Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Thank you Rosiecatt and Sylvia!
This forum is absolutely comforting and SO informative. You both have been wonderfully welcoming and I'm sure I'll be looking every day. I'l definitely keep you posted! My best to everyone on this forum!!!
xxoo
Nancy
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Hello everyone,
I do hope that the usual posters like Mary, Kath, HelenLouise, adagio and Jags56, will pop in to say hello to Nancy. Cast your minds back and remember how you felt when you were newly diagnosed. I am sure we all remember the shock and fear.
Our news is all about The Vaccine but I am not sure people are listening to the facts about the vaccine. It is not a cure, it just stops a person getting the illness really badly and needing to be in hospital. It does not stop infection and we all need to keep calm, wear our masks, keep socially distance and not break the rules about who is allowed inside your residence. It is reckoned that mixing inside households is causing infection.
To Kath,
I bought the latest New Scientist magazine and saw that in Australia your government is not in the great rush to vaccinate that ours has been.
Best wishes to all. Keep safe and keep well.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Nancy,
I'm so sorry you find yourself with this diagnosis. This forum and this thread in particular have been so useful to me! Please let us know more details with your diagnosis and treatment plan. I agree with Sylvia, have someone go with you to your appointments, an extra set of ears is always good!
Stay in touch! And take care - Paul
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Nancy,
I'm sorry that you have found yourself with this diagnosis. But I'm also glad you found this forum and this thread in particular, it has been so helpful and supportive for me. I agree with Sylvia, take someone with you to your appointments, an extra pair of ears is good!
Stay in touch and stay well!!
Paula
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Hello Sylvia,
My Zoledronic acid infusion went well, the nurse managed to find a vein very quickly - a rare event. The chemotherapy unit appears to be working as normal. Patients are asked to phone the unit as soon as they've parked. They remain in their car until a nurse phones back to say she's ready for them. All very efficient and as safe as it could be. I had no side effects at all, I sometimes have a headache, but not even that this time around.
I wonder if Helenlouise has the results from her biopsy yet? I thought that she was expecting them at the end of last week, but there are often delays with hospital tests since Covid.
I absolutely agree that our turkey farms crowd the birds in and this causes regular outbreaks of bird flu and other infections. Apart from the obvious dangers of bird flu mutating and spreading to humans, the cruelty of intensive modern bird/livestock farming is breathtakingly cruel. We eat far too much meat in the UK, most of it cheap and mass produced.
I'm undecided about the Covid vaccination. I don't feel that we are being fully informed. It seems that neither those administering or the NHS staff receiving the vaccination had been told about the danger of an anaphylactic reaction for those with serious allergies. What isn't clear is whether this was the fault of those producing the vaccine, or the NHS itself. Whatever the facts, it begs the question, what else haven't we been told? I probably will have the jab, but will be watching what happens to the recipients very closely.
That's about all for now, I do hope your cousin is recovering from both sepsis and Covid.
Stay safe and well.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Welcome Nancy, glad you have found this thread. Very helpful.
Gill I hope your treatment went ok.
Paula sorry to hear you are not feeling well.I’m trying to get on board with being NED again. It’s weird. I should be jumping out of my skin with joy but I just don’t feel as relieved as I think I should. I have this week off with no doctors or scans then back for H&P next week. My hair is slowly growing. Funny I feel more like a cancer patient now than I did back when the prognosis was not good I suppose it’s ok to feel a tad down. Hopefully it will pass.
Best wishes to all x
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Hello Helenlouise,
My treatment went very well and no side effects at all. My next appointment is towards the end of June when the world might be a safer place, if not, at least the roses will be in full bloom.
Congratulations, what good news! After everything you've been through, all the hopes (and the fears), waiting to see if your treatment was working, waiting for biopsy results, the doubts, the list goes on. It's really not surprising that achieving NED has left you feeling flat. Emotionally drained and mentally exhausted perhaps? I'm sure this will pass over time. I experienced it myself after being told that I was very lucky to be alive after being so ill with sepsis and c difficile. I felt that I was letting the whole medical team down by not being completely ecstatic or at least slightly pleased. I remember feeling a bit lost and let down at the time. I'm sure a good psychologist would be able to enlighten us as to why this happens. I do know that it's a fairly common experience.
In the meantime just take life at it comes and give yourself plenty of time to adjust.
My very best wishes,
Gill xxx
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Hi Nancy - welcome to the forum - you will find lots of great and grounded information here - we have all been through the journey you are just starting on - it is a long journey - but you should be fine once you get your final diagnosis and your treatment plan is underway. If you are anything like me - I do a lot of my own research - for me information is power. Do not be afraid to ask questions - it is your body and you are the one who should be making the ultimate decisions about your treatment. It has been 8 years since I had my triple negative cancer diagnosis - it has been a tough time - and now I am dealing with heart issues which my surgeon says could be somewhat related to the radiation of my chest ! Anyway - wishing you well - and the good thing is that the medical world is well versed in cancer and if you get into a good treatment centre and have an oncologist who listens to you - you will be fine.
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Hi Sylvia, Gill and everyone
I am in a state of anxiety - my heart surgery is tomorrow. It has all happened in the last 2 days - consults with surgeon, nurse, anaesthetist and today lab work, chest x-ray and ecg . My new surgeon (talked to him last Friday) acknowledged that my symptoms indeed were worsening and felt that the surgery should be done sooner - rather than later - he said within a month - then I got a call on Monday and it has been all go. So without going into all the details - I will have replacement of the aortic valve and the mitral valve. It will be a 6 hour surgery and a 6 month recovery period. Hoping that all will go OK - it is a higher risk of death/stroke with having 2 valves done - but he said still a lesser risk than doing nothing.
Please hold me in your thoughts and prayers for a successful surgery - I will update as I am able. Sylvia - you will understand the anxiety level. Sorry if my sentences are jumbled but I just wanted to let you all know.
Stay safe everyone.
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Hi Adagio,
You probably feel that you're caught in the middle of a whirlwind right now and I don't think you will be getting much sleep tonight. All completely normal. However, you are fit, strong and otherwise healthy and are in a much better position to recover well than most people seem to be. Your surgeon wouldn't risk performing such a long and complicated surgery on a patient who was unlikely to pull through. Surgeons take their success rate very, very seriously.
You have been in my evening prayers from the moment you told us about your heart problems. Tomorrow you will also be in my morning prayers and I will think of you throughout the day. Adagio, you will get through this and go on to enjoy life - free from this dark shadow that's been hanging over you for so many months.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Much love,
Gill xxx
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Hello adagio,
Thank you for popping in to let us know that your heart surgery is tomorrow. I can certainly understand your state of anxiety, but just keep telling yourself that you are going to be alright. Raymond certainly understands how anxious you must be feeling. He told me that when he was in the ambulance being taken from the RD&E Hospital to the one in Hammersmith, London, that he did not know whether he was even going to go through with it all. Just tell yourself you will get an injection, go to sleep and when you wake up it will all be over. It is good that it has suddenly come very quickly and that the waiting will soon be over.
It is true that you are facing a very long surgery, that it is major surgery, but these kind of surgeries are being carried out all the time now. Raymond's surgery was about four hours and that was on a Friday and yet the following Friday he was back home.
Raymond had the same six months recovery period, so I think that is fairly routine now. He was told to walk as much as he possible could, and not to drive for three months. I know that you will look after yourself and do everything to help yourself.
You know that in the group we shall be thinking of you all of the time and looking forward to hearing from you eventually.
You can do this, adagio. You are strong and determined. Look forward to six months on and the summer months coming in.
That is all for this evening.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello HelenLouise,
I just wanted to say congratulations on being NED. Take care of yourself and enjoy life with this well earned freedom.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill,
I was glad to read that your Zoledronic acid infusion went well and that there was no problem with your vein.
It was good to read that chemotherapy treatment is proceeding in a well organised manner in your hospital.
Like you, I am undecided about the Covid vaccination. Tomorrow I shall try to post some information that I read in last weeks New Scientist. I get the feeling that all has been too rushed. I do agree that there could be a lot that we have not been told. Other countries are being much more cautious. I would like to know what the contents are of the vaccine and since there are three different ones at the moment, shall we be told which one we are getting, shall we have a choice? More about all that tomorrow.
My cousin was not at all well yesterday, was very confused and not making any sense with what he was saying. He was obviously delirious. Only time will tell.
That is about all for now.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I shall look forward to seeing what the New Scientist makes of the three available Covid vaccines. It seems from what I've read that we won't be given a choice as to which vaccine we're offered. Most of us will need to go to a vaccination centre, mine will be at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Very few GPs are willing to give up what is valuable patient time while they deal with the vaccination roll out. I have to agree with the GPs, sick patients must be a priority. My surgery wouldn't have sufficient space to socially distance people in any case. I'm hoping to have the vaccination in due course, but wouldn't volunteer to be at the front of the queue.
I agree with you about Christmas, it's all about the money and apparently buying more food than anyone could reasonably eat. I've just decorated the Christmas tree, but my heart wasn't really in it this year. Everything feels so flat and I don't think it's all down to the pandemic. The political situation, the disastrous no deal brexit that Johnson was aiming for all along, the loss of freedom and the lack of democratic processes within the Government. We took our freedom, including free speech rather too much for granted. The welfare state, health services, education and our apolitical justice system system will take a serious hit once we've left the EU. It's all so depressing.
Adagio will probably be in theatre as I write this. I know we'll all be wishing her well and thinking of her. I believe that she'll do well and can only imagine how relieved she'll be when she's safely back on the ward - I think we'll all be relieved.
That's all for today.
Enjoy your weekend.
Love
Gill xxx
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Sylvia, Gill and all,
My open heart surgery was cancelled due to emergencies at the hospital - I am disappointed - since I had built myself up for it. Now I am holding my breath and waiting all over again for the next date.
Will keep you posted.
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Hello adagio,
I have just read your post and I was so sorry to read that your open heart surgery was cancelled due to emergencies at the hospital. I cannot honestly say that I am surprised because it was happening during all the three weeks that Raymond was in the emergency ward of the RD&E hospital. Patients were being told at the last minute that it was not going to go ahead. Since the RD&E did not do this kind of surgery, patients were sometimes whisked off to another distant hospital, only to be told on arrival that their surgery had been cancelled. I saw it happening with Raymond, so that is why I went to PALS and complained. Within a day Raymond was being transported by ambulance to the hospital in London and had his open heart surgery the next morning. I think the whole problem is that there are not enough doctors, surgeons, consultants, nurses and so on. This seems to be a big problem in countries such as Canada and the UK where have state sponsored medical services. There is also a big problem of over demand and underfunding.
I can imagine your disappointment because, as you say, you build yourself up for these events, you are under stress and anxiety, but ready to go and then you are told that it is not going to happen, and it is a huge let-down.
Your consultant told you really that you were an emergency and then it does not go ahead.
I have a cousin very ill in a hospital in London and he has been moved around in six different wards in the past three weeks and it seems like chaos there. It is so hard to have proper communication. I am not very happy with it all.
I do not know where we are going. Our NHS is in a state of collapse and I fear for its future. I certainly do not believe in the insurance based system that they have in the US so I do not know what will work.
Keep in touch, adagio, and make sure you push for an immediate date.
We are all behind you here. Take it easy.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello adagio,
I can't imagine how let down you must feel. You were mentally prepared to get the surgery over with and had been told that it needed to be done as soon as possible. I've been with you in spirit for many hours and hoped that you would be back on the ward by now. These last minute cancellations happen far too often in the UK as well. Your surgeon probably feels as frustrated as you do.
I shall now be keeping my fingers crossed that you'll have some news very soon. Until then you remain in my thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
I have just managed to sit down to answer your latest post.
With reference to the New Scientist, the article I have been reading is on page 8 and is under News Coronavirus Briefing AstroZeneca/Oxford vaccine – Trial results come under fire – Doubts have been raised over some aspects of the test of AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford's Covid-19 vaccine. Graham Lawton reports.
I shall try to give some main points but you really need to read the article.
"As scientists, journalists and business analysts chewed over the figures, they noticed some potential problems with the way the trial was conducted, which cast some doubt on the reported results and could be a hindrance to getting the vaccine approved".
It seems the problems are methodological. This was namely that the results were pooled from two different trials, one in the UK and the other in Brazil.
There was a glaring mistake in the way one of the trials was conducted.
"Due to a laboratory error, some of the participants in the UK-based trials got roughly half of the intended dose of their first shot (the vaccine requires two shots at least a month apart). The regulators allowed the trial to continue.
It seems the half dose was more successful than the full dose.
The full and half dose parts of the trial were too small in number for a proper trial.
The full results of the trial have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
There are other concerns – "It seems that the people in the half-dose subgroup were younger on average than the participants as a whole, so the 90% figure may prove too high. Vaccines generally work batter in younger people".
The question arises about whether we should disregard this trial.
According to Paul Hunter, an expert on clinical trial methodology at the University of East Anglia UK we should not disregard it.
"Even if the vaccine is really only 62% effective, that is still a good result. If it had come out three weeks earlier we would have been over the moon. It is just that we have been spoiled by good news from elsewhere with several vaccine trials reporting efficacy figures of 90% or more".
I leave you to make up your own mind about all this, but I must say I do find it all iffy. I think that in the UK we have been in too much of a hurry to get this vaccine out so that we can boast about it. The government has messed up Covid-19 from start to finish and is now desperate to save face and to keep people out of the NHS hospitals because they cannot cope. At the beginning of all this I think the government had to decide between the herd or doing a proper and firm lock-down with no exceptions. With huge numbers now at play, getting this virus under control is almost impossible.
There is another article on page 6 entitled "Vaccine roll-out nears" – as developers seek approval for their Covid-19 vaccines the race is on to get the shots into our arms" writes Michael Le Page.
Please try to read this article.
"Three vaccines developed in Europe and North America have been shown to be effective in phase 3 trials: an mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, another by Moderna, plus an adenovirus-based vaccine from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford".
I noticed that the article does not mention what kind of vaccine the Moderna one is and I have no idea what an adenovirus-based vaccine is.
If anyone has any information please post. This might be one for Kath.
As for me, in all of this, I want to know what is going into these vaccines. At the moment I would be reticent to have any of them.
I have noticed, already, that people are not listening carefully enough about what is being announced about the vaccine from Pfizer BioNTech that is already being used here in the UK. It is not a cure. It has been clearly stated that this vaccine will stop people being very ill from the virus and having to be hospitalised. It is not known whether it will stop infection and spread and it is not known how long the vaccine will protect and how often it may have to be redone. There have also some allergic reaction to it.
I do agree that Christmas is a farce if you are not religious and that at this particular time if, for you, Christmas is a time for family gatherings, I would suggest that common sense dictates that you do not gather this year as it will be paid for after the liberation for Christmas, with harsher tiers, more cases and more deaths.
I do agree, Gill, that Brexit is a complete disaster. I would like a new referendum now that we have all the facts, and another general election to get rid of the worst government I have seen in my lifetime.
That is about all for now. I do have an article about breast cancer that I have been reading in a magazine "Just Natural – Health and Beauty" – www.justnaturalhealth.co.uk. It is a free magazine that I found in my natural food store, and the article is Breast Cancer & Saying No to Milk. This is a very worthwhile magazine. I shall write more another time.
I was so upset that adagio's surgery was cancelled. Have they no feelings for patients?
That is all for now.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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thank you all for your replies. I have had a wonderful weekend with friends and festivities. Feeling much better.
Adagio how disappointed you must feel. Here’s hoping a new date will be set and it will happen. Waiting is the worst. In the interim rest up.
Best wishes to you all xx
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Sylvia, Gill and all others
I have now been given December 17th as the date of surgery - I am holding my breath. Thanks so much for your warm thoughts and prayers. Will keep you up to date as I am able.
Wishing everyone the best possible Christmas during these very challenging times.
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Hello adagio,
Thank you for letting us know the new date for your surgery. I do hope it will go ahead and that you will not have any more delays.
We shall be thinking of you and waiting to hear from you.
Wishing you all the very best and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Good luck.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello adagio,
Very much hoping that this time your surgery will go ahead. You'll be very much in my thoughts and prayers on the 17th.
With love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Sylvia,
Some good news from adagio for us to start the day with. No more cancellations I hope.
I do hope you have had some better news about your cousin by now. He didn't seem to be at all well when you spoke to him on the phone. Not surprising now that he has Covid on top of his original infection. You must be very worried.
Thank you for the information from the New Scientist regarding the Covid vaccines, it's very much in line with other information I've been looking at. In the midst of a pandemic the trials have necessarily been shorter than for most other vaccines and longer term outcomes are an unknown. However, doctors seem to be very keen to be vaccinated themselves which is useful to know. Covid can be lethal or leave us with serious organ damage and that possibility is with us every day. With this in mind, Michael and I have decided to have the vaccination when it's offered, despite us both having concerns. The Oxford vaccine may not offer those over 55 sufficient immunity or perhaps any immunity at all, percentages and averages don't really mean much to us as individuals. We won't be given a choice of which vaccine is offered.
Here in Norfolk, one in five Covid cases are caused by the new mutation. A New Scientist article online makes it clear that not much is known about this new variant. Viruses mutate all the time, but the latest mutation does seem to be causing more of a stir. So, after all this, will any of the vaccines actually work?
I can't help noticing that some nurses are injecting the Covid vaccine very high on the arm close to the shoulder joint, the needle should go into the middle of the deltoid muscle. I did some online research just to check and it seems this is more important than I had thought. As Mary would know, the shoulder joint is extremely complex and unstable. Injections that are given high on the deltoid can (apparently) result in SIRVA - shoulder injury related to vaccine administration. The damage can be permanent, causing pain, frozen shoulder and even a rotator cuff tear. I think this might be worth knowing. My jab will have to be in the right arm as my mastectomy and partial node clearance was on the left side.
Prime Minister's Questions today. Starmer will ask sensible questions which will be ignored and ridiculed as usual. I do wish Starmer would get angry for once and demand that the Speaker intervene, particularly where there's childish name-calling by the Prime Minister. He isn't funny, he's plain rude. Johnson, like most small children, starts the name calling because he needs to hide the fact that he has no idea what's going on or that he's about to tell a deliberate untruth. In the midst of a pandemic we have this overgrown toddler in charge.
I'm afraid I have nothing useful to say about breast cancer, though treatment in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital appears to be going on as normal. However, I have no idea how long patients have been waiting.
That's all for now. Keep yourselves safe.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your post. I do hope adagio's surgery will go through today. She is eight hours behind us, so it is early morning there.
As for my cousin, it has been very difficult to have contact with him because it is almost impossible to get any answer when phoning. No one picks up the phone most of the time. I am working through PALS at the moment. They are very professional and competent.
I am not sure what Raymond and I will do about a vaccine, if we get offered one. I think it has all been rushed and I do not trust anyone any more. There are already mess ups with getting out the vaccine, as well as allergic reactions. We now have a mutation in the virus. I have been studying some of the television pictures and I see what you mean about not injecting in the right place. Injections should be under the care of the medical professionals.
I listened to the radio this morning and I cannot believe the neglect that cancer patients are going through. I do not think the NHS will ever catch up with all these important missed scans, which are being non-essential!
I do have some interesting information to post from that article Breast Cancer & Saying No to Milk – 1 in 7 women in the UK will go on to develop breast cancer during her lifetime. The fourth most common cause of death from cancer in the UK, each year around 55,000 women are diagnosed with it. Within just the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there will be some 5,000 diagnoses. I shall do my best to post some of the useful information, but you will probably be able to find it online.
The first part explains what cancer is: "Breast cancer begins when cells within the breast start to divide and grow wildly, in an unexpected way that does not follow the normal course of things. The most common forms of breast cancer begin within the ducts. Tubes within the breast, the ducts, carry milk to the nipple when lactating. However, sometimes cancer can start in the lobules (the glands which produce the milk for breastfeeding).
"Approximately 80% of breast cancer cases occur in women over the age of 50. The older you are, the higher the risk. That said, circa 10,000 women under the age of 50 receive a breast cancer diagnosis each year, though roughly 8,000 of those are in their 40s. Men are also able to develop breast cancer, but it is quite rare (about 370 cases a year). Again, those who are diagnosed are normally over the age of 50".
The next part of the article, under the title Signs and Symptoms of breast cancer include:
I shall try to post this next part tomorrow.
Keep well, Gill. You are so dedicated to the thread, especially in these difficult times.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I hope that adagio is safely back on the ward and doing well. I think another cancellation by the hospital would have been irresponsible.
I'm not at all surprised that no one on your cousin's ward is answering the phone. My daughter could never get through when I was in hospital. Some relatives live too far away to visit and with Covid, many hospitals discourage visiting. For them the telephone is the only means of communicating with staff, especially when a patient is confused or on end of life care and not able to say or understand what's happening.
I too heard an item on the BBC discussing the cancellation of vital scans. Surely these could have gone ahead safely in a portable unit outside the hospital. My MRI was done like this and It all felt very safe. It all comes down to money which is very shortsighted. One woman whose scan was cancelled is now stage 4, (not breast cancer), and has young children who need her to survive. Is human life so unimportant to this Government that it can be thrown away so easily? I guess the answer is 'yes' as we now have UNICEF feeding our undernourished children. The sixth richest economy in the world, but vicious welfare cuts have led to children and a great many adults going without food. Jacob Rees-Mogg thinks it's all a publicity stunt! I'm ashamed that this man is a Catholic.
I did go to the Just Natural Health link provided in your last post. I was surprised that 1 in 7 women now get breast cancer. I've never liked milk and always have my coffee black. I do use small amounts in some baking and sauces though. In the UK dairy cows are injected with reproduction hormones to increase their milk production they're also given antibiotics for infections. Doesn't sound very safe at all. Reading through the article anyone would think that there's only one type of breast cancer - ER+. Triple Negative Breast Cancer shouldn't be affected by hormones in milk or HRT, however, the risk to us from the use of synthetic hormones seems to be largely ignored. I can't accept that it's an unknown. Pre menopause I was constantly at the hospital breast clinic with fibrocystic breasts, the consultant breast surgeon and several experienced registrars told me that I must never be persuaded to take HRT. I wonder about the impact of additional hormones on ovarian cancer too.
I can't believe that England will open for four days over Christmas. Especially when much of the country is now in tier 3 and infections and sadly, deaths are rising.
Weather here dull and breezy, not cold though.
Keep safe and well both of you, enjoy the weekend.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
I have just sat down to read your post and I hope to answer it tomorrow. I have been busy trying to get things sorted with my cousin in hospital.
I have achieved quite a lot by going through PALS having spoken to them on the phone and then sent them an email with a list of questions that I wanted answered about what was happening with my cousin. They forwarded this for me and I received a phone call yesterday from a friendly doctor and all my questions were answered. I mentioned once again about missing possessions and a non-working mobile phone and this seems to have been sorted as well. I had a phone call from my cousin today and so Raymond and I were able to speak to him. He seems better but still has a way to go.
Like you, I do hope adagio is through her surgery and is being well looked after in ICU.
I have also been busy with Raymond trying to sort out his medical records. We are concerned with the lack of joined up procedure within the NHS. Our GP and the consultant at RD&E do not seem to be connected up. I think the NHS has become far too big, too bureaucratic and a system in which patients are just numbers. Letters seem to come from all directions.
I ended the day listening to a briefing by Boris Johnson and his two cohorts. Once again he is messing around all too late. When are we going to get some sanity?
I am disappointed that the thread is so slow but I can understand that we are all consumed with how dire everything is with the spread of Covid and this new variant, mutation or whatever you want to call it, that is spreading so rapidly. We have yet another tier added but not a complete lockdown and everything done so late in the day.
We also have the probability of a no-deal Brexit.
I shall write again tomorrow as I still want to post a bit more about breast cancer and saying no to milk.
Keep well and keep safe.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill,
I do agree with you about everything you say concerning the neglect of cancer patients and of course other patients suffering from all kinds of chronic illness. Goodness knows what the toll will be when all this coronavirus nightmare comes to an end, or more likely, in my opinion, we have to learn to live with it as we do with the flu.
I think we have to ignore any nonsense coming out of the mouths of the Tory government and especially the front bench. We are living the nightmare of an incompetent privileged fiefdom that do not have an inkling of the daily lives of ordinary people. I wonder how many of them will break their own hastily put together rules?
I was glad to know that you went to the link Just Natural Health. I am wondering how many other people did? My own breast cancer consultant surgeon warned me about the EGF, a growth hormone, in dairy products.
As for triple negative breast cancer not being affected by hormones in milk, or HRT, it is not quite as simple as that. My oncologist discussed this with me and told me that just because you end up with a tumour status of ER-, PR- and HER2-, that does not mean necessarily that it started with that status, because the receptors mutate.
I think that we should all be staying away from dairy products and that includes cheese and yoghurt. Remember, the dairy business is big and powerful and it will always be outspoken about alternatives. Some say goat and ewe produce is alright because the animals are smaller, so not as affected by growth hormones. Who knows? We just have to make our own choices.
You got good advice about staying away from HRT. I am sure it does not do women any good.
It is good news that Christmas is now only one day. After all, Christmas is only one day, and it is a religious day. It certainly was never meant to be a two week break which it has become over the years. Here in Devon we are still in Tier 2. I think we should be in at least Tier 3. we should all be in lock-down really and not all this mess with different tiers and exceptions within the tiers. I saw on the news that Londoners last night were trying to beat the deadline and rush to lower tiers. If it is a nice day on Friday I am sure our seafront will be busy.
The weather here is very changeable but on the whole wet.
I do hope everyone viewing will read that article Breast Cancer and saying No to milk.
If you remember, I did start posting the beginning of that article by quoting what breast cancer is and how many women get diagnosed etc.
I shall quote a little more in this post to you but of course it is for everyone.
"Not everyone who survives breast cancer has the all-clear forever afterwards. Nearly 9 in 10 women survive for five years or more. According to Breast Cancer Now, however, there are still 11,500 women who die from breast cancer (and about 80 men). Breast cancer can return, sometimes incurably so. 'Unsurvivors' are those who have either survived breast cancer before and develop it again worse, or those who receive a diagnosis too late. Termed secondary metastatic breast cancer, this is when breast cancer cells have spread from the first (or primary) breast cancer, through the lymphatic or blood system to other areas of the body (such as the bones, lungs, liver and brain). Outside of organ-specific additional symptoms, the general signs and symptoms of secondary metastatic breast cancer include:
A constant feeling of fatigue
Incessant nausea
Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite
Frequent self-conducted breast exams are crucial in maintaining awareness of any change to breasts. The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the more chance of survival.
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:
A lump or swelling noticeable, either by sight or touch, in the breast, upper chest, or armpit.
A change in skin tone, e.g. dimpling or puckering.
A change in colour, making the breast look red or inflamed.
A rash or crusting around the nipple.
Unusual liquid discharge from either nipple.
A change in the size or shape of the breast."
You will see from these things how important it is for women to be familiar with their breasts and to look for changes, so please do your monthly breast checks and if you have any doubts see your GP. Do not be tossed aside if you feel you do not agree if you are told there is nothing to worry about. Ask for a referral to the hospital.
If you do have a diagnosis of breast cancer, take prompt action.
I do hope all this will help. Keep to a healthy diet, exercise physically and mentally, and do all you can to keep yourself well. Prevention is of the utmost importance.
That is all for today, Gill and once again thank you for your devotion to the thread.
I am sure I speak for all of us when I say we are thinking of adagio and will be so glad when she is able to get in touch. It may not be for a while. Remember she has had valve replacement surgery and with two valves involved.
Hello to Mary, Paula, Kath, Helenlouise, Jags56 (I am still enjoying Tulsi (Holy Basil) green tea). My natural food store was out of stock of Tulsi original. If I have forgotten anyone please post to let me know and update us all, especially the newly diagnosed.
Love and best wishes to you all. Keep well and keep safe.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
I just wanted to say that yesterday, December 20th, I reached exactly 15 years and six months since diagnosis. I still take nothing for granted and do everything I can to prevent recurrence.
If I can do this so can you. You have to take care of your health. It is your responsibility and remember a stitch in time saves nine.
Thinking of you all and hope that you will take the time to post.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I think the information you provided in your last post will be useful to everyone. I had forgotten that your breast surgeon warned that breast tumours could start as ER+ (for example) and mutate to another type of breast cancer. My surgeon didn't have time to discuss the more complex issues of breast cancer and I wish that my consultations had been less rushed. I realise that metaplastic is extremely rare, but to be told by the surgeon who did my mastectomy, that I probably knew more than he did, wasn't what I'd hoped for.
I'm pleased that the hospital PALS organisation has been such a help and that a doctor has been able to answer your questions regarding your cousin's condition. I'm wondering if he is now clear of his Covid infection or if he has suffered any side effects that are likely to be longer term?
I feel that the PM deliberately put off cancelling the four or five days of Christmas get togethers until the last minute just to avoid doing what Starmer has been suggesting for weeks. His ego is quite literally killing people. The country needs a strong, knowledgeable leader to sort out Brexit and keep us as safe as possible during the pandemic. Apparently the Covid vaccine the NHS is currently using will run out in January, although fresh supplies are due to be delivered before then. I don't know if this may change now that all European ports are closed to the UK.
Michael and I will have whichever jab we're offered, though we would prefer the Oxford vaccine, it's cheaper and more importantly, can be stored in normal hospital and GP surgery fridges. I'm hoping that if enough people are vaccinated the NHS will get back to treating all patients in a timely way rather than prioritising those with Covid. Like you, I have concerns that the trials were too short and that there may be issues further down the line that we don't yet know about. However, I think that the benefits outweigh the risks - fingers crossed!
Good luck with sorting out Raymond's medical notes, hospitals seem to send out so many inaccurate letters for GPs to put on our files. I had some of these corrected at the time, or at least, asked for them to be corrected. Given the calls to attend for mammogram when I've just had one or sending me a letter announcing clear result weeks before I'd been for my annual check, I think I'll assume the worst about the state of my records. The whole idea of these very expensive NHS IT systems was to provide 'joined up care', instead we've had chaos from the beginning. Perhaps the system should have been user friendly, rather than too clever for its own good. Doctors are not IT specialists.
The thread is very quiet, I hope there's a sudden surge before Christmas. I think many people may be so worn down by this horrible year that posting is the last thing on their minds. We'll just have to hope that 2021 brings with it a happier, safer world.
Weather here is wet and miserable. Warm for December though.
Keep safe and well.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill and everyone,
I am going to try to finish off the rest of the article about breast cancer and saying no to milk.
"BreastcancerUK wants prevention to be at the forefront of people's minds, as well as awareness broadening, estimating that prevention can facilitate between 23% and 37% reduced occurrence of cases.
Smoking is a no-no.
Exercise has been shown to decrease risk by up to 30% due to managing levels of the hormones oestrogen, androgen, insulin and hunger-controlling leptin.
Taking the combined contraceptive pill and combined HRT treatment for menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.
There is an increased risk of developing breast cancer when on the combined synthetic oestrogen and progesterone pill.
Intrauterine Devices (IUDs), injections and other combined hormone birth control are thought to carry similar risks to the pill.
HRT treatment increases breast cancer risk the longer it is taken, but the effects last for some ten years or more after stopping treatment.
Starting a family:
Having children under the age of 30 is thought to lower the chances of developing cancer in the long run."
Toxins in the immediate and surrounding environment.
It is difficult to avoid air pollution for many but it is important to know what goes into skin care products, household cleaning products and household items.
I think you might find it useful to read about Endocrine Disrupting chemicals.
In the UK, compared with Europe, there has been found "The highest recorded levels of flame retardants in human body fluids and breast milk."
I am going to have to stop now as I have run out of time.
I shall try to finish tomorrow with this article about a Healthy Diet and the problem of dairy milk, as well as signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
To Gill,
Thank you for your latest post, which I shall answer in more detail tomorrow.
I do hope adagio is recovering well.
I am wondering where Mary is.
We have another dull, damp day here.
Best wishes to all.
Sylvia xxxx
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