Get Connected Day!
Comments
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Hi Lynne, just a quick note to check in and see how you are ..... hope you're feeling a little better than last time we "spoke".
Take care .....
Shirl xx
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Hope you coped okay with chemo, and i am sure you will be glad it is nearly over. but hey never mind the housework, its always there waiting for us when we are ready to do it. you can add me to you list of contacts and if i can help you with anything i will. take care Moira
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Hi Mel,
I'm Carolyn. I also have secondaries in my liver, that were found before the primary in my breast. That was August last year & I have had two rounds of chemo & I'm now taking Letrozole. I should add that I'm now 39 & have 3 girls (twins 11 yrs & 1 - 12yrs) & a husband. My specialist is now keeping tabs on my cancer with me having a blood test every 6 weeks (was monthly) & looking at my cancer marker, liver function. So far the marker has kept down to 8. I have a video conference, for my latest results, this Thursday. So here's hoping it's still staying down.
Take Care,
Carolyn.
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Hi Carolyn, Sounds like your on top of things which is wonderful. Will be thinking of you on thursday and hope you get good news. It's very hard staying on top with what your going through and juggling family/ husbands and all so pat yourself on the back, your a legend. I have had my marker sit at 14 for a year and a half so excellent news it's 8. Hope to chat soon, we are all here for you if you need to chat, laugh or cry, your never alone with BCNA consider us your extended family.
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Lol Shirl I'm in Melbourne and the promised18-19 did not evenuate (at least it didn't feel like it) and yes I did manage some lovely time in the sun. Even vacced the floors yesterday! OMG will wonders never cease lol
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Hi Celeste this is my third try at replying. It seems the website gets a little unhappy about pressing backspace too many times too fast lol. Either that or my skills on the keyboard have gone completely awol!. Certainly my brain is not functioning as it once did! What age is your daughter? Mine is going on 26 and is my 'positive' ambassador. The weather does have a huge impact on my levels of 'happiness'. I suspect too that this particular cocktail is impacting my mood quite strongly, plus the chest cold just added to the woes lol!.
Did manage to achieve some things around the house yesterday which felt good. even did a small square of paving lol. Didn't know I had the energy til I started. I just start something and go slowly, everything is 'one step at a time' these days.
Think I will post this before it all disappears again. Thank you for contacting me
Lynne
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Hi Kaz thank you, it is good advice which I have pretty much always adhered to. As I used to say to my ex husband "there is more to my life than washing floors!" My Aunt used to have a sign saying the same thing too! Always remembered it lol. I remember my mother coming home after work, cooking dinner for us all (5 kids) and then standing at the ironing board ironing as she watched the tv when all she wanted was to sit down and have a cuppa. That had a huge impact on my attitude to housework! Still, it's hard to be surrounded by mess when spending so much time camped out at home. Managed to improve it all a little yesterday thank god, so is currently bearable.
Lynne
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Wow! What an incredible welcome, thank you all. I feel as though I have found a group of great friends; awesome feeling.
Having final chemo treatment this Friday which I am both celebrating and dreading. Radio to start about 4 weeks later. They tell me fatigue will still be an issue with radio. I think I find this the hardest side affect to deal with; the lack of ability to do anything. I would love your feedback on how long it has taken for you to feel some sense of normality. I understand this will vary for each individual as well as depend on the type of treatment.
Am thinking of buying a bottle of French champagne in about 4 weeks to celebrate what I am hoping will be some sense of normailty although I do wonder what that means these days. Will we ever feel 'normal' again? I feel as though I am a member of an exclusive club, not one any of us aspire to but one which gives us such a strong bond with each other - a gift in itself.
Thank you again for opening your arms and hearts to me.
Lynne
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Yes Lynne, life does slow for a bit. I am just gone 4 years from treatment and it's a vague memory. People ask me questions and I really have to think wether this or that happened (brain freeze/chemo head,lol) I am back gardening, paving (last year six pallets by myself), leadlighting etc. Have joined a gym recently so hang in there, listen to your body, take it easy and if you havent checked out a support group in your area (as I feel you will need someone with similar experiences as to share that bubbly with, lol) then maybe consider it. BCNA is really quite wonderful for getting that little bit of tlc when most needed. Hope tratment goes well on friday, be thinking of you (even though I will be at the 2nd conference for younger woman in (hopefully) sunny Gold Coast) and by the way i cant believe you have a 26 year old!!!! you look wonderful. chat soon, Kaz
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Hey there lynne
ive been off the computer for a few days so welcome i am also new to the site and ive found it really great to chat to others about their experiances.. Congrats on finishing chemo! what an awesome feeling it is to get to the last one!
i didnt find radio a difficult thing, was a walk in the park compared to chemo!
I drove myslef each day and didnt really suffer tiredness, just a bit of redness at the site but other than that i was thrilled to be doing normal stuff without the "chemo week" looming!
Celebrate that last chemo, and enjoy that champagne!
will be thinking of you on friday, sending you lost of strength to get past that last one:)
take care
Mel
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Hi There
so good to hear from you,
I wish you heaps of good Luck for Thurs
I have had 1 round of chemo & radiation originally (09)and now radiation for the spot on my hip also i started zoladex and next week a tablet but ive forgot the name!
I also have a blood test this week (Fri) and get results Monday, the last blood test before they found out is was cancer didnt register any markers.. so my speacialist told me to expect it to be much much higher so i guess this test wil be my "base line" .
i have found it all to be a bit overwelming at times, but my family is wonderful.
i started radiation on the spot in my hip last week, no relief yet but i hope it starts to feel less painful soon, 3 more radio treatments so fingers crossed.
so good to chat
More good luck for Thurs
take care
Mel
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Hi Lynne, my daughter is 12 and is also my 'positive' ambassador! She came with me to the Shane Crawford run which was launched in Adelaide on Sunday and I was so proud of her...there she was, helping collect donations for Breast Cancer! She said.."we've got to get as much money as we can to find a cure for breast cancer mum....it's horrible and I don't want any more mums and kids going through what you've been through!"...gotta love them! lol!
Yes, one step at a time is a good way to go when it comes to getting things done. I've found the fatigue the biggest challenge, and even though I finished chemo and then radio late last year, I still get quite tired now and then which I'm told can be normal after having treatment. Sometimes I do get frustrated at the fact that I can't do all the things I used to be able to (eg mow the front and back lawns, weed and clean gutters all in a few hours!) but I just pace myself now and ask for help if I need it (hard for me cos i'm so damn independent!..LOL!)
Anyway, have a great day! Celeste
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Hi Everyone,
I have already chatted to some of you but seeing as this is the official getting connected day I thought I'd tell you a bit more about myself.
My name is Carolyn (39yrs old) & I have secondary breast cancer in my liver. The secondary was discovered first, due to pain, in August last year. I had two rounds of chemo to reduce the tumour sizes & I'm now on letrozole. Having come through that pretty well, I'm now suffering from depression. The worst part associated with this is the fatigue. My GP has me on medication & I'm seeing a psychologist. I'd like to connect with others who have had this happen.
Take Care all of you,
Carolyn.
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Hi Carolyn, I know you've already leapt in and chatted to a few people but I wanted to say 'welcome to the network'.
Also to let you know that there is a group for women living with advanced breast cancer (so just click on that link and request to join if you'd like to).
Just ask if you need a hand with anything.
Di
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Carolyn, I can't begin to imagine what you are going through with your secondaries and your chemo but I can relate to the depression.
I guess I was lucky - if there is such a thing - with my cancer. Because i opted for a mastectomy and removal of all the lymph glands (not for everyone but right for me) everything was contained in the one breast and hadn't travelled through the rest of my body. i do not require chemo or radiotherapy - i will be on Arimidex for the next 5 or so years.
Would you believe, that was the cause of my depression. You see, I wasn't sick and I felt guilty because others around me were .... they were going through their treatments and showed signs of how their bodies were reacting.
I have now accepted two things .... (a) I have had breast cancer (2) I have had depression. The fact that you recognise the problem and are dealing with it by getting treatment is a step in the right direction. Talk things through openly with your doctor and psycologist - they will help you throug it.
As for the fatigue, try to keep yourself mobile. I don't mean go and run a marathon or hit the gym ... take things slowly. Try some warm water exercises at your local pool and maybe investigate the possibllity of participating in a Tai Chi group. Go for a ten minute stroll each day (not a power walk, just a gentle walk around the block)
As your body strengthens so will your mind. Just remember - stay positive, you are in charge of your own destiny.
No doubt you will get many more offers of help through these forums - we are a caring lot here!!!! Pop in for a chat any time, there wil always be someone home .... can't offer you a coffee though!!
Cheers .... Shirl
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