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Wow, eight months in hospital! That must have been awful.  And sorry to hear about you skin condition too. Not good either.

I live in Chirnside Park so one of the things I'm dreading about the radiotherapy is driving to and from Box Hill everyday for 6 weeks but I guess it's just one of those things you have to do. I am a little worried about the long term effects also. I've read that it can damage your heart and also that part of the lung gets exposed to radiation. It seems like once you've got cancer you just have to accept all these treatments that damage your body in other ways. It's a bit depressing as I felt I was very healthy before all this happened.

I had my planning session about 10 days ago. It was okay. A young woman called Ruth looked after me - she was lovely. Do you know her? The staff were all very caring and supportive. Will you be going back to work or are you still recovering from your chemo? 

Wow, eight months in hospital! That must have been awful.  And sorry to hear about you skin condition too. Not good either.

I live in Chirnside Park so one of the things I'm dreading about the radiotherapy is driving to and from Box Hill everyday for 6 weeks but I guess it's just one of those things you have to do. I am a little worried about the long term effects also. I've read that it can damage your heart and also that part of the lung gets exposed to radiation. It seems like once you've got cancer you just have to accept all these treatments that damage your body in other ways. It's a bit depressing as I felt I was very healthy before all this happened.

I had my planning session about 10 days ago. It was okay. A young woman called Ruth looked after me - she was lovely. Do you know her? The staff were all very caring and supportive. Will you be going back to work or are you still recovering from your chemo? 

Wow, eight months in hospital! That must have been awful.  And sorry to hear about you skin condition too. Not good either.

I live in Chirnside Park so one of the things I'm dreading about the radiotherapy is driving to and from Box Hill everyday for 6 weeks but I guess it's just one of those things you have to do. I am a little worried about the long term effects also. I've read that it can damage your heart and also that part of the lung gets exposed to radiation. It seems like once you've got cancer you just have to accept all these treatments that damage your body in other ways. It's a bit depressing as I felt I was very healthy before all this happened.

I had my planning session about 10 days ago. It was okay. A young woman called Ruth looked after me - she was lovely. Do you know her? The staff were all very caring and supportive. Will you be going back to work or are you still recovering from your chemo? 

Hi janet

Mine was also Grade 3 but had 20 lymph nodes and sentinel node involvement so they all came out as well as my left breast.  I didn't have radiotherapy due to another complication - I have a rare genetic skin condition commonly referred to as EB or Cotton Wool Syndrome.  Basically it means I have such fragile skin that the slightest bump or knock lifts the skin off or bruises me severley....so rads was just out of the question.  I did unfortunately have extra long chemo treatments and spent 8 months in hospital which was a bit of a drag.

Where do you live Janet?  I used to work at Peter McCallum Cancer Institute at Box Hill and worked directly in the Radiotherapy Department - ironically booking in all the cancer patients for their treaatments. I used to be the friendly face they have to report to every day and when I was tapping away on the computer I was chatting to them all, making friends with everyone trying to help them relax, so I understand if you're feeling a bit nervous about starting.

My lump wasn't external - I didn't know they could be external - but I was misdiagnosed initially too. The doctor who looked at my mammogram and ultrasound said I had a lump of necrotised (dead) fat. I thought I was off the hook but GP said I should see a surgeon just to be sure. Core biopsy then showed up mucinous cancer. It was a big shock but surgeon said it was a non-aggressive cancer that didn't usually spread and that I probably wouldn't even need chemo. As you might have found yourself when you google mucinous cancer you get sites that tell you it rarely spreads to other parts of the body, is slow growing etc. So I thought, okay I've got cancer but it's sounds like the best type of cancer to get.

Then I had my surgery and I was told my cancer was grade 3 (aggresive) and there was DCIS too. So I've had to have the chemo, due to start rads on Sept 24 and after that the tamoxifen. I guess I still feel kind of lucky as my cancer hadn't spread to my lymph nodes but still....I feel like I will forever have to be on guard now - questioning the doctors, keeping as informed as I can, watching my diet etc etc etc. It certainly gives you a new appreciation of your health!

Hi Janet

I forgot you had the same type of cancer...us rare girls need to stick together I reckon!  I think mine was DCIS as well but i've never really been given a clear picture and frankly at the time I didn't really care - just wanted to get on with it.  Hope you don't mind me asking but did you have an external lump?  I did - in a very awkward position...sort of at the side heading towards underneath your boob so it wasn't glaringly obvious when you looked in the mirror and I thought it was happening because I was wearing underwire bras!  I did go to a doctor earlier (in July 2011 - I was diagnosed in October 2011) but I was told my soreness and unusual sweating under my left arm was due to the manufacturer of my deodorant changing ingredients and the slight irritation (which it was then) in my boob was either a muscle strain or my bra....no exam, no tests ordered - nothing.  Just left feeling like an idiot.  Needless to say I don't see my GP anymore and went to a new one. 

I might like to add this GP was a woman!!!

Hi Helen Anne, I think I3C is still considered to be "alternative" so I'm not expecting my oncologist to be very enthusiastic about it. My guess is she'll suggest sticking with the tamoxifen alone. But I figure that a substance derived from broccoli surely couldn't do any harm so I would like to give it a try. I want to give tamoxifen a go too but I keep reading about all these dreadful side effects. Guess I'll have to suck it and see. By the way my cancer was mucinous too (with some DCIS as well). 

Hi Helen Anne, I think I3C is still considered to be "alternative" so I'm not expecting my oncologist to be very enthusiastic about it. My guess is she'll suggest sticking with the tamoxifen alone. But I figure that a substance derived from broccoli surely couldn't do any harm so I would like to give it a try. I want to give tamoxifen a go too but I keep reading about all these dreadful side effects. Guess I'll have to suck it and see. By the way my cancer was mucinous too (with some DCIS as well). 

Hi Helen Anne, I think I3C is still considered to be "alternative" so I'm not expecting my oncologist to be very enthusiastic about it. My guess is she'll suggest sticking with the tamoxifen alone. But I figure that a substance derived from broccoli surely couldn't do any harm so I would like to give it a try. I want to give tamoxifen a go too but I keep reading about all these dreadful side effects. Guess I'll have to suck it and see. By the way my cancer was mucinous too (with some DCIS as well). 

Hi Janet

I've never heard of this but I'm interested.  Currently I've been on tamoxifen and I don't like it at all - it has increased my hot flushes enormously. I don't know whether it was to do with the type of cancer I had (mucinous Breast Cancer - very rare) but I've never been offered anything different.  I might look this up and see what I think and maybe discuss it with my oncologist as an alternative....Thanks for bringing this up.