New girl on the block

I really enjoyed reading your experience and wanted to tell you how important is to get such great feed back.  I have a couple of other friends who I met during my Cancer time, and currently, I am the only one who is working as much as 25 hours a week.  I just assumed that once I finished my treatment life would just slot back in around me.  It is really difficult for others to understand because it is a very left of centre experience to go through, and then to have to work through it, I just couldnt imagine how difficult that must be.  I work as a Pharmacy Assistant, and the major thing involved with that is memory, and energy.  I have found my brain has been a challenge.  I am currently reading information my boss has given to me related to energy and cells, how mitochondrial nutrients work.  Those responsible to energy.  It is quite the read, and will take time to decipher, as I am not a Pharmacist, and picking through what I can understand.  Lipoic Acid, Fish Oil, Magnesium, N Acetyl Carnitine Co Enzyme 10, and Iron are all mentioned.  

Any way, I wander.  I still feel tired, and took a whole year off.  I only go for a half hour walk at a time most times.  So, we can only do what we can do! 

Good luck all, Bel

mmm... you say, "staying strong"  - that has its ups and downs, I'd say. A fortnight ago I finished my 25 lots of radio after my 6 cycles of chemo - what a long haul it's been since diagnosis end of July last year. I worked in a job through it as we have a big mortgage and three kids still at school. Also, I had just started a one-year contract on the day I was diagnosed - and I felt I just had to try and succeed as best I could (I've been promised a 'real' ie permanent job for three years but it hadn't materialised). It's been tough. I used up the minimal sick leave I had doing one week off out of the three through chemo - though there were some cycles worse than others I had to shuffle a bit. For the radio, I went in each morning before work - luckily the hospital is down the hill from the uni where i work. What i didn't realise was how expensive going private was going to be - but I heard that if I wanted to be public then I couldn't dictate what time I would have the radio, and as I have teaching & other responsibilities that were time-dependant, i felt I had to. Anyway, I finally seem to have my brain back (mostly), though I was wrong to disobey the specialist who begged me to take time off after my radio finished, as it's a time of rebound fatigue. Because of the teaching I didn't feel I could - though I admit now it was a mistake. Not all my colleagues have been that understanding, and I felt picked on at one point in the tea room and told them I was pissed off and going home early! I still feel awkward about that. It was the same day my job got advertised as a permanent one - just at the point I had decided not to apply even if they ever did get around to advertising! Well, I submitted my application on Friday, and i figure if I get it, so be it, but if not, then the universe has something more exciting waiting for me. It's been great to read the posts for you Dianne, and be reminded of things. So, most importantly, hello - there are us girls (well, I'm 53) out here who have an inkling of what you are going through. I've found it pretty lonely - but the network 'chats' have helped me. Next month I'll be going to an afternoon tea with ladies from the Encore program I just completed - at last some people with whom I can say things others just don't understand (or want to hear). I always loved that poster on the ceiling in the dentist's of the kitten dangling from the tree branch... hang in there, it said. Take heart!

Lovey, I will still go for regular check ups but in my case, hopefully, if it does not return then I am safe. I have been told from other post breast cancer survivors about the 'two years'. I am surprised you have not heard of it.

No one said to me that two years from surgery and we are clear.

I've been told that I'm on 3 monthly tests for 2 years and then 6 monthly after that......

I hope the two years is right!

I am also a "Survivor" and have returned to work 5 months ago, after a year off with BC.  It really did help me to understand that every one thinks differently when I went to a "Coffee and Chat" support group, face to face, in Launceston.  No one is right or wrong in what they say on here or do, we just share how it was for ourselves.  I have always been like an open book and cant change that either.  So on the day I found out, I stood outside the GPs and said to my husband in tears, "Now what do we do, we are supposed to go to work?"  and we never did go to work that day.  I did go back and worked the days I could up until the day before surgery though.  We were like zombies on that first day, and we sat together and phoned our parents.  The best results, and talks, for us, came after the tears.  For us it was being honest and real, it was just who we are.  We also found that it brought a relief and release of tension and fear.  Some-times you get angry with each other too, and that is part of it.  I dont have children, so I didnt have to put on a brave face for any one.  I never felt like I was a burden when I did cry, I thinked I rolled pretty quickly through each emotion and handled it ver y  positively when I was able.  For me, I found a couple of chats to Counsellors made the world of difference and what helped was speaking to some one who wasnt emotionally involved.  The mental side of this is the tough one.  I have made a best friend through one of the coffee and chat catch ups at the Cancer Council, and she was totally opposite to me in my behaviour.  She threw away her "My Journey Kit" and I used it like a bible.  See, we are all different, which makes us all right!  Good luck.  It is a weird time, but I have found it to be quite the "eye-opener" to many things too! X Bel

So much information.  How wonderful that so many are willing to share.  I am two years post DX, one year post treatment.  Just wanted to say you are "normal" in your reaction.  Be gentle on yourself, there is no right or wrong way to approach the changes that are happening in your life.  Allow yourself time to adjust, time to be the strong one and when you need to give yourself permission to let go and have a good cry.  Some ladies I know didnt do this until they returned to work or finished their last treatment.  Holding strong enabled them to endure everything. Others let it all hang out.  If you think you need help then ask - your medical team is expecting you too.

For your mouth try pawpaw (red is best), fruit tingle lollies (bicarb bombs) also soda water with lemon or lime (again it is bicarb). 

Hugs from afar. Take care.

Keep Positive against all odds is half the battle. And do please find some time to cry. Most times I would start to cry and sob then suddenly it dried up. What you are thinking and feeling is what we all do. But its very important not to think too much into it otherwise you will drive yourself silly into so much confusion. One step and one day at a time.

Well its one year on now since I was diagnosed and I am now almost myself. Just get a lil tired from having radiotherapy of which i finished 7th Feb 2014. My triple neg was grade 3 so I had to have chemo then mastectomy of right breast then radiotherapy. The taxoxifen was offered to me even as I had 2% positive but this drug side effects would be more damaging to me and it would be of very lil or nil benefit to me. So I declined the tamoxifen.

If this cancer does not return from two years of the surgery date(4/11/13) then I am safe. The genetic people will be in touch with me to fill out a survey regarding family ancestry with jewish in mind. I do not know if there are any to my knowledge.

Its one helluva journey and keep in mind that the scientific people are working very hard and there is HOPE.