Get Connected Day!
This is the Get Connected post.
The purpose of the Get Connected post, is to provide a place where you can introduce yourself if you'd like to widen your connections.
What to do...
Comment to this post (use the comment form at the bottom of the page) with a short note about yourself and who you're looking to connect to. Easy!
If you see someone with experience similar to yours, who you'd like to connect to, then just click their username (in their post) and you will end up on their profile page. Then all you need to do is look on the left side of the page under their picture and you'll see an "add contact" link and follow the prompts.
Why connect to others?
One of the good things about connecting to others, is that all of their blog posts will show up on your homepage in a reading list. So if you haven't visited the site in a few days, you'll still see what everyone is up to!
Important note
Remember to check your own privacy settings on your "edit" page. There's no need to reveal anything personal or private, but if you want others to connect to you, you should make some of your My Profile settings "public" so others can find out a bit about you (eg. 'my story', 'about' me' and 'breast cancer experience').
If you're not sure what to do, you might like to read this post on how to change your privacy settings.
Have fun!
Di
(if you want to go back and browse the old 'get connected post' to find out a bit more about our members, you can find it here: http://www.bcna.org.au/network/groups/538/blog/4866).
Comments
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Just joined is there anyone who has undergone chemo. How did you fair? I have only had one cycle and was very sick afterwards.
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Hi Debbie and welcome to the network.
I'm not sure if it helps, but quite a few blog posts come up in the results for a site search on 'chemotherapy'. If you have time to browse through the results you might find some others to connect to (here's the results page, you'll see blog posts label on the right side as you scroll down: http://www.bcna.org.au/search/node/chemotherapy).
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Hi Debbie, i had my first chemo 12 months ago tomorrow, i was very sick after my first one, but i mentioned it to my oncologist and he changed my anti nausea tablets and i wasn't too bad after that, other symptoms included, diarrhoea, constipation, tiredness. my hair started to come out two weeks after my first treatment, i used to have my treatments every three weeks on a friday, and i usually felt almost normal after the second week, as a treat my husband and i used to go out for dinner. i must admit it wasn't as bad as i was expecting it to be, stay positive
kathy
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I am also new and have just started radiotherapy yesterday - any good tips from anyone would be much appreciated - I have already had a reaction to the oil used to remove the treatment lines and now use sorbylene cream. I have so many allergies to lanolin, nuts, all kinds of things including sunscreens. I am also finding some difficulty with bras and have reorted to sports tops that seem to be working better for me. Any practical ideas would be welcome.
Suz
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Hi all, I've been browsing around for a week or so and only just now found this page....oh well better late than never. Iam just up to my 12 month mark for being diagnosed..so far everything is good..I am feeling back to my normal self where I can do things again and feel well. I was glad to finish my Chemo back in March as I had a bad reaction to the Docetaxel. Ireally don't know what I would have done without my Husband Brian..he virtually had to do everything for about 8 weeks....I couldn't walk or stand for any longer than a couple of mins...my feet were peeling and blistered and my muscles had seemed to stop working....but that is all behind me now and count my blessings every day..Life is wonderful.
Genevieve
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Hi, I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has switched from zoloft to another antidepressant due to zoloft apparently inhibiting the effectiveness of tamoxifen??...I've had mixed responses from my medical treatment team and read mixed responses from internet sites/drug interactor sites and media releases etc. Some research states without a doubt that zoloft shouldn't be taken while on tamoxifen, as it can interfere with the enzyme known as CYP2D6 that stimulates the activation of tamoxifen. BCNA website only refers to Aropax (paroxetine) as being a CYP2D6 inhibitor. Just wondering if anyone has switched from zoloft to a different anti-depressant because they are on tamoxifen...and if so which one, and how they are finding it? Celeste
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Hi Celeste
Did you know that you can have a blood test that will test if your body is metobolising tamoxifen, that will tell you if the tamoxifen is working on you.
Might be worth mentioning to your doctor does this test while you are still on Zoloft (and if you are happy still taking Zoloft). The test is not on the PBS, and is around $100.00 I believe. The test has been available in the US for some time but I think it has only recently been available here in Australia.
Someone in your medical team could probably tell you a little more info about this and whether this would be appropriate for you.
Tanya
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Kathy,
Thanks for your reply, all what you wrote is what I have gone through too. I have found ginger tablets to be of help too as the other antinausea tablets they were giving me made me feel a little weird and very fatigued. I am also having treatments every 3 weeks - 4 to go now. Hope you are well. Thanks again. Deb
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Hi, congrates for getting through, I am now 4 years on and have most of my strenght back, am back gardening, and doing most things I did before bc. I found exercise really good for building up my stamina and this was something that was repeated many times at the 2nd conference for younger woman with BC. Start slow and before you know it BAM your almost ready to run a marathon, lol, good luck and I know what you mean about our men helping us through, it makes all the difference, on ya Brian xx
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Suz,
I haven't started radiation yet that isn't till mid January . I will have to travel to Townsville and stay there for 5 weeks. We don't have any radiation faciliites in Cairns yet. Hope your radiation treatment gets better for you.
Deb
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Hi, I was very lucky and never had any burning with radiation although the day I started I had a lady show me her burns (unasked and shock /horror!!) but it made me more dilligent to keep up lotions. I used sorbolene with vit E and also Aloe Vera (100%) I run a support group here in Geraldton,WA and often ask pharmacys for samples to give to any ladies heading to Perth for radiation so now know that -QV have a range of repair cream and shower wash and Blackmores have a natural Vit E cream. Make sure you dont use any perfumed products (deo, shampoo/cond etc) and 3 or 4 times a day cream-up and hopefully you will have a burn free effect like me. best of luck
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Hi, when I went through chemo I was very lucky and was never sick I just felt tired. One of the things that annoyed me the most was the aweful metal taste that came with chemo. A nurse got me onto little musk lollys. they helped heaps, I know my pharmacy here sells them in bags of 100 or so, they almost look like a fat tablet, also my chemo ladies used to give a few men icypoles during their chemo (obviously different chemo to mine) but that was nice and just another way to keep up your fluids.Take in some relaxing music or a good book, drink heaps to help flush and we will be thinking of you through your journey. Kaz
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10th treatment today (15 to go!) and have been experimenting with various creams - I normally use sorbelyn due to all my allergies but I am now using Flamigel with fairly good results, the solugel I was given by the breast nurse didn't help.
Also finding I am having a lot of muscle pain spreading around behind my shoulder - physio and intern think it is fluid build up from the radiation. Did anyone have pain and swelling underarm and upper arm without lymph node surgery?
Still struggling to find a bra that doesn't cause pressure points and pain through the day, can't go without at work, the closest one was an exchange from the one sent to me - the new ordering procedure doesn't work well, not using size but measurements and they vary during the day and between non therapy days and treatment days.
Thank you all for your support - good to be able to talk about the mundane things, Suzf.
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Hi Tanya, thanks for your response. Yes I knew that some sort of test existed and had tried on more than one occasion to investigate it with my medical team but had no luck. You reminding me of the test made me take up the task of digging further and I eventually found out that the name of the test is Tamoxifen PredictAR! From what I can see, it hasn't been available in Australia for very long and is not on the PBS list like you said. I went to see my GP today and he was very supportive of me getting the test done which was wonderful news! I am going to find out a bit more about it first, including the cost, via a customer helpline that the testing company has.
So thanks once again Tanya for giving me the encouragement to continue pursuing this. It just goes to show that at times we need to be very assertive, determined and persistent when it comes to our health....and like the old saying goes "there's more than one way to skin a cat!"
Celeste xx
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Hi Suzf, throughout radiotherapy I also had real hassles trying to find some sort of comfortable bra to wear. In the end, I lived in Bonds Crop tops that I got from the underwear department at Big W! The great thing about them is that they have no side seams therefore they don't irritate under the arm, and they don't have a thick, stiff row of elastic inserted under the boobs either which makes them really comfy! (the material is elasticised which gives the support). From what I remember they were cheap too which is always a bonus (under $20). They are cotton and elastine which is great for the warm weather, and they come in white and black. I bought mine a size or two bigger than I'd normally wear to accomodate swelling etc and that worked really well for me. I found them great to wear for just lazing around, going shopping, to and from the hospital etc....I dont know if I'd wear them jogging or doing aerobics though....I don't think they'd be supportive enough (for me anyway!) Next time you are near Big W perhaps have a peek and see if you can spot them...they were the best thing I bought...so much so that I even slept in them!
Goodluck, Celeste x
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