Hey Ladies,

Karyn, good to hear from you.  You sure do sound like a busy bee, hope you are getting some 'me time' i guess once everyone is in bed!

Yeah it seems aches and pains is something i'll have to get used to.  If i sleep too long on one side my hips and legs really ache so have to shift around a bit. I am sleeping ok, which is good esp with this heat so often i zonk out and then wake up all very stiff and achey.

Hope your blistery rash isn't too uncomfortable and itchy. My skin has healed all ok now after rads although still slapping on aveeno every day just in case there is a delayed reaction. I've gone from red to a darker shade of white and the dirty armpitt look is fading, yay!

That is really annoying about your opp, frustating thing is there is nothing you can do but just wait, which is the hardest.  At least they have you in the system and will let you know asap. Just remember you cant control which is out of your circle of influence.  I know easier said then done at times but i try to think about that when things get me down like worrying too much about 'what iff's'

Davia, how are you doing with the tablets? I hope they haven't made you feel ill. I'm glad to hear you have some good support with the other ladies, its not easy what you are going through now so support is a godsend.  thinking about you and sending you a big hug.

Claire, Sue, Linda, Carla hope you are all doing ok and having a good week.  

Hugs xxx

Hi Mich 

Glad to hear your skin has behaved after rads. Keep doing the excersize, prevent any stiffness.

I've felt good on my treatment t tablets, but yesterday I was taken off fast release oxicodon to slow release and I'm feeling spaced today I suppose my body needs time to adjust to new tablet. 

Hope you've been able to get out walking along your coastal path, been some lovely weather.

Keep well, big hugs back, Davis, xxxxx

Hey Davia,

Glad to hear you are managing ok. Ah so you're a space cadet today with furniture walking, just like our carboplatin days.  Hope it does get better.  I would of thought fast release would have more of an effect, strange eh.

Thank you, im keeping up with my exercises and stretching and think of you when i go walking and lift my arm up every now and then otherwise my hand does go puffy.

Yeah some gorgeous weather here, had some nice walks at the weekend. Today faffing at home. 

Hope you have your feet up and hubby on your beck n call ;)

xxx

Hi Ladies,

Sorry I haven't been in touch for a while. Things haven't been too good here. My sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer 7 years ago (not TN) By the time she was diagnosed, the cancer had already spread to her liver. She now has cancer in her bones, spleen and lungs. The hospital have been talking about palliative care for a long time but she isn't ready to give up the fight yet. To top it all, she has Covid. She is at home with oxygen but obviously not in a good way. 

My husband was put at risk of redundancy so our stress levels have been through the roof. Luckily, he is not longer at risk but we could have done without the extra worry.

Anyway, enough of my woes, sorry to sound so self indulgent.

Karyn, I really hope you get a date for surgery soon so this will all seem like a distant memory. I don't think the hospital staff take the patients state of mind into account.

Mich, I still suffer with aches and pains and have turned into a hypochondriac thinking every pain is cancer returning. I still try and get out for a walk every day and have a running machine which I haven't used much lately.

Davia, you are amazing and an inspiration to us all. Keep fighting, you've totally got this.

How's everyone else dooing?

Love and strength to you all,

Love Sue xxx

Hi Sue,

I'm sorry to hear about your sister in law and to have covid on top of it all :(  Such hard times at the moment.  How is she at the moment?  

I'm glad to hear your husband's job is still secure.  Its such a worry at this time as a lot of people are being layed off.  My sick leave is now finished and I'm on annual leave.  I'm back at work 12th august, 1 year later after being diagnosed.  I'll work from home still and on a phased return, so just waiting to hear from HR. 

How are you doing otherwise? I'm finding things a bit overwhelming at the moment treatment has finished.  I'm so emotional, all over the place.  I found out today my cousins sister in law passed away from breast cancer, mets to her bone.  I knew she was undergoing treatment but always kept a happy face and didn't let on how she was struggling.  They live on the isle of wight so dont see them very often.  I did see her last summer when they all came to visit us which was lovely. I really feel for her as her mum and grandmother also passed from BC.  Seems so cruel.

Hope you are managing ok and sending big hugs.

xxx

Hi Mich,

Thanks for asking. My sister-in-law is very poorly, she is being fed through a tube and is on morphine. Her family are over from Ireland to say their goodbyes. It's so sad. Im sorry for hearing about your cousin's loss too.

I also feel very emotional and lost especially as I only have one more hospital appointment and then yearly mamograms and that's it. I feel like I've been left to fend for myself and thrown to the Woolf's. Sorry if that sounds dramatic.

Once you're back at work, hopefully your state of mind will improve. I'll have to start job hunting soon but I'm not in the right frame of mind just yet 

Stay well and be kind to yourself.

Sending love and hugs

Xxxx

Hi Sue, 

I'm sorry to hear that, so sad. I'm glad her family are able to be there with her. It's really hard as nothing you can do for them. I feel so lost too. 

I have a telephone call with oncologist beginning of September, 3 months after rads had finished. I guess a follow up to see how I am doing. I did call my breast care nurse this week to ask about joints pains etc. She spoke to oncologist and they said nothing to worry about its because I'm more active and no supplements to take. If I want supplements recomendations I must call my GP. 

I had a melt down on Tuesday after bra shopping, buying loads from M & S taking them home to try on and non fit or feel right. Bought some jeans in the sale that looked very stretchy and thought gosh they are bound to fit but nooo, looked awful and could barely get them over my hips. So finding it hard coming to terms with my new body. I've got another prosthesis fitting on Monday as this one is too big so hopefully that will make me feel better. 

I also feel so guilty that I feel like this as I must be so happy I survived and not sad or frustrated. So weird all these emotions. 

I've emailed about the a moving forward course and looks like they will start the end of August. Think this will really help me. 

breastcancernow.org/.../moving-forward-after-breast-cancer-treatment

Yeah don't rush back to work either and be kind to yourself, something I think we are all struggling with at the mo. 

Davia, thinking of you  

Hugs xxx

Mich, 

I totally understand how you feel about your new body. I was under 8 stone when I started treatment but have now put on loads of weight and stuggle to do my clothes up. Trouble is I'm hungry all the time which doesn't help.

I have started taking vitamins from Holland and Barrett for skin, hair and nails. It's early days but I'm sure my hair has started to grow faster since I started to take them. It may be wishful thinking but it's worth a go.

I had a lumpectomy which isn't as drastic as you're surgery but my boobs are totally different sizes, they change shape daily which I was warned could happen. You will hopefully feel better after your prosthesis fitting but we need to get of mental health sorted to move on. I will take a look at the link you sent me, thank you for that. I suffer from the same guilt as you knowing I should be grateful to still be here but no one has told my brain that and I am struggling.

Davia, like Mich, you are always in my thoughts.

Love Sue xxx

Hi Michelle,

You probably do not remember me, but I messaged a few months ago about my daughter S being newly diagnosed with triple negative.  With your encouragement and enthusiasm, she finally joined the facebook group.  You are an inspiration to her as she is to many women like yourself who go through life with strength in their bones because they have no other choice.  This is what I say to her.

S and I think you are a hero.  xx

Lovely ladies, I'm in the middle of moving house, starting my son at nursery and waiting on the results of a biopsy as I found another lump, hopefully scar tissue.  I'm sorry I'm still being rubbish.

Davia, how are you doing?

Goldendoodle, I'm glad your daughter has some support.

Sue, I'm so sorry to hear about your sister-in-law.

Mich, I'm so sorry about your cousins sister-in-law. It's really hard to hear things like this.

Love to you all.

xx