Community

Hi, I am looking at post surgery options (risk reducing double mastectomy), one of which is no reconstruction. I would like to talk to someone who has gone this route, and hear about their experience and advice with wearing or not wearing 2 prosthesises. Thanks

Hi,I would like to chat about recovery after having prostrate surgery...anyone available?

Anyone getting (got) Herceptin infusions for type 2 uterine cancer? I just started and wonder how its working or not working for you? Thanks for your response.

Hi all! Newbie here and newbie with BC Stg2 diag in last 2 weeks. I'm interested in any hospitals that you may have seen or recieved cold cap therapy for hair loss. On my confirmation diagnosis, my "Prof" laughed off the notion of cold cold cap therapy, until my angel of a cancer nurse injected and said it sometimes works, and "sometimes" is all I need. Information in Ireland is not readily out there about this. I know I can rent one from an English company but is there an alternative? Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated on this. I've yet to start my chemo, (in a few weeks) but I'd like to hit the ground running on this while I have the energy (and anger I guess) to scrap on to holding onto a semblance of the life i have. I know hard days are coming and i won't always be up for the fight. So any ideas, lists, companies (like penguin in UK £££) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks x

Hello to all the beautiful people in this fabulous community. My wife was diagnosed with CUP June 2018 6 months after we got married. She was at the recent seminar in the Red Cow last Sat 7th September, thank you to all who gave their time she enjoyed her day and especially the choir at the end, there wasn't a dry eye leaving. One of the workshops that really has been playing on her mind "Living Life with Metastatic (Secondary) Cancer You see, my wife Davinia has been diagnosed with such CUP metastatic in her lymph nodes? We hear all these stats and figures of 5 years etc. ( I tend to stay away from Dr Google). and it all can be really confusing for her. Over the past 18months, she has been through 47 chemo sessions and 11 radiation sessions, Recently been told that the Avasten with her Chemo this time round has been good and there has been a significant improvement so she has been given 3 months break from chemo but still continue Avasten every 3 weeks. The significant improvement in her since her 3 weeks stay in hospital in June has been two-fold, energy levels coming back, being able to be a mother again dropping our sons to school and catching up with friends etc, getting massive compliments of the wigs she wears and able to pull off the different colours lol!!! Unfortunately, night time is not a good time for her.. Her thoughts run away with her.... I am up with her in the middle of the night most nights when I hear her crying and scared, we even sleep with the light on to try to give her some comfort. It is confusing for me and can be frustrating when I see her doing so well regarding energy levels and her appetite is back to somewhat normal??? I say to her she should be proud of the battle she is winning and the progress she has made this year... Gary Kelly Centre in Drogheda has been tremendous support for her as the hospital (Beaumont) I am trying to be a light of positivity for my wife and our children but can be so hard when she hears the words metastatic which she then implies she doesn't have long left to live??? I hope I can open up a conversation here with both people who are diagnosed and partners who are caring for them. Talk Soon Paul

Has anyone undegone a stemcell transplant for Acute Myloid Leukaemia and how are they now

Hi there my mam has just finished her six week radium and chemo treatment for an 8cm tumour on her osephagus . it was treated with curable intent but since mam has finished treatment there doesent see to be an improvement in her yet is this normal she flew trough the treatment but appears worse since its finished.. The radium doc said it the radium would be in her system for 6 to 7 weeks we have a scan in two weeks we are very worried.

Hi, I’m thankfully finished my active treatment and no longer need my wigs. I have 2, both blonde. One is a bob and one is longer. The short one is great quality. The long one is t as good but still looks nice styled. I’d like someone who needs them to get them. I also have a stand, brush and some shampoo and conditioner left over. Let me know if interested and I can arrange to provide pictures if you’d like. Claire.

Hi all, I just swapped from nolvadex to tamox brand. I was fine on nolvadex but pharmacist said they cannot get it any more. I'm so sick on tamox and my hair is falling out and I feel so tired. I really want to go back onto Nolvadex. Anyone having similar issues? Fedupwithtamox.com

Hello to all the beautiful courageous women that end up coming here looking for answers, support or reassurance, as I did too a few days ago. Like some or most of you I also found changes in my breast and went to my GP to ask for a mammogram as I'm 48 and not covered by the national screening program yet. What followed were 3 weeks of uncertainty and disbelief. After the mammogram I was sent for an ultrasound. After the ultrasound I had a biopsy of 4 samples and 4 titanium tiny pins inserted into my breast to highlight the precise location from my samples. And then was sent home to wait for 2 weeks. On the first week I got very busy at work and tried to stay positive thinking breastcancer was not a death sentence anymore and that although a terrifying experience, I was sure to have caught it early...but on the second week I found by pure chance a hard small lump over my left collarbone that drained all the blood from my face and changed my mood, energy and positivity, wondering if the cancer could have spread and could it actually be terminal...That became the most stressful week of my life just waiting for the results.... And the results came back negative, I did not have breast cancer, but I broke down at the clinic sobbing uncontrollably for 5 minutes. When I finally managed to compose myself I told the doctor waiting for 2 weeks to know whether you have breast cancer is inhumane and unbereable, and another unnecessary suffering inflicted on women in this island. And that's when he told me what I wish I had known before embarking on this journey! Speaking of the Breast clinic I attended in Dublin he said when they highly suspect breast cancer in a woman the team talks to the woman on the same day of the biopsy to prepare her for bad news, and they prioritise her biopsy results to avoid her a long waiting time. He said at no point the medical team reviewing my case suspected I had cancer, and he did apologise if anyone in the clinic made me think so, which I did feel it was the case with every single nurse wishing me good luck, and my radiologist really very worried over my mass of extended scar tissue without having suffered any injury or trauma in the area... So I wanted to share this piece of information with you just in case someone else is in a similar situation...Luckily for me I don't know how fast they would have acted had I got breast cancer, but I do want to believe him and trust that when something is wrong with any of us, our health system kicks into action ASAP without punitive delays that only add to the stress and anxiety of the millions of people facing this disease.