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Hi guys! Has anybody had a tissue expander fitted as a temporary or perminant measure?? Just was lOoking to hear some feedback as am being fitted with one next Thursday during my mastectomy! (eek!) Thanks N xx

Hi Ladies, Just finished my 6 x tch last Friday. I'm still struggling with it's effects but I know the end of this chapter is almost here !! yipee, can't believe it. My mind now begins to race to the next chapter for me which is Herceptin which I will be getting every 3 weeks until next July. What have been your experiences with this? what are the side effects like? Appreciate any info girlies, Shirls

[color=#800080:2vvxk0m2]I'm just wondering is anyone else finding the 'financial' end a little bit tough as a result of having a cancer diagnosis. I'm trying so hard not to worry about the 'money end' but it is a reality unfortunately. I have no entitlement to Disability Benefit but thankfully I do have an entitlement to Disability Allowance (which is means tested) but even though I have applied there is approx a 5/6mth wait for the claim to be processed. This means that even though I had my surgery in July I only got the paperwork completed in August and sent off so its looking like Jan/Feb again I will get that sorted. (My head was in shock from the diagnosis and it never crossed my mind to apply for supports, I was just doing well to deal with the news I had cancer). I'm not sailing through chemo as I had hoped and I am much more tired now and need my naps during the day. I also seem to be prone to nausea/tiredness and neutropenia during chemo. I had my surgery just before chemo (double mastectomy, immediate reconstruction and axillary node clearance) and still attend physio twice most weeks to work on my arm movement and issues with the breast scars. I can't imagine how I could work through this treatment. I know some people do and I wish I felt that level of energy and could. I am finding the delay in getting social welfare supports really really worrying and frustrating. It is making our lives so hard right now and we are trying to hold it together for the sake of the children. The heating is on a lot this year. I can't believe I'm a 'cold creature' as I used never feel the cold. I never even possessed a warm woolly jumper as I just never felt the cold. But since my mastectomy I am freezing all the time. I have even taken to wearing 'thermal vests' to try to keep warm and the girl who never owned a woolly jumper now lives in them along with scarves and fleece hats. In previous years we were very economical with our heat and we got used to it but this year is different and if we were as economical as other years I would be permanently frozen. I've looked into what supports are out there and have found out we have can't qualify for 'fuel allowance' as you have to be 15mths on a social welfare payment to qualify. Also found out we will qualify for support with heating etc. under the Household Benefits package but only when I get a decision on my application. So really no support available until then which looks like Jan/Feb. I look forward to getting back to working, I can't wait until my body is finished all treatments and I can get back to some sort of really good 'normal' as soon as possible. I'll never take the privilege of being able to go out to work for granted again after this. I suppose right now though I feel a little guilty that cancer happened to me and that its left us in a bit of a financial stress. I just wish there wasn't a 5/6mth delay in processing social welfare supports. I feel like screaming at them that I can't delay having cancer for 5/6mths I have it now. I know I'm supposed to 'relax', not 'stress' but its easier said than done when you have a young family and feel the responsibility of having to provide for them knowing if only I hadn't cancer I would have different options open to me now. In saying all that I'm so grateful to have found my cancer and had the chance to fight it with the hope of a really positive outcome. And I suppose that in itself makes me feel awful to be worrying about money when I know it could be a lot worse if I hadn't found my cancer when I did. Trying to stay positive and focused on getting a really good outcome from the surgery, chemo and radiotherapy but find I am worrying so much about the other stuff its starting to get me down now. [/color:2vvxk0m2]

I'm wondering about nausea on taxol. Know most people dont have it as a side effect however, I had very bad nausea on my ACx4 treatments even with some heavy duty anti nausea meds. I've been told the taxol is a lot easier but still nervous about nausea as I had pregnancy sickness for 9 months on my 4th/5th children and they say chemo can be like your pregnancy if you were very sick with pregnancy.

Hi Ladies Had my second bout of chemo on Thursday was dying to get some feedback to see how I was doing. Asked if there was anyway I could find out from my blood tests (they seemed quite relucantant to give me any results). First nurse forgot about it collared another nurse later and she said results after first chemo said tumour market went from 40.3 to 38.1 so I figured thats around 5% I was delighted with this as it means chemo is working and the tumour is getting smaller. My tumour is 7cm so have to have chemo first to reduce the size before they can operate. Have done some googling on tumor markers and it seems that these results can go up and down quite rapidly. Anyone else have any idea about tumor markers? Why would they not give me this information as part of progress? Like how you doing glad to report that your tumor is down 5% since last chemo? Find I have to drag info out. Also found out that I am ER+ and HERP2 (think it was herp2 NEGATIVE) is that possible. Even had sister there to write it down and between the two of us we couldnt get it rihgt its defo ER+ and HERP2 but presume I cant be positive to both. No herceptin. But was confirmed would need radio therapy. Anyhow thats my news I thought it was great news - would love any feedback on markers from anyone or how you get updates of how things are going - feeling I am missing out on somethings. Hope all is going well ladies and your journies are going as smoothly as possible is this mad thing called cancer (I dont put a capital c for cancer as dont want to give it a big head!) Feeling okay after second chemo on the steriods last two later today feel a little better than last time so hoping all will be good CHeers Dee

Oh girls just when I thought things were going ok. I have had vomiting and diarrhea since 5am morning, so scary and so sick. I'm due in for 4tg chemo tomorrow don't know if that'll happen now. They think I might have the winter vomiting bug. do you think they'd still do chemo tomorrow? They are going to do my bloods again. Oh I wish I was at home!!!

Anyone out there who has had invasive lobular cancer. I have just been diagnosed with 6 cms tumour, I would love to hear from someone who has come out the other side after treatment, mastectomy, etc.

Well here we are the night before the big op.... Left work today- god that was so so difficult!! The kids actually thought it was my birthday coz there were so many parcels and cards on my desk!!! If only...... So left school and had a hot choc and huge slab of chocolate cake. Fish and chips tonight as don't fancy cooking.... But still so very very scared of what is going to happen tomorrow... Yes it's the start of recovery, but it's also the start of all the very yucky things that I don't want to happen. Piece by piece, step by step....I havent even packed the bag coz I don't want to believe that this is going to happen. Eeeeek!!

Does anyone know why some gave lumpectomy before chemo and some after? Apart from the tamoxifen Shirls is same as me but I'm not having lumpectomy till after chemo. Just curious

Anyone got any experience of losing their hair while on Tamoxifen? Went through all treatments last year & got a lovely head of curls back post treatment. In the last week I've lost lots of hair in patches, from the back of my head only (thank God). My GP says Alopecia due to stress. After recent very successful re-con I think I relaxed for the first time since I was diagnosis & that's when the hair loss began. I am no longer losing hair but have bald patches at the back of my head. Luckily I can cover over with other hair at the moment. Am on Tamoxifen since July2011. Anyone any experiences or advice?