A Little Embarrassing

I am thinking of you as you go thru this treatment, @Matt  .... great that the lymph nodes have reduced in size ..... bummer about the lymphoedema tho!  :(   I hope the compression & physio helps.

Thank you so much for writing about your 'BC discovery' experience  .... I have now copied this & sent it to both my brothers & my sister, advising them to send it on to all their children, so that it reaches all the males in my immediate family.  Hopefully, it will be sent on to others as well - as a timely reminder to get checked out!  
 it should be stated there is a high probability in men if they feel a lump or hardness around there breast it is cancer, in my case I felt something almost two years ago a little lump close to the nipple, I passed it off as a fatty tissue, over time it grew not that I noticed to much, about six months it became about a 6cm diameter hard lump around the nipple I passed it off as a infection, it will go away so I thought, to make it worse I did notice a lump in my underarm over a year ago so I thought it had to do with my shoulder reconstruction I had a few years ago, I never heard of lymph nodes before :-),  I had physical two weeks before ii found out I had cancer, my results came back near perfect, the wife kept pushing me to see the doctor about the lump in my breast, finally I gave up thinking just go and get some antibiotics, but I ended up with a stage 3 boarding stage 4 invasive, aggressive and few other words they used spread to lymph nodes and what ever else, anyway may point is it should be drummed into men that if they feel something in their breast get it checked out asap, just like they do on commercials for women not just there is a chance that men can get cancer but its  rare

I also sent them the copy of the Loo Pic, too, @traveltext !  Brilliant!  I wonder if that sign is in other loos all around Aussie!?


Take care,  xxxxx

Hi @Matt. I know @"Kiwi Angel" had a lot of fluid retention issues with chemo which did resolve when it stopped. Hopefully yours settle down when you've finished. How good to be on the downward slope of this nasty marathon eh?

Lots of us with sleep issues. If you're awake and staring at the ceiling, come over to the thread called Night Howls and have some company! K xox

Thanks @sister  for checking on @Matt

Well Matt your trip has some bumps in the road!  Here's to better rounds and getting that lymphoedema under control.  There are others on here that have to wear a sleeve - @fraser is one that comes to mind

Take care

Hi Matt, You're on the right side of finishing Taxol - it really is a countdown. It's not really that I've got a great memory (it's a shocker) just that I had an idea that you were starting around the time I'd started Taxol. Sorry to hear about the lymphoedema - I'm assuming that you're seeing a specialist physio.  I only know about it from surgical complications as I have cording but I have heard of chemo causing some strange sort of fluid retention.  It sounds as if you're having a bit of a rough trot but good news that those nodes have shrunk a little. Take care.

Hi @Sister wow what a great memory, yes I have about 4-5 weeks left of taxol should finish end of August, the first one went well, the next few I had a reaction so the oncologist worked out to pump me up on steroids a day before and on the day plus the stronger premeds before the taxol, no more reactions but I don't sleep from the day I take the first steroid till 2-3 days after taxol and by the time I get some sleep it starts again :-),and not to mention the extra weight and swelling of the face because of steroids ah the joy, the good news the lymph nodes in the arm pit have shrunk a little, but I do have lymphoedema in my right arm which the doctors are a little surprised with, I haven't had surgery yet and that's not supposed to happen for a few years later, I started physio last week, they gave me a sleeve and glove to wear, its not doing much just making my arm and hand bigger, being in the public system is frustrating everything takes for ever, I was hoping they can move the fluids out of my arm but they want to try the compression garment first I guess, I still eat heathy and well and go for at least hourly works every day, my hair is growing back on my head and face but downstairs is sill slow, I can't wait for surgery as i'm going through all this and still have the cancer in me and when they were doing more ultra sounds and ex rays to find a possible cause for the swelling of the arm they found a couple more infected lymph nodes in the chest area and faulty porta cath which they replaced very quick before serious damage was done, other than that all good,
sorry for the long rant, this is day two with zero sleep hehehe, Sister I hope your well you are truly an incredible person

Hi @matt Just wondering how you're going.  You must be about 3/4 through your taxol, I'm guessing.

@Matt I think what Ive liked about the Forum is, eventhough I came well after I'd finished all treatment, it's a place where you can talk about everything, knowing you are understood completely. Loved ones and friends mean well, but they cannot understand the full extent of it physically or mentally, so I have found it invaluable to be able to come here to share experience or offer support and in turn receive the same by people who just 'get it' All the best coming up to Taxol, it is different but I didn't personally find it easier on top of the Fec. Make sure you keep your Team in the loop of absolutely everything as I found my pain management wasn't very good at all and struggled as am drug sensitive so could only take nurofen with panadol osteo. Step at a time, but sounds like you're smashing it! :) Melinda xo

hi there @Matt my girlfriend went to see the comedienne julia morris the other week in bundy and her hubby to has had breast cancer too, but @traveltext and @PeterB are up with the latest on it all and are a weatlh of info for you. rest assured you will get plenty of support on here with them and us. Margie 

Hi @melclarity  thank you for that, I have been made to feel welcomed and everyone has been a great help, yes the treatment sounds similar, I had 3 syringes filled with the red devil as one of the ladies in the room called it :-), in between the bags of drips, I will start Taxol in 3 weeks, weekly for 12 weeks, then surgery if all goes well,

@Matt Just wanted to pop in and send you a very warm Welcome and can imagine how daunting it must feel coming to talk, but wanted to say as you can see by the overwhelming responses, we are all in it together and very happy to offer support in any way possible.

It's not just AC that is 4 times every 3 weeks, I had FEC fluorouracil (also called 5FU) epirubicin. cyclophosphamide, which was the same also known as the Red Devil, then 8 weeks of Taxol. It depends on what your diagnosis was as to which regime you are on. Side effects can be very nasty, sorry about your toenails, I ended up with neuropathy in my toes, I can live with it now but generally after walking over 40mins I can't do anymore due to the pain. 

Sending a hug, we are always here if you have any concerns that we may be able to help out with. :) Melinda x