Hi [@JenLam]‍ gosh you opted for a bit of a dramatic experience with our anaesthetic reaction and then an infection! You sound like your usual perky self though and seem to be dealing with it well (although we can give ourselves permission to not feel great on days too...). That will be another good step forward to get your full results from the surgery. I hope they got clear margins and things are looking good on that front - do keep me posted won't you.

You have been in my thoughts even if I have not been on here as much lately. Trying to get things tied off at work this week, and even more so as discoverd today that I am due to start radiotherapy on Friday 26th rather than Monday 29th!  I thought it was odd when I got home from my planning appt to see there were only four days of treatment scheduled on the form they gave me, when I was meant to be having five days. On Sunday, I was registering my Covid home testing kit that the hospital sent and that flagged up I was in the system to do a test on Tuesday, implying I was starting radiotherapy on Friday instead.

I emailed the person in charge of the radiotherapy appointments on Sunday afternoon so it was there this morning and by 8.15am she had already replied today (Monday) to say yes it is meant to start on Friday! My NHS trust continues to impress at how responsive they are.

I am going to take the treatment week off and the week after, so now trying to wedge five days of work into four days! I'm starting to tell more people at work as with a second bit of time off it is looking odd why I am not available for things. I'm a completely open book with friends and family but for some reason I haven't been quite my usual 'over sharing' self at work :laugh:. I work for a big organisation with 2000 staff so just cherry picking who needs to know. My manager and my team are amazing and that makes such a difference. To be honest I am rather looking forward to taking a bit of time out as it has been a mad few months with so much going on with the cancer stuff drawn out over such a period of time.

Anyway - enough of me banging on - would love to hear how you are doing and how you get on with results.

You take care too xxxx

Hi Kiwirunner!

I just wanted to let you know you're in my thoughts! I just had a good think about how well I want things to go for you and how everyone around you is doing all they can to help you through this. Don't stress about work. You need all your energy to heal and recover. You've got this in the bag, lady!! (Had to add a comma - I'm not calling u a baglady!:wink:)
Jen x

Hey [@JenLam]‍ always nice to hear from you and you make me laugh every time. Punctuation makes the world of difference and nice to think I am not a bag lady :laugh:

Had my first radiotherapy session this morning. All went fine - felt like I was in a Mission Impossible film with the green beams all over my body and on the ceiling. Love the chat between the radiographers as they throw numbers and and measurements at each other while prodding you into the exact right position. You just lie there pretending it is all totally normal with your boobs in their full glory with two people have a perfectly nice little natter and also including you in a bit of banter.The actual treatment time is only about a minute out of the whole 25 min appt.

They asked me at the end if I was in a brass band (?!) as my lung capacity/ability to hold my breath was rather impressive. Who knew? I was crap at the recorder and the piano but never picked up a trumpet or a tuba. Haha.

Anyway - how about you? How are you doing post surgery?  You are due to get your results today or on Monday aren't you? Have been thinking of you too and have hoping you are doing OK. Do let me know how you get on with the results and next steps. Take care xx

Hi ‍♀️ 

Long time no speak! It's been a bit hectic in the last two weeks! I got brilliant results on the 29th - they got out all the cancer and the lymph nodes were clear!!!! So chuffed! However, when I got home we had a visit from the police. My ex husband decided to ask for a welfare check as he thought my daughter had no bed and wasn't eating!!! Since he found out I have cancer the harassment has got worse so I'm doing what I can at court and Womens Aid have been a massive help! Just need to get things in place so I can recover in peace! Anyway that's a whole other forum!!! 
 

How are feeling after radiotherapy now? I heard that sometimes a couple weeks after is when it can make you a bit squeasy? Glad your first experience was a good one and you make it sound a breeze!!! When they asked if you'd been in a brass band??!!!! Nice set of lungs on you!  Add it to your CV I say!
I hope you're not working too much and are giving yourself proper time to recover. Xx I've just realised that I'm probably going to be off work for 6 months at least and then when I need the other bap done it may be another 6 months. Eek! It's made a realise that I need some sort of routine going on cos I've been so tired lately my sleeping pattern is all over the place. I'm exhausted but can't sleep?!! What's that about init!! I've looked up lumpectomy recovery times and they range from weeks to 6-12 months (until everything's functioning to peak performance. Like doing full on cartwheels without the risk of your *** feeling like they'll explode). I've also looked up recovery for an uplift/mammoplasty which is pretty much 3 months tops (we're talking starjumps with minimum security of (bra)ge and no pain. Feels like a million miles away at the moment but I'm doing my exercises and trying to make friends with my new boobie. There was what can only be described as a 'nub' sitting just under where you'd expect a nipple to be on a ***. I freaked a bit! I thought 'I've just asked the surgeon to take off my nipple and she's tried to fashion some sort of grim (slightly smaller than a man's sized nipple) nub!' Luckily my hubby said it was just where the skin folds back together and it'll heal into the scar. He was right it's smooth now! Phew!

Im hoping to find out if I need chemo next week. What with the Easter bank hols it's delayed the result coming back for the Oncotype test. 
 

How have you been the past couple of weeks? Be good to hear back soon. Xx 

Hi [@JenLam]‍ wow you sure know how to pack in the action. First up, can I just say how sorry I am to hear of the meddling that your ex-husband is doing (meddling being far too polite a word...). That is seriously uncool and the last thing you need when you are handling all of this cancer gubbins too. I hope you and your husband can form a strong team and protect your daughter from all of that unseemly behaviour. That is just not on.

Sounds like you have a lot going on with the cancer stuff too and pleased to hear that 'Nub-gate' is resolved and that has healed over. Getting your head around a new nipple was another step so I'm glad that is healing overly nicely for you.

I can relate to the exhausted but struggling to sleep but even so I am not facing the time off that you are - that is quite a long stretch isn't it. A friend who  has been through cancer gave me some good advice today when I was feeling down that I am so unfit compared to normal (I went for a run/shuffle yesterday because I miss it so much - I managed a mile before I had to start walking again. Two years ago I was training for a 50km event!). She said stop trying to get back to your old normal and just accept that things have shifted and microsteps back to where you'd like to be is the way forward. If we set ourselves unrealistic expecations then the feelings of not hitting what you expect to will just be harder to take. And we have had enough going on to add to things to beat ourselves up about. It really made me take stock and appreciate what I do have and how well I am doing overall. I hope you can grab that feeling too - your attitude to date has been great but it is also OK to say "gawd this is hard".

I'm pleased to say I am doing well. I finished radiotherapy on Good Friday - so 10 days ago - and I am not feeling any particularly fatigue. I decided to go back to work today (still working from home so much easier and doing shorter days just to pace myself . Maybe the fatigue will come in the next few days but so far so good. I am however sporting a rather delightful radiotheraphy rash - almost like dermatitis where a big section of skin is all raised and bumpy and red and very itchy. It woke me up the other night and I was itching it like mad before remembering I am not meant to do that. I think that is meant to get worse over next few days before coming right. It's bearable though.

The biggest thing to get my head around was starting the endocrine therapy though. I found out I am indeed menopausal (just turned 52 and had a hysterectomy when I was 39 so no periods to give me a clue as to what was happening) so I am now on Anastrozole. I was feeling completely freaked out about it, having read the side effects and needing a baseline bone density scan (waiting on that appt) as it causes bone thinning as well as all sorts of other fun things. I picked up the prescription from the hsopital pharmacy on Friday and then sat and stared at the box for a day thinking about how much I didn't want to put it in my body. Then I had to remind myself my cancer was 8/8 for oestrogen hungry and the little blighter was gobbling up oestrogen to feed itself, so it has to be done. So I took the first one on Sat night and then another last night and about to pop day number 3. So far, I haven't expoded and nothing has fallen off :laugh:so I guess we'll have to see what develops, but no immediate effects in the first 48 hours. Just 5 years minus 2 days to go...

Do let me know how you get on with the results re chemo or not. That is another big step if you have to go down that route but you've got this and you'll get through it. Here for a chat whenever.

Take care xxx

Hiya! I've been wanting to get in touch but am still waiting for my results! There was a delay with the bank holiday/Easter hols and now God knows what's going on. I know it's just a case of waiting but I'm if I'm honest I'm struggling. The past few weeks have been full of stress with my ex husband kicking off twice a week when he has contact with my daughter. I've just spent the last 2 weeks trying to fill out an application when I'm really not feeling up to it. Been feeling like ive lost motivation a bit?? Trying to focus my day on getting better but just feeling overwhelmed with the court stuff. Thankfully I've just finished it and drove it down to court myself!  I've just started driving again-short distance but it feels good to get out! 
Anyway enough about me! How are you? I hope you're doing well and not over doing it work wise! Take your time with jogging. If you feel like it get out there but don't compare yourself to months ago. Xx

My mammogram showed distortion, nothing showed on ultrasound, had a vacuum biopsy and diagnosed with idc. It's messing with my head because I cannot feel it. Bern given no proper sizings, consultant advised it was small on my mammogram image. I had an enhanced one as well. Can I ask abit more about yrs please and test you had xxx

Oh my goodness [@JenLam]‍ a month later and I have only just seen this - I haven't been on here that much lately and when I am not tagged in a post with the :@ symbol I don't realise there is a reply there. I am so sorry to hear what you have been going through outside of all the cancer issues - that is a lot of stress to manage on top of the medical side of things :-( It's hard enough dealing with the big C let alone some major emotional pressures as well. If you can get through each day at a time that will be a small victory. Are you still waiting on results or do you have any more news?

I'm doing pretty well - had a  bit of knee and ankle stiffness with the Anastrozole but that seems to hav setttled down now thank goodness as I was really worried about the joint pain that can cause. I get the occasional hot flush with it but otherwise pretty good. Had my bone density scan last week for my baseline measure and although I have to wait about six to eight weeks for the results, the radiographer said my scores on the screen at the time looked good so I have my fingers crossed that the final report will confirm that.

Been doing really well on the whole but the last two weeks I have been feeling pretty rubbish - getting the same sort of symptoms I used to have when I had endometriosis. Bit weird though as I had a hysterectomy 13 years ago so the pelvic and abdominal pain and the bloating doesn't make a lot of sense. I just hope there is nothing going on with my ovaries. I have my 8 week follow up call with my oncologist on Weds so will mention it to her and I imagine I probably need to make an appt with my GP.  

So sorry to have missed your message - particularly as you have been in my thoughts. Do keep me posted on all that is going on for you. Virtual hugs )) xx

Hi [@Shazlarr]‍ thanks for your message. I know it does tend to mess with your head but it is good news that they have found things early by the sound of it. I had loads of tests because mine was picked up on a mammogram recall assessment. The area of concern I was recalled on turned out to be fine but they spotted a new area on the more enhanced mammogram and then ultrasound. I was told on the day it looked like cancer but we needed the biopsy results to know what it was exactlyThey biopsied it on the day but the results were inconclusive so I had an MRI which then showed the original area of concern also needed to be looked at again! Then I went back for two biopsies on the same day - vacuum assisted while in the mammogram machine for one, and with the ultrasound for the other. Those results came back then showing no evidence of cancer in either but they weren't convinced as histology results from first biopsy indicated there was probably malignancy but inconclusive. They decided that area did need to come out with surgery but before that they biopsied the second area again to see if I need a mastectomy or just wide local excision for the first area of concern. That one came back benign (radial scar and sclerosing adneosis). I then had the surgery and it wasn't until the results from the surgery that I was finally diagnosed with cancer. It was absolutely tiny though - 3mm of  Grade 1 Tubular Carcinoma (very rare), with 5mm of Intermediate Grade DCIS next to it, all hidden behind another radial scar (different to the one that was considered benign). Like you, I couldn't feel anything, although I did have some tethering where my skin was pulling in over the dodgy area when I put my arms over my head.

What have they said is the next step for you now? xx

Thank you for sharing that.  Just been informed of my sizing I know its a rough sizing of 11mm, I do have another area of dcis whic is small but just over 5cm away from my invasive, I have decided on masectomy with reconstruction.  Was referred to plastics team,  last Wednesday and my bcn has chased them up this morning so I am hoping it won't be long. Think I have to be seen in clinic to be measured, then surgery booked. What your next step pls xxx