Hi. It looks like this discussion thread has been going a long time and i hope i will be able to join the community here. I was diagnosed with breast cancer just after xmas and have had a mastectomy last week. I have a secondary tumor in my hip and possibly in my head so will have to face chemo and radiotherapy although I dont know the details as yet. I would love to make friends on here who i can both support and find support from on this journey. I have 2 grown up children and they have surprised me recently as to how supportive they can be. It certainly is a case of role reversal in my house. Chassis x x

Hi Chassis

Welcome to the place no-one wants to be.Hope you are coping with the mastectomy and glad to see you have support at home.I had mastectomy 4 years ago and have recurrance in the lymph glands in my neck and chest .I have been on chemo for 2 years to contain it and like you have 2 grown up children and 3 grandchildren ,so plenty of reasons to fight on.Hope you have a good medical team looking after you.What part of the world do you live in?We are a well scattered lot on here.

Stay strong.

Rose xxx

Lee, Colly, Nina you all look great, not just saying that......I bet you wouldn't have had that hair do by choice, but lookin good goils! xxx

T xxx

Your right there Tony!  but I guess we just have to make the best of it, I must admit there are also plus's to the short hair do, ...small ammounts of shampoo and conditioner....2 min blow dry! and nothing to blow around on windy days.

Weve all been through so much together its so nice to see everyone coming out the other side, hope all is well with you, your such a kind man with so many words of wisdom.

Lee xxxxxxxxx

Oh Rose my darlin

I hate to think of you so poorly. You're obviously not good at the moment.

I hope the antibiotics kick in soon for your arm, the sickness subsides, and i wish the damned cough would disappear.

You have a wonderful knack of playing things down, but I get the feeling you're needing some love and prayers sent your way. Be assured that both of those are sent to you in abundance from Northumberland.

Rose - you never ask for sympathy, prayers or thoughts for yourself. You're too busy dishing out all of these things to others. Just know that I and everyone here are thinking about you.

Love shents  xxxxxx

hello Rose so sorry your not feeling well, get well soon my friend and that goes for everyone who's not feeling too good !! I 'm very well at the moment and even went to work for a few days this last week. I start radio therapy on the 14th march and wonder if I'll be able to fit work around it ( I'm self employed and don't get sick money ) How did any of the girls on here manage rads? let me know if you can,it is   4 weeks after masectomy and I still have some swelling and discomfort.I still get very tired is this normal ? love and hugs Netty xxxxx

Hi netty

I cant belive that you managed to get back to work 4 weeks after the masectomy you must be made of tough stuff.I just throught i would write as i am self employed but i have signed on to invalidity,.It is not much but it helps.They have a remarkably sensiable system where by you can still do a few hours work,I think it is 8,so you have some space to get yourself back together.

Hi Patricia

I was just wondering how you are doing.I hope things are holding together for your family.Best wishes

Lee, you look absolutely gorgeous and honestly really suit the hair being short, tho if youre anything like me you'll be desperate for it to grow even quicker and longer lol. Keep us updated re your op, and enjoy married life babe, im hoping to go back to work in a couple of weeks all going well at hosp appt. Take care Col x

Hi Tony, Thanks, but yeah youre right, wouldnt choose this hair cut through choice lol, but hey ho at least im here and getting on with my life best I can, even if I have become a worrier re my health, its weird how before I just took my health for granted and never worried lol, anyway hope youre doing well xx

hi rose

was so pleased to hear from you when i checked yesterday. im sorry you are not well of course but was scared it was because of your scan. it sounds awful what you are having to go through. really hope you are starting to feel better now. is this all from the infection?? i know you had problems with your lungs before. just hope you will get well soon. missed you!

i over did it at the weekend n couldnt move very well yesterday. had a very lazy day! thinking of you.

lots of love to you leonie xxxxxx 

               Awwww,you lot you make my eyes leak !!!thank you for all you kind wishes.    Wentto the hospital today as arm is still the same and I have cellulitis.Another antibiotic added to the 2 already on and appt at the lymphoedema clinic Fri.Probably brought on by the rascal growing in the lymph glands  so hopefully the chemo will kick in soon and all will be well again !!!

Personally I found rads to be a breeze,no side effects at all.  5 weeks of finding a parking space was the worse part.  It is normal to be tired out,especially as you are back in work.Plenty of good food and rest.Shents is the girl to follow,if you can read her blog,she is inspirational for everyone.

Dont go overdoing things

Rose xxx

               Awwww,you lot you make my eyes leak !!!thank you for all you kind wishes.    Wentto the hospital today as arm is still the same and I have cellulitis.Another antibiotic added to the 2 already on and appt at the lymphoedema clinic Fri.Probably brought on by the rascal growing in the lymph glands  so hopefully the chemo will kick in soon and all will be well again !!!

Personally I found rads to be a breeze,no side effects at all.  5 weeks of finding a parking space was the worse part.  It is normal to be tired out,especially as you are back in work.Plenty of good food and rest.Shents is the girl to follow,if you can read her blog,she is inspirational for everyone.

Dont go overdoing things

Rose xxx

thank you Rose you are a special lady,my trouble is I still find it difficult to believe I have cancer or had??? I was given the choice of  chemo but doc said it would only give me an extra 5% chance of long term survival.As my chances of long term survival are supposed to be good ? I oppted out.I do feel in limbo at the moment and a few hours at work takes my mind off things ,I'm sending you lots of positive healing thoughts and I think of you often...keep your chin up hunny  xxxNettyxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Glad things are getting sorted for you Rose. I hope the antibiotics kick in asap to give you a bit of relief.

Re the blog - Thanks for your recent comment. Hope I gave you a laugh! I've posted a couple of things on there in the last couple of days that should hopefully give people a little bit of a smile if they need one - The Presidents's Speech and a clip of an Indian Pole Dancing man! Enjoy! - www.letyerhairdown.blogspot.com

Much love

Shents x

This has got NOWT to do with breast cancer, it's just another thing to make people smile...

My dad sent me an email through today entitled HALF PRICE IPADS! Take a look, there might be some left if you'd like one....

Much love, Shents xx

now we know who you follow !!!!      brilliant

Rose xx

hi rose

still not on much which makes me realise how poorly you are! not that you sounded great anyway. wishing you well n sending all my love n strength to you. will always be here for you n think of you lots. you are such a lovely person, a real lady! you get well soon.

i was told the other day that my nerve pain n muscle pain may never go away. i might not ever get back to how i was. but i still think myself lucky. lucky to be here, have my family, have my friends, n have you lot, that are soo much part of my life!

unfortunately, some of us have not been so lucky. nina had to have her knee op, n just the thought of it makes me cringe. bon jovi aka donna has just had her op to remove cancer from her ovaries, a hysterectomy. both are recovering. then we have louise, suffering from headaches n dizziness, she has a scan which shows cells in her brain. this life can be so unfair!! shes half way through radio now n is suffering with major headaches n is very low. as you all can imagine. i cant however, imagine having radio on your brain! cant imagine how it feels for her. cant imagine how she copes with 4 children especially when she just set a date for her wedding. she asked if i would let you know, its just been hard to write this when you care so much n are at the end of treatment. i feel guilty not telling you before cos your thoughts, prayers n good wishes would comfort her a lot.

you all have so much heart n seem to know what to say, at just the right time. n im sure you will now.

a friend of mine sent me a card today. it read,

i like to think that everyone in life is a duck, bobbing around on the surface looking serene, but underneath their legs are going like mad trying to keep up with what gets in their way. i think of you as a swan, gracious in your battle, yet still paddling. keep those legs moving mate and you'll get to calmer waters.

love to you all, leonie xxxxx

Lol Lisa I laughed out loud at this, especially as at the moment Ive got an ipad for sale on ebay, just hope people dont think its the same as yours lol x

Hi babes,

I,m so sorry the pain clinic didnt give you better news,after all youve been through you deserve to have a break.I hope things will improve in time as the treatment  eventually wears off completely.

Oh what a blow for Louise.The radio just HAS to work !!! A man in the hospital bed next to my husband a couple of years ago had a brain tumour and had radio and it shrank to a tiny amount and has not grown back since so I hope and pray this will happen for Louise as well.Please wish her all the luck in the world..Far too many people hurt by this horrid thing.

Take care everyone and roll on the sunshine !!

Rose xxx

hi rose

you didnt mention how you are getting on now. hows the arm now? are you feeling much better? i hope you are getting better. think you are definately a swan!

good news with tony! thank god its shunk a bit n just hope it carries on this way. donna is allowed to go home today. at least she has a better chance of sleeping at home, just know shes gonna over do it though! had a message from lou yesterday n she said she was feeling bit better. yes youre right, she has to get better! treatment is getting better all the time. i have hope!

i decided that im going to do the race for life with my mum. we just want to raise as much as we can so they can do more research n find a cure. or even just be able to manage it. as long as people can live n not be so poorly then this race will be worth it! we shall, however be walking n do realise that we probably wont move for days after. but our husbands realise that n are happy to look after us. bless them! we might be crawling towards the end!! my mum has had 4 ops on her knee n each one just made it worse n she really will suffer from pain. but we are determined to finish the race. she has seen what cancer does since she was 9 years old n lost her mum at 10 years old. then her dad. then me, surviving it.

i dont know if im allowed to show our just giving pages, can somebody let me know?? obviously, all help is much appreciated.

love to all of you, n heres to fighting back!!

love leonie xxxxxxxx

Hi All,

I am so sorry to hear that some of you  are going through such a hard time at the moment... i want you all to know that you are in my heart and in my prayers.

I have also decided to do the race for life...... but I was inspired my my daughter.... I will tell you about it.

My 15 year old daughter and her friend wanted to do the race for life this year, but were totally devastated when they saw that under 16's could only enter if they were part of a group.... She didn't think that was very fair, so Micky (my daughter) and Cappi (her friend) started to try and find a loophole..... but unfortunately, the rules are very strict there.... And it started me thinking... These two 15 year old girls want to do the race for life (because of me) and raise money for womens cancer and they're struggling.... They are not hanging around on street corners.... they are not mugging people..... and they are not trying to cause trouble....... so I went to see cappi's mum (who runs a pub in town) we did a bit of brainstorming over a couple of coffee's and this is what we came up with........ Next weekend, Cappi is stopping with my daughter for the weekend, so they are going to make a poster inviting the women of the pub to join our group and run the race for life with us.... we are going to get as many people as possible and we are going to leave sponser forms in the pub too.

So far our group consists of Me, Micky and Cappi....... I will let you know how many others join..... But I am very proud of my daughter.... she hasn't just sat back and felt sorry for herself..... she doesn't bleat about the injustice of our situation...... she stands up to be counted.... she inspired me to get off my bum and do this race with her..... i might walk it... I might be the last one finished.... but I WILL DO IT..... because of my daughter.

Just writing that has bought a few tears because I realise that I am one of the lucky ones..... I am a survivor.

Tomorrow.... on the 15th March 2011.... I will have been cancer free for 6 months.

Love always

Caz Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

hi to everyone on here ( there are too many of you to list !!)