Cancer Support Thread 96: It’s nearly Christmas - get the sprouts on.

[LemonDrizzle10]

New thread - old one nearly full!

Yay @frostyfingers ! You did it! I'm also hoping that radiotherapy is a walk in the park relative to chemo... everything I've read suggests that it is a lot easier.

I'm excited today because it is three weeks since my final chemo, so now I'll be onto unchartered waters of getting-better-ness, if you know what I mean. For the last few days I've been feeling so much better, as I guess I do at the end of every cycle, but now there is no further cycle to bring me down. Radio starts in a week.

I met the oncologist yesterday to talk about endocrine therapy, which will be anastrozole, plus 6 monthly bisphononate infusions. The infusions are back in the chemo ward, and at first my heart sunk at the idea of going back there, but then I realised it is a 15 minute job, no cold cap obviously, and the side-effects sound temporary, so hopefully should be fine.

I learnt at the meeting that I am 'post menopausal' which is why I will be on anastrozole. I feel a bit weird about that - not sure why. I'm 50, so a reasonable age for it, and perhaps chemo has catapulted me forward a bit, but I guess I'm just sad to be saying goodbye to 'youth' or something?

@breastcancerpanic it gets so much better as you get further away from that last chemo! I was saying to DH the other day that actually, when I said I was feeling better towards the end of each cycle, I wasn't really - I was only feeling somewhat less shit. I am enjoying food again. Whilst I am still very unfit and not able to do much exercise yet, I can concentrate on reading and doing some work which is surprisingly enjoyable!

Very jealous of all the horseriding going on!

@Poledra that's so good to hear!

Enjoy and don't fall off - my elbow hurts like buggery and I'm not sure I haven't done more than bruise it, but I'm ignoring for the moment, my paramedic son feels I may have chipped a bone but I'm hoping it's just a bruise on the bone. Share a pic, my horse is confused now as she's back in the field until I'm a bit stronger!

Feeling really rough now, and knowing it's going to be downhill for the next four days doesn't help but I'm clinging to the thought that it was my last.

@breastcancerpanic I'm having bisphosphonate tablets for 3 years rather than the infusions - it seems like it's a newer approach from our health authority. They're a bore as you can't eat 2 hours before or 1 hour after but I'm getting into the habit now.

this Is lady Cleo. She’s 17h something. She is a big softie.

she butted he’d head on me hence why I don’t look too happy. The pic of her in the stable was taken about 12 weeks ago.

@ememem84 Beautiful! Hope you had a great ride.

Saw my surgeon last night - radiotherapy follow up.

the implant has, as expected, shifted in its position. Upwards slightly. He’s not concerned.

ill see him again in 3 months (instead of monthly!!! 🙂) and we hope that implant has either dropped back down or stayed where it is.

I asked about getting the other one done to match and he said he’d recommend a minimum of 6 months. I asked whether jan feb next year is reasonable - he said yes. (Sneakily this will work perfectly as it will get me out of a family wedding abroad…) I also want to lose a bit of weight and when I do this the weight goes from boobs first so this will help the symetry.

I asked about the cancer free thing. He was reluctant to say yes. Even though he said from a lay perspective he said that he removed the cancer so it’s gone. But with breast cancer apparently they don’t say “cancer free” because of the probability factor.

because I was only 39 when diagnosed I’m at a higher risk of it coming back becaude of the time factor. Which is why we go hard on it now.

im not disappointed by the answer. It makes sense.

@ememem84 what a gorgeous girl. I’d love to give that gorgeous nose a gentle stroke.

I hear you on the “cancer free” conversation. I wonder if you wrote the post with the same brave sadness that I read it with?

it’s been a year since the mammogram that picked this up for me. It was my dads birthday yesterday (he died during my treatment) and today we are off to London for the first time in a year to see some dance and opera (a regular thing before treatment). I’m in a reflective mood but looking forward to it. I notice dh has visibly aged and has less stamina after caring for me so well He is 68 and a ball of energy but it’s taken its toll on us all. I’m hoping he will finally take his retirement from work and rest more.

so glad you’re absolutely on your last @frostyfingers I’m going onto bisphosphonates infusions and have my first one in a few weeks.

Maybe @dancingwhilstfacingthemusic maybe. It’s a wierd one isn’t it?

something that’s bugging me.

my mum has just called to tell me about an article she’s read in the daily mail about beauty products and their supposed link with breast cancer.

last week it was tattoos and cancer (I have tattoos. She hates them. They are the reason).

yesterday it was oil (only olive oil is safe apparently other oils are not).

I get she’s only trying to be helpful. But. Oh god it’s annoying.

Ahhh @dancingwhilstfacingthemusic I'm so sorry about your dad. I also lost my lovely dad during my treatment. It was so hard, as I was too ill to go and see him, or attend his funeral. I have never felt so lost. Sending hugs in solidarity ❤️

So sorry @Poledra We had a mad dash down a day after I had been discharged from hospital, with me holding my lumpectomied boob on a pillow. Managed to see him but he never knew I was ill. My second op, to try to get margins (which failed), was timed so I could go to his funeral. If all this had happened after the third op, the mastectomy I would have been too ill to go. Life comes at us fast sometimes.

Hello I hope it’s ok for me to check in on this thread. I’m supporting my relative who is awaiting chemotherapy treatment which I think will start in a week or two. I want to be a useful support so will be trying to have an understanding of what she is going through and how I can best support her.

@hollyblueivy sorry to hear about your relative. This thread is for her to post on really, although I’m sure reading through the threads will educate you.

It’s the end of an era. And the start of a new one.

im back to work today.

Good luck, @ememem84!

I have an appointment with my breast surgeon this afternoon where I'll find out the results of the pathology from my surgery. There's been no visible cancer in my lymph nodes on scans but she did say that one of the sentinel nodes was hard when she removed it, which she didn't like. Keep your fingers gers crossed for me!

Good luck @ememem84

fingers crossed for the consultation @Poledra

Good luck @ememem84 & @Poledra hope all goes well. Still in the grip of last week’s chemo and feeling rubbish 🤢. I have appointments today, tomorrow and Wednesday but not feeling confident of making them at the moment, certainly not today’s but I have a few hours so hopefully will be strong enough.

@Poledra im keeping everything crossed for you! Xx

work day one done. So so nice to be back.

I think I'm going to have to change my shampoo, moisturiser and deodorant etc - the smell of any of them seems to trigger a real feeling of nausea and takes me right back into the chemo unit. I do have a very sensitive sense of smell but this seems very extreme, anyone else had similar?

@Poledra Glad you had a good day at work, that's a real milestone.

Everything crossed for you @Poledra . Glad you're having a good day @ememem84 .

Yes, @frostyfingers I had to use unscented everything, and lots of stuff (smelling fabric conditioner on someone who walked past me, for example) made me feel quite ill. I basically turned into a bloodhound! I think it's because you lose your nose hairs, which filter out a lot of this stuff. I'm a lot better now, although I still don't like strong smelling things.

Complete pathological response and sentinel lymph nodes were clear! The best possible outcome- I know you can all imagine how I feel.

I will have to do radiotherapy and continue with Phesgo but bloody hell, this is a fabulous result

That’s brilliant news @Poledra

@Poledra Amazing!!! That's such wonderful news - how will you celebrate?!

@frostyfingers I think it was the same for me! I have been finding lots of things (smells and tastes) just kind of horrible. I've been washing my (sparse) hair with baby shampoo and one night the smell of it on my hair just seemed somehow revolting. But now just 4 weeks after final chemo things smell and taste basically fine again. It was like a fever dream if you know what I mean? sending you lots of solidarity to get through these days and out the other side!

@ememem84 how great to be back at work - a really good milestone!

I'm starting RT on Wednesday (day after tomorrow). At the moment I'm revelling in just feeling better (not recovered, but just a lot less bad!). I'm struggling with my fitness though. I was (I now realise) pretty fit before - running etc. Now I am trying to run incredibly slowly and just can't believe how little I can do. I am sometimes getting out of breath just walking with my fast-walking family. I'm a bit alarmed but guess it will just take time to rebuild everything.

I started astrazole last Friday so I've had 3 so far. I haven't yet noticed any side-effects as far as I know. I did have a really bad night's sleep yesterday but don't know if that's related.

@Poledra so so happy for you!!!

@Poledra Fantastic, so pleased for you!