How are you all doing ladies!? Just wanted to check in!! For those who had their second round this week, (Pippin, madhatter, Rufusblue, NGS)  I hope you’re doing ok and hope those side effects are still minimal…and really hope you can enjoy some fresh air but also put your feet up this Easter weekend.

i’m good, slight niggly throat still (day 10!!) but gargling difflam which is working really well. Slightly constipated but energy back and hoping for a good week or so before round 2 on the 9th! 

Oh and my taste might still be a bit off but it turns out chocolate still tastes good!!! 

Hope you all enjoy a lovely Easter. sending hugs xx

Hi Greeny80, lucky my side effects still minimal, a bit of constipation, which I think is the meds. Last time it eased up once I stopped taking the tablets. My injections start tonight, so hoping that goes smoothly too. Annoying for you that it is affecting your taste, but be sure to enjoy an Easter egg over the weekend. Glad to hear the Difflam is helping your throat, might have to ask for some, if I get sore throat this time. I had one really bad night of hot flushed and getting up for the loo, but the last two nights have been a bit better thank goodness. As you mentioned, hope everyone else is doing OK at the moment. Sending hugs and thinking of you all. Xx

I didn’t really get any signs my hair would start shedding.  Just loose strand and then more and more.  
weirdly it has slowed down again but I’m wondering if come 2 weeks post cycle it will start up:again.  The logic is so bizarre 

I felt quite “angry” for a while when initially diagnosed as I had as I say have my ovaries removed and taken tamoxifen.  I also breast fed my 3 children. In other words I did everything advised to improve chances against breast cancer 

I had yearly mammograms and always thought any issue would be picked up early maybe some radiotherapy.  I was so dumbfounded to be here having chemo 

I struggled with how the cancer was estrogen positive when i had done all I could to block estrogen in my body - no supplements either 

I’m fine now and in a good head space.  I see this as body armouring myself against the future.  I may even have felt cheated if not having chemo.  

post chemo I will be having radiotherapy and zometa bone therapy.  I will then take Letrazole for at least 10 years

I’ve decided I can’t predict the future but I can sure live life to the full and I’ll be doing just that

xxx  

Oh that's fab to hear Pippin and so nice you've got some lovely plans. Week 3 is so nice! It's so good to feel normal and good again...although then feels weird to think i'm about to plunge myself into feeling not so tip top!...but then at least i'll have another cycle under my belt! but yes feeling good this week, have been for a few runs and although i can already feel my fitness levels falling it's just good to be out. We have some gorgeous trails near me so it's lovely to be out and out walking the dog etc...

So happy you got to see your daughter and grandchildren and i bet your daughter is relieved to see you handing all of this so well. You sound super positive about everything which i think is half the battle! Enjoy your dinner out too...we are off out on Sunday evening with the kids for dinner too. Cant wait!

Ah i thought you were a week ahead of me, did they change the dates because of Easter? Yes mine is on Tuesday...so is your next one on Monday round 3? Half way there!! yay!

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy spending time with your brother and sister-in-law and hope you can enjoy a relaxing Sunday.

Chat soon! xxs

Hey NGS,

Good to hear from you. I can totally understand why you'd feel angry..It just seems so unfair doesn't it? Cancer is cruel and there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how, when and who it hits. When i was diagnosed all my friends were like "how can you have it, you're so fit and healthy?" but that's exactly it, it doesn't discriminate...all i can take from this is that i am fit and healthy so going into treatment I can tackle it from the best starting point...

Mine is super hormone driven too - i was 8ER and 8PR...i do wonder if it was having the coil fitted..i'm convinced it was but the doctors will never admit to that?!?! Who knows, i know i can't dwell on the why though, i just have to get on with the cards i've been dealt and do everthing i can to prevent it coming back...

I'm so sorry you have been diagnosed after ovary removal and tamoxifen...were you taking tamoxifen for preventative measures or had you already been diagnosed with something or cancer previously? Wondering why you had your ovaries removed? Don't mean to pry, please don't feel like you have to share...

I'm so glad you're in a better and good headspace now though..,like you say you are now doing everything you can to prevent re-occurence and that with Letrazole should keep it at bay...we hope! All we can do is take the druvgs offered, live a good and healthy life as much as we can and then go live life!! Something positive always comes out of something negative..and appreciating life even more than before is definitely one of them...

Look after yourself xx

Think I got mixed up with who's chemo is near to mine. Mine didn't change due to Easter, but will be affected by May day bank holiday. My round 3 is on the 15th April and then have 4 docetaxel after that. Glad to hear you have been able to get out running, I've just got back for a lovely walk. Enjoy your dinner out with the kids on Sunday. Xx

haha yes it is confusing! We are all slightly out of sink!! Yes mine is on the 9th and then you're the week later i think..Hope your last EC goes well...I'm on TC on Tuesday so will interesting to see how i fair with the new combo.  Hopefully ok!

Have a lovely weekend xx

Hoping the next round goes smoothly for you xxx 

I’m day after you Pippin. Next round on 16 th. Will be last EC for me then onto Docetaxel but just for 3. 
xx 

I’m happy to share.  My dad is from a large family. He is 1 of 10. His mum sadly died in her 50’s from breast cancer and what we now know to be secondary breast cancer.  She was 1 of 16 and through tracing our family tree we know many of her sisters also had breast cancer as well as there down lines.  
3 months before losing his mum my Dad lost his eldest sister who was just 37.  She too had secondary breast cancer. He was just 19 at the time. Long before me.  
life then plodded along until I was 18 when my aunt ( Dads sister ) lost her battle to ovarian cancer aged 61 

we started to question things and as I was living in london at time I was referred to Royal Marsden 

they agreed annual screening - mammograms and told me to consider ovary removal once I had completed having children. I was only 18/19 then and genetics was not talked about 

6 years after losing my aunt we lost my dad's brother to prostate and pancreatic cancer all wishing 3 weeks. An elder cousin of mine was also diagnosed with breast cancer aged 35 and had a double mastectomy followed by chemo and radiotherapy 

life plodded along for a bit I had 3 sons.  and continued with mammograms 

we asked about genetic testing but was told we needed a living relative with cancer to start this. My cousin at one point some 20 plus years ago was tested for BRCA1 but is was inconclusive 

in December 2011 I had severe abdominal pain and was found to have fibroids   The consultant was brilliant and said with my history and the fact my family was complete I should have a hysterectomy and ovaries removed   There was research that by doing so pre 45 it added another layer of protection against breast cancer   I did not hesitate   I was under the breast clinic for yearly checks and they advised tamoxifen to block estrogen as another guard against breast cancer.    a potential risk of tamoxifen is increased risk of ovarian cancer   With ovaries removed I could take this 

Things in my family have spiraled over the last 4 years 

we lost another of dads sisters in 2019 to cancer followed very quickly by another sister April 2020 - both had cancers in the endocrine system  - both he short bottles from diagnosis 

my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer 2021 and I’m pleased to say following radiotherapy is doing well 

another sister was diagnosed august 2023 with leukemia  And my cousin has also been diagnosed with prostate cancer 2023 and just completed radiotherapy 

My cousin who had the mastectomy was re diagnosed with cancer in her lymph nodes some 8 years ago despite chemo / radiotherapy and 10 years of letrazole. However she is now on tablet chemo and doing amazingly 8 years on

so now with my diagnosis I have gone back to genetics   Surely despite such a big family this cannot be coincidence 

at last I’ve been listened to and have had testing for 7 genes   I am awaiting results  

I should also say I lost my maternal grandmother to breast cancer and my mum is in remission for breast cancer although her journey was very different to mine - lumpectomy and radiotherapy  

anyhows   I’m feeling super positive despite what seems like an ordeal 

im grateful to chemo - my oncoX type test was high  not at all surprised 

I want to do whatever I can to help others and my next generations whilst living life to the full 

xxx 

Oh, I knew somebody was close to me. My day for cyle 4 will change due to the bank holiday, which is a shame as Monday is good for me. I need 4 cyles of docetaxel so 1 more than you unfortunately. How have you been this week? Hope you're doing OK. Xx

Oh gosh i'm so, so sorry to hear about all of your losses. It sounds like you've had a lot to deal with and a lot of heartache along the way. I'm so sorry to read this. It totally explains why you had your ovaries removed and i'm glad you had a good consultant who listened to you. i'm sorry you now find yourself here....but I"m also glad that there are members of your family who are doing really well post treatment that is very encouraging and hopefully gives you some comfort too. We will get through this.

I worry about my kids as I've obviously been diagnosed with breast cancer and my husband had prostate cancer a couple of years ago...but i am forever graetful that medicine has come a long way and hopefully it continues to advance with all these amazing trials etc that hopefully by the time it comes around to my kids they'll just have to pop a pill or have a vaccine to cure it!!...or at least there will be more treatment and more effective treatment available. We are lucky now too...as 20/30 years ago our diagnosis would probably be a lot more scary. It's so good to know we still have options and treatments available even if they are harsh at times.

My test came back high too so definitely need this chemo...so at least i know i'm doing everything i can...and if it comes back, it comes back but at least i know i've thown everything i can at it now.

When you do get your genetic test results back? Will be interesting to see...

Thank you so much for sharing your story and i'm really sorry your family have been through some tough times. All the more reason to live life to the full like you say, you just never know when it's going to be taken from you...but for today the sun is shining and we have chemo....and hope!

Sending you lots of love and thank you again for taking the time to share this with us...xx

Oh gosh i'm so, so sorry to hear about all of your losses. It sounds like you've had a lot to deal with and a lot of heartache along the way. I'm so sorry to read this. It totally explains why you had your ovaries removed and i'm glad you had a good consultant who listened to you. i'm sorry you now find yourself here....but I"m also glad that there are members of your family who are doing really well post treatment that is very encouraging and hopefully gives you some comfort too. We will get through this.

I worry about my kids as I've obviously been diagnosed with breast cancer and my husband had prostate cancer a couple of years ago...but i am forever graetful that medicine has come a long way and hopefully it continues to advance with all these amazing trials etc that hopefully by the time it comes around to my kids they'll just have to pop a pill or have a vaccine to cure it!!...or at least there will be more treatment and more effective treatment available. We are lucky now too...as 20/30 years ago our diagnosis would probably be a lot more scary. It's so good to know we still have options and treatments available even if they are harsh at times.

My test came back high too so definitely need this chemo...so at least i know i'm doing everything i can...and if it comes back, it comes back but at least i know i've thown everything i can at it now.

When you do get your genetic test results back? Will be interesting to see...

Thank you so much for sharing your story and i'm really sorry your family have been through some tough times. All the more reason to live life to the full like you say, you just never know when it's going to be taken from you...but for today the sun is shining and we have chemo....and hope!

Sending you lots of love and thank you again for taking the time to share this with us...xx