Counselling

Dear @Ktre,

from jennyss in Western NSW

Thanks @Mez_BCNA, will check it out tonight and will look for the invites

Thanks @arpie, I am a member of the pink Phoenix group. Great bunch of ladies, majority of them survivors so no one in my position but that's ok. Yes have a good BC nurse who is helping me with decision and see if I can get second opinion. She is giving me links etc as well, but the group on here will be great to get everyone's stories and pics to help with the decision. Thanks for the help and info

Hi @arpie, you beat me to it. I was just checking the 'Living with MBC' group this morning and yes @Ktre I can see you are a member. I will send you invites to the other private groups as well

Hmmmm - that's weird to get a spam notification, @Ktre!! 

@Mez_BCNA ... can you check if Ktre is a member of the Mets Group - and maybe help her get into the Recon & Flat Chat groups too? xx

Yes - big decisions for you - and the 2 groups will be able to show you before & after pics & how & what they went thru to 'get there' xx

Re meeting up with others in your area - Maybe put a post up re Members in & around Ballarat?  Hopefully, they would jump on & you could have a mini meetup?  I've met up with a few members who've passed thru my area - and even travelled to Darwin, to meet up with another good buddy from WA!  We had a heap of fun.

I just did a 'search' of BCNA for Ballarat & this interesting stuff popped up ....
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/search?query=Ballarat&sort=-dateInserted&scope=site&source=community

Do you have a McGrath Nurse?  There is a BC support group in Ballarat too xx
https://www.ballaratpinkphoenix.org.au/index.php/support

take care xx

Hi @arpie, thanks for the info, yes have joined the Mets group, will think I did, I got a spam notification when I posted so unsure if it went through, would love to meet up with Ballarat people who have the similar diagnosis, how do I go about looking for them, haven't been on here much, will also look into joint recon group and flat chest. It's a huge decision to make. Hope you are doing well, have a good day

Thanks @Blossom1961, yes acceptance and going with the flow is my new norm. Living life and loving it at the moment, work is good and side effects manageable so that's good. Family have adapted and we are living life as best we can... Yes definitely need a diary of calendar with work, so many things to stay on top of with appointments etc. Hope you are doing well xxx

I am SO sorry to read of your Mets diagnosis, @Ktre - that is great that the treatment has done what it is supposed to do xx  I am so glad you are going 'ok' tho depression would be a natural side effect sadly.  xx

Great that hubby was successful in getting another job - and I hope you don't have to work too hard either.   Shame about the covid - but great that the anti virals helped reduce the side effects xx

Have you joined the Mets Group? It is a private group, where you can raise any issues in total privacy xx  

We also have the 2 surgery groups ... Choosing Breast Reconstruction - and Flat Chat (for those who opt to remain flat.)  Feel free to join those two - for all the pros & cons of both xx

Don't forget you can ring the Helpline 1800 500 258 & chat with the Mods Mon-Fri, if you'd like to ... 

I think we have a couple of members in Ballarat too .... you might like to meet up for a chat & coffee, too xx

Take care and all the best for your ongoing treatment xx

@Ktre Sending big hugs. That mets diagnosis is certainly shattering. You just start moving on with life again, then bam.  Allow yourself the bad days. I used to fight them but found accepting them was more healing. I have a lot more good days than bad. I have moved on to accepting my new normal. I have an infusion every three weeks of targetted therapy. I am starting a new job soon and just so long as I keep my calendar by my side, I can stay organised. All the best. Do what works for you.

Have not jumped on here for quite some time, nearly two years, Wow how things have changed since that time. I am now stage IV as my cancer moved to my liver, at the appointment after surgery I was told of discovery in lymph nodes. I had a full auxillary clearance and was sent for full bone scan and MRI and full body CT. Results from scans showed 5 spots in the liver, they were unsure if it was cancer as spots were small- too small to do biopsy on and not viable for surgery as to far apart . I was already booked in for chemo to start so oncologist wanted to go ahead with this and if chemo affected the spread them that's was confirmed stage IV.  Kept thinking and praying it was fatty liver.... Chemo (red Devil) started, 3-4 months of 4 sessions every three weeks, lost my hair by the second session, nausea and tiredness main symptoms. Husband had lost his job so I had to continue to work casually from home when I was on the off weeks of chemo (he found a job not long after) at the end of chemo had another scan on the liver.... 5 spots had gone to three stage IV confirmed. I was devastated diagnosis was December 2021. Started medication palbociclib and letrozole day after boxing day, have been through two fairly bad depression stages but am currently doing ok. Coming up to two years since original diagnosis, current scans show spots have depleted to very minimal (little scar of one spot) blood levels have dropped, neutrophils at 1.2 at the moment, did go below one for two weeks, bloods done every month, scans every 4 months, oncologist every 2 months. Side effects, bone ache,  thin hair, tiredness, diarrhoea. Have had covid twice but thankfully not to severe and anti virals are amazing. My life has definitely changed and am currently starting process of deciding if I go down reconstruction path, have met breast surgeon who can do two types, either the Lat Dorsi Flap or tissue expansion and implant. Have a lot of research and thinking to do. Hope everyone on here is doing ok