Hi Sam,

Are you ok now? I didn't ask why you were in hospital, (self centred b***h that I am) but hopefully you are doing better now. 

I do live in a quiet cul de sac so the occasional doggy visit to neighbours isn't too scary. Sadly, I only have two to keep tabs on, now. The lovely, feisty bossy girl that was Faith went across the Rainbow bridge on Saturday so I'm In mourning this week. You are right about my having quality neighbours, though, one of them came round with flowers for me, yesterday, to cheer me up! 

Christine

Hi Christine,

Your reply did make me chuckle. My boobs are on the small side so if I needed one whipped off, I’m fine about that. The waiting is the hardest part by far!!! I am back at work again but obviously not doing much if I’m on here .  Fingers crossed your get your results and a date for an MRI scan soon!! And I saw that you are a fellow Northerner. I am originally from South Yorkshire but now live in Hampshire, where I have been for 30 years now.

Caroline x

Hi Sam,

How are you getting on with your treatment? I had my results yesterday and was so relieved to find I didn’t need anymore surgery and my oncotype test came back with a score of 16 so no benefit from having chemo! So relieved! Got to have radiotherapy so seeing the oncologist on the 8th. Got my prescription for tamoxifen, which I took to my GP’s. Didn’t realise until yesterday, that as a cancer sufferer, we are entitled to an exempt certificate! No prescription costs for 5 years, and then the 5 years after that, I hope! Chemist didn’t have correct pills so needed to get a dr to re do my prescription! Was a proper palaver!! A friend of mine was told that taking tamoxifen while having radio can make the side affects worse, but my surgeon just said I should start taking them straight away! Now I’m unsure what to do and might leave it until I have seen the oncologist, to see what he says. Hope you are doing ok with your chemo?

Christine - have you had any results/MRI scan yet?

Caroline x

Hi Sam and Caroline,

Good luck with your MRI, Sam, and SO glad you don't need any more surgery, and no chemo!  Way to go, Caroline !!! 

My results have all come in looking as positive as possible considering I've got cancer. I have now met my surgeon, yesterday and have a date for my mastectomy.  I tried really hard to persuade him to take both breasts at the same time, and although he agreed with my reasons, he said, unfortunately he was restricted to following protocols which prevented him from obliging.  Bah!  He did try hard to encourage me to have lumpectomy with reconstruction and offered to do a reduction on both  breasts for symmetry. My reply was that he could give me symmetry by whipping them both off at the same time. 

Anyway D day is 4th October, exactly a month to the date since my mammogram etc. I'm quite pleased to hear it can be done as a day case, although today I have been told to phone the ward the evening before just in case I have to go in that evening to be sure I have a bed???

I found out yesterday that I should not have had the #%€$¥ MRI scan if I had already said I wanted a mastectomy- which I did, loud and clear.  

My surgeon is very nice and quite funny. When he was trying to sell me the lumpectomy I said I didn't think I needed a reconstruction at my age - 73 at the New Year - he told us about a 68 year old lady who was delighted with her reduction and uplift, saying it was the first time she'd seen her nipples in years!!

I don't like the sound of the radioactive dye injection I need the day before my surgery and I think he was joking when he said I would probably turn blue as the dye was leaving my system. I'm going to turn into a Smurf!!!

Today I've had all my appointments by phone, so the treadmill has started,

Bring it on!

Famous last words from someone who has been grumpy all week because I've got a cough and cold!

The outdoor wedding was wonderful with sensational weather making it perfect. The field was dry underfoot, which had been in doubt, the bride was beautiful, the speeches were funny, the food was plentiful and delicious and the booze was flowing. Who could ask for more?

 Christine 

That’s all brilliant Christine! I had a partial mastectomy with a reconstruction but I am only 48. The blue dye does give you a blue tinge and you have blue wee for a couple of days afterwards. I also have a couple of blue patches even now - 6 weeks later! I had mine done as a day case, so it was lovely to sleep in my own bed - but did go home with a drain fitted.  Let us know how it all goes!! 

Caroline x

Caroline

I didn't even know there was such thing as oncology scores, amazes me how much I know about this shenanigans and yet how much I (and most people I suspect) don't know..its quite an education isn't it?

Really glad you don't need chemo, I think for most just the thought of cancer, whether its a baddie or not is enough never mind radio, surgery and possibly chemo.  That said I think I must be decidedly odd (a bit of a martyr perhaps?) as am sure if I was being "denied" chemo I'd probably feel that I missed out on an experience - that said I can only say that as am doing very well so far on it, were I feeling absolutely cr4p am sure it would be a different kettle of fish.

Anyway, back to you (always a struggle to not ramble on about ME!) given some of the decidedly unpleasant side effects I read about chemo be ECSTATIC!

Yeah, I was told about the FOC prescription thing by breast cancer nurse but it does seem in some cases to be a well kept secret, and its for all prescriptions not just cancer related.  

I think I'll be on tamoxifen too at the end of this adventure, let me know how you get on and hope the conflicting advice is now resolved.

Christine

MRI later this morning, with contrast, can't remember if that's the one where you feel like you've peed yourself...something to look forward to!

Port is in and still a bit sore but not stopping me working/baking/walking...having a very productive week thankfully, even better than post 1st EC, injections of GSF (or maybe some other letter..I lose track of drugs/acronyms) that I've been doing may have helped?

That's a bit poo re your surgeon not wanting to get rid of both breasts, I wonder as I have benign bits in the other whether than would change their attitude, or go private perhaps?  What do you think?

4th Oct eh?  Don't turn up late or you may be lying on the floor in a corridor by the sounds of things..

Like the sound of your surgeon, it would be great if they could make me see nipples as well as lower down, currently covered by a very ample spare tyre...well in for a penny and all that!  

I had a radioactive dye (not one that turned me blue though!!) for one of my scans, can't say I felt any different although I did oddly develop the ability to project webs & swing from buildings for a short time...

Glad you had a fab time at the wedding, you more than deserve it given what has happened with poor dog & what's up & coming, quite jealous that you drank also as used to love booze but can't stand the thought of it currently...and am sooo missing my stinky blue cheese too...its these things that would make me cry if I wasn't so "brave", food rather than cancer eh...you can see where my interests lie!

Anyway enough from me, need to get ready for hospital visit.  Have a jolly nice weekend both.

Am intrigued as to how both of you cope(d) with the surgery and in due course, radiotherapy, as have those to look forward to Jan/March-ish time.

Sam X

Hi Sam,

How mad but your comment about feeling like you’d missed out by not having chemo is exactly how I feel!! I’ve kind of breezed the whole thing so far and feel like I haven’t had the full ‘cancer’ experience!! It’s almost as though it’s all been a bit too easy and I feel like a fraud. Surgery was all ok actually. I felt really terrible the day after surgery but think that was the anaesthetic more than anything else. I was fine by the 2nd day! Most frustrating was not being able to drive but I just walked or went out on my bike! Good to hear you are coping with chemo so far! Fingers crossed you breeze through it.

Caroline xx

Christine

Tonnes of good wishes & luck for today, hope all goes well - let us know, especially as I'll be in the same position mid Feb.

Thanks Caroline, been so good this week out on my bike too, mind you most of the time is spent talking to dog walkers & neighbours!

The boyfriend says am looking so good he reckons that they're using tizer rather than the lovely looking red drain cleaner..he's so old school...

Round 3 next week so over the 1/2 way mark with EC, the the joys of paclitaxel to look forward to..yay, I hear great stories but given have been better than most on EC am sure this will carry on.

Best wishes to both 

Sam X

Hi Sam,

Thank you for your message, I couldn't reply earlier because I only took my phone into hospital with me and my login for this site was only set up on my iPad. 

My day case actually turned into two nights in hospital- the first night was just to guarantee my bed for the next day and I didn't go in until 8pm. But then it was mid afternoon before I went down for surgery and I take a long time coming round from anaesthetic so it was a given that I would be kept in for that night. My kids were really glad about that and to be honest I was so groggy for so long, I didn't want to move. My son was totally freaked out that evening and utterly amazed when they came in the next morning and I was up and running full of the joys of spring. There was no pain to speak of, I only had one drain, which I was hardly aware of, I had a dolly bag hanging round my neck for it, so I was able to move around freely.  In contrast was a lovely young woman who had also had a mastectomy AND was completely disabled with MS. I felt so sorry for her. She had to have everything done for her. It makes you think, there's always someone worse off than yourself. 

I was amused  to find there wasn't a softie big enough for me on the ward and I had to take the largest size they had which made me very lopsided, but I took it anyway. I was eventually discharged at lunchtime yesterday and for some reason I wanted a McDonald's so that's what I had for lunch.

I'm taking it easy this morning watching stuff I recorded on tv, waiting for the district nurse to come and empty my drain. I don't expect that to happen for a long time, being Sunday, but I have everything I need. I've told the kids I don't expect them to come this morning. My son is staying with my daughter in the next village, but he would have stayed with me last night if I'd wanted. 

My dog gave me the cold shoulder when they brought him back yesterday, for having abandoned him. He has become slavishly besotted to my son and would have gone with him last night if I'd allowed it. However, he came onto my bed after I went to the loo in the night and we have bonded again. A few cuddles, breakfast and and a few toast crumbs have brought him back to me. He's sleeping on the chair opposite me at the moment, opening a beady eye every so often to make sure I'm still here. 

So, Sam, nothing to worry about with the surgery, it doesn't look pretty but it is pretty painless. Today it's a bit sore where the bruising is coming out but nothing to fuss about.  I've got my appointment for follow up on the 17th, and Physio on the 21st, and I'm doing my exercises in the meantime.  I met some amazing people in there, including an 82 year old lady who looked so much like my mother did at the same age that it was spooky. I wish I'd asked if I could take a photo of her. If our paths cross again on this journey I will definitely ask for one. 

One fun aspect. I had a ring on my left hand that I had made for me in Sri Lanka about twenty years ago and it has never been off my finger since then and my arthritic knuckles had made it a permanent feature. As I was in prep for my surgery the said it had to come off, and if they couldn't get it off intact it may have to be cut off because if my hand swelled during surgery with it still on I could lose my finger.  I preferred to lose the ring rather than my finger so I gave them the go ahead to get it off. First they tried to get it off with paraffin wax and cotton, but it hurt so much I couldn't stand it. I thought it was about to be cut off but the anaesthetist said it had nearly come off and he was sure they could get it off without cutting it while I was asleep and they did!!  It was taped on my pinkie on the other hand when I woke up! Apparently it was the first thing I asked about But I don't remember that. 

Will find out on 17th what further treats await me, but hopefully I'm over the worst now. 

Christine xxx