Sad and lonely
Hi everyone. I’m new here, recently diagnosed with high grade DCIS. I had a wide excision to remove the DCIS and margins. Results showed small amounts of invasive cancer in the margins, so a week ago I had another surgery to remove that invasive tissue and a few lymph nodes. I’ve been coping with everything pretty well and have a loving supportive family. I also have a huge network of friends. However, today, I’m sad. Like tears won’t stop. I haven’t had anyone visit me this week - I get it, people have lives and are busy, but I feel forgotten and as if people think it’s all over now… I don’t get results from second surgery until 2 June so the waiting is torture. I don’t understand why I am being so unreasonable about the lack of visitors!! Does anyone else feel this way? I also have a colleague going through BC treatment. She had a double mastectomy and is amazing- turns up to work straight after her surgery and seems to be coping so well. I feel like I can’t be honest about my feelings at work as my diagnosis is not that bad. Again, this makes me feel so selfish!
Docetaxel Side Effects FEC-D Long term side effects or menopause?
Hi all, its been several years since I posted on here. I'm hopeful someone can help. My apologies for my long post. I promise Im not a hypochondriac. I'm coming up to 7 years cancer free and should be living that life changing, "Im so greatful to be alive" kind of life. But I feel like cancer has added 20 years to my health. Anything that ailed me before treatment has amplified. My knees and ankles constantly ache. Its very hard to stand up from a seated position. I have neuropathy symptoms from the knees down. I randomly run out of breath. My hair feels noticeably thinner (it grew back white). My scalp constantly itches (no dandruff, just red) and I keep getting small lumps on my crown and the nape of my neck. I'm also getting re- occurring cysts in my arm pits, some have showed up in my breast during mammograms, but they come then go. Ive had chemo induced menopause for 6 years now. So much brain fog and vertigo. I now have osteoarthritis and to top it off, during my post chemo scans they found a lump in my skull towards the base of my neck which was deemed to intrusive to do a biopsy. At one stage I was told I would need yearly scans. I feel like its been put in the too hard basket. Ive been trying to get doctors to listen to my concerns for 2 years now. Ive also been trying to get a specialist to see me since June last year. I cant even get on their waiting lists. The team that looked after me during my cancer journey were absolutely marvellous. Now that Ive been 'signed off' help and understanding have been lacking. I'm on long waiting lists to have things looked at, living with the fear of re-occurrance is always at the back of my mind. Im going around circles with my GP but Im now too emotionally exhausted to make a change. I lived with anxiety and depression before cancer but now I feel it is overwhelming me. Ive tried counselling several times but I havent found them helpful. Dealing with this and lifes 'normal' challenges has really changed me. I have searched the internet for sites that deal with life after cancer. Trying to find out what side effects are common or potentially long lasting. How to treat them or how to deal with them. Are my symptons a result of treatment or is it a menopause thing? All the sites i find talk about treatment and short term side effects. Im hoping theres a site out there that might inspire me and give me back the drive to look after myself. Even a site for menopause after triple negative breast cancer would be very helpful(preferably an Australian site). Ive been told to avoid any hormonal treatment. Are there other options? If there is anyone living a similar outcome to me, what are you doing to help your self? How are you treating menopause after TNBC? Whats working for you? Thank you if you took the time to read my post, I know its a long one but i really appreciate it.
Total left mastectomy vs expander/implant?
Hi everyone - I’m newly diagnosed and have found BCN hugely helpful and reassuring. I have bilateral early cancers - invasive ductal (left side) and invasive lobular (right side). ER + PR + HER2 -.I believe ‘low grade, slow growing’. My treatment recommendation is: left side mastectomy, nipple/skin sparing with expander then later implant and right side lumpectomy. Followed by radiation and letrozole. Surgery scheduled for 22/11 at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. The choice I have is left side total mastectomy or the reconstruction? For context, I’m middle aged, slim/small breasted and physically very active. Apart from the obvious surgery and post operative worries, my other concern is around the possibility of spending many months with ongoing breast related issues. Wondering if any of you have had a similar experience….and any thoughts/advice you might have? Thank you 🎀
Constipation
most of the threads I can find about constipation are quite old so thought I would start a new one . Having just spent a very uncomfortable Friday / night at home, followed by fun Saturday in emergency, and a Saturday night in the short stay unit with the worst constipation ever am looking for some tips advice on how others have managed this going forward Generally I am a good popper , once a day (give or take) and have a faulty good diet. But this round of chemo that went in Monday had upset my whole system So love to hear how others have coped what food to eat / not to eat , drink , drugs etc
Lung nodules
Morning ladies, It has been ages since I have put a post up but I regularly check in to make sure all my pink sisters are doing ok! I am now living in country Victoria after my husband told me the marrage was over (app he found my cancer journey all too confronting!) I had to go to hospital on Monday as I was feeling faint, breathless and my heart was racing. 3 days in High Dependancy and now on a beta blocker to slow my heart rate. On my discharge summary it says they found multiple nodule in both lungs! freaking out !!!! No one said anything to me whilst I was in hospital, I am seeing my onc on Mon. Has anyone else had lung nodules? Will try to keep calm untill I get to see oncologist but am feeling quiet alone at the moment. xHormone therapy struggling in 4th year
Ive been taking Aromasin for just over 4 years along with medication to help me sleep and for depression and magnified anxiety. I have back ache, stiff joints, hot flushes and struggle to think straight and get my words out. I'm not sure what feeling normal is like anymore, is this the medication or how I am now? I am 64 years old this year, I exercise, maybe Im just old now. I haven't had online discussion before when I went through surgery, chemo or radiation, although I did look at discussions and that helped. Im finding now that Im needing to know how others have managed through the long years of hormone therapy. I have had breaks of one month every so often but I find its harder getting back on the Aromasin after a break as I don't get much relief. My oncologist has said as long as I do 9 months in a 12 month period that's okay but it gets harder to go back on it. I would like to know how others have managed to finish 5 years of hormone therapy or 10 years (amazing women, my hat goes off to you all) Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one doing this, I know I'm not. Also how does your body and emotions feel after finishing hormone treatment, like how different do you feel? How long did it take to realise you were better or doesn't that happen? Is there much or any difference? I guess I'm living in hope that I'll finish and not need other medications when I finish hormone therapy and that my body and emotions will feel better. Thanks for your input. X
TERRIFIED of Treatment
I’m not sure I can convey in writing how terrified I am I’m not sure there is a word to describe it the worry I feel is debilitating, I already suffer from anxiety and this is just exasperating it, i was diagnosed about a month ago and have had a Lumpectomy with good results margins were clear and lymph nodes were clear, my cancer is triple negative and they are still wanting me to have chemo and radiation. The plan is 12 weekly doses of chemo then about 15-20 treatments of radiation along with Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year. I am supposed to go to Hospital on Tuesday for Echocardiogram, Port Insertion and my first chemo. Everday for the last two weeks I have woken up at 6am in what I think is a panic attack I have tingles all over my body and shaking and I don’t want to get out of bed I’m at a point where I don’t think I’m going to be able to get myself to the hospital on Tuesday, and on top of all this I live in Melbourne so we have COVID to deal with which means no one can come to hospital with me I have to do this alone. I am terrified of having the port put in and the thought of it being in my body for so long is terrifying to me I am also completely terrified of the chemo and all the worry it will cause me between treatments having to monitor temperature etc etc will be so stressful for me. I have tried conveying this to various people (Doctors, Family, Psycologist) and all they say is you have to do this and take one step at a time, I feel like no one is really grasping how terrified I am and no one is helping me with the mental side of this, am I the only one that feels this way please HELP me as I don’t think I can mentally survive this and am seriously considering not going on Tuesday.
Anxiety, hot flushes and gebapentin- help
So I thought chemo was hard.... tamoxifen is kicking my arse!! Went to the menopause after cancer clinic today and they were lovely. She has put me on Gebapentin for the hot flushes, just wonder how others use of this has worked for them? Has it also been successful with anxiety and moods? I am really struggling with feeling anxious all of the time! I don’t know if it’s the post cancer struggles, tamoxifen, menopause, the pressure of a new job or all of them!! I’ve never really had a problem with anxiety before but I can stop feeling sick, crying and just generally feeling rubbish!!! Any tips appreciated
Hot flashes and itchy skin!
Hello everyone, I finished my AC a few weeks ago, and will start Taxol this week for 12 weeks. The AC has plunged me into menopause (I was nearly there already). I just cannot regulate my body temperature - I am mostly hot all the time, but sometimes fluctuate between roasting and freezing, and my skin and eyebrows (the only hair I have left) are super itchy! I suspect this is all hormone related. This has been going for weeks. Has anyone else experienced the same, and does it start to settle after awhile? Any helpful tips? :smile:
