Mutual support thread for breast cancer patients. All welcome including non-cancer patients who want to chip in!

[anorak]

There seem to be quite a few of us now so I thought we might like a place where we can congregate to laugh, cry, share, compare notes and give each other a bit of support.

What a horrible thing to happen, TMH. I'm so sorry.

Well, I've got my lovely lympoedema gauntlet. Mmmmm, lovely... It's tight and BEIGE!! My fingers feel much much better. The seroma on my back needs a compression thing on it too and the physio at the clinic suggested a wide backed bra.

BladeBla - at least your fingures feel better

I have been to see the doc that did my gascoscopy and colonoscopy and apart for the large hernia all seems OK. So I have some medication to take to see if the removal of my gall blader could cause the dia and anemia.

Baby L has gone to Newcastle for his PM tonight

DS1 has chicken pox, just waitin for DS2 and we go on holiday on Monday

hello all - hope you are all ok. I've got my next chemo cycle on Monday - can't believe its been nearly 3 weeks since my first cycle. I'm feeling pretty normal atm - taste buds have come back and apart from the tiredness i feel good.

I also seem to have devleoped a craving for family sized bars of Galaxy - is that wrong?!

Anyway - love to you all X

hello all, I am doing okay, tomorrow it will be one week since I finished chemo so can officially begin to improve. My main problem is that I am exhausted to the point where my whole body aches all the time and I will be very happy when that eases up.

BlaDeBla a couple of tips. I find it very useful to have plastic bags and disposable rubber gloves around so that I can cover the gauntlet when I am preparing food or doing a little washing-up. Remember to get the disposable gloves in large so they will fit over the swelling and the gauntlet.

Sometimes I keep the bandage on if I am going to the supermarket first thing in the morning as you get more help that way.

Take it easy anorak! I think we underestimate how long it takes to recover from operations and treatment. I started to feel better a couple of months ago, and it was quite a surprise to look back a bit and see how drained I had been. I think we have a lot of extra adrenalin and other hormones and things to help keep us going through the treatment, and when the treatment is over, all that stops too. Sorry, I'm being speculative and not very articulate.

There are MASSES of little rubber gloves all over the place! I'm not used to wearing them yet as I am tending to take off the gauntlet before I start preparing food etc, which is annoying because I am putting the gauntlet down and forgetting where it is.

The swelling is not bad - only very slightly in my fingers - but it is much less painful with my new glove.

had chemo clinic today and they are very pleased with how the tumor has shrunk after just one cycle. YAY!!!

Do you think i am mad to want a mastectomy anyway? I just don't want to be going through this again in a year's time IYSWIM.

Glad the lymphedema is under control Bla. Yes I know I should take it easy and I do as much as possible but I have so many jobs piled up that I haven't been able to do - for instance I have been in this house over 7 months and I still don't have curtains in my bedroom because I have to finish a little sewing job. I have only three weeks till my trip to England and so many gifts to buy for friends and relatives, etc etc. My kids break up from school in a week and I will have a 7 yr old to amuse after that. I just keep popping vitamins and going to bed at 10 at night!

huffpuff so glad your tumour is shrinking! That's the best news, isn't it? Why don't you wait and see about the mastectomy? It's hard to lose one of your breasts, I feel disfigured, I am an amputee, I feel ugly and as though my femininity has been compromised, I have a very narrow choice of clothes it's possible to wear from my large wardrobe, it's uncomfortable. It's a serious operation with possible complications. Don't have it if you don't need it.

Most interesting there was a true crime programme on TV here last night. A hospital chemotherapy dispenser diluted the chemotherapy drugs for years (In Kansas City) and so thousands of people didn't get their correct dosage. Over 4000 patients were affected before he was caught. They were having chemo and saying 'Well I don't feel ill, can't see what all the fuss is about'. Many of them died. The dispenser had 19 million dollars in his account when they caught him. I never realised chemo drugs were so expensive. The FBI agents were all appalled and some said it was the most callous crime they'd ever investigated. They couldn't charge him with murder, so he ended up only getting sentenced to a few years. But I bet he got a fitting reception from the other prisoners.

I've just got back from the hospital having been sent for an urgent X-ray by my doctor. X-ray was clear, which means I don't have pneumonia. So that leaves bronchitis. Happy days! Have horse-sized antibiotics to take. Come to sunny Bermuda to live and get bronchitis

Oh Anorak How on earth did you pick up a chill in Bermuda Take care of yourself!

Good news on your tumour huffpuff

No idea Tickle, actually no sign of a chill really, no runny nose, no sore throat, it's all within...achy chest and shortness of breath. I've never had bronchitis before - will it develop into cold-like symptoms? I am thinking if there is something in my lungs it will have to work its way to the surface? I've never smoked either, why me?

By the way where is everyone? Not all lying groaning in bed I hope?

We're in the middle of moving house. It's a lovely sunny day, so I expect lots of people will be outside enjoying it! 1st bit of sun for a long time... so what do I do? I spend the afternoon like a manic hooverer and scrubber!

I've just won a couple of bunkbeds on ebay, at vast expense. I hope the girls will sleep in them.

Off to the doc tomorrow, then back to my gp. My hormones are all over the place, having wild parties, which is horrible. Oddly I feel quite calm about the whole thing, although I have no idea what I am going to do.

Bla where are you moving to? I am coming to England for a few weeks soon and I'm trying to organise a central London meet-up on July 18th.

Good luck for tomorrow huffpuff. And congratulations with the tumour shrinking.

Sorry to hear that you are poorly anorak.

Bla, take it easy, moving house is difficult at the best of times. I hope your dds love their new bunk beds.

Does anyone know if its safe to do keep fit class like say keep fit / circuit training after having 16 lymph nodes removed from under one arm, with reconstruction using back muscle......? I need to start up some exercise, i dont fancy yoga.

I would try to avoid doing any repetative action with your affected arm. Spinning should be fine but rowing sounds like a bad idea for example. Swimming is supposed to be good but don't do pushups. Exercise is a good idea and a class should be fun but I would just be a bit careful as lymphodema sounds sore.

hi all - thanks for the replies.

Had my second lot of chemo yesterday and all ok except i feel like a bit of a pin cushion! Shaved my hair off this morning as it was just falling out everywhere (including my dd's breakfast which is not good!!). Feels very liberating just to shave it all off!!

Feeling tired and sick but positive.

Beingpositive - i was wondering the same thing about exercise. I was looking at swimming and cross training as and when i felt like it but then i havent had reconstructive surgery. Could you check with your breast care nurse?

Anyway, keep smiling everyone XX

I have just got back from the oncologist and have officially been made an 'inactive' patient. I have my prescription for tamoxifen and have to go back every so often for check-ups.

I will be arranging to have a reconstruction in the autumn but my cancer treatment is over - I am an ex-cancer patient

Hang in there ladies. I got my diagnosis 7 1/2 months ago and it has seemed a long time, but you get there in the end

I did not know there was a thread like this I am having my first appointment to investigate a lump next Wednesday and am quite worried about it, I guess it is the unknown that bothers me

congratulations Anorak

good news Anorak

how many cycles of chemo have you had?

Gr8 news Anorak. Good to have the reconstruction to look forward to.
Huffpuff chemo countdown... I remember so well. Hope your doing ok.
Thanks Pigleto for the advise,I am thinking of buying a stepper now to do some exercise and not take any chances with my arm

Hi sfxmum, stick around and let us know how you get on on Weds.

huffpuff I had 4 cycles of doxyrubicin and cyclophosphamide and 12 cycles of taxol. 20 weeks in all.

beingpositive I have a stepper and it is fine with my lymphedema.

Congrats Anorak

hello to all
xx

Congratulations Anorak

We are back from holiday and had a fab time in North Wales, just like when I was a child.

I have to collect my iron, folate and B12 from the doctors in order to get my levels up for operation on 21 to remove tubes and ovaries.

COusin has her breast removal and reconstruction in 4 weeks time - eek

I love Wales madhouse, I have so many happy childhood memories of yomping up hills in the rain and eating picnics while sheep stared at us. I would never be able to get my kids to do that, they would winge the whole way.

I had kept all my hair this far but went in for my fourth cycle of epyrubicin yesterday and the cold cap machine had bust. So I will probably be bald by friday. bum and pants.

At least I don't have to have that particular treatment ever again. I'm on taxotere next time.