Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Hello Sylvia,
First of all, don't even think of replying to this. You are tired, overstretched and feeling the strain of doing far too much. That's not good for your health - as you know.
I will look after the thread next week, so you can at least have a break from answering posts.
Have a peaceful weekend - this will mean putting yourself first!
With love,
Gill xxx💐
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your very kind words. They are much appreciated. I do like to post on the thread and I do not like it when other events around me seem to suck up too much of my time and energy.
It has been quite a sunny day here in Exmouth, but very cold.
Raymond and I seem to have caught up with a lot of things, but I see a busy day ahead on Monday. No doubt we shall get through it. Our fridge-freezer has packed up on us and a new one will be delivered tomorrow. We shall be glad when that is done and dusted.
I have been listening very carefully to the latest news about the coronavirus. It looks as though this new virus, which was being called AB2, is now being called Omicron 2. It is a variant of the present Omicron, which is obviously Omicron 1. Apparently Omicron 2 spreads one and a half times more quickly that Omicron 1. It is really hard to know what to believe. I also read that Pfizer is working on a new vaccine for Omicron. The idea is to give boosters to those people who have already had two vaccinations plus the booster and two separate vaccinations for those who have not been vaccinated. I think things are going too far and that all these vaccinations will be having a negative effect on our immune system. Big profits are being made out of all this.
I also read that some small research is being carried out about long Covid. It seems that the thought is that microscopic damage may have been done to the lungs and that this is not showing up in the scans.
I have family relatives who have now been affected by Covid. An elderly aunt is in hospital with Covid, or perhaps long Covid or a second infection with it. She is on antibiotics and oxygen. Her daughter and her grandchildren have also had it. Other relatives have been affected, some of them children. It is all very worrying.
I think there is absolutely no hope of the NHS ever catching up with the six million patients on waiting lists. I do wonder how many deaths there will be from cancer in all of this. It must be really frightening being diagnosed with cancer of any kind in these abnormal times. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister is too busy trying to save his own skin. He is shortly going of to Eastern Europe to save the world. This is the man who was sacked by Theresa May from his position as Foreign Minister. In the meantime, we, the public, are still waiting for The Report from Sue Gray!!
I do like to hear from our friends who are or were part of our group. So many have gone through this thread that you cannot help wondering what has happened to them.
That is about all for now.
I do hope that you and Michael are having a pleasant Sunday.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
I am just popping in to offer words of encouragement to all of you that are newly diagnosed and going through treatment. I am now just five months away from seventeen years since I was diagnosed on June 20th 2005.
Keep looking ahead and be positive. Eat healthily, exercise your body and brain, and try to avoid stress and negative comments. You can do this.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I hope your new fridge freezer has been installed by now. It's difficult to imagine life without one, I suppose we'd have to make a lot more food buying trips. We didn't have much money when I was growing up and didn't have a simple fridge until I was about fourteen, and then only because someone gave us their old one. How times change.
As for Covid, Omicron is so transmittable that I fully expect to be infected before long. My grandson is now at home with it, though not particularly unwell. Lung damage in people with long Covid is worrying. Medics seem to have seriously underestimated the problem and relied far too heavily on scans to diagnose breathing problems. I'm not sure if Covid damage can be reversed over time, if not, the Government needs to plan for additional costs to the NHS, extra clinics, research and so on. It won't, because it simply doesn't care. Not a word has been uttered about the NHS in weeks. Health has been completely sidelined.
Omicron 1 and 2 seems to have had quite an impact on your family. I do hope your elderly aunt is able to recover fully - I also hope that proper home support is sorted out before she's discharged.
I was shaken to the core by the Prime Minister's statement in the House of Commons yesterday. He kept talking about 'our' mistakes and 'we' need to look at 'ourselves' in the mirror. Not his fault at all then. He and Raab were sniggering during Ian Blackford's response. People were dying, the Prime Minister was Partying and when found out, he laughed. He actually laughed in Parliament at the law abiding public who stuck to the rules and were forced to stay at home while their family members died alone in hospital. He's now leading the West's response to the Russian threat in the Ukraine. I'm sure the Ukrainian Government will be hanging onto his every word!
Keir Starmer's response to Johnson's statement must be the best speech I've heard in Parliament for many years. Johnson's reply was to accuse Starmer of shielding Jimmy Savile from prosecution. He later accused the Labour front benchers of using drugs. It's time that Parliamentary Privilege was consigned to history. I wish John Bercow or Betty Boothroyd were still occupying the Speaker's chair.
I'm afraid that I don't have much to add regarding triple negative breast cancer, though I have read a post from someone on a different thread, whose mother (in Dubai) was originally diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer when she actually had metaplastic cancer. As a result, she endured months of damaging, and in her case useless chemotherapy. This is the second instance of misdiagnosed metaplastic breast cancer I've come across recently. It matters because in metaplastic breast cancer, surgery should always be performed before chemotherapy and chemotherapy should be avoided altogether in many later cases.
I'm going to listen to some Victorian ghost stories now. They're on a YouTube channel called Bitesized Audio Classics. They're all read by one narrator and he has just the right voice for stories like these.
Take good care of yourself and Raymond.
With love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Many thanks for your recent post.
All is fine with the fridge-freezer. Like you, we did not have a fridge at home for many years when were growing up. Our parents shopped daily, and we think it was far more sensible. My parents did not have a fridge until I had left Grammar School and went off to University. With Raymond's parents it was much the same. I was also brought up without a bathroom. We have all got used to more mod cons than our parents' generation had. Our parents and grandparents also went through two world wars.
There is not much mention about Omicron these days, except we are now into Omicron 2 which is supposed to be more transmissible, but can we believe anything we are told these days? There is a programme on Radio 4 at 9 am on Wednesdays, entitled More or Less. It is well worth listening to as it as it gives you the real facts behind the statistics and how these are all manipulated.
I do agree with you about long Covid.
My elderly aunt is still in hospital, on oxygen and antibiotics. She did have Covid ate one point and we do not know whether this is a second infection or whether it is long Covid. She has developed pneumonia and we do not know how things will go. Her only daughter is trying to sort out a care package for her for when she gets home, but it is not easy because of shortage of staff.
As I stated before, all the family members except the husband have Covid, one of the children twice. What the long-term effects of this will be who knows? I have heard interesting research is going on trying to establish why one person in a family unit may not get affected. I think the research is quite small at the moment.
As for cancer, I do not know how patients on this six million waiting list will fare. It is estimated the six million will go to twelve million by the end of the year. How can the NHS survive.
I am just longing for Boris Johnson to be booted out. He is not fit to be the Prime Minister. His cronies may be supporting him but I am sure all constituents must be really irate about his behaviour. His behaviour in the House of Commons has been completely out of order, and the Speaker never tells him to leave. I think the best leader is Ian Blackford of the SNP.
It seems that there is not a lot we can say about triple negative these days. I think more and more chemotherapy drugs are being used and I do not think that is the long-term answer. I did hear on the radio recently something about using robots instead of doing radiotherapy. I do not know what to think about that. I think the essential is early diagnosis and surgery.
Talking about robots, Raymond was having a good argument with one on the telephone the other day as he tried to get an update on our bank statement! This voice recognition seems to be full of problems and is long-winded. I gave one of the utility companies a real piece of my mind the other day while trying to transfer from one company to another. I was reminded that the conversation was being recorded. In the end I did not transfer to them, but I did tell them that people should not be stressed by them and having to queue up for a long time. Everything has gone completely bonkers!
I do hope everything is not too bad for you and Michael.
Take care and keep safe (sane?).
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I hope the weekend saw your aunt improving a little. I'm sorry she now has pneumonia. Sorting out care packages is an endless round of form filling and phone calls. The very words 'care package' make me angry. Decades ago, patients who could no longer cope with self care, preparing meals and so on, were offered a home help, visits from a district nurse and ambulances were arranged to take them to hospital appointments. How is it that these services are no longer provided? My mother was able to live at home thanks to these common sense approaches. No social workers were ever involved at any point. In fact the hospital and our GP arranged the whole lot between them. It worked.
I think many patients now realised that their cancer surgery will be done too late to save them. I thought this when I asked about waiting times for my own operation and on doing some research, found that even when I reached the top of the list, many surgeries were cancelled at the eleventh hour. It went against the grain to pay for a private mastectomy, but the fear won out over my beliefs in the end. I had the money to afford to try to save my life, many, probably most people don't have cash to spare. I cannot write here about my deep contempt for the Government. There are no true Conservatives left on the front benches as Johnson threw out the decent MPs. Some are now fighting back, Dominic Grieve has been vociferous in his contempt. I live in hope that the backbenchers will see off this lot very soon. I'm very much afraid that in the meantime our NHS will be destroyed. Surgeons and other specialists will already be making some very difficult life and death decisions. I'm very frightened of my breast cancer returning as already GP referrals are being ignored. All this additional stress is something no cancer patient deserves. We try to put cancer to the back of our minds two or three years post treatment, how can we now do that, knowing that if it returns our chances of being treated quickly and surviving are much reduced? I know that when I was informed that breast cancer patients would only be offered an annual checkup for two years, I felt that my safety net had been pulled away.
Michael listens to 'More or Less' and keeps me up to date. We both prefer radio to television for drama, science, politics and investigative journalism.
I see that Raymond has been battling with voice recognition. I won't engage with any organisations that use robots. Robots have a very long way to go before they are ready to replace human beings. I wonder how these voice recognition services cope with a Glaswegian or Geordie accent? I once changed electricity suppliers and ended up in a huge financial drama with both the old and new company. It's a mad world. I liked the 'stay sane' at the end if your last comment. I'll try, but make no promises!
Wishing you both a peaceful week.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your recent post.
I am glad to report that my aunt is much better and is now back home with carers. I am not sure how she will get on with all this. I do agree that in the past everything went much more smoothly when we had home helps. Ironically my aunt did a lot of home help work in her younger days and she was very dedicated to it. No social workers were involved with this and it was all very simple to arrange.
I share your great concern about cancer patients. I cannot see how this will ever get sorted out. This week I have once again been listening to the radio and they are talking about six million patients on the waiting list and ten million more waiting to come onto that waiting list! This will take years to sort out and I doubt that it will ever get sorted out. The Prime Minister is still going on about all the nurses and doctors that we are going to get and how his government is going to sort it all out! We urgently need this Prime Minister to go. He is just not up to the job and is only interested in himself. I think he is extremely rude and badly behaved at PMQs and that the Speaker is not tough enough on him.
I watched PMQs today but was not impressed. The Prime Minister has no intention of answering any of the questions and the whole thing is farcical.
As far as cancer patients are concerned, we never really eradicate it from our minds. I can understand your anxiety, but somehow we just have to live one day at a time. I still do not take anything for granted. We just have to keep an eye on our bodies and learn to read anything that is out of the ordinary for us. The annual physical check ups that I had with my oncologist and breast cancer surgeon were very basic and very quick. They did give a bit of reassurance but I still kept a careful check on my breast area, around the neck and under the arms for myself.
I never really felt that confident about mammograms.
I was interested to know that Michael listens to More or Less. It is a fascinating programme and shows you that you cannot believe what is given out as 'facts'. I think the game is to keep repeating something that you want to make the public believe, even though you know it is a lie. Our Prime Minister is a past master of this!
I think we are living in very dangerous times, all very reminiscent of 1984 and Animal Farm, as well as Brave New World! We seem to have the elite protecting the elite and ordinary people becoming their slaves and victims!
That is about all for this evening.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I'm pleased that your aunt us recovering and hope that she'll be supported properly at home.
The main reason that I'm so angry about the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital putting an end to annual breast cancer checks only two years after treatment has ended, is that checks offered patients the chance to raise issues that were worrying them - especially when GP referrals are being ignored, 'lost' or otherwise sidelined. Breast cancer patients here only see a breast surgeon post treatment so aren't given the opportunity to talk about side effects of chemotherapy with an oncologist at all. No wonder long term deficits are ignored when the patient never gets to talk about them. I was dismayed by the lack of aftercare once I was discharged after sepsis and c diff plus pressure sores on the lower spine and loss of the ability to walk. Things are probably much worse now, so perhaps I should be grateful.
I really don't know why the Government don't just admit that hospital waiting lists will never be brought down unless some patients are simply abandoned. We all know that this is happening. Hearing the lies day in, day out, just makes the situation worse.
The Prime Minister has been given a police questionnaire about whether he went to paries in Downing Street during lockdown or not. These will be accepted as evidence as long as he tells the truth! I don't remember anyone in Norfolk being offered a questionnaire. What a corrupt country we have become. Johnson will no doubt get us into a dangerous war with Russia to save his own skin.
I completely agree with your views on the manipulation of facts and statistics. Why on earth can't people do their research instead of believing the lies printed in the right wing press? Programmes like 'More or Less', 'Panorama', 'Dispatches' etc do their best to enlighten us, but it's very much an uphill struggle. Perhaps people will begin to sit up when they can no longer afford sufficient food, heating for their homes or money to pay their rent. It's going to hit the poor, the elderly and the sick very hard. This the saddest thing of all.
On a lighter note, it's another bright and sunny day here and the shrubs are coming into bud as are the daffodils and celandines. Hope you and Raymond are having your share of sunshine too.
Take care.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your latest post.
I do not think we are going to see any improvements in NHS care. It is completely overwhelmed and I do not believe that the long waiting list for treatment of all kinds is going to go down any time soon. All that individual breast cancer patients can do is push for their own needs and not take no for an answer. I think that we have a postcode lottery and that patients in London and the South East are probably getting better treatment. I was talking on the phone to a female cousin of mine with health problems and I was amazed at how quickly she was getting doctors and hospital appointments and treatment. She has already had her fourth vaccination and she had Moderna.
There is so much going on in this country that is out of order, but people do not seem to care. They do not get out and protest like they do in other countries. There is a lot of apathy.
We are havinf a bit of sunshine this morning but the rain and bad weather is not far away.
The forum is very quiet and I think we must all be worn out.
Take care.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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hi Sylvia and Gill
We are having another blast of winter today, it has been raining overnight and this morning it turned to freezing rain and now sleet is falling, and a lot of it. It is going to change to snow in a few hours and tonight will turn very cold, 2 degrees F. In a few days it is going to be much warmer, a roller-coaster of weather, my sinuses hate it. For myself, I do enjoy just a bit the drama of changing weather conditions.
I had to cancel my dentist appointment today, the roads are unsafe.
Now I have something to tell you, tell me if you think I'm crazy. I have friends, a couple, whose son is taking a semester in Scotland. They decided to go over this month and invited me and I said yes. So I will be in and about Stirling, Scotland at the end of Feb into 1st part of March. I checked on Exmouth and saw it is 11 hours by train from stirling to Exmouth.
Anyway, I am nervous and excited, what do you think? It has been 2 years since I've been very far from. Home, I want to get my toe in the water.
Now I think it has changed to snow outside, will be a long day.
Talk soon, love, Mary
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Hi Mary,
Atrocious weather across England today, people are being advised to stay at home and most schools are closed. Very strong winds with flooding forecast in many areas. I'm expecting to lose a tree or two, fortunately none are close to the house, but we do have two huge ash trees close to the garage and the lane and if either fell it would block the lane, our only way out.
Scotland is breathtakingly beautiful, but we always avoid it during the Winter months. The weather is unpredictable at the best of times, but snow can make even train journeys difficult. Here in the UK everything grinds to a halt after just a few inches of snow! We're never prepared and never learn from past experience. My son lives in Fife so I get regular weather updates. Apparently, heavy snow is expected in Stirling today.
I'll look forward to hearing about your Scottish adventure and hope you and your friends will enjoy the scenery and the amazing seafood on offer.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Gill
I'm hoping since it's almost March the weather will moderate a little bit while on our trip. But im taking a coat and a spare, since I have a hard time getting warm once chilled. This trip was supposed to happen in May, but the son of my friends wanted us to come now, I suspect he's a little homesick!
The Covid restrictions have lessened, we only have to have negative test before we come home. I am not looking forward to masking for all the flights though.
I also looked up Norwich location, only 7 1/2 hours by train. Although I suspect after 3 flights we may be tired of long rides! So we will see, I'm thinking of it as a post-Covid adventure, we'll see what happens.
In the meantime, I hope you and Michael are well, and thriving in your corner of the world.
Talk soon, love, Mary
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Hi Mary,
Yes, definitely take a couple of warm coats. You'll have a wonderful time whatever the weather, just to be somewhere different after being confined to home will lift the spirits. Scotland's good for keeping fit too, plenty of hills and healthy fresh air. St Mary's Catholic Church (I haven't visited yet) is close to Stirling Castle and there are excellent views over Stirling from there. I'll be interested to hear what you think of it. Yorkshire is supposed to be God's own Country, but I think He'd prefer Scotland.
I'm sending you a PM with my email address, just in case you feel like taking in another adventure. Even if not this time, I think you and your friends will want to visit again, especially if their son is still a little homesick.
Keep well, Covid rates are getting lower by the day here, hope it's the same where you are.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Mary,
It was nice to hear from you. I do hope you have been keeping as well as possible in these unpredictable times.
I was very surprised to read that you are planning a trip to Scotland at this time of year and in these Covid times. Have you thought about this seriously? We are still getting plenty of positive cases of Omicron and yesterday there were about 47,000 cases of the virus and about 158 deaths related to Covid. This was in the UK. Often we get the different parts of the UK published separately. At the moment England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all appear to be relaxing their restrictions to do with Covid and most of the time I think they are done for political reasons rather than protective ones. There is also a game of follow my leader! On Monday February 21st in England it is supposed to be possibly Freedom Day and a lot of the protective measures may be relaxed. We shall see. The scientists are saying this is not good but our Prime Minister will do anything to make himself popular and save his own skin, even if it means sacrificing the people. He still insists he has done no wrong! He should be made to step down.
If you do decide to come to Scotland I would advise you to take care above all to try to avoid public transport. The weather will not bother you as you are used to cold and snow. Scotland reminds me a lot of Canada and I do not miss the brutal winters I experienced in Montreal and Ottawa for many years. I do not know much about Scotland except that I would not like to live there. It is a beautiful country with a small population of about 5 million compared to England which has about 65 million (this is too many). I do think that England has throughout history tried to Lord it over the other parts of the UK. We do need a much more modernised parliament in Westminster. It should really be a Federal system and we should have a devolved English parliament.
I am glad that I live in the South-West of England, away from the overpopulated South-East and London. I do not know how long this will last.
Raymond and I continue to keep ourselves isolated. We shall continue to wear masks when we go into shops and avoid all crowds and public transport.
Somehow we really need to get the thread back to the emphasis on breast cancer but I think Covid and a troubled world has taken over everything.
I do hope we shall hear from HelenLouise and Kath with news of their neck of the woods. As for adagio, I do wonder what has happened to her.
That is all for now. Look after yourself and keep safe and well.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I agree with your post, the NHS will never be able to cope with the backlog. There are fewer frontline staff than pre Covid and those who are still in post are tired and disillusioned with the way they've been treated. Plenty of money for the wealthy friends of the Cabinet, but doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, and other essential workers are expected to be happy with a weekly clap.
I think that the Government needs to deal with the postcode lottery of healthcare. I have friends in different parts of England who have breast surgeon or oncology appointments quickly whenever they need them. They are offered ultrasound, MRIs, PET scans, x-rays and examinations. Here there is nothing. Finish treatment, go away, sink or swim. This could be changed overnight if GPs could simply refer cancer patients to hospitals without long waiting lists without the need to try to organise referrals to local but overstretched hospitals at all. Of course, for this to work efficiently and safely hospital IT systems would need to be fully integrated across the UK, which they are not. Patient medical notes would need to be accurate and appropriate, they are not. We would also need a Secretary of State for Health with vision and a will to make the NHS fit for purpose, we have not.
I shall try to put my dark thoughts and sheer anger to the back of my mind over the weekend.
Wishing you and all who post or browse here a peaceful weekend.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your interesting post. I think the way the government have treated front line workers is disgraceful. All that clapping was so superficial and hypocritical. I despair of where we are going.
I do not think a conservative government will ever support the NHS as it should be supported. The Labour Party should be the party of ordinary people, but certainly at present it is not up to par. I do not know if ordinary people really know what they want. They seem to want good services but they do not want to pay for them. You cannot fund state run services on shirt-buttons! The conservatives get away with repeating forever that Labour is the party of high taxes and they get away with it. With the two party system you have a see-saw scenario of the Conservatives undoing any good work that the Labour party manages to carry out, so progress is limited.
I do not know how we are going to get away from the postcode lottery. People should be able to go to their local hospitals. I agree with everything you say. The NHS is as disunited as the so-called United Kingdom. I know that the information on my health records and Raymond's is not correct. I would love to be able to take possession of both our paper records from the hospital and from the GP surgery and have a good read of them. I think they belong to us and not to the system.
If it is any consolation, I have all your dark thoughts and anger and find it hard to keep them at the back of my mind.
I do wonder where we are going with breast cancer treatment and, indeed, where the country is going in general.
Wishing you a pleasant weekend. It is very cold here and the wind is biting. Would you believe that a convolvulus plant in one of our beds has been uprooted and vanished into this air! There is no sign of it.
It is good to have Mary back with us.
By the way, I recently listened to a doctor talking about a book he has just written entitled Lies my Doctor Told me by Dr Berry. Another book I have heard about is Why the modern left loathes the working class by Paul Embery.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I'm afraid that the book you recommend, 'Lies My Doctor Told Me' by Dr Berry may be very close to the truth for many of us on this website. There are also lies by omission. My particular favourite is ' you don't need further treatment as after a mastectomy your cancer will have gone'. Roughly translated by me as 'the department is understaffed and underfunded so you'll just have to hope for the best'. Doctors are also in denial about the longer term side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This failure to recognise the experience of so many can cause us to feel isolated, that we are complaining without cause, that we should be grateful and never question. In fact, we should always question. Without the facts, there is no informed consent.
Now that all Covid laws are to be dropped on Thursday, including isolating when testing positive, I am wondering what will happen to hospital waiting lists if people are to be allowed to spread this disease indiscriminately. Not everyone feels particularly unwell with Omicron and some people will, without doubt, go into work and spread it around. What about hospital or care home visitors for example? Johnson hasn't thought this through, 'freedom day' is all about saving himself and nothing to do with protecting us. It will cost lives.
I haven't found much about breast cancer research or possible new treatments since the blood tests for cancer trials got underway. We really do need some new posters here, without them it's difficult to understand what is actually happening in breast clinics. How delayed is diagnosis, surgery, treatment, for example?
Keep well, it's very windy here again.
Have a peaceful week.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your very interesting post. I do agree with your comments. It would be useful if we could get some views on what is going on with breast cancer treatment, at the present time, and especially in the UK. I would be most interested to know as I had excellent treatment back in 2005. Even so, I was never afraid to speak up for myself and did a lot of my own research and was an informed patient.
I had a dedicated team. My oncologist told me why I was having chemotherapy before surgery and also told me that I might need chemotherapy after surgery. Both the oncologist and breast cancer surgeon always answered my questions and the breast cancer nurse was always helpful and frank. I can only imagine what it is like now as a newly diagnosed breast cancer patient. I was never told that I was cured and the breast cancer nurse told me that being in remission was not a term that was used by the medical team. At the end of my treatment I was told that there was no evidence of disease (NED). As I have said before, after the standard treatment I was kept with check ups for ten years.
I do agree as well that doctors must spell out the long term effects of their treatments. There are long term effects from surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and patients have a right to know these at the beginning. The side effects of drugs should be made clear. Patients have a right to be told about neuropathy and lymphoedema. As you say, we should always question and without the answers there is no informed consent.
There do not appear to be many Brits on this forum now, if any. I do not see them on the triple negative threads. I get the impression that patients with hormonal breast cancer go through quite an ordeal with all the anti-hormonal drugs they are put on. I sometimes wonder what the American patients think about their treatment. Overall, I get the impression that cases of breast cancer continue to increase and at a younger and younger age.
I shall reach seventeen years since diagnosis on June 20th this year. This amazes me and I still cannot take anything for granted.
You are right to say that we need some new posters on the forum in general. We need new information as well as giving support. We shall have to see what happens if Covid does continue to diminish and we all get back to a more normal life. I still think it is going to be difficult to get any improvement with the NHS. It is beyond belief that the Prime Minister still goes on about all the doctors and nurses that he has produced. He is still on about 40,000!!
I think we need a general election to clear the air and somehow start afresh, but I cannot see this happening. The House of Commons fills me with despair, as does the general state of this country.
It is a much calmer day here and Raymond and I hope to get out for a walk.
That is about all for now. Keep safe, keep well and let us hope for better things.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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hi Gill and Sylvia
Gill, thanks for the email address, that's good to know. This has been such a stressful week the weather here has turned cold again and promises to snow and sleet starting later. I had long meeting yesterday and then a late dinner. I had to arrange care for my spoiled dog and he wants nothing to do with it. I have yet to pack. I have thought of backing out several times but don't want to disappoint my friends, they haven't been overseas and it's a big deal to them, to go see their son. I was seeing news of Russia moving into Ukraine now and that doesn't help, a friend is married to a Ukrainian woman, she is distraught and having trouble talking with her family, they are very scared. And then there's Covid.
Ugh I only hope I feel better when wheels are off the ground, and finally we are off.
Love, Mary
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Hello Sylvia,
The Russian invasion of Ukraine will take our minds off the state of the National Health Service for the foreseeable future! Just when we thought that things couldn't get any worse, along comes Mr Putin to prove us wrong.
All Covid restrictions end today and this will surely put those with a compromised immune system at great risk. They will be housebound once more. I would strongly advise those undergoing chemotherapy to take extra care, avoid crowded places and keep masks on. Michael visited the supermarket yesterday and hardly anyone was wearing a mask. There are also reports of people walking around hospitals without a mask. Our NHS Trust is acting responsibly and has kept the mask mandate.
The Prime Minister has been called out many times on his claims regarding NHS funding, thousands more nurses, new hospitals..... He simply lies to the House of Commons again and again and refuses to correct his lies. I agree that we desperately need a General Election, but that's a long way off and the health service will be sold by then.
Given the difficulties women are having in accessing timely diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer in large areas of England, I would have expected to see more new posters here. It could be that they view the website as a resource mainly for American women and settle for the much weaker, but better known breasts cancer forums based in the UK.
Very wet here today, but the wind has dropped off completely. There's hardly been any really cold weather here at all and very few frosts.
Keep safe and find some time to relax.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Mary,
I'm accustomed to my cats being disgruntled by the care arrangements we make for them whenever we need to be away from home. Inevitably we have a few days of sulking when we bring them home again. Don't worry about your dog, he'll be fine. Dogs and cats quickly master the art of emotional blackmail, but quickly forget their 'ordeal'.
The situation in Ukraine is very worrying. Putin has probably been busy plotting invasion and inevitably war all the way through the Covid pandemic. My heart goes out to people like your friend's wife who has family there.
I hope you'll still be able to enjoy your holiday and forget about the dark things happening in the world for a while.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill and Mary,
Thank you for your interesting posts once again. I am out of time today and it has been another busy day. I am fed up with the weather and cannot wait for Spring. I did watch a programme last night on GB News about what to do with the NHS. It looks as though people think it has to be reformed. I got the impression that there is a huge waste of money with a very large bureaucracy with salaries of around £200,000 and £300,00 a year. The NHS was never meant to be like this. There was a very interesting doctor on their called Dr Renee Hoenderkamp. I shall try to write more tomorrow.
Love to you both.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill,
It is Saturday afternoon and it is so quiet along the street where I live that it makes you wonder where everyone is. Of course, there is wall-to-wall coverage of Russia going into Ukraine. This will help the Prime Minister to get the attention off him with regard to party-gate, the Sue Gray report and the police investigation. Is it all going to be forgotten? I certainly hope not.
As you say, Covid restrictions have now ended and we shall have to wait and see what happens with Omicron cases. Raymond looked at the Microsoft News and learnt that Omicron2 cases are on the increase and that it is more contagious than Omicron1. I am waiting to see whether it mutates.
It is true that the Prime Minister keeps telling lies in the House of Commons and is extremely rude, but the Speaker does nothing. No doubt the Prime Minister will now be using the Ukraine situation to become the saviour of the world. We should not be preaching to others about going into other countries with our past history of going all over the world into other countries. I do not listen to any of it and often just turn off the television or radio.
It is not often that I am impressed with many speakers these days. I was talking to a neighbour yesterday and he was saying that the NHS needed a complete reform. He suggested that Alan Sugar should take it over and shake it up a bit. He also suggested that the Government should be disposed of.
PMQs is a waste of time in my opinion and the House of Lords is even worse.
There is not much else to say. I agree that Facebook and Twitter have taken over the world.
Take care of yourself.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
I am wondering whether you have departed from the US and are now in Scotland.
The weather is not very good up in those northern parts at the moment so wrap up warm and keep yourself safe.
It will be interesting to learn of your thoughts and experiences, especially with the accent!
There is not much to say as people seem to have gone from Covid to Ukraine, even if they do not know where Ukraine is. Everything is so tribal that I see no end to any of these conflicts. Eastern Europe seems to be a very difficult part of the planet.
Thinking of you and wondering where you are.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
Strange to relate that many people here are still wearing masks when shopping, I hadn't expected this. We still wear our masks and keep our distance, but most people in church yesterday were behaving as though Covid never happened - despite pleas from vulnerable people and their families.
I think Mary will be enjoying the Scottish scenery and fresh air by now. I hope she finds time to visit Stirling Castle and Edinburgh. I think you'd like the Surgeon's Hall Museum, it's a chance to look at actual anatomical specimens rather than diagrams. Whilst visiting we listened in on a very interesting lecture being given to students from Edinburgh Medical School - the lecturer didn't seem to mind us tagging along.
As the dark shadow of nuclear war hovers over Europe, lockdown parties at number 10, the economic disaster that is brexit and the state of cancer care in England will be kicked further into the long grass. It's the perfect time for Johnson to bury bad news, so we must stay vigilant for any backdoor NHS privatisation legislation. I used to agree with you about the House of Lords, but having watched many live debates, I've come to the conclusion that the Upper House has acted as a buffer against Johnson's attempts to destabilise the UK, ban protests and further enrich his Russian friends.
My post chemotherapy dizziness has been worse over the last few days and has made gardening difficult, as leaning forward usually results in a fall. Fortunately, falling on wet grass or mud is fairly harmless and I'm determined to get the pruning done. Whatever my particular long term side effects from chemotherapy, I have a friend who is fond of saying 'well, at least you're still alive'. The implication being that I should be grateful, I can't tell you how annoying this is. Nearly as annoying as the people who tell us they're glad they had cancer as it made them stronger, better people!
The weather is warm for February and the weekend was sunny and bright, with daffodils and crocuses in bloom almost everywhere in the village.
I hope you and Raymond are able to find more time for yourselves now that Spring is almost here.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
I was going to try to reply to your last post but I shall leave it until tomorrow now. I was shocked to find that the bc.org site has been redesigned and I do not like it at all. It took me ages to go through it and it is so, so slow.
I shall try again tomorrow but I do wonder seriously now whether we should bring an end to our thread.
Have you heard from Mary?
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
Like many others here, I'm having great difficulty with the new website design. Due to constraints on my time I will not be posting until this is either sorted out or the old, user friendly site is reinstated. Feel free to send a private message at any time.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello everyone,
Like many others here, I'm having great difficulty with the new website design. Due to constraints on my time I will not be posting until this is either sorted out or the old, user friendly site is reinstated. Feel free to send a private message at any time.
Love,
Gill xxx
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H.ello Gill,
I see that no one is posting. The system is still very slow.
I wonder what has happened to Helenlouise and Kath.
Sylvia.
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Hello Gill and Mary,
I am writing this on our thread in the hope that you will be able to click on the forum as I am doing. I found it very easy to do but it is slow. I clicked on Breast Cancer forum and it took me to the list of threads. I then clicked on our thread and it took me straight to my last post, which was the only recent post. I then did this post and will then click Submit. I do not know what will happen if I tried a long post, but that was happening anyway if you did not type in Word and then copy and paste.
All is well here, but not in this country.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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