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.

Thanks TMM, will pass that on. Is that something you used in between the chemo appointments, or once chemo was over totally? (sorry, bit thick )

Pigleto - have you spoke to anyone regarding your diagnosis. I am receiving councelling and have been offered something to help me sleep, which has made a marked differnce to life in the Madhousehold.

I hope your appointment goes well on Tusday.

I am at the doctors in the morning as my iron level is 9.7 too low for sugery and we need to find out why. It was low after the birth of DS2, but came back up.

My eldest was three today - I can not believe how time flys. It seems like only yesterday that he was a tiny wee thing in my arms. I am currently finding it difficult to asign my breats which could feed and bring pleasure to me and DH, as such a dangerous part of me - strange isnt it

the Boudicca Within. TheMadHouse, it's got great pics of reconstructions and lots of information about what the docs can do.

I had a muscle taken out of my back and put on my front, and I also have an implant. We talked about not having an implant, but the surgeon decided that there wasn't enough to make it look ok, so there it is! It's very strange having all sorts of doctors admiring my new boob. Then of course there are decisions to be made about nipples... I haven't done anything about that yet, but you can get ones that stick on the front, or are more permanent, or you can get a tattoo.

Some people have a tummy-tuck to make new boobs out of and there are all sorts of procedures.

I went out with a friend the night before the operation. Oh silly silly me! When I came round, I was so dehydrated! I hadn't drunk all that much, but the operation is long. It takes at least 5 hours. Anyway, for what it's worth, it's not a good idea to drink the night before!

Are they going to do one side at a time?

Thanks for that BladeBla.

The intention is to do both sides at the same time, so the operation will be about 12 hours in length - so I am aiming to lose some weight, although I will lose at least 2 stone when they come off (I am a 36 H or HH).

I am hoping for the tummy one, but as I have had two c-sections we will see what plastics agree to. I am also thinking about nipple tatoos.

I would like to avoid implants, but just because I would not want to have to have replacements, but what will be will be.

I am just thankful that I do not have to have chemo and have been given this change to make a positive choice.

Are you going to be able to move after 12 hours?! I had a terrible time with the morphine and it made me very paranoid. I didn't want implants particularly either, but I thought that ultimately the surgeons should know what they're doing! You sound as though you've already done a lot of research.

No to the movement, need to lay still for an additional 48 hours. I am ususally quite good with recovery and healing. Back to work 4 days after gall bladder surgery when 20 pregnant with DS1, 2 sections back driving after two weeks and feeling great.

Currently my biggest issues are recovery and weight with a 21 month old and a 3 year old life is pretty active to say the least. I really need to lose 3 stone

I do have the advatage of being able to plan for the surgery and have decided to have the ovaries and tubes removed first becuase screening is extreamly ineffective for these cancers and I have already lodt one aunt to ovarian and one is currently in remission for ovarian even though she was on the screening programme.

I have been seriously looking in to this since the possibility arose of the gene mutation. I also have one of my cousins going through it too. We have been increadably lucky as a family - most are testing negative for the mutation - it seems to be dominant on the female side.

Anyway enough about me. How are you feeling at the moment?

Is that something you used in between the chemo appointments, or once chemo was over totally? (sorry, bit thick )

I used it all through the chemotherapy and for a while afterwards to aid with post-chemo recovery.

MM

Hi ladies.I hope you don't mind me posting on here.
My friend found two lumps last week.One about the size of a golf ball but not round in shape and the other smaller.She has an appointment for next wednesday,to have a scan and maybe a biopsy.Of course it may not be cancer but if it is i want to able to help.I have offered to look after her ds whenever she need me to.
Her dh is going with her next week so was thinking maybe offer to take them and pick them up.
Also was thinking about having some flowers sent to her house the day before.But not sure if that would upset her.
Any ideas please.

Hi everyone, hi lisa. Why should your flowers upset her? It shows you care and are thinking of her. Looking after her DS is the kind of help that is the most important of all. You sound like a wonderful friend.

I'm feeling a little better since chemo on Thursday, and very happy that it was the last dose of the harsh drugs and that I will be changed over to something easier to tolerate next time.

We have gales and storms today in Bermuda so I am having a sofa day with duvet, laptop and tv. Might make hot choc in a minute

Thanks TMM

Anorak, could the problem with your arm be cording ( from breastcancercare site)
You may develop pain that feels like a tight cord running from your armpit, down your upper arm through to the back of your hand.

Cording is thought to be due to hardened lymph vessels and can appear six to eight weeks following surgery or even months afterwards. Cording usually gets better and the symptoms go away, though you may need physiotherapy to stretch the cords and you may be given antibiotics.

My friend had this and it was very sore

Thank you seb1 I will take a look at the site for that.

madhouse - I am going through a bit of a hard core health food thing this week as a reaction and a distraction, so I don't really want any extra drugs in my system, I don't fancy councelling as I am not up to speaking about this to a stranger at the moment (apart from you lovely ladies).

I am going to the spa with my mum tomorrow for a pamper treatment which should help me relax a bit.

Lisa I think your friend will be happy for some help with her ds. I am drowing under a heap of flowers at the moment which is lovely apart from when people do the sympathetic face at me, because I know what they are thinking and I don't want them to think that.

Hi pigleto, oh yes I know what you mean abou that face. You say the word cancer to people and sometimes it's as if all they can see is a skull and crossbones but we're not having any of that, are we?

Health food thing definitely makes a difference, I've found if I miss my minimum 5 fruit and veg I can feel the difference. I drink juice once or twice a day for when it's hard to eat, and vit and mineral supplements help too. I have found I can't drink booze while on chemo, it upsets my stomach so I have cut that out too.

Some links my friend and I found/used when she had Breast cancer

Lookgood Feelbetter

Maggies Centres

Make up to help with Eye Brow loss

Hi everyone, Just found this thread. I was diagnosed with Breast cancer Xmas 2005. I had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction from the tummy and a reduction on the other! I then had a six month course of chemo.

I'd just like to say it does get better. I'm now on tamoxifen which is causing big problems with my ovaries and have had alot of ops over the last 12 months trying to avoid a hysterectomy.

I can fully recommend the reconstruction surgery and the nipple reconstruction and the nipple tatoo. I have to say I look in the mirror and feel really positive. I love my boobs even if one is not completely real.

I look at my two daughters every day and remember the the awfulness of chemo and 12 hour surgeries was definitely worth it.

MadHouse my dd's were 6 months and 2 when I was diagnosed and they were key to my decisions too.

My one recommendation! If you can try to alternative therapies (often offered at the hospitals) to complement your treatment. I found reflexology helped me with the tiredness and constipation!! of chemo.

Thank you seb1 for those links.

MrsOnTheMove your post has made me cry, thank you for that positive story.

Hi just checking in to say 'thinking of you Pigleto and your lymph investigation' today

to all the girls and their supporters

Pigleto - I too hope that the ultrasound gave good news and that the spa day was wonderful.

It is my 13 wedding aniversary today and I still love DH as much if not more than when we first got together

Evening everyone... I'm really cross today. Took mum to one of the hospital listed wig places this morning- the woman running it could not have been less sympathetic if she'd tried, in fact she was bloody rude. It seemed too much trouble to help to find something even partially suitable, she practically huffed and puffed her way through the whole thing. Aaarhh..why are some people so useless? She knew exactly why we were there, so it wasn't accidental insensitivity either. My lovely mum came away quite distressed and even more unsettled by the whole thing.

Am actually wondering if I should go back there and say something.

Sorry, rant over...

Hope that you're all doing well

Ah MadHouse, that's lovely - congrats on your wedding anniversary

JRocks... write a letter to the manager! That's so out of order - it's a very sensitive issue that salesperson is mucking about with.

JRocks - I would complain too. My aunt found the whole hair loss and wig thing one of the mopst traumatic experiances of her whole illness.

But the shop could not have been better, she and my two cousins (one who is a hairdresser) went together and had a ball. I received 7 text pictures of them all in various wigs. They had coffee and biscuits and she came away with a great wig that my cousin custmised and a much better attitude to the whole hair loss part of her treatment.

This is another reason that I was the one to take her, rather than dad (he's a bit lacking in useful things to say) as I am a hairdresser and thought I'd be able to find something with potential. The blardy woman all but said that there was nothing you could do with the wig once you had it, you were stuck with that style. A bit traumatic for mum really, but she's content to go down the headscarf route for now anyway.

JRocks that is totally untrue. I went and bought a wig and was told to take it to my hairdresser and have it cut and styled to my liking. Which I did.

And when I went to chemo a couple of weeks ago the nurses were talking to another patient about her wig, saying every week it gets shorter and shorter as she kept having it cut. Perhaps you should try a different wig shop and hope for a better attitude. The woman who sold me mine couldn't have been nicer.

I do wear a scarf quite often though as I find it more comfortable than a wig.

Hope you had a nice anniversary TMH.

pigleto I woke up thinking about you this morning, how are you feeling prior to your op tomorrow? Have you had results from your axillary ultrasound?

I've heard from quite a lot of women that wigs can be uncomfortable. I used to work with a woman who was completely bald. She had alopecia (sp), and everyone thought she had cancer. Her hair hasn't grown back - perhaps it's like that woman on telly.

I've been very tired a lot of the time. I don't know what the problem is and I am hesitant to go to the docs and get diagnosed with any other horrible diseases. The doc suggested that it may be my thyroid. Oh well, I need to have a kidney function blood test soon because of the drugs for colitis.

My arm has been quite uncomfortable on the side of the operation. For most of the day it has been feeling very heavy and achy. I don't think it's lymphodoema.

Must get kids to bed. Hope all goes well, pigleto.