I feel normal today (thank god) but according to my blood results I'm getting an infection. I'm fascinated at how much they know from analysing blood. If it goes as expected it means I will feel really really crap in about 7 days time.

Oh heavens, pickle, sorry that you're due to feel crap. Is that from the expected infection or from something else? And I thought you had finished the chemo; do they now keep you in to make sure you're ok? Sorry that the biopsy looks unlikely for 10 March.

I'm another one who's jealous of the sewing club. I've got my new sewing machine up and running, but now have to work out what to do with it. A skirt is probably too advanced for me, so perhaps something really simple that no one quite wants?

Having chemo today. Tax #3. Only one more remaining after this one!! Roll on end of March!!

I'm scheduled to start rads early April.

Wren - my skirt is quite simple - I'm aiming to replicate this one from Jigsaw - www.jigsaw-online.com/products/manhattan-check-print--skirt-7980. It is very simple although I did choose a fabric that is quite tricky to work with. I'm sure they must have clubs llike this in most towns - i found 3 where I am when i googled.

I fear I may end up with lots of clothes just becasue I like going to the club though!!

Well done Mom - it's exciting to be so close to finishing your chemo - especially if you are getting 8 rather than 6.

Hi pickle - good to hear you are almost done with your chemo but you still have a long road ahead of you - I'm guesisng that you will not be feeling great (putting it mildly) for the next 2 weeks - I hope you get some decent nursing staff to helo you through. (I do enjoy reading your rantings though ).

Just wanted to say I'm so sad to hear about Figgy, although I never met her on here. Makes me more determined to appreciate every day.

Love to all x

Just lost a large catch up post in cyber space. Sorry, I don't have time to re-type it out, so here is a quick up-date from me.

My last chemo session didn't go to well and I had an allergic reaction to the Docetaxel. Fortunately my Chemo Team were on the ball with all the right meds and an oxygen mask to hand. To be honest it was all a bit scary and has taken me a few days to recover.

My Oncologist is going to change me onto weekly Paclitaxel sessions, starting this Friday. I have an appointment to discuss with him on Wednesday, but was hoping that KitKat, Wee and anyone else who has done weekly Paclitaxel, could tell me what to expect. Cheers.

So sorry to hear that, tiny, and I hope you pick up soon. I was wondering what the back up was in case of a reaction to docetaxol. I'm glad that there's an alternative.

Thanks for the link, kitkat, I'll check it out. And now you mention it there will certainly be clubs round about here (I'm in London); that's a nice plan for post chemo. And post rads. Etc.

Tiny sorry to hear about your reaction, I had one on my 2nd tax though doesn't sound as bad as yours. I just felt like I was going to pass out and saw stars. They stopped and after more steroids and anti histamines I was able to carry on. The next one was fine. Weekly sounds like it will be more manageable for you

Another un eventful rads here, even got in early today

Tiny - weekly Paclitaxel suited me - suggested by my onc as he suspected I would not get through 3 Docetaxels so said it would be best not to start it.

The SEs are all the same as Docetaxel except that they are milder (for the first few weeks not really noticeable) but they ramp up over the weeks. By the end you are barely recovering in between doses but in my experience I didn't have any days when I was totally incappacitated. It's more of a low level background unwell as opposed to the extreme ups and downs of Doxectaxel. Mine followed a very predictable pattern of SE's that repeated every week.
Oh and sorry you had a bad reaction - was that your first dose? Are you getting less weeklies as you've already had the equivalent of 3 doses?

Tiny - that doesn't sound great. My onc was the same as kitkat's - I had debilitating diarreah (sp) with FEC and she felt it would be worse on docetaxel. I've had 4 out of 12 paclitaxel so far and while I am tired, its manageable so far. Not looking forward to the cumulative effect though.

Scary stuff Tiny

Well I'm now into rads, 5 down, 18 to go. Have a review with the radiologist tomorrow - I have no idea what to expect from that.

And I have hair sprouting all over my head - hurrah! It appears to be white - boo.

Handbags my review was a waste of time, just asked if I was ok and told me to carry on using the cream and letting the air get to the area whenever possible. Would have been better to say if you have any problems please make an appointment !

Handbags My experience was the same as Malt's - weekly reviews and I had no problems. Annoyingly, 10 weeks after radiation is finished, I now have a lot of hard scar tissue building up across the expander and into armpit causing lymphodema which the surgeon says is due to radiation, and I can't see a radiation oncologist for weeks and weeks as the clinics are booked up.... Mad, all mad!