Forum Discussion

msardea's avatar
msardea
Member
7 years ago

Life after Breast Cancer

Keen to chat to other woman who have been diagnosed in the past. I myself, was diagnosed in both 2012 and 2017.  I want to know how other woman have adapted again to work, family, new relationships etc
I still have my moments and would love to chat to others who have been there as well.

24 Replies

  • Two times for me too 2013 and 2018...had mx on left side went boobless for 12 months due to hideous infection that rejected my saline implant..then diep recon in 2014...great result ...took a VR and a new job 3 weeks after leaving my old one..have been in new job going on 4 years about to step up into more senior role and whammo fairy smacked me in the head again..right breast this time a new cancer..lumpectomy and 20 hits of radiation luckily no chemo but 5 plus years on AI..hot flushes...insomnia..crappy side effects...threw myself back into work...cried every day of the first week as I just did not think I could do it again full time but needed the money and used all my sick leave..still struggling but am there and doing it again...never thought I could but I am..have wonderful partner of 28 yrs who unbelievably was hit with an autoimmune disease 3 days after my lumpectomy...she was paralysed in hospital for 3 weeks...that was 4 months ago and tonite we had dinner with 2 very close friends ...laughing..crying and wondering what freight train hit us in 2018...don’t know what the future holds but sure am glad we are both still here laughing crying and enjoying this wonderful mad crazy life!,
  • 3 years Monday since I found  my breast lump and a little over 2 years since my chemo treatment finished.
    I have returned to work over a gradual process and have been back full time since July 2017. I don't still have the stamina pre treatment to work a fully busy day and still include exercise daily without exhaustion. I'm still working on getting that energy back. if you read back through my stories on my profile I have many blogs about taking my life back. Kath x
  • Only one go round for me, be entirely happy if that's it. I didn't go back to work, as I never left. Had side effects, three still with me 6 years on, but it didn't interfere with working and I wanted to keep things as 'normal' as possible. I reviewed my idea of normal after active treatment, changed job, went to 4 days a week and at 73 I am contemplating cutting back to
    3 days if I can in 2019. I am grateful I survived to see my two grandsons! While my health is good, you can never take it for granted after one cancer experience! So I am trying to live as much as possible right now. My family is a joy, even including my frequently gloomy partner of over 40 years. But if you want a practical, unflappable person in a crisis, he's your man, so I am keeping him! Best wishes.
  • I'm a two time winner of the booby prize as well. 2006 and 2016.

    I worked through my first episode, chemo, 2MX, reconstruction and 5 years tamoxifen. I was a single parent with a 13 yr old son. I was made redundant a couple of weeks before my second diagnosis, went back to uni during treatment (more surgery, chemo, oophorectomy, rads and AI) and have, frankly, struggled to return to the workforce in any meaningful capacity. I am working but it hasn't been easy to find work or cope with new jobs and side effects.

    Family has always been problematic so nothing much has changed there.

    I jumped into the internet dating pool in about 2010. That has been interesting and I was pleasantly surprised at how many men weren't too phased by the lack of tits, particularly since everything else worked fine. I've been in  a steady relationship since 2012 with a lovely person who was totally supportive when the shit hit the fan again. Unfortunately, AI and what I call autopausing  has had it's toll on my personal life. Nothing works now.

    I wish I still had the energy that I had ten years ago. Life does get better, but it isn't easy. Mxx