Hi,

I am sorry to butt into your discussion but just wanted to wish you all well.

You all seem like tough cookies and am touched, truly.

I am currently waiting, I have my breast clinic appointment on 27th oct and really nervous, not eating or sleeping much to be honest but then I don't eat much anyway lol.

Really don't know what to expect with this appointment just that I will probably be having an ultrasound as I'm only 24.

The reason I went to the GP was because I have bloody nipple discharge and a rather deep dimple. I can't help but think the worst but do understand there are benign causes for this out there. Just glad my GP took me seriously.

Do you mind if I ask how you ladies felt at this stage? Am I insane or am I being normal?

Best wishes everyone

Kylie xxx

No Kylie,

You are not insane..... first let me say you are very sensible to see your doctors immediately.... you would be surprised how many think they are too young so don't bother.

I know this is a very scarey thing to try and come to terms with... and the waiting is the hardest bit.... If I had to discribe how I felt when I was waiting for appointments and tests then I think the only word I could come up with is....LOST... Very emotional and scared to death.... but I now know that all these feelings are perfectly normal.

If you are worried about what to expect, why not ring up your breast clinic and ask them.... they are normaly really good and have no problem explaining what you should expect.

When my doctor refered me to our local breast clinic, I was examined by a lady doctor, then I had to have a mammogram and an ultrasound scan..... I would suggest you take somebody with you... maybe your partner / Mum / friend just for a bit of moral support.... but I have to say that the breast care unit and all it's staff were brilliant and really did well to calm all my fears.

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to come here and ask, there is always somebody who has been in the situation you are in and able to offer help and advice.... we are all here for each other.

Take care honey... and try not to imagine the worst (easier said than done)

Love Caz xxx

Hi all,

Patricia, stay strong, some time we find strength when we don't think we have any left. the fear of not knowing is often worse than the outcome. Once you know - you can start on the road to putting things right again. I wish you both well and lots of love and hugs.

Thanks ladies for your tips in regards to the wigs, I WILL be buying an undercap of somesort. I have thought about practicing with false eyelashes before mine fall out, but i also wear glasses and always have had 'dry' eyes. Contact lenses are the best for me as they seem to protect the eye - but not good with chemo i should imagine. However, I do think glasses will help prevent with wind grit and dust and hide those hairless eyes. If you go to Boots and look around the nail care/eyelash curler type counters, you will find a 24hr black or brown felt tip style eyeliner. Tiny dots along the eyelash line - leave to dry and then put on a normal pencil eyeliner in a slightly lighter colour, you'd be amazed at the result. Being very similar to a felt tip in design it is easy to use - you really won't need much practice and it washes off reasonably easily., but is waterproof. Stand a foot from the mirror and see how good it looks. If you're really brave - draw the lower eyelashes with tiny lines very short ones but plenty of them - ive seen this done and it looks great- im just not that steady with my hand and havent managed to achieve it - sstill a few weeks to practice i guess.

Lee, I was suprised to see how you felt without your wig, I think the picture you have is just gorgeous and i really do mean that. i don't look that good even with hair and eyelashes. Some of us are just blessed with those lovely features that look good no matter what. Your picture has inspired me to learn more about makeup and confidence - i want to look at least as half as good as you during my chemo and recovery.

shents, you have given me hope with eyelash growth, i thought maybe as they were the last to go they would three times as long to grow back. I have heard other ladies say how much better their hair is after chemo in terms of thickness and length - but only once the growth becomes established. it is nice to hear from someone who can verify that! Yes we can cover naked head with wigs and things, but how do you hide the eyes? Tony did you lose your hair and eyelashes too?

Caroline Colly Rose and Nina how are you all doing ? keep smiling, you have also been such an inspiriation to me.

Love sara xxxx

bless u sara

the anticipation is almost as bad as real thing . we are all different but some things it seems are the same , the thing with the eyes mine r same its nightmare as try wear more make up to distract from bald head hey ho . fact chemo is rubbish but we have to do it so we have to cope as the girls say hopefully all sid eaffects r transient. i too have got stand by false eyelashesbut luckily still have them at present , funny how we all chat from different parts country xx great to speak to u all xxxx u are so special thanks xxx

love hugs xxxnina xxxxx

Hi Patricia,

Thank you for your post, Sara too. Such lovely ladies all of you.

Patricia I had my fingers crossed for you today.

I wish you all well.

Luv kylie xxx

Hi there Shents

its so great when you come on and share your words of wisdom, I dont know about anyone else but hearing from you always brings me such comfort and knowing how you are getting on and how well you are, just makes everything that much more bearable,

Thankyou

Lots of love lee xx

Bless you Sara

what a lovely thing to say, I guess with a bit...no change that...with a lot of make-up I guess I dont look too bad, for me its the night time when everything comes off I just feel so low, however Tuesday is coming and I just cant wait for it to be over then hopefully I will be able to inspire you guys with a full recovery.

Colly you said your hand was the same as mine is now, what happened when you went for your last chemo did they use a different vein ?

Lots of love

Lee xxx

Hello all my lovely friends, I wonder if someone can tell me how the NHS wig thing works. I have a wig place attached mnt Vernon Hosp where i see the chemo nurse on the 3rd and have made an appointment to call in. The lady was lovely - i told her i had seen a wig almost identical to my own hair - only better - and she is going to try and source it. She did say in her email however, that i need a referal letter from who ever is treating me, although I do have the health exemption certificate. So who do I ask for a referral? The chemo nurse, the surgeon or the oncologist or can my breast care nurse do this for me? If I have to pay then so be it, but ideally I would like a change of wig too and paying for two wigs really will break the bank right now.

Also ladies- please if you have any unwanted wigs, remember the WIGBANK who offer a fantasitc service. i was thinking of starting a new thread dedicated purely to tips on coping and looking good from wigs to hair dye to false lashes and so on. So many of you have had such great ideas and tips - let's set up something we can all access in one space?

have a lovely weekend all, speak to you very soon

Lots of love,

sara

hi sara

not sure if wig thing works differently in different areas(i live in west sussex ) but mine was arranged thru the orthotics dept at the hospital i did need a referall but i asked my gp who faxed aletter then she(the wig lady ) had direct line to the wig shop i used and sent a voucher worth £120 and i paid the diffence i also got 2 wigs but they vary in price so much and u also dnot pay the vat i didnt think it was too bad ,obviously it depends on what u pick. the girls in shop were fab we had a laugh (and bit of a cry when hair actual fell out ) they even cut wig to make it bit more indivual for me.

regards the make up thing do u have a look good feel better workshops in your area i havent done it yet but they are free and run by in certain hospitals they give u loads free samples and teach u tips have a look online i think u register and then just go to local one i am goin to look into it also ask your nurse i keep u posted how it goes my friend did it and said it was fantastic dnot know if other ladies have done it

hope all goes well love and hugs nina xxxxxxxx

Hi Folk.

My partner went through the wig issue. She found it so tough emotionally she went completely the other direction! Ended up buying a black bob and an electric blue one too. They came in at a staggering £7.99 each from the fancy dress department!!. She ended up buying scarves to mix and match with the wigs and her clothes. One new scarf here one there all colours and types (About £2.00 each). Cowboy hat, baseball hat and other bits and bobs. Used them as an accessory rather than a starting point. All from 2nd hand shops and the odd market stall. Everyone is different but it worked for her and she pulled it off with some style. I was and still am so very proud of her.

The "Look Good Feel Better" is worth doing. She did that too. Walked out looking and feeling a million dollars, holding a nice bag of goodies worth over £300 at High street prices. On a side issue, I took a photo as she came out, she entered it in an "Ask Jeeves" on line contest and won a pink phone Double happy!

Which ever way you go it will be right for you. She is out the other side now and complaining about the cost of haircuts! (She has had two since chemo ended!)

With a strength of feeling I wish you well, which ever route you choose to take.

RD

Hi lee my veins had practically disappeared all together and nurse was going to use one on my wrist which I didn't fancy, but we just steeped my hand in hot water and eventually a vein came up. Good luck! X

Hi Girls,

Thank you all for you support.

Well panic over, relatively good news. They think my son has got gynecomasti. He had to have an ultra scan (made me laugh when he was complaining about being covered in the gell and trying to get it off, said 'now you know how us mothers feel only you haven't had to drink loads of water and need a pee! LOL

I did get to meet my new breast consultant/surgeon as well, the other one I had had a heart attack a week after I had my surgery back in Janurary and so decided to retire once he was better. She seems very nice, will be seeing her myself at the end of November.

Patricia x

Hi Girls,

Thank you all for you support.

Well panic over, relatively good news. They think my son has got gynecomasti. He had to have an ultra scan (made me laugh when he was complaining about being covered in the gell and trying to get it off, said 'now you know how us mothers feel only you haven't had to drink loads of water and need a pee! LOL

I did get to meet my new breast consultant/surgeon as well, the other one I had had a heart attack a week after I had my surgery back in Janurary and so decided to retire once he was better. She seems very nice, will be seeing her myself at the end of November.

Patricia x

I,m soooooooooo glad Patricia,you can have a good nights sleep for a change.!!

Always something to keep us on our toes.

Have a good weekend

Rose xxx

dear patricia

so pleased for u enjoy your weekend

love hugs nina xxxxxxxx

Thank goodness patricia, you must be so relieved x

Hi all, so pleased for you patricia, if I had a drink - I'd be drinking to you both. Nina, the look good feel better have a CD (can't remember where I actually got it) and i watched it this week, it is really good. I have the details of my local one which is at the hospital I have to travel to for chemo and radio, but I am definately getting in on that one. Anything to help me feel i look normal and feel pampered has to be good.

RD, your message really meed me smile, what a wonderful lady you must have! i have to say I felt inspired and thought yup, time to get a grip girl, and i hope i can be as brave and find a new style for me. And colly thanks for the tip on hot water and veins - i haven't even started yet and it was worrying me. I always feel when I come here that I have something to come away with that makes me more prepared and more comfortable about the journey ahead. thank you all.

well, it's half term week and the little ones here are unwell with sore throats cough and high temperature. I've got a bit of a sore throat so hoping it stays where it is and doesn't turn into the awful bug the kids have. On a brighter note, my man said last night we should give up smoking. Oh yes yes yes, at last I don't have to do it alone and wont be miserable every time he lights up and I want one. So, nicotine gum and inhalers ready - just need the lozenges - just in case..... wish me well all as the air in this house will be blue, and the doors slammed a few times before we really get to grips with detoxing the nicotine. What a time to choose - chemo coming up, kids off school, none of us exactly well and the bills are all due this week too. Never mind - still smiling and just one more step to a healthier me.

Love to all

sara

Well done Patricia - and good news about what they think it might be - though admittedly I had to google gynecomasti - I'd never heard of it. I hope they can get him sorted ok.

Must have been hard going back to the hospital, but you've done it now, so good on you. I hope you both had a little sippy of something when you got home.

Take care, bonny lass

Shents x

PS - Thank you Lee - I have been following the thread whenever I can, but now have a limited amount of time to contribute as I'm now back at work etc. You're all doing so well. x

Hi Patricia,

That's great news! I hope you all feel better now.

Hope you've all had a good day today

Kylie

Patricia

What great news... I bet you are so relieved.... I am so pleased for you.

I am back to hospital tomorrow.... I get to make a decision on wether to have the hormone injection..... but it's a no brainer.... if the injections stop my ovaries producing oestragen , which in turn means there is less chance of oestrogen feeding any left over cancer cells.... then you know I am going to have the injection.

They will also be draining the infection..... I am still on the antibiotics, and feeling pretty poorly, but to be honest I put that down to the infection..... I will be pleased when I am feeling better.

I have got a family wedding on Thursday.... I am a bit nervous about going, as it's the first time I will be meeting lots of people that I haven't seen in years and I am a bit wary about being out in public................

In fact I have a real problem about going out, I go to the hospital and to the local shop... but going out where people can see me.... I am very self concious, Dave says that nobody is staring, but I know that I no longer have any breasts..... My cleavage was always a very big part of who I am..... it is almost like... when they removed my breasts they removed my self confidence too..... and I don't know how to pick myself back up.... Dave is being brilliant, he is always telling me how gorgeous I am.... but I seem to be stuck in this slump.

Love Caz xxx

Hi Caz,

Hope your hospital visit tomorrow goes well and the infection clears soon.Manuka honey is supposed to be ggod.I put it on the wound as well.

I know how you feel about going out,although mine was only one side,you feel everyone is looking at you but when we went to my sons wedding last year 2 women came to talk to me and i didnt know that they had breast cancer so chances are you wont be the only one there with this although it will feel like to you.I have had to change a lot of my tops as i am slightly different shapes either side which no-one else notices but I know.I dont look at other womens boobs so i dont expect they look at mine,but i have a lot more flowery ,patterened tops and not the plain jumpers that i used to wear.There are so many big necklaces that distract the eye and waistcoats are good.After a few wines you will feel great.As you know too well the wondering is always worse than the event.Bet you will look a million dollars!!!This is a big first for you so dont panic.

Good luck sweetheart,you can do it

Rose xxxx

Hi girls,

i have just been shopping and saw a Post op. bra in George at Asda with a pocket on each side for £6 !!:shocked: Bargain!

Love to all you lovely people,

Rose xxx

Hi Rose,

I tried the honey and my wounds healed up really well, the infection is inside.... it's almost like my boob has grown back as it's all swollen on the left side, the infection is on the inside (god only knows how that happened)

I bought one of those post op bra's from asda, I have tried it on and it's really comfortable.... Unfortunately because of the infection, I can't wear it yet, but I am hoping they will drain the infection so I can wear it on Thursday.... it's not the most glamorous bra I have ever seen, but it doesn't hurt my scars... so it's perfect

I know I have to take things one day at a time.......... but I just don't have the confidence any more that I used to have..... Thursday is going to be a major stepping stone for me.... But Dave will be by my side, my kids will be with me and even my Mum and Dad will be there... so I will fine, I'm sure.

Thank you for the support

Love Caz xxxx