4 weeks today!
Well here goes for my very first post! 4 weeks ago today I underwent a mastectomy and I'm feeling fine!!! In fact, I tried on my Berlei bra for the first time this morning and felt that I looked back to normal, whatever that is.....I received my first copy of The Beacon today and identified with so much in it. I feel so supported in my journey and am comforted in knowing so many of us have gone through or are having the same experience.
Comments
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Well done on your first blog. I'm so pleased you are feeling fine. The beacon has many articles that we can identify with, it's good to know we are not alone during this experience. Is there any further treatment planned for you? Stay in touch and let us know how you are going. Take care,
Hazel xx
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Well done on your first blog. I'm so pleased you are feeling fine. The beacon has many articles that we can identify with, it's good to know we are not alone during this experience. Is there any further treatment planned for you? Stay in touch and let us know how you are going. Take care,
Hazel xx
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Hi Hazel
Thanks for the welcome! I have just started chemo - one down with five sessions to go. So far it hasn't been too bad although tiredness and mild nausea are a part of daily life!!0 -
Welcome to the online network.This place is the best,for support and general advice,24/7.I am one year past my mastectomy and chemo,and I feel better than I ever have.I look back now,and can see this past year as just a hurdle in life's journey.Not many people get through life unscathed in some way.I feel very fortunate to be so well again,but with all the wonderful treatment available to us in this country,most ladies go on to live long healthy lives.Keep in touch,as new ladies coming along will love to read a post as,positive as yours.CheersxoxRobyn0
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Welcome to the online network.This place is the best,for support and general advice,24/7.I am one year past my mastectomy and chemo,and I feel better than I ever have.I look back now,and can see this past year as just a hurdle in life's journey.Not many people get through life unscathed in some way.I feel very fortunate to be so well again,but with all the wonderful treatment available to us in this country,most ladies go on to live long healthy lives.Keep in touch,as new ladies coming along will love to read a post as,positive as yours.CheersxoxRobyn0
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Well done for finding this site and posting your first blog and congratulations on your positive attitude! You already have achieved so much. I have 3 rounds down and 5 to go. We can egg each other on and have a little cyber jig when we're done!
Go girl
x Silke0 -
Hi Silks
Thanks for your comment. I have recieved 3 comments from my post today and find it so encouraging and welcoming! I will for sure egg you on with the chemo! So far I've felt a bit nauseous and tired but suspect this may get worse! I got a wig from the oncology ward when I had my treatment last week and then another couple of wigs from a friend who beat breast cancer a couple of years ago. I am a natural (well, helped by the bottle these days) redhead and one of her wigs is blonde - woo hoo - always fancied being blonde.
Again thanks for your reply - it has really meant a lot to me
Tink
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Hi Tink, you sound about the same place as I am - my surgery was July 23, a mastectomy as well, and I am enjoying the delights of weekly chemo. I only just joined here and saw your post. Still feeling my way around. Thought we might be going similar places at the same time - I'm here if you want an ear. Or is that an eye when we are online? If I am silent for a bit it is usually post chemo -I seem to develop an aversion for both my glasses and devices with screens at times.0
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Hi there, thanks for your reply. At least my chemo is every 3 weeks, not weekly! Please do keep in touch as we go through this together. I've heard chemo gets worse as you go through it - so far I'm doing ok but I've only had one session. Any advice you have will be more than welcome!
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Thanks for your message! I think I came here because even though I have TWO friends who have gone down this road ahead of me one is a difficult distance away and the other has her family and activities and admits as the first of us, went down her road in denial, her major concern being maintaining life as usual. My fourteen year old son is not really the best ear for this!!!!!! And my five year old is more concerned with trying to be my Siamese twin any time I am not actually moving! Do you find yourself protecting your friends and not wanting to be sad or upset when talking with or visiting?
Chemo wise, I have double drugs every three weeks and the nausea is bad for that week, and I get a bit weak and wobbly and sorry for myself trying to do it all alone. Still looking for ways to control that. The weekly Taxol isn't too bad at all.
Looking forward to going through this with someone else! Where are you (generally) and do you mind sharing which chemo you get?0 -
Hi - I'm in Brisbane. My drugs are Fluorouracil, Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide. The nurses want me to get a portocath but I have no intention of doing that. I had no choice about having a mastectomy or the chemo, but I can make a choice about the portocath and it's a NO!!! The thought of anyone coming near my chest at the moment is awful!!! In answer to your question- yes, I do find myself putting on a brave face in front of friends and family so as to not cause them stress or sadness. My sister came with me to my first chemo session and I could see she got quite emotional, so I was cheering her up! She was also there when I attended the breast clinic and was told it was probably cancer - again, I was consoling her! She has been wonderful though - do anything for me. I have cried in front of her only once, but boy, have I cried on my own! Getting teary now. I am divorced and live on my own, so I can let my guard down at home. I am very happy being single, but this is one of those times when I very much would love to have a partner to help me cope! At this stage I am trying to maintain life as normal but even after only one session of chemo I find I am pretty tired and nauseous. I'm currently temping, and next week have one day's work - first time since my surgery. I'm sure I'll be buggered at the end of the day, but I'm looking forward to getting out of the house for more than an hour or two. I'm sure we can go through this togehter and keep each other's spirits up! Whereabouts do you live?
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OMG!! Is it chemo brain or is this site a bit challenging to figure out?!?!? I have been trying to get past my inbox almost all day! I keep getting emails saying I have messages then can't get at them!!
I am in Sydney. Funny where we dig our heels in, isn't it, but I don't want a portacath either. Was hoping to talk my doctor into a long line (PICC) to get rid of ALL pokes related to chemo except the blood work. They can take blood too but it isn't very economical for those of us busy killing off our blood cells as they have to waste some blood that is contaminated by anticoagulant first. They go in in the upper arm (or neck, not my choice) and the end is like a regular IV so just hook me up!! I'll let you know how that discussion goes. I agree that after needle biopsy, sentinel node mapping, mastectomy, double drain sites I too DO NOT want anyone poking at my chest!! Plus they are ugly. Give me the sleek look of a long line hidden by a simple sleeve! I am not squeamish but the worse the chemo effects the harder those pokes are to take.
I haven't really had anyone go with me to things - I am much better at concentrating on my own. Most of the others in the day unit seem to have someone with them. Given the different types and stages of those in the day unit I can see where it might be upsetting to family. I mean we kind of go in there like fronting up for battle, immersed in our own journey, but they would see everything so differently. More than ever in my life I feel as you say - would desperately love to have a supportive man around for comfort and just to talk. And someone to take some of the household and childcare weight off when I am sick. Sigh. Dream on. Instead my developmentally delayed 5 year old wants to attach herself to me!! And she doesn't take no for an answer!! Emotionally, I think I should put up a sign : WARNING! Wildly swinging emotions! I think my son thinks I have lost my mind at times! He cops it because it is often his behaviour which has pushed me to 'failure to cope'. Ah to be a self absorbed teen! Both my kids have their own special needs - my son fronts well but he was severely drug exposed in utero and has multiple learning disorders, poor judgement and impulsive behaviour. Both are adopted, hence the five year old at fifty five! What we need - for this time period only! - is someone like MY sister! Barge in, take charge, let you cry but no effusive sympathy, crack the whip with the medical professionals! Then she can go back to Canada!!! How are you handling the hair loss side of things? Both my friends who have gone through this were really worried and had wigs made right away etc. Not much of a girly girl I really don't mind - consider it a vacation from my dead straight style resisting locks!! One of my friends also wanted to do life as normal and managed to keep working part time. When I get the Taxol and Carbo there is no way in HELL you could get me to do anything resembling work! Just Taxol not so bad but even today I picked my daughter up, went grocery shopping and by the time I got home I would have loved to not have to put groceries away, deal with my daughter or take my son to baseball practice. Bean brain I got to my friend's house to pick up my son and found I had driven the entire way with an IPad on the car roof! Thank God for Survivor cases! Stuck to the car like glued! Anyway, don't think it would be a good idea to give me dangerous machinery to operate after chemo!! If you have ANY hints for navigating this site they would be most welcome. How do I post as you did so the others see it? And for goodness sake why does it say 'save' instead of having a 'post' button?!?! I am becoming my mother!!!0 -
God you made me laugh! I agree, the site is a bit hard to figure out. To post a new message go into 'my profile', click on 'blog' and there's a 'create new message' thingie. And yes, save instead of post is a bit confusing! As for my hair - I haven't lost any yet. In fact yesterday I put a colour through it as the greys were starting to creep in, and I have my monthly lunch with my girlfriends tomorrow, so I can't let my public see me with grey hairs!!! Everyone has said not to bother with a colour but bugger it, I went ahead and did it. I don't want to do the scarf thing when I do lose my hair as I think that really makes you look like a cancer patient, so I have a couple of wigs on standby, but everyone who's been through this says they're really not in summer. Oh well, time will tell. Ok, now i have to go and try to log into Centrelink but my chemo brain has kicked in and I can't remember my password. Plus I need to make a cake for tomorrow's lunch - that will be a challenge given my mental state! And then my lovely brother-in-law is coming over this afternoon to FINALLY mow my yard as it looks feral. I usually mow myself but find it's one of the many things I just can't do at the moment. Oh, I'll also attempt to clean the fish tank (thanks Mum but I really didn't want a fish tank!) and again, it will be interesting to see how that goes - I wonder if I"ll have any fish left tonight!!
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Dear Tink
O.......M............G I soooooo admire you for going back to work! At the time of my first mastectomy & chemo in 2010 I also eased back into work, but got very tired very qickly. Did the same after 2nd boob removal -same thing. Tiredness and inability to be totally reliable for work. I felt completely useless! Now, nearly 5 years on, on my own (my choice; too intolerant, selfish & set in my ways to let a man in my life!), of course the issue is finances. I used up 2 lots of income protection, am on disability pension, & at the stage where I need to begin selling of things I've been hoarding, & nice things I feel guilty about having when on a pension. I think youre amazing, back at work.
I am almost retiring age I guess...post a bit on here, look after grandkids which is toally awesome, & keeps my "whingeing meter" in check, & also my involvement in a breast cancer support group is very helpful, challenging & supportive. Perhaps I should go back to piano teaching.....something I can control!
Best wishes to you-keep posting!
Love & hugs
Kathleen xxxxxxooooooo
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