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Hi all Well tomorrow the 13th is my one year mastectomy anniversary and after a whole year I've suddenly got lymphoedema! My wrist and hand are all puffed up and sore. I was on to the physio dept and got advice re exercises and rest etc and will prob be seen next week. Also I'm going on a long haul flight in 10 days! It's last year's cancelled holiday rebooked. I'm upset about this and mainly cos I think it was all my own fault. I drove for 3 and 1/2 hours at the weekend with air con not working and I didn't drink enough water. I had a splitting headache when I got there. Then I did a repeat performance on the return trip! I've looked up some old posts and now I realise I've been foolish. I haven't been keeping up the exercises either because I suppose I felt I was so active now there was no need. What does everyone else do? Are you continuing with the exercises forever? Any advice appreciated. Jo x

I recently returned to St Vincents to attend an out-patients clinic in the Urology Dept. I had my prostate removed last September and my PSA blood test back in October was .003. My new test also showed a reassuring .003. I was delighted and felt great. My only slight complaint was that I occasionally had difficulty maintaining an erection long enough to be satifying. I had been prescribed a well known blue pill to help but it was only a 50mg strength. The cancer nurse recommended this be increased to 75mg. I live a normal life after the op and have no trouble with incontinence. I still do pelvic floor exercises on a regular basis and am maintaining a good sex life with my partner of 2years. I had my left kidney removed because of cancer 6 years ago and have no problems there either. I will be attending out patients clinics for at least the next 5 years every 6 months. This is reassuring as they can keep an eye on me.

[color=#400080:pu2xxfg2]I started taking the 'dreaded' tamoxifen about 3 weeks ago now and my ankles in particular, along with my feet are fairly swollen. There are crease lines where the swelling is on my feet/ankles. Keeping them well moisturised but they are sore and can feel then a bit 'cracked' or dry. Have a general feeling of water retention in my body and my weight on the scales is to say the least. I am going back to the oncology team and will chat with them. Mentioned it on my last visit and they said give if 4-6 weeks if I could to see would it settle itself without diuretics. Find it hard to walk at times with the swelling but trying to keep moving as know it helps. Wearing crocs to give them room to 'swell' so to speak...regular shoes very uncomfortable. Luckily not any other adverse side effects so far, just this. Anyone else find this side effect on Tamoxifen? Thanks ladies. [/color:pu2xxfg2]

I've had my surgery in Jan this year - right side mastectomy with immediate strattice & tissue expander reconstruction. Onco-plastic surgeon at the time said I was borderline case for having chemo, but no radiation therapy needed. I'm currently half-way through chemo. My understanding re. rads decision is that my tumor was less than 5cm (mine was 2cm), not embedded in chest wall, clear margins & v. low lymph node involvement (1 in 33). Original surgery & decisions were made in UK, NHS treatment. I came back home, to Ireland to have chemo with family support. BUT, now the team dealing with me here say that a 10yr old european study says that there MAY be some benifit to me having radiation therapy.... My UK team and other US studies would disagree, I'm concerned for my strattice which prob won't stand up to rads and won't be replaced like-for-like by HSE (they'll opt for diep etc. because I'm a public patient) and I feel that I've got no concrete reasons to do rads other than fear and a broad sweeping 'just-in-case' approach with rads in Ireland. Anybody here NOT had rads after mastectomy & why? Or, anyone given good clear reasons why they did need it and what exactly it would do to benifit your body? I meet radiation oncologist again this wk and will of course put all these questions in front of them again too Hope everyone's treatment & recovery going well xx

Hi all - new to this forum and finding it very helpful, not all doom and gloom in fact quiet the opposite. Was diagnosed with breast cancer in May. Have to have eight sessions of chemo followed by mascetomy followed by radiation. I am due to start my chemo in two days time and then had a holiday booked for next week - 5 days after my chemo. What do I do - now I am only going to the UK so its not too far away. My doctor says Ill be fine go ahead as its into my second week but the nurse says I am not going to be well. Trying to keep everything as normal as possible for the children but am I mad to even consider this. What does anybody else think. We will be staying in a house with friends so its not like ill be stuck in a hotel or anything.

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help. I finished chemo for Breast cancer (fmc) 3 weeks ago. I now have a rash of red spots on the sole of my foot and wonder could it be chemo related and should I ask the chemo nurses or should I go to the gp. And does it sound familiar to any one Thanks Sunny

Hi All, I had 4x sessions of AC and then went onto weekly taxol.... I've completed 4 out of 12 (more tomorrow!). My hair started to show signs of growing back just after the final AC and it's gotten stronger in the past 2 weeks.... My question is... Is it here to stay? Will it fall out again before the end of taxol etc? I'm afraid to get excited at all! Thoughts appreciated as always

Hi all I am almost half way through my chemo and the more i'm reading the more i'm realising that not many people have all three treatments. I was very positive about all this when I started my treatment but now doubts are starting to creep in - maybe its the medication or maybe I should stay away from the internet but I'm just wondering if anybody else has had all three. I'm just starting to worry that this is a lot worse than I thought and half afraid to ask in case I dont like the answer. Its nice to hear from other people who are going through it as well because as well meaning other people are I thing only others in the same boat really understand. ok maybe im just feeling sorry for myself at the moment but would really like to hear something positive. Bizzybee

Hello all, I'm afraid I am new to this rather odd club of ours... I self diagnosed a lump in my right breast in late May, had lumpectomy and 2 nodes biopsy/removal in late June, the tumour was grade 1, ER +, and the nodes clear. It looks like I am one of hte very lucky ones who may even escape chemo - I am just awaiting oncotyping test to confirm, but the med team are optimistic, and thus far all their predictions have come through. I am blessed with very good health and fitness, and back running after surgery (albeit gently) as of the last couple of days. Whehey! A little more normalcy creeping in. Anyway, I will more than likely be looking at radio therapy from late Aug/early Sept, plus Tamoxifen for 5 years. My radiologist + the literature I read appear quite paranoid about skin care around radiotherapy. I am exploring suitable unscented moisturisers, and am currently using e45 to massage my scars. However if I am to slather myself in the stuff a few times a day during radio therapy, it feels a little too greasy for my liking. Has anyone any alternative they like? I have been told about Aveeno moisturiser - any thoughts? Just a random thought: I absolutely understand the value of this type of forum, but I made the mistake of reading a little of the recent exchanges about the "joys" of Tamoxifen. I stopped reading after 5 minutes. I think I'll take my chances on the side effects, rather than stress out in advance at what might, or might not, be TIA, and the very best to all, whether your day today is good or bad. Catherine

Hi, I've been using an electric razor as recommended to shave under my arms after breast surgery. I had to buy a new electric razor a few years ago. Compared to my old one which was great, I have to be very careful to avoid letting it irritate my skin. Nor does it do a clean job of shaving. I definitely need a new one now but I don't want to invest in another scratchy razor. I know we cannot advertise any products here, but if anyone has a good electric razor to recommend by pm, I'd appreciate it. Thanks Kath