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Hi Lynne, I was diagnosed in late 2008 and had chemo & radio throughout 2009. Like you I also live alone (well I live with my daughter, but dont have a partner) and it's difficult when you don't have somebody 'on hand' to do all those odd jobs that need done! To be honest, while I was recouperating I decided to just let the housework go...LOL!...I've never been big on it anyway! I did the bare essentials and that was it! As far as hanging out washing and vacuuming goes, I had my family help me. I also have a large front and back garden and  these were let go for quite a while. Your energy will return in time and the warm weather is just around the corner, so hopefully that thought will give you a huge lift!

Bye for now, Celeste

Hi again Lynne, glad I made you smile!!!

You say looking at your weather that it is going to be 18-19 ...... where are you?  You never know you maybe close to one of our team ... you could be so lucky!!! 

 I'm a bit like you, I've never had an affinity with housework - it's a necessary evil!!!  In fact my ex used to ask me why I never washed the windows ... I always told him if windows were meant to be washed  God wouldn't have shown someone how to make curtains!!!  Just another example of my strange sense of humour.

Cheers .... Shirl xx

Hey Lynne, nice to see you here.:)

Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything.

HI Shirl, thank you for making me smile.  It never occurred to me to invite the fairies in from my garden although I have tried clicking my fingers (without success - perhaps I am not doing it right?)

I live alone so the helpful partner is less than (i.e. non existant lol).  I am just hanging out for the day when my energy returns (I am presuming it will) and I feel energise enough to do things and enjoy getting them done.  Am typing to you from my bed.  I have a cold which has laid me low the last few days and so having a sooki lala day. So nice to see a weather report talking about 18 & 19 degrees for a change; am certain the weather hasn't helped my frame of mind or my wet washing.  I have received wonderful support from people who let me know they love me I just wish I could convince them that housework would be fun for them! (rofl!) 

Serves me right, it has never been my favourite past time either.

Lynne

Hi there Lynne .... first up, welcome from your BCNA family ... so pleased you have joined us.

I had a mastectomy and removal of all lymph nodes in January rather than a lumpectomy.  I was given a choice of one or the other and opted for the former of the two.  It was the right choice for me, and as things turned out I was lucky in as much as the cancer was contained in the breast and hadn't travelled anywhere else.  Another six months and it could have been different.  I am also fortunate that I don't need chemo or radiotherapy.

I am glad you are in a positive frame of mind - that is half the battle I think.  The housework can be a problem though - those pesky cleaning fairies are never around when you need them.  I even tried leaving the laundry door open and the lights on but that didn't work either.

I know how it is getting things done, I had friends and extended family all hovering around trying to help but to be honest I felt pressured and I didn't want to be organised.  My partner is a wonderful bloke and he became rather adept at washing (he did the hanging out a little different than I did but I didn't realy care), vacumning and doing dishes.  We just did things at our own pace ... no pressure.

There wasn't much cooking done - fortunately it was summer so it was lots of cold meats and salads ... not that I had much of an appetite.

Do you have a homecare group in your district?  Maybe you could get them in once a week to do the awkward jobs.  You could perhaps put the washing in the machine, they may be able to hang it out and your partner? could take it in.  They could vacumn for you and maybe iron for half an hour.

The most important thing is not to allow yourself to get stressed over incidentals .... you need to concentrate on number one - YOU !!!  If you don't feel like doing things, then don't.

Your family and friends love you for being you - not for your housekeeping!!!  If there are dishes in the sink and unfolded washing so be it - the main thing is that you are well.

Here endeth the first lesson LoL !!!

Cheers Shirl xx

So great to hear, you sound like you have taken control which is wonderful. The power of positive thinking and lots of t.l.c will get you through this but remember we're all here if you need a chat.        :)

Hi

My name is Lynne.  I was first diagnosed on 15th April 2010, had a lumpectomy (4cm) and sentinel lymph node removed on 29th April and will be having the final of 6 chemo treatments Friday next week (Thank God!)

Thankfully the results of the surgery were excellent i.e. no spread detected (even though the tumour was grade 3), but I still have to go through the roller coaster of chemo (6 x 3 weekly cycles), radio, daily for 4 weeks and Herceptin for 12 months.  Although I feel positive about the outcome I find I am having trouble dealing with day to day things, like cleaning, washing etc.  Any tips on this?  I have tried ignoring it and this works most of the time but some days...

Hi Cynthia, well that's another hurdle you've lept over ... well done.  I'm glad everything went well for you.

while you are recouperating just listen to your body, it will tell you what to do.

Cheers ... Shirl

Hi Kaz.  Thanks so much for your reassuring words and best wishes.  ?? ??I? ???????????????was ready for the surgery by the time it came around ?y?e?s?t?e?r?d?a?y? and ?t?o?d?a?y? ??I? am quite chirpy and have good movement.  I am very tender in the left breast area, as to be expected, but not on any pain killers much - maybe a bit of Panadol if needed, but mostly I don’t need it.   I won’t get the results from what the pathology tests say until Fri next week (10^th Sep).  The hospital experience was good and everything ran smoothly??. ??

I am delighted that I only have one wound.  It is an L shape quite close the left nipple (from about 11’oclock to 5 o’clock) where they removed the lump as well as the sentinel node/s.  ??I am very glad about that from a scarring point of view and also for healing, I won’t have to worry about messing around with a wound under my arm.  Also I was worried about losing the shape of my breast and looking lopsided or deformed on one side afterwards.  But things look really good so far, so I am very pleased about that too, except I do have to wear very un-sexy bras for the next 3 months???!

I’m home now and feeling dopey and tired. So have settled into bed with the laptop, a book and a movie – so ???????m?y? ??h?u?s?b?a?n?d? ????????????says everything’s normal!

?

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???T?h?a?n?k?s? ?a?g?a?i?n? ?f?o?r? ?y?o?u?r? ?m?e?s?s?a?g?e?.

???C?y?n?t?h?i?a

Thanks Di, that's great!