Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
Comments
-
Hello Susie,
I was glad to know that you thought your oncologist was in a better mood or frame of mind. I would think it must be difficult being an oncologist and having to be unemotional when dealing with such an emotional disease.
I was interested to know that you had signed your consent forms and that you are now getting near to having your radiotherapy.
I saw that you are having a CT scan and was wondering whether this is something that is now standard practice after finishing chemotherapy. It seems to make sense to me. I just had a CT scan before treatment and then after treatment, that is after radiotherapy.
I was interested to read that you are going to have some injections every six months for three years to reduce the chance of bone cancer. These injections sound to me like bisphosphonate drugs (alendronic acid) such as the brand name Fosamax. I know people who have had this drug in pill form to treat osteoporosis or to try to prevent menopausal osteoporosis.
I do not know much about the injection and if it is alendronic acid.
I am sure you will get all the information you need. I do know a couple of people having bisphosphonate injections every six months but that is for the treatment of osteoporosis.
I am sure we shall all be interested to know whether you get on the trial at Ealing Hospital. I wonder whether it will be one of those trials where you are not told whether you are getting the aspirin or not.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Ellen,
Thank you for updating us about your mum's treatment. It looks as though she will have the standard drugs for her chemotherapy if she does finally go ahead.
It is difficult to come to any conclusions about the chemotherapy drugs. As for AC, Adriamycin and Cytoxan (doxorubicin and cyclophosphomide) we get different opinions. Some find it worse than the taxanes and others find the taxanes worse. As we have said, it is all very individual. What we all know is that chemotherapy drugs are toxic. As for the T it could be paclitaxel (Taxol) or docetaxel (Taxotere).
Best wishes to you and your mum.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Mary,
I shall look forward to your posting a photograph of your tulip tree. I must say the tree sounds very interesting. I can understand how as water loving trees they suffer in dry conditions. It has been quite problematic here with hydrangea shrubs that lap up water.
I do hope you are enjoying your time in the cooler temperatures. Thank you for saying that you will try to keep in touch while you are away. You have been a very loyal and faithful poster ever since you joined the group. You have given great support.
As for the venous issue, I have decided just to monitor the venous eczema near the ankles on the legs. Since this is all to do with valves in the veins not closing, and pushing blood upwards, I cannot see how the blood can be stopped going downwards, and hence venous reflux, without something being done to the valves. Any information you get your end will be of great interest, because I cannot see anything coming from the NHS.
Enjoy your time.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello everybody,
It is getting near the end of another week, so I hope you all have pleasant things planned for the weekend.
The thread has been very busy with those going through treatment, Helenloise (Helen) from Australia and recovering from surgery.
SusieW5 from the UK preparing for radiotherapy.
Ellewebs (Ellen) posting for her 81 year old mum who will probably have some chemotherapy.
We also have bryce99 posting for her young sister. I think she is from the US.
There is also Moth from Canada and she is waiting for radiotherapy.
I do hope we shall soon hear from adagio and 53Nancy as we have not heard from you in a while and since you are both from Canada I hope you will get to know Moth.
The same goes for Kath and CocoonCat from Australia. It would be nice if you could pop in to say hello to Helenlouse (Helen), your fellow Australian.
Best wishes to Pam, Val and Monica in the US. I have missed your weekly post Pam but I know you have a busy job.
Flora, I do hope all is well with you and your mum.
Hanieh and Marias, we do miss all your interesting posts. To Hanieh, any progress on your idea to go to Canada and what is happening on the medical side?
Marias, are you still in Sweden with your mum? Are you still having problems with internet connections or are you back in Colombia where there seems to be a lot of turmoil?
Hello Gina, in the Philippines, how are things going with you? Do you still have internet connections?
Best wishes to Jags and Sid in India. I think you may have moved on.
Hello Kathy, posting for your sister, I am not sure what you are doing now, but I hope you are both well.
Hello Sarah (Loveandlight) I do miss you on the thread, posting for your mum and I do hope you are both well.
I hope I have not forgotten anyone, but if I have please pop in and let me know.
I still think of Tom (breastcancerhusband), Michael (Chatterbox) and InspiredbyDolce(Debra).
Best wishes to everyone.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hi Sylvia,
Yes, I believe the six-monthly injections are bisphosphonates. I'm not sure how they help prevent cancer spreading into the bones but I have to trust that they've done their research.
My understanding is that the CT scan is to make sure that the radiotherapy can be as precise as possible, which is obviously welcome. I guess that's an innovation since your day.
I had a call from the woman running the aspirin trial this morning and she seems happy for me to join. She's about to go on holiday so will ring me again in a couple of weeks. It'll be a double blind trial over five years but they are testing full-sized aspirin as well as the mini one which suggests that my chances of getting a placebo are only 1 in 3. I shall find out more before I commit myself, anyway.
It must be hard as an oncologist to tell people there's nothing you can do for them, but the consultant who told me and my husband that his cancer was terminal in 2014 did it in the most insensitive way imaginable, leaving us both gob-smacked. No build up -- no 'I'm afraid I have some bad news', just blurted out, 'There's nothing we can do. Sorry.' I never forgave her for that.
Susie
0 -
Hi everyone,
So, mums decided against chemo but at least she has given it a lot of thought with facts this time, so I have to respect her decision. She is going with the radiotherapy though so thats something - we are just waiting for the letter. What is this aspirin trial - is that something mum could look at I wonder ? Anyhow I go on my hols to the Algarve tomorrow which, to be honest, I need as its been such a rough ride over the last 6 weeks but leaving mum in the capable hands of her friends and neighbours. Hopefully she can start the radiotherapy when we get back and I can support her through that. Sending lots of love to you ladies and I will post when I am back. Ellen. xxx
0 -
Hello Ellen,
I do hope you have a good holiday in Portugal and I can understand how much you need that break. Try to switch off and come back feeling ready to see your mum through her radiotherapy.
I am sure your mum will be fine with friends and neighbours and I hope she will be ready for her radiotherapy when you come back.
Most patients seem to find radiotherapy a lot easier that chemotherapy but it can make a person very tired, skin needs to be well looked after and just going for treatment every day for five days a week can be very tiring. The actual treatment does not last long, there is a break at the weekend but the treatment is usually for at least three weeks and there is often booster treatment integrated into the daily treatment.
Wishing you a happy holiday and look forward to hearing from you when you get back.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Susie,
I know you do a lot of thinking and research about your treatment, so if that were me I would read up all about bisphosphonates and their possible side effects. It seems to be one of those drugs that is being pushed a lot.
I have a reference book here at home that is the most recent one on medicines and drugs. It is entitled "BMA British Medical Association New Guide to Medicines and Drugs - The complete home reference to over 3,000 medicines" 10th edition fully revised and updated 2018.
It is divided into very useful sections.
1. Understanding and using drugs
I found the section on cancer very interesting. It is under malignant and immune disease.
2. Major drug groups
3. A - Z of drugs
This section includes vitamins and minerals and complementary and alternative medicine.
4. Information and index
I have been using this book for years and keep getting the updated one.
Have a good weekend.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Ellen,
It's believed that aspirin can help to prevent a recurrence of cancer and the NHS is now doing a five-year trial to test this theory. There may be one going on near you but I suspect that your mum is not the demographic that they are looking for. I hope I don't sound insensitive when I say that she is now at the age when she might die of any number of causes within the next five years. Both my parents died at 82, which is pretty much average life expectancy. Again, forgive me if that sounds crass.
Susie
0 -
So, last chemo this morning. A slow session as some nurses are on holiday so mine was tending four patients instead of the usual three. Also the pharmacy was slow sending up the Taxane.
PICC line out with a short sharp 'ouch'; turns out there were little hooks under the skin. It has a dressing which I can take off in two days and I have a spare in case it looks as if I still need it.
Could have done with some sort of ceremony to mark the occasion of my last visit to the unti, hopefully forever.
Susie
0 -
Susie, congrats on being done!!!!
I kept reading about the centers in the US that have a bell ringing or something...but we don't do that here either. Our units treat palliative and hospice patients too so it really wouldn't be appropriate to have ceremonies like that. Maybe that's the case at yours as well? I know what you mean about wanting it to be your last visit. When I was chatting with one of my nurses about going back to uni for a BSN degree, she said "oh maybe you'll come to work here" No, nope, no thanks, I'd rather never see this place again! LOL
I got news that my rads start on Monday - yay!
I'm also realizing that school starts in just a bit over 3 weeks
I have a lot of things to get done & arrange before then so I better get my butt in gear. 0 -
Susie-congratulations on finishing chemo! And on getting your picc line out. Now on to radiation therapy.
I rang a bell at my last chemo session. My center has one large area with recliners and also a few smaller rooms branching off main area. When the oncology nurses saw that 4 of my dearest friends and sister showed up with muffins for them and a party crown for me, I guess they decided to put me in a private room. My oncologist even popped in at the end when I was ringing the bell.
Moth- congratulations to you, too, for starting rads next week. I end my second week today, with one more week to go. So far, my breast is slightly pink but does not bother me. I have been slathering up with aloe Vera and calendula cream.
Mostly, I’ve just been tired and feeling rather blah. It could be from the radiation, or lingering side effects from taxol or just the idea of active treatment coming to an end. Lots of emotions.
0 -
Hi Sylvia,
That sounds like an interesting refere book you mentioned in your post to Susie.
I have been reading up on various vitamins and supplements. My general practitioner doctor recommends vitamin D for my deficiency, and she said she also recommends that her patients take calcium supplements.
I’m also considering taking B12 and B6 for my neuropathy. My oncologist also has me continue to take gabapentin for neuropathy.
This is all so new to me. I am someone who always thought I got plenty of vitamins and nutrients from the food I ate and did not take extra pills. This diagnosis of breast cancer has me second guessing my diet and how and if I should be supplementing what I eat.
I am always looking for good reference material to read, so thank you for mentioning the one on medicines and drugs.
Xoxo
Monica
0 -
Hi Susie
You are not being insensitive - only saying what my mum is thinking ! She may pop up on here whilst I am in Portugal so watch out for a Barbara !! She is considering chemo again and tying herself in knots about it. My friends dad has just been diagnosed with secondary cancer in the lungs at the same time as discovering the primary cancer in the kidneys so at least we have got a "window of opportunity" to get an increased chance of a cure (as the oncologist said). She is frightened about the chemo and I can understand that, so she is still mulling it over ! We shall see. xxx
0 -
Hi, Moth,
No sign of palliative or hospice patients, as far as I have seen.
Actually, I realise will have to go to the day unit again for my six-monthly injections, but that'll be a whole different ball game and only take about 10 minutes.
0 -
Ellen,
Are you, like me, an only child? People think it's a huge burden but it has its advantages. When my parents were dying in 2015 (ten weeks apart after 61 years of marriage), I was just able to make decisions about their care and then about the funeral arrangements without having to call a committee meeting every time. My sister-in-law is one of six and her mother was dying about the same time (at 95) and nothing could be decided without endless phone calls, meetings where people had to come frm all over the country and drama, as people disagreed. Of course, your mother is still well able to take her own decisions, which mine weren't, so that's very different.
Susie
0 -
What do people do to maintain mental health? I tried a Mindfulness 'taster' about four years ago but decided that it wasn't for me. 25 years ago, I was taught Autogenics one-on-one and have practised that, albeit intermittently, ever since.
I also make use of relaxation/sleep tracks on YouTube. At night, unless I'm really sleepy, I select one on my tablet, don my comfortable M&S eyemask and settle down to a soothing voice and drift off quite quickly. There are thousands of tracks and you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your princes but I find The Honest Guys, Michael Seeley, and Medication Vacation suit me. All male voices which do work better, I find, with the lower pitch.
Susie
0 -
Hi Susie - yes an only child and my Dad only died 2 years ago after having palliative care at home for 6 months - my mum nursed him through this and me too. As you say, being an only child does have its advantages and I am very close to my mum but we make decisions together and talk through things together - its definitely less complicated ! Anyhow, signing off for a bit as flying to Portugal this afternoon - going to try and switch off a little bit whilst I leave mum in the capable hands of her friends and neighbours. Sending love. xx
0 -
Hello Monica,
I do find that book I mentioned useful, but I am not one for taking vitamins and definitely not one for taking any medication. My GP knows that my husband and I do everything we can to take care of ourselves and that we are 'no pills, no medication' people. I most certainly believe what I said when I started this thread and that is I believe that food should be your medicine and medicine your food. I finf the book I mentioned useful to see all the nasty side effects of medication.
If I were you I would continue as you are and get your nutrients from the food you eat and if you are eating a good mixed diet you do not need extra vitamins. They are really there to help with deficiencies, but we have to bear in mind that they have fillers in them and that they are foreign to our body.
I do understand about taking vitamin D and I do take it regularly, but I do have days off. It is especially useful in cold climate countries during winter when we may not get enough sun, because it is not that easy to get it in our diet.
I can understand that vitamin D and calcium supplements do go together in the treatment of osteoporosis. There are different sorts of calcium. I do have chemotherapy induced osteoporosis and I try to get calcium from my diet through nuts, seeds, beans, and some vegetables, especially green ones. I do not get the calcium supplements offered on the NHS here as they are made up of calcium carbonate, and my information is that this is not easily absorbed. These are the only supplements I take and I am very cautious with the calcium. I take Solgar Ultimate Bone Support, as the supplements are balanced and include calcium, vitamin D3, vitamin K2, Copper, Manganese, Magnesium, Zinc and Boron. All this is contained in each pill in the right proportions. It says to take four a day, but I only take one and I take days off. The calcium is calcium citrate.
It is difficult to know what to say about neuropathy, which seems to be caused by the taxanes. That is what my oncologist told me. She also told me that there is no cure and there is nothing to take for it. I was also told the same by two podiatrists and my GP. My neuropathy takes the form of numbness in the feet. I was surprised to read that your oncologist has told you to take the drug gabapentin, which is an anti-epileptic drug. It is also a drug used after shingles from the pain left in the nerves by this disease. With neuropathy the nerves have been damaged or destroyed and nothing will bring them back. All this just shows you how two oncologists can have different views.
It does say in the medical book I mentioned that the most common side effects of gabapentin are drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue and muscle tremor.
I think we probably have to be very careful about taking any kind of pill, unless we are in a life threatening situation, but that is my own personal view.
I have a few books that I have for reference and keep them updated. I have the British Medical Association A-Z Family Medical Encyclopedia – the essential reference to over 7,000 medical terms including symptoms, diseases, drugs and treatments. My copy is 6th edition 2014.
How are you getting on now that you are post-treatment?
How do you feel now compared to how you felt before?
What do you do as relaxation?
Thinking of you.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Mary,
I saw that your last post was on Wednesday August 8th and you were getting ready to go away for a few days. I do hope you and your sister-in-law are enjoying the break.
Today, Saturday, here in Exmouth, we are having a little rain but not as much as they have been having in the south-east of England. The rain is supposed to be moving towards us in the south-west and I am longing for it to happen. So often the rain misses us in Exmouth and it can be pouring down in Exeter, just twelve miles away.
I was able to do some gardening on Wednesday as it was a perfect day for being in the grounds.
I am trying to read that book I mentioned to you not that long ago. It is a non-fiction book entitled Human Wrongs – British social policy and the universal declaration of human rights by TJ Coles.
I am also reading with great interest, what is essentially a reference book, entitled 100 Books that changed the World. I am sure you would enjoy it.
I am also reading a book entitled Havoc in the Head by Roger V Crawley – The Stolen Self of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy – as described in Neurology, Poetry and Fiction. Roger was a friend and neighbour who lived in our apartment complex and this book has been published by his brother after Roger literally dropped dead while out walking on holiday on Christmas Day 2016. He was a really interesting man.
I do miss you on the thread and there is still no news of Marias or Hanieh and adagio has not been around in a while.
Take care.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Everyone,
I'm taking a break from posting for a while. I'm doing really well, feeling great, and I care deeply about what's happening with everyone. But I also need to experiment a bit with detaching from cancer information.
My treatment ended over a year ago, and I can say for certain that daily life can get so much better for those of you who are going through treatment now. I gathered my thoughts to share a list of tips that helped me, in case it can provide any comfort or insight. It became very long, so I hope that's ok.
I have more gratitude for the support and connection that I found here than I could ever express. I'll be back from time to time, too.
Love,
Pam
0 -
Hello Again,
Sylvia, what you are doing with this board is extraordinary, and so appreciated. You make us feel heard and cared for. I can easily imagine you helping others in some kind of official capacity, such as writing a book, or as a medical professional. I agree that Facebook interactions have less substance and can be full of misinformation. I think that it's very good advice for everyone to read through this thread. The picture that I posted awhile back is of a Passion Flower, as far as I know.
Mary, you make such an incredible effort to contribute to Sylvia's work here. I'm in awe of your kindness. You have really touched my heart.
I think of everyone here as a virtual friend. I think of you all often, and I hope that today is a good day for you.
At this point, I'm living my life 3 months at a time, as I get test results. At this moment, I am "NED," meaning, no evidence of disease. That's good enough for me right now. It doesn't mean that I'm "cured" or safe, but no one is every perfectly safe.
I have immersed myself in cancer information on a daily basis for over two years, which I know is far less time than many others have. I have regular contact with several survivors and women in treatment, and we offer each other a lot of support. At the same time, I am also experimenting with putting cancer out of my mind as much as possible. I will probably still read the boards, just less often, but I will happily respond to you if you message me.
These are just tips that I want to share in case they help someone else. This list represents some of what I've learned, and is based only upon my personal experiences. As always, everything that you try should be discussed with and approved by your treatment team.
I learned some of this in this forum. It's a long list, but then, it is such an enormous experience. I hope that it's not too bold of me to share it.
In the beginning
Treatment can be absolutely doable, but one of the worst times emotionally is before the full diagnosis and treatment plan. Treatment itself can be difficult, unpleasant, and even dangerous, but it can also be less scary than you imagine.
Consider requesting a small dose prescription of Ativan, or a similar medication, to help manage anxiety.
With your doctor's blessing, address areas of pain in your body to help put your mind at ease, for example, get chiropractic adjustments, stretch, practice yoga, etc.
Try to focus on one step or even one day at a time. It can be overwhelming to contemplate it all at once.
I was able to modify my work hours, but I also found that it was a useful distraction to immerse myself in my job when I could.
For targeted tips, find as many online tribes as you need on the various boards here, which can be particularly useful for chemo.Look for "starting chemo in (month/year)…." for lists of what to bring, company, shared experiences, and ideas.
Consider an in-person support group and/or therapy, during, and after treatment.
Chemo
Try to think of the chemo injections as something that's helping you. If your treatment is like mine, the oncology department will be very sweet to you, and do all that they can to watch over you and make you comfortable.
Eat as much approved, healthy food as you can tolerate during chemo treatment. It can really help with side effects. Soups were very useful, but anything can work. Think about soaking up the chemo.
Expect to feel weak from chemo treatment as time goes on, even if you eat plenty of food.
Cutting my hair short worked well for me, prior to my hair loss. My best wig was synthetic and free of charge, from the American Cancer Society. I wore the cutoff short sleeves of large, soft t-shirts underneath the wigs, which kept them in place and were more comfortable against my bald head.
I also had scarves, hats, and "halos," which is a wig on a headband, open on top, and very cool and comfortable.
I drew on eyebrows and used eyeliner and makeup to combat looking sick. False eyelashes were beyond me, but for those who want it, there is a wealth of cosmetic help available on YouTube.
When people offer help, consider asking them to provide a meal, or anything that helps you conserve precious energy.
With my team's blessing, I took B complex vitamins to avoid neuropathy, and it seemed to work
Light exercise and sweating can make side effects pass faster. When I sweated for any reason, I felt like I was flushing the toxins from my body.
Your oncologist can identify the "nadir" of each cycle for you. Take every precaution advised, especially as your blood counts dip over time.
CBD oil worked wonderfully for my side effects and insomnia. My oncologist was fine with it, but I don't believe that it's a cure.
For me, it was a lifeline to be able to reach out to a closed, private chemo Facebook group in real time. We started treatment together, and were available to each other virtually, 24 hours a day.
Surgery
Again, look to the boards here for articles, pros and cons, lists of what to bring for surgery, recovery info, etc.
I am "flat," meaning that I did not choose reconstruction, and I'm perfectly happy with that. It's likely that I will not pursue further surgery.
Some recover very quickly from a BMX. I was not in constant pain, but I was very sore, and I had to restrict my activity, especially driving, for weeks.
Make sure to do the stretching exercises as recommended.
Radiation
I'm glad that I did radiation, though it can impact reconstruction decisions.
It can be grueling, often just because you have to get to and from the site each day. By this point you may be very tired of everything. Otherwise, the treatment itself was painless and I even found it relaxing.
You may have discomfort as radiation progresses. If you must go to work, wearing loose, soft shirts and layers can help with that.
I used pure aloe vera for my radiated skin, which I kept in the refrigerator, and used under soft tank tops. I did not wear breast prostheses during the time my skin was healing.
Post Treatment
It can take many months for your energy to return. Be patient. I still budget my energy carefully, every day and every week.
I had severe joint and bone pain for almost a year after treatment. It passed eventually.
The PTSD can be extreme. Your health will be monitored to keep you safe, but you may have stress from returning to the doctor and the treatment facility. Waiting for test results can be especially scary.
You can even have stress or feel disoriented from the lack of oversight, monitoring, and treatment. You may not feel like everything is wonderful once your treatment is finished.
It has gotten easier to manage "scanxiety" as more time has passed since my treatment.
"Chemo-fog" and memory problems have been issues for me. They have lessened over time, but I still use brain games to improve things. It's hard to separate the menopause symptoms from treatment aftermath, and I think it's difficult for the doctors to tell what's what.
It seems so far away when you're in the middle of everything, but hang in there. I have lost 18.5lbs on Weight Watchers so far this year, and I have nearly all of my strength and full range of motion as a 2 year survivor.
If you are like me, you may learn more than you ever imagined about human kindness and community. I have been incredibly lucky with my quality of care and many sources of support.
We all have our own way of processing this experience, and of giving back. Find the way that works best for you – connect with other survivors online or in person. I have found it very healing to meet with and support other "sisters."
Consider donating to Breastcancer.org. Try to recognize and acknowledge how lucky you are to be getting help. Don't waste a minute. Make time to laugh to do the things that give you joy.
Love,
Pam
0 -
Hello Sylvia, Mary and all here
Mary, thank you so much for your kindest words to me. You are such a lovely sister that I have always wished to have. Thank you so much for all your encouragement on my Ielts score and also thanks a million for burning a candle for me in the church all the time you go there.
Sylvia, sorry for my delays. Now Im in Tukey. I will be here for one week. Im thinking about taking the international Cambridge CELTA courses in Istanbul to be able to teach abroad. My cousins live here in Turkey and Im staying with them. At the same time, Im sending my resume to some colleges here to see if I can get a good job offer. If so, I will try for one year residency here and at the same time continuing with my efforts to apply for permanent residency in Toronto Canada. However, upon searching on medical issues of Canada' s permission for residency, I realized there could be some complications with my two times breast cancer history. Yet, I won't give up and continue to apply.
If I settle here, I should send my daughter to an International school as my daughter is good in English but not in Turkish. I also have the same problem. Still, Im having a hard time as my husband can not be with us as he should wait until he retires. It can take 3 years and that's really sad. But things are getting so worse in Iran that with this regime we can hardly have any hope about our future.
I hope with all my ambitions and efforts I keep healthy. This is me here in Turkey.
Wish you all the best.
Hanieh
0 -
Hello Pam,
Many thanks for your posts. I do understand that you are going to take a break from posting. I can understand that at some point people want to move on. I do hope you will do well in your experiment to detach yourself from cancer information.
Thank you so much for letting us know that you want to move on and also for posting all that information about sharing the tips that helped you through your treatment. I am sure it will be of great help to the new people going through treatment.
It is good to know that you will pop in from time to time, so that we know all is fine. I would like to say that it has been a great pleasure for me to share posts with you and I have always found your posts interesting and a learning curve in so many respects.
Thanking you for all of your contribution to the thread in the past two years and a bit. Keep well and enjoy every day.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Pam again,
Thank you for your very kind words about the thread. Those words make it all worthwhile and I am so glad that people have found the thread useful and of comfort. Long ago, when I was at primary school, I remember a teacher saying that "If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well". I was about eight at the time and those words have stuck with me all my life. I have tried to put all of me into the thread and have been helped by so many special women.
Thank you for telling me that the flower in the photograph was a passion flower. I can see that now.
I do hope you can keep cancer out of your mind and perhaps only dwell on it when those check ups come along. Like you, I think of myself as NED, but not cured, and that is good enough for me as well.
If you do feel like popping in, remember that you can talk about anything here and do not have to mention cancer. I shall be particularly interested in anything you want to say if you come over to this funny little island any time. I know how much you enjoyed Scotland.
I am sure everyone will read and appreciate all the information and tips you have provided in your second post. I am sure it will help those newly-diagnosed to sort everything out and to take one stage at a time.
Thank you so much, Pam, once again, and all the very best to you and your husband.
Keep well and live life to the full.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Hanieh,
I was very happy to see your post and I was surprised to learn that you are now in Turkey and that you will be there for a week. Of course I was very interested to know that you are thinking about taking the International Cambridge CELTA courses in Istanbul to be able to teach abroad. I do admire your determination to obtain these qualifications and I am sure that you will succeed.
I was glad to know that you have some cousins living in Turkey and that you are staying with them.
You said in your post that you are sending your resume to some colleges in Turkey to see if you can get a good job offer. Will that be difficult in Turkey?
You must be very busy trying to sort all this out. Will it be difficult to get a one year residency in Turkey, while you are continuing your efforts to apply for permanent residence in Toronto, Canada? I do hope you are successful in getting your permanent residence in Canada.
I do remember, when Raymond and I decided to emigrate to Canada, that there was a lot of form filling involved. First of all the person applying to live in Canada had to be needed there for a specific job and could not take a job that a Canadian citizen could do. Raymond saw an advertisement in one of the newspapers for work in Montreal, Quebec Province, Canada, sent off his resume and got an interview at the Savoy Hotel in London. He got the job.
It took us about four months to finally fly off to Canada and I must admit I felt as though I was going to the ends of the earth.
Before we went we both had to have strict medicals. This was back in 1976. we passed those medicals but the next thing was we both had to go to Canada House in London for an interview. When we got to Canada we had to wait a few months before we were covered by the Quebec Health Service. We went in as Landed Immigrants, whatever that means. We could not vote until we took Canadian Citizenship tests, passed them and became Canadian Citizens. We had to learn up a lot of information about Canada and how it worked. We stayed in Montreal from 1977 to sometime in 1979, when we moved to Ottawa, Ontario. Raymond took his citizenship in about 1981, but I had reservations and did not take mine until much later.
We found the health service excellent, not that we used it that much.
I hope this helps but remember we are talking about Canada from 1977 until we came back to England at the end of 1993. I did not like the cold one bit and did not like the long plane journeys when we wanted to come home.
Settling back in England was very difficult. Most of all in Canada I missed my family back home.
I do hope you will not have any trouble because of your breast cancer history. If your heart is set on going to Canada, just keep trying.
Talking about breast cancer, what is happening with you now? You have not mentioned anything lately. If I remember correctly you were waiting for the results of genetic testing.
Please keep in touch with us as we have really adopted you and care about what happens. Of course you have to remember your daughter and husband. It is good that she is proficient in English and I am sure that both of you will pick up Turkish without too much difficulty. I can understand how difficult it is for you being in Turkey without your husband. Is your daughter with you or back in Tehran at school?
What a difficult time you are having. Life is like that. It is full of ups and downs. We make decisions and we just do not know what roads they will take us along.
Thank you for the photograph. You look as lovely as you always do but I detect a look of sadness in your face. Be strong, Hanieh, be positive, just like you were through your cancer journeys.
That is all for now, Hanieh, but try to keep in touch and above all look after yourself.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
0 -
Hello Sylvia,Mary and friends,
I could not post much as I was not well and also my daughter was busy with her MBA exams. The thread has been busy with so many members and their experiences. Some busy with themselves and others taking care of their mother. It is so good to see children getting involved in taking care of their parents.
Sylvia I do take organic green tulsi tea but the one which has ginger and turmeric also .I find it tasty and refreshing. Here I try to keep myself busy and forget about the disease but it is difficult to do so when you are not physically the same person as you were before. I think the best thing is to accept it and deal with it as and when.
Mary I hope you enjoy the trip to the mountains and come back feeling refreshed and healthy.
Haneih I am sure you will succeed in your wish to settle your daughter and give her the best in life.This will also give you the strength to fight the obstacles in life whatever they are .
Best wishes to everyone.
0 -
hi everyone
Been on the road and covered close to 3000 km in the last week for work. Have been feeling well and except for a very tight thoracic spine which came on after all the driving and just doesn’t seem to want to go away. Has taken me to a very scary place and I’m try so hard not to think about it and do all the right things with stretch etc but it has made me oh so scared. I have periods of utter terror then logical think which is not nice! Other than that I’m
Slowly gain weight ( not too much ) but lost over 19 kg with chemo so allowing a little leeway. Anxiously awaiting my mammogram in early September and try so hard to gain some normality in my life! Car has been fixed after we hit the Roo and it caused over $11500 damages. Poor thing did not survive as many don’t on the open road. We have two weeks until winter ends here and I can’t wait!
Hope u are are well
Much love
Kath
0 -
Hi, Sylvia
Home again, and I find that while where I live is still very dry with dead leaves everywhere, if I drive 20 miles or so everything is very green; apparently we have been missing any rain that has fallen recently. I do go on about it a lot, I guess that is the farmer's daughter in me; praying for rain is something we did a lot at home.
We had a great time in Colorado, the weather was perfect. It was around the 75F degree mark, (23C to you). However we drove through Rocky Mountain National Park on one day, and at the highest point we could drive to (around 12,500 ft) it was in the 50sF. I had forgotten the altitude effects at that level, my entire face hurt because of sinus pressure, and as we went down the other side things slowly normalized. When I was much younger I lived for some years at about 7500 ft. and was used to it, but no longer. A lady about my age told me it would take her about a month to get accustomized to it, she was someone who moved in and out of the mountains with the seasons. We did walk a bit as we climbed up the mountains, and could really tell when walking and talking.
At any rate, it was very beautiful, and just what I was wanting to see; the grandeur of the mountains all around, and the lovely little meadows with clear streams running through. On another day we drove off in another direction and scaled another very high mountain with a blue lake spread out below us. We did see many huge elk, and some goats. The town we stayed in was part of a big race, the athletes could choose many different sports to do; we saw people biking, and running up the curvy mountain roads; there were also apparently obstacle courses set up at different places. Many restaurants and little shops, of course.
I did not come back rested, I find the "traveling" part of traveling very tiring, we chose to fly instead of drive. It is about a 13 hour drive, and a 2 hour flight. However, since we live about 2 hours from the airport, it still takes almost as long to fly when driving 2 hours to airport to arrive there 2 hours early, which is necessary because there is so much walking in the airport. It's still worth it to me, perhaps there will come a day when it's not, or I may move closer to an airport, as some people I know are doing.
I see that you are getting in some gardening and reading, and still waiting for rain also. We have another chance tomorrow for rain, maybe some praying will help.
I will post a pic or two, I did most of the driving in the mountains, so don't have too many pics but we did stop a few times.
I see the thread has been very busy, it will take catching up again, I'm afraid I was very tired yesterday and didn't do much except try to repair some flowerbeds where a much-despised armadillo wages war every night.
I will talk to you soon, love, Mary
0 -
0
