Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
Comments
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Hello Gill,
I just wanted to say thank you for your birthday greetings.
Raymond and I had a quiet lunch with my brother Ray and we had some very interesting topics of conversation.
I do think the thread has come to an end. I am amazed that it has lasted so long and how busy it has been over the years. When I started it there was really just Calling all TNs which has been really successful but also very quiet lately. I shall always wonder what happened to Titan who started that one and where I used to post. Now, on the forum triple negative there are all sorts of smaller threads and new ones keep getting started, so it is all somethat fragmented.
It must be Mary's birthday very soon as I remember that hers was very close to mine.
Thinking of you.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sue,
Thank you for your birthday greetings. Raymond and I had a nice time with my brother Ray.
Just think that next year your treatment will be behind you and you can have a good celebration of your birthday.
I do hope you will start your radiotherapy soon. It is the waiting for treatment that is so difficult and frustrating. You will need rest before going back to work.
You are so lucky to have had some rain. It still has not come in Devon and each morning I hope to see some, but it just does not come. We are officially in drought now.
This country is in such a mess and all the politicians seem useless. It is not a nice country any more.
Take care of yourself and keep safe.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia and Gill,
The waiting for treatment is so hard, mostly because I feel so good right now. I'm able to eat most things that I want, though not all. I was never a very adventurous eater anyway, so limiting what I eat is fine for now.
The heat is still bad, but we get some cooler temperatures now and then. We haven't had much rain and we're in a drought as well. The problem is that most people don't care until the problem becomes dire. There are many places in the US where there is NO drinkable water. The storms have gone through and caused the water to run off. Then there is the excessive heat. There are areas that cannot use their water at. That's so scary.
I took a short trip to my school on Thursday. It was very nice to see all of my colleagues and to speak with them face-to-face again. Unfortunately, I was a bit overwhelmed after not seeing so many people in one place for so long. It felt a bit claustrophobic. I will have to work on that one before I return to work. I met with my replacement, who is lovely, and complimented her on the set up of the classroom. She will do a good job, which sets my mind at ease.
It is a holiday weekend, so I'll be waiting for next week to arrive and bring a phone call about the start of my radiation.
Wishing you all a safe and healthy week!
Love, Sue
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Hi Sue,
I understand why you're finding the waiting so difficult. You're feeling better than you've felt all year and going into treatment again feels a bit like going backwards. Radio therapy might not affect your appetite much, but most people find it tiring and some feel utterly exhausted by the last few sessions. Remember, radiation is the last thing you need to do before getting on with your life and looking forward to the future again.
I'm not surprised that you found visiting your school and colleagues a bit overwhelming. You've been through such a lot since you were last in school and the psychological impact of cancer is so easily underestimated. You might find that colleagues quickly become used to your being back in work and assume that you're cured and back to normal, it's frustrating at times and sometimes, when you're having a bad day, it can be upsetting. Perhaps explaining this to your closest colleagues who could spread the word, would save you the frustration of continually explaining the situation.
I've been reading about areas in the US with no clean, safe drinking water. Why didn't our Governments prepare for this. It's not as if they weren't warned. Too many climate change deniers in the West and the UK Government is happily ignoring what's coming, purely because it's politically expedient to do so.
Look after yourself!
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I think most threads here are becoming very slow. I really can't understand why new threads are started just because someone has a specific question they want answering. Why don't they just put their comment on one of the already well established threads? It's frustrating and weakens previously active threads. Perhaps the moderators could think of a solution?
I'm glad that you enjoyed your birthday lunch, you sounded as though you needed a few hours of enjoyment away from your work at the apartments and the general worries created by this dreadful Government. It looks as though Therese Coffey will me the new Health Secretary and it's rumoured that charging people over 60 for prescriptions is already being discussed.
I think that only you can decide whether it's right to call time on the thread. People will miss it, but you've kept it going for 13 years and that's an amazing achievement.
Take care.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Gill,
Thanks for the recommendations. I'll talk to the 2 people whom I am closest with. They are very protective and will make sure I'm okay. I did mention to a few people on Thursday that I was overwhelmed and they understood.
I think that there is a lot to worry about in government and because of politics, the people in charge sometimes take the easy things to deal with and brush aside the difficult decisions. But I want to say to them that difficult decisions are your job and your people are hurting. This is why you serve in the government. Make the tough decisions! They won't make them. Or they delay and talk everything to death.
It's hard to believe that people in my own country don't have water. And it makes me mad when I see people wasting it. Social media is an interesting place and I've never gotten involved politically--just not interested in that realm. But when human beings don't have basic needs, like water, it's something to stand up for.
Enough of that. I'm feeling really great for the first time in many months. I know radiation will pull me down a bit, but then let's get it started!! I expect a call this week about scheduling and I hope it begins next week. I'm not looking forward to the fatigue. I am looking forward to being done!
Stay safe and healthy!
Love, Sue
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Hi Sue,
You're in good physical health and radiation might not be as tiring for you as for those who began cancer treatment in poor health. I saw so many women who had serious obesity issues in the chemotherapy unit. I'm guessing that chemotherapy would have put their heart under a great deal of additional strain and left sided radiation would have increased their risk. I was glad to see that none of the medical staff commented on patients' weight, I have a morbidly obese friend who dreads seeking medical help for any health issues, as the comments from medics have been less than helpful or just plain rude.
Will you go back to the classroom part time at first? I know that part time teaching or job sharing can be stressful in itself. I used to do supply teaching and saw the pitfalls first hand.
We have our own water supply here as our cottage is away from the main village. The water turned orange a couple of weeks ago as the bore hole supply was less plentiful than usual and iron was being stirred up and blocking the filters. We live in the marshes and they dried up for the first time in living memory this Summer. It's appalling that lack of clean water is a problem in a wealthy country like the US. Politics is so corrupt these days, little people just don't count.
Let us know when your radiation begins.
Look after yourself.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
I agree with your comments about all the new threads that keep getting started. It is probably because newcomers do not really know their way around the forum. They just start a new thread. The forum probably needs a bit of a sort-out as there are probably too many threads. The system just lets you keep starting new threads.
Since we got rid of the car and since Covid, Raymond and I have been ordering on the computer, especially for our groceries and I have been having a good look at the way the computer responds to some items that you put in. The words are taken literally so you can end up with the most extraordinary items. I also do not like the amazing quantity of over-processed foods being shown. You want to buy an avocado and you could end up with avocado flavoured disinfectant!
Did you see the short farewell speech that Boris Johnson made this morning? There was nothing truthful in what he said and I could not believe the boasting and self-congratulations from someone forced to resign in disgrace. Talking to some people they seemed to think that telling lies etc. is alright and the we are losing a 'strong' leader! What world are they living in and where are their morals?
I see that Chris Woollams is back and I hope to be able to have a good read of some of the items mentioned in his latest newsletter.
I agree with everything you said to Sue and cannot really add to it. Sue, give yourself time.
It will be twelve years on September 12th that I started the thread but fifteen years since I joined bc.org when I was looking for information about the possible connection between breast cancer and an over-active parathyroid gland and met up with sam52.
That is all for now, except to say we had a lot of rain today and I felt so happy about it!
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia,
So glad you had rain! We had rain yesterday. My gardens are sighing with relief! Unfortunately, there is no more rain in the forecast for a while.
I received a call from the radiation nurse. My first appointment is next Tuesday. I will have 20 treatments, which will run through October. I will take my time after the therapy is over to recover before I go back to work.
My doctor's note says I can return on December 1st. But the doc also said that we'll evaluate how I'm feeling and if we agree that I'm ready, he will allow me to return sooner. Because my note says December 1, my substitute is contracted until Dec. 1 as well. In the past, my school district hasn't been keen on having employees work part time. So it's either return full time or wait until December.
It's really a "wait and see" thing right now. I will have the radiation therapy and see how I feel. Though it almost feels false right now because I feel so good at the moment. But I know the radiation will have an effect on my body. So I shall wait until October, when I am finished, and see how I feel.
I'll let you know how it's going.
Stay well and healthy.
Love, Sue
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Hello Sylvia,
Woke up this morning to find Southwold beach, a favourite of ours, has been flooded with sewage. It is now one of the most contaminated beaches in the UK. Another day, another disaster. I read parts of Johnson's speech, I can't stand the sight of him, so didn't trust myself to actually watch the lies pour forth. He's brought the county to the same disastrous economic state it was in after World War ll. I don't think it will recover in our lifetime and Therese Coffey seems very likely to sell off our NHS. I still know people who think this corrupt Government is doing a good job.........considering we're fighting a war in Ukraine!
There's a few things I want to read in Chris Woollams' newsletter. It's on my very long 'to do list'
Ordering groceries on line can be a bit of an adventure, a fresh lemon substituted with lemon washing up liquid is a standing joke. I agree with your food concerns. So many more cheaper foods absolutely bursting with salt, sugar and saturated fat are now available. I find it very difficult watching parents with young children filling their shopping trolleys with so much unhealthy food. There's a great many obese children in Norwich, it's a diabetic/heart disease/cancer time bomb. I think that the cost of living crisis will result in more people reaching for quick microwaveable foods to save time and fuel. Parents being forced to take on extra jobs and cuts in benefits will see a sharp rise in poorly nourished children. Why on earth can't all children be given free school dinners?
Perhaps you remember be commenting that my left underarm had been numb since my lymph node partial clearance? Finally the feeling has come back and the shooting pains have disappeared. I'd thought this discomfort would last for the rest of my life, so some good news at least.
Look after yourself.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Gill,
I see many of the things you are mentioning about groceries and nutrition are also here in the US. As a teacher, I see the food that children bring to school for snacks. It's mixed with some healthy foods and some not. Thankfully, there is free or reduced price breakfast and lunch (depending on income). The school nurses in our area were making videos of easy-to-cook meals. They did a few really good ones, including quiche and veggie stir-fry. Then they left the ingredients for the meals in the food banks periodically so that families could make them.
My school district also sends home food bags with families who request them. These bags have some good foods, but because of the nature of the bag, nothing perishable. During the pandemic, we were delivering food with assignments and books to many families. Now that the pandemic is considered "over," I'm hoping that doesn't become a thing of the past.
A friend of mine has been on a rampage about packaged foods that the kids eat. She insists that many of the allergies we see have to do with these unhealthy foods and vaccines. She sends me lots of articles about vaccines and had refused for a very long time to get the Covid vaccines. When her husband became ill, she got the vaccines for him.
I think about you all often as I see the news.
Take care and stay healthy!
Love, Sue
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Hello Sue,
Thank you for your latest posts. I do hope all will go well on Tuesday when you start your radiotherapy treatment. Keep an eye on your skin. Remember to rest as well. If it is the same regime as here, you have to go every day for five days, two days rest at the weekend, and then back to five days. I did that for three weeks so that is fifteen treatments. I was told I was having these with boosters so they must have been added to the fifteen treatments and done with them. I did not have any skin problems. I did moisturise my skin and remembered not to use soap like Dove, as I was told by the radiologist because it has a metal content. I used Simple unscented soap. If I remember correctly, I was told not to use talcum powder but I have never used it anyway.
I can tell that you are eager to get back to your school work, but do not rush. Go by what the doctor tells you.
I can see by your post to Gill that in your district there is a good effort to look after children. As for the UK, I do not think children are well cared for by the government. They have no idea about the lives of ordinary people. I think the average daily nutrition of people here is not what it should be. They rely too much on medication and prefer to swallow pills rather than nourish their bodies properly. There is too much over-processed foods and too much junk food.
It looks as though September here may be a wet month. We really need it to be wet.
That is all for today. Take care of yourself and stay safe.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your latest post. As usual, I agree with everything you say about Boris Johnson and the state of this country. Like you, I know people who think that Boris Johnson was a strong and good prime minister and that is beyond my comprehension. It seems that they want an entertainer and do not care about his lies and incompetence and especially his lack of gravitas and dignity. He boasts about his three great achievements, Brexit, the vaccine, and giving support to Zelenskyy. As far as I am concerned, Brexit has not been delivered and I think we need another referendum on it, the vaccine is killing people, and we should have stayed well away from Ukraine. We also need a general election, because Liz Truss has not been elected by the people of this country.
I have been reading the Chris Woollams newsletter for September 5th and it is full of important information. The ones I found of particular interest are as follows.
1. Melatonin for health not just for cancer – melatonin is essential for preventing inflammatory diseases and slowing ageing.
2. Conflict with statins and cancer drugs – how grapefruit damages or concentrates their action. Updated list.
3. How some antidepressants conflicts with foods – the wrong foods can be fatal with antidepressants and cancer drugs!
4. How to make immunotherapy work properly – we updated the blog, as more and more patients are given poor medical info.
9. The truth about widely used Dexamethasone – everyone having chemo seems to have 'Dex' these days but people are often misinformed.
10.Covid clinical trial data misleading says FDA – Yes, really! Pfizer apparently over-claimed and confused people. Who would have guessed?
I read through all this and Raymond is reading it as well. There is a lot of important information to take in.
I hope Mary is still reading Chris Woollams and I think Sue will find it interesting. I hope everyone reading our thread will sign up to the newsletter. You can sign up at https://www.canceractive.com/
I was glad to read that you had feeling back in your left underarm. Good news is so important these days.
As for nutrition, it is one of my major interests and I always try to eat healthily and I base my everyday food on fruit and vegetables, raw nuts, seeds and beans, wild frozen salmon fillets, whole grain high fibre seeded bread and a little goats cheese, a few deep yellow yolk eggs and no sugars soy drink. Basically a Mediterranean diet. I do not eat meat or dairy products. I am still eating the 100% Montezuma dark chocolate.
I have run out of time for today but I want to say I do enjoy your posts. It seems we attract teachers on this thread. We have had quite a lot over the years.
Take care and keep safe. The coronavirus is still with us.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sue,
I'll be thinking of you tomorrow as you begin the final lap. I didn't have radiotherapy, but from what I've been told by previous posters on the thread, the first appointment is long and very tiring. Holding your arm in one position for a long period of time whilst the precise target for radiation is marked, can be stressful. Worth it though, as for so many years, the whole breast area was targeted and many women were left with an arm that no longer moved, except when lifted with the help of the patient's other arm. More of a flail than a functioning arm.
Your system for seeing that children are fed properly is far more compassionate than ours. Our recently promoted Secretary of State for Health was, until recently, in charge of benefits intended to help those in need. She publicly declared that it wasn't her role to prevent people from starving. It's not a teachers role either, but our schools voluntarily provide breakfasts to children in need. When a child goes hungry, it's never, ever the child's fault. What a cruel country we have become.
The Queen has died and the UK is in mourning. As is usual here, State occasions are performed with great panache, down to the finest detail. I'm hoping that King Charles will show as much contempt for this Government as I feel.
Good luck for tomorrow.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Sylvia,
Hope you had a quiet weekend, or at least one that didn't involve residents with problems for you to resolve.
I wonder how Mary is? Her arm seems to have settled down now, but last time she wrote, she was suffering from unexplained weight loss. This is always a concern once you've had cancer, I hope this is now sorted out and peace of mind restored.
Parliament should not have been put on mourning leave in such a time of crisis. It needs to be up and running again tomorrow. Johnson will be delighted as the date for him to face the Parliamentary Committee will be put further back and give Truss more time to think of underhand ways to ban all forms of government scrutiny. No ethics advisor for Liz, apparently she already knows how to tell the truth! Others might argue, but the Tories and the right wing press are more than happy to push her case. We could and should be asking why the right wing newspapers are owned by people who have never lived here.
Senior doctors and nurses are telling the Government that our NHS has now fallen over the precipice and cannot be pulled back.Therese Coffey will no doubt inflict the coup de grace. It's somehow appropriate that someone who is morbidity obese, drinks and smokes should announce the demise of our Health Service. I can't afford to pay for private healthcare, except for minor issues, this despite receiving a (previously) very comfortable pension on which to live. I feel that we have already lived through Animal Farm and are well into 1984 territory. Wonder if Truss and Therese have seen Logan's Run?
Apologies for the gloom. I will await the revolution which has been put on hold as a mark of respect to the Queen.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Gill and Sylvia,
I was so sad to read about the Queen. She had a long reign. I wonder how Charles will live up to that. What are you all thinking about Charles as the king?
In the US, we get a very filtered story about other places and troubles in the world. I read things and wonder about the real story. So today, I read that Liz Truss is working to lift the ban on fracking to reduce the cost of natural gas. They had a story about how natural gas prices are forecast to increase nearly 10 fold by the time winter arrives. Is any of this real? Or are they trying to build Truss's reputation in foreign arenas?
I've already done the first appointment for radiation therapy. They had me lie on a special table and, because of the area where my tumor was, I had to lie on my stomach. Then they did a cat scan to determine the exact location for the radiation. They gave me 5 tattoos (little dots that look like freckles) on my back that they will use to administer the radiation. Lying there for so long was a bit uncomfortable because I wasn't really supposed to move for periods of time. But in between the scans, the nurse allowed me to adjust and move a bit.
Tomorrow is the start. I'll meet with the doctor first to discuss questions and procedures. My husband and I made a list of questions. I'll meet with the doctor once per week to check in and see how it's going. The doctor is a parent at my school, though I did not teach his children.
Nutrition and getting food to our children and elderly are very important. No one may want to take responsibility for feeding the masses, but teachers have a vested interest in making sure children are fed, so I guess we stepped up quickly. Many teachers have been spending their own money for years to make sure the kids in their classes have snacks and school supplies. Our teacher's union has supported us and continues to provide money to the food banks and school stores as well. Kids who are hungry or tired cannot learn. So we help them where we can. Thankfully there are other organizations who help now that they've seen the problem more clearly during the pandemic.
Thank you all for the support! I'll keep you updated.
Love, Sue
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Hi Everyone,
First radiation treatment done; 19 more to go.
The treatment itself was very fast and I didn't feel anything. It was the 10 or 15 minutes before the treatment that was annoying. I had to lie on my stomach while they used the tattoos from the last visit to properly position my body and the table. This was a one-time thing apparently. Today, they'll be able to put the table at the required position and begin right away. It should only take a few minutes today.
Psychologically, I'm waiting for something to happen. I know that radiation is cumulative, so the side effects will build as I go. But after chemo, I seem to be waiting for the deluge. It's a bit ominous.
It's helped to write the appointments on my calendar and to start to cross each one off as I complete it. The last one has a bit of a celebration decoration on my calendar. I'm keeping my head there for now!
Cheers to all!
Love, Sue
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Hi Sue,
I do hope that your radiation will go smoothly and the tiredness won't be overwhelming. You've recovered quickly from everything that's been thrown at you so far and no doubt this will be the same.
I'm so impressed by the way your hospital is looking after you. So many opportunities to discuss what's happening and ask questions. Sylvia had pretty much the same experience, mine was very different. Time hasn't been kind to our National Health Service and it's no longer able to cope with all the funding cuts. All surgeries and consultations have been cancelled on Monday as it's the Queen's funeral. The Queen was known for just getting on with things regardless, I very much doubt if she'd have wanted this.
Liz Truss is a clown of a Prime Minister and cruel with it. She will do whatever her wealthy Tory donors instruct her to do. Yes fracking is back, it will be a disaster for those living anywhere near fracking sites and won't solve the energy crisis. Truss has also announced that obesity warnings on unhealthy food are to be stopped......so that those who don't have enough money to buy real food can get by on eating sugar and fat. The cost of heating our homes, offices, restaurants etc have already trebled and will treble again by January. Schools and hospitals will also have to pay. The sick, the old, the very young and the low waged are going to be very cold and very hungry this Winter. Some, perhaps many, will die. If Liz Truss is looking to achieve a place on the world stage she'll need a lot more than a war in Ukraine to cling onto. We need a General Election before the UK collapses completely.
Some good news though. A blood test which identifies people who have cancer - before symptoms appear has been trialled on people over fifty and is looking very good so far. A drawback is that the test doesn't identify the cancer type, nonetheless, this is a huge step forward.
Let us know how treatment is going.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi again Sue,
Very glad that you're now at radiation minus 1. Good idea to cross each completed one off. If it helps, I haven't heard anyone say that the cumulative impact of radiation is as bad as chemotherapy or anywhere near. Most talk about being exhausted though and you'll definitely need time to recover. Good luck!
Gill X
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Thanks Gill,
Always wonderful to hear from you!
Radiation so far, is not nearly as taxing (or long) as chemo. I will be able to deal with fatigue, I think. That's the side effect that is somewhat normal for an illness. My husband is making me walk a few times every day, so I'm continuing to rebuild my stamina. When the fatigue starts to really set in, I'll cut down where I need to and rest so that I can recover and go back to work.
Now that school is in session here, the Covid cases are rampant. I believe in my school alone, there were 4 last week and 5 already this week--at midweek. People refuse to wear masks in large gatherings. Some say that it's just a cold that may be a bit uncomfortable for a few days. But that makes me so mad. Do they never think of the other people they are making sick? Do they not even care?
I've been a teacher for a long time. Parents very often send kids to school sick. My hope is that they try to be more aware and keep their kids home. But parents are also under so much pressure with their own jobs and responsibilities. If their child has the sniffles or a scratchy throat, they'll send them to school. It's going to be a mess.
I've been debating about having another booster. My doctor wants me to have a flu shot now. But I said no, maybe after radiation. But the last Covid booster I had made me sick. Chances are I'll get sick with another booster. I'm not too interested in that. So I'll continue to discuss the Covid booster with my med team. I think they might advise me to have it because of the nature of my work. We'll see.
Take care and stay healthy.
Love, Sue
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your latest post of September 12th.
The weekend was not too bad.
I do hope Mary is doing well, but I honestly think that she will not post regularly like she used to. She has a lot going on with her life.
As for what is going on in this country, I do think that the last week has been over emphasised. There are so many serious problems that Parliament should not have shut down like this. Making this coming Monday a Bank Holiday has sent everything into chaos. On the Microsoft news the NHS has been turned upside down with appointments being cancelled. Even funerals have been cancelled for that day. All this money spent on flowers etc. should have been given to food banks to provide for those in need.
Liz Truss should be in parliament. Like you, I cannot believe that Therese Coffey is a good advertisement for Health Minister. The front bench gets worse and worse.
This morning on Radio 4 the new programmes for Thursday morning at 9 am, In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg started and it was all about George Orwell and his novel 1984. It was most interesting and, if you can, listen to the abbreviated version this at 9:30 pm. Like you, I think we are well into 1984 territory.
I am not familiar with Logan's Run. Can you explain it?
That is all for now. I do think it is time to end this thread. There are just the two of us and Sue participating now.
As far as breast cancer is concerned at the moment a thread is needed about the lack of care for breast cancer patients, and indeed all cancer patients, and how they are not being diagnosed in time etc. in the UK but I do not think an American forum is the best place for this. I started the thread September 12th 2010 so it has gone for twelve years.
Thinking of you in these worst of times.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sue,
I was glad to read that everything is going well with your radiotherapy. Before you know it it will all be behind you and you will be able to start to get back to normal.
We are living through difficult and impossible times here and there is no one in government really capable of sorting it all out. The Conservatives believe in low taxation and low services. I believe that if we want decent services we have to have taxes to pay for them. Most people cannot afford to pay for private services like the elites running the country. We have gone backwards since the 1945 Labour Government under Clement Atlee began to rebuild after WW2 and started the welfare state, the NHS etc. under the motto Care from the Cradle to the Grave. They were the Rock of this country and it has all been destroyed.
Raymond and I had the two original coronavirus vaccines and then the first booster. We have decided not to have the fourth booster, nor indeed the fifth one or the flu vaccine. There is only so much poison a person's body can take. Too much money is being made on these vaccines and they have become a control system. We shall continue to use our common sense with social distancing, mask wearing and a healthy diet. I am expecting coronavirus numbers to increase with all the huge crowds that have been gathering over the past week.
Wishing you all the very best during your radiotherapy. You can get through this.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sue,
Hope you're still feeling okay. Just go with your body, it'll soon let you know when it's time to rest. I think the fatigue sets in towards the end of treatment. Just having to attend the daily hospital appointments must be fairly tiring in itself - especially for those needing to travel long distances.
Absolutely agree about parents sending their children to school when they're ill. It's really unfair on the staff and other children/parents. Some employers understand that parents need to take time off for sick children, others are completely intolerant. Not everyone has a relative living nearby willing to take care of a sick child. Who wants to give granny a bad cold or stomach upset anyway? My daughter's a doctor in general practice and when her daughter caught covid for the third time, she was forced to take her childcare days off out of her holiday leave. I also get angry with retired people who could quite easily stay at home, but prefer to go out and spread their germs about - yes, even covid!
My husband had his Autumn covid booster yesterday, I cancelled my appointment as I have a feverish cold, the nurse doing his vaccination said that immunity ranges from zero to a couple of months. Unsurprisingly, there's a very low take-up of the second booster here and most of the people I know are still undecided. I'll probably have mine, but it hardly seems worth it. I always have my annual flu vaccination and that's coming up. As your immunity will have been weakened by chemotherapy another covid vaccination might be worth considering.
President Biden has flown in for the Queen's funeral, but won't be travelling on the specially commissioned bus taking other heads of state to Westminster Abbey. The King is very keen on minimising damage to the environment and didn't want dignitaries travelling in large gas guzzling limousines. Oh well.....
Wishing you a healthy (not too tiring) week.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I always look forward to hearing from Mary, she'll be back for a catch-up soon no doubt. Concerned about Helenlouise though and have just reread her last comment, which was worrying.
Agree that the wall-to-wall coverage of the Queen is now becoming tedious. Closing down Parliament for so long has just been an excuse to avoid scrutiny. Parliament will be closed again just after it re-opens as the political conference season begins. Surely this could have been cancelled for once?
Logan's run was a film made in 1976. It depicts a future society where the world's depleted resources are maintained by killing everyone when they reach 30, two people escape and we follow them through their flight. We have to hope Truss hasn't seen it, though she already seems to be doing her best to kill off the poor, the sick, the disabled and those living on state pensions.
Watching the demise of our health service is extremely depressing. The Government's latest idea is possibly more so. It's come up with the idea of encouraging parents to help fund their childrens' education at struggling state schools. All state schools are struggling due to lack of funding, so all parents are being encouraged to chip in. Thus, children living in poorer areas will lose out once again. Why aren't we rioting in the streets?
No news that I can find about breast cancer. It's lucky we have Sue to keep us up to date. Other threads are quieter than they used to be, though now that the new site design seems to have bedded down perhaps posters will return.
We had quite a lot of rain on Friday and the weather is about normal for mid September - perhaps a bit cooler. Both cats are indoors all day, so they must be feeling the change from Summer to Autumn. At least the holidaymakers will have left Exmouth and all will be quiet again.
Take care of each other.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for yr latest post of September 18th.
Like you I do hope that HelenLouise is alright and that she is not having problems. She has been through so much.
I do hope that Mary will be in touch and that she is not having health problems.
I think that we have to face up to the fact that this thread is no longer active and that the other long term thread, Calling all TNs is not as active as it used to be. As I have said before on the Triple negative forum, we have a mixture of threads being created and none of them grow like the two older ones used to.
I think the whole thing about the Queen's funeral was overdone and that we are in dire need now of getting back to the reality of the dire state of this country. Nothing is working and our politicians could not care less. We have too many antiquated rituals and we need to modernise.
The film Logan's Run sounds like a very interesting film. We may be going through a version of it now with the state wanting to be rid of pensioners. I seem to remember reading a book by P D James in which old people were taken out on boat trips, but did not return! I also remember something entitled Soylent Green in which old people were killed off and recycled into biscuits!
We could be heading into a situation where both health and education is based on ability to pay.
I also wonder why we are not rioting in the streets!
There is not much else to say. When we can find the time, Raymond and I are going to re-read 1984 and Animal Farm. We seem to be living it.
Thinking of you and Michael.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sue,
I am just popping in to say that I hope all is going well with your radiotherapy and that you are coping well.
Thinking of you.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia and Gill,
The radiation is going well. I just finished the 8th treatment on Thursday and will be halfway done after Monday's treatment. I am experiencing some fatigue and applying lotion, but I'm doing fine. I know this is cumulative, but I'm keeping my walking going and getting on my exercise bike a few days a week. I'm hoping that will help.
They're doing another scan next week and changing my position for therapy. For the last 5 treatments, I'll be lying on my back instead of on my stomach. I will ask the doctor about it on Monday--I only see him once per week.
Hope all is well and you are all healthy!
Love, Sue
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Hi Sue,
Pleased that you're doing so well and managing to cope with some exercise too. You probably feel relieved that you won't have to lie on your front for the final treatments.
You were obviously very fit before cancer struck and that's probably helped.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Sylvia,
Not sure that I'd want to be recycled as a biscuit! Best keep that idea well away from madam Truss.
Nothing for the NHS in yesterday's mini budget and covid rates are rising quickly again. Will it never end? It seems likely that many NHS workers will have to leave in order to find more lucrative work. Therese Coffey thinks that volunteers and charities will plug the funding gap. When I was in the Norfolk and Norwich hospital the wards were very cold at night and the bed linen thin and inadequate. Michael had to bring in a blanket from home. How will it cope with the fuel crisis? No solutions, just borrow more money and let the public pay it back in a few months time. No windfall tax on billionaire fuel company bosses. Cap removed from bankers' bonuses and nothing for health or social care. I'm terrified in case either Michael or me need medical treatment. You probably feel the same.
I don't think the situation on the thread will improve. I've been looking back to the early days, when it was very active. Other breast cancer websites seem to be suffering too - maybe people have become disenchanted with social media in general. I hope this doesn't mean that breast cancer patients just accept the treatment they're offered without question, especially in England.
That's about all for now. Wishing you and Raymond an enjoyable weekend.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello All-
I have reached 5 years out from my diagnosis of TNBC. I started my treatments in the first week of September after going on a trip to celebrate my middle daughters upcoming wedding. Oh how dreaded returning home and starting my treatment. But I walked into the cancer center that Thursday after returning from the trip. Whenever anyone asked me how I was feeling during my chemo treatments, I would tell them you know not too bad. Mainly because I knew that they too may face that diagnosis one day and didn't want them to have the fear that I had. Looking back there were some very dark moments that could of been avoided had a nurse or oncologist had been more emphathetic in their comments. But I'm so very grateful for those who supported me and cared for me and cheered me up. I really have not made any statements about being 5 years out - I know that it's crazy thinking but I don't want to jinx myself! But I felt the need to let others know that my oncologist was very grim about my diagnosis and getting to the 5 year mark. She is a brilliant doctor but doesn't have relationship skills and so be it I received the best she had to give and grateful for that. Although I seldom post, this particular thread has been an anchor for me and am so very grateful for the women that continue to post here. People talk of a new normal in survivorship, which I'm not so sure of - survivorship has its own set of challenges as far as navigating those situations that can trigger emotions and anxieties. Well I just wanted to share the news that I have reached 5 years to women who would understand how that feels.
I hope everyone is well- Paula
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