Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Hello breastcancerpartner,
I have just read your post and posts elsewhere and just wanted to wish you and your partner all the best during her breast cancer journey. It is not an easy journey and there can be ups and downs and I can feel your anxiety. You can get through this and just take one day at a time. All of us on the forum can recount our own experiences of this journey and what we did to solve problems as they arose, but remember we are not doctors and, when in doubt, always ask your oncologist or breast cancer surgeon.
As to your question about PCR of the primary lump, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, please remember that it is not done to necessarily to make the lump disappear, but to make it shrink and to make any surgery easier.
I was diagnosed back in 2005 with a large tumour, 6cms, and had six months of chemotherapy before having a mastectomy. It seemed to be the usual procedure back then for larger tumours. After each chemotherapy session the tumour was measured during a visit to the oncologist. When I had finished the chemotherapy it had shrunk enough to proceed with a mastectomy.
After the mastectomy I had three weeks of radiotherapy and was then told that I had PCR. If I can do all this, then so can your partner. I had epirubicin and cyclophosphomide (EC) together for the first three months and then docetaxel (Taxotere) for the last three months. I was lucky not to have too many problems during that time except for fatigue and dry mouth.
I hope this helps. Keep looking forward with your partner and you will get through this.
I am now over 17 years since diagnosis and have had no problems to date.
With my very best wishes.
Sylvia
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Hello Gill,
I am posting to ask whether all is well with you as a few days have gone by without a post from you. I do hope that all is well with you and Michael and that you are just taking a rest.
The weather in Exmouth has been awful today and we woke up to frost and thick fog.
We have not heard from Sue and Paula now for a while so I do hope they are both fine. I have given up on hearing from the Moderators about HelenLouise and what happened to her last attempt to post.
Sending you love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
Short email to let you know that I'm alright. I wrote a long comment about half an hour ago and then my internet connection dropped out. This has been happening since the weekend, it's very frustrating as I need the internet to be reliable. I'll get back in touch before the weekend .
Keep warm.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Gill and Sylvia,
Thank you for continuing to post. I am grateful for updated information and for hearing about healthcare in the UK. I believe you're right, that healthcare in the US is money-motivated. If you have insurance, the docs don't really ask you what you want to do. They give you options and assume you'll follow their advice. It's up to the patient to ask questions and pursue other opinions and options.
When I was diagnosed, the tumor was fast moving and invasive. I did seek another opinion, but it was not what I wanted. The other thing was, I was so shocked and upset, I wasn't sure what was best. They all wanted to get moving quickly before the cancer spread. I had a CT scan and a bone scan immediately. I am happy with the outcome, but much more informed now than I felt I could have been at the time of diagnosis.
Well, I had Covid again. I was out of work last week. But I wasn't really sick. I terrible headache for a few days and a stuffy nose, but otherwise, I didn't feel bad. I had to stay out of work all week. It was difficult to catch up this week. And I'll be out again next week to have my port removed. I imagine my yearly review won't be great with the absences, but oh well. Not really concerned about that. I have a record of impeccable attendance and work, so they can do what they will.
It scary the number of children that come to school sick. I guess that has always been the case. But now with Covid and mandatory absence when you test positive, it's a pain. I would get colds and maladies from the kids in the past and be out a day or 2. But now, they make us take a test and if it's positive for Covid, you have 5 days out and a mask for 5 days after that. I'll extend my mask time to next week because I don't want any infection to find its way in before my port removal. I eager to have the port removed.
We're hearing all kinds of things here about healthcare worker strikes and people leaving the profession. Sounds terrible and frightening for the state of affairs in treating the most vulnerable people. I'm so sorry to hear that.
I'll write again soon.
Stay safe and well,
Love, Sue
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Hello Gill,
I was glad to read that you are alright. All the ups and downs that can happen with the internet is very frustrating and I hope yours gets sorted out. I often think that technology is getting out of hand and I preferred everything when things were much simpler. It looks as though we are now heading for trouble with the landline phones when they go digital.
Thinking of you.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sue,
Thank you for your interesting post. I shall answer later on today or tomorrow when I have more time. I was sorry to read that you have had Covid again. It is spreading here quite quickly because the latest variant is very contagious but is often not too serious. Sore throats and sneezing seem to be the main symptoms.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
I was reading this article recently and thought you might be interested as well. We have always had an interest on this thread in health and nutrition.
Best wishes.
Sylvia
"When most people think of "energy boosters," they think of coffee, energy drinks and other caffeine-containing products. While the jury's out on the merits of caffeine, relying on it for daily energy can certainly create haphazard peaks and valleys in your energy levels.
Fortunately, there are plenty of better, more sustainable strategies for staying alert and vibrant as you age. Here are nine great ways older adults can keep themselves healthier and more energetic.
1. Proper Nutrition
A well-balanced diet is essential to consistent energy levels. Too few calories, and you'll feel lethargic and irritable; too many, and you'll feel bogged down. The vitamins and minerals obtained from a wide variety of foods are also essential in supporting all of your body's regenerative processes.
In general, eating smaller meals more frequently is better for consistent energy levels than splurging on a couple of big meals per day. Most meals should contain a combination of lean protein, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, all of which will help you feel full, satisfied and energetic without overeating.
2. Eating Breakfast
Breakfast is particularly important to maintain energy throughout the day. Even if you don't feel hungry in the morning, it's best to eat at least a small snack that contains eggs, cottage cheese or some other type of lean protein.
3. Green Tea
If you're trying to kick a coffee habit, or if you just don't tolerate large amounts of caffeine, green tea may be a better option. It still contains some caffeine — about a third of what you get in a cup of coffee — but it also has antioxidants, digestive benefits and amino acids that improve focus and mental clarity.
4. B Vitamin Supplements
B vitamins — B6 and B12 in particular — are excellent energy boosters. In fact, they're found in plenty of popular energy drinks. Fortunately, you don't need to down all that caffeine to reap B-vitamin benefits. Most well-balanced diets provide an abundance of B-vitamins, but if you need an extra boost, a simple B-vitamin complex may work wonders.
5. Drinking Water
Your body has amazingly adaptive mechanisms for regulating thirst and hydration, but these mechanisms tend to deteriorate as you age. Even mild dehydration can sap your strength and energy, however, so it's important to drink water throughout the day — even when you don't feel very thirsty.
6. Magnesium
Magnesium is a critical nutrient that your body uses to turn food into ATP — the cellular energy your body needs for movement, thought and even basic metabolic functions. It can be tough to get enough through diet alone, but there are plenty of quality magnesium supplements on the market.
7. Daily Exercise
You may not feel like exercising if you're already lethargic, but even a small amount of daily movement can make a major difference in your energy levels. Hard exercise also causes your body to release endorphins, which enhance your mood, mental clarity and sense of well-being.
8. Consistent Sleep
It's a common misconception that your need for sleep declines with age. Consistent sleep is essential for steady energy levels, not just for one day, but throughout the weeks and months. Some of the best ways to get better sleep are to establish regular bedtimes; make your bedroom cool, quiet and dark; and avoid TVs and other electronics an hour before bed.
9. Short Naps
Even if you are sleeping a solid eight hours per night, a quick nap can be an excellent way to regain some energy after a midday slump. Naps lasting less than an hour allow you to rest without the risk of entering deep sleep, which may actually make you feel more tired once you wake up.
Taking care of your health is key to fulfilling your goal of aging in place. Our resource center has other guides and helpful tips you can use for aging in place and an overall successful retirement."
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Hello Sue,
I definitely agree with you that all patients should question their doctors, and as much as they feel the need. I did that from the very beginning of my treatment and never stopped. I think my oncologist, breast cancer surgeon, and cancer nurse respected me for it. They told me most patients never asked questions and just wanted to get on with the treatment. I always check and research whatever the medical establishment tell me. It is my body I am dealing with and it belongs to me.
We are all shocked and upset when we are first diagnosed, and we are very vulnerable, so we have to give ourselves time to take in the diagnosis and accept it. We should not be rushed. It is good that we learn more as we go through treatment. Knowledge is power.
I was sorry to read about how Covid has been affecting your teaching. I can understand how a week out of teaching would put you back. Do not worry. You will catch up all in good time. With your yearly review, your breast cancer and enforced absences should be taken into consideration. Just take care of yourself.
I can understand how you feel about children coming to school sick and how Covid has made that all the more difficult. Someone will be making money out of the masks and test kits. The consensus here seems to be that the mask wearing does not help keeping infection at bay unless you wear hospital grade masks. The government here is always under attack now for ordering lock-downs and furloughs. It is difficult to know what to think. There has also been a lot of trouble about the vaccinations and how they were brought out too quickly with insufficient testing. Long-covid is a big problem and excess deaths from it under investigation and some people paid compensation for family deaths.
The healthcare system here is broken in my opinion and the waiting lists too long to be resolved. The cynics would say that the excess deaths will help to resolve the waiting lists! Our government does not seem to care about the things that concern ordinary people. We have a huge problem of illegal immigrants just walking into our country and yet it is never the top of the agenda on the news. The government is more concerned with "net zero"!
Our country is a total mess and nothing seems to work.
That is about all for now. Take care of yourself.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia
I picked up my newspaper yesterday and found an article on the NHS, it is in dismal shape, as you and Gill say. The waits for surgery are unreal. It surprised me to read that the ratio of patient to doctor in UK is 2.6 docs to 1000 patients. The article then surprised me by saying here in US the ratio is 2.9 to 1000. So not much different, and yet there is a difference. I haven't had a problem getting in to see a doc, but then I am in the same place for many years and with the same docs. I have heard of docs who are taking no new patients, so I can see where it would be a challenge if one was moving around often, or was not established with a doctor.
I was sorry to see that Sue had Covid, even though not a bad case it is a mess if one works in a school. My niece was a school nurse for tthe first 2 years of Covid, and then resigned because of all the stress in managing the illnesses that constantly circulate through a group of children.
Here the weather is changeable, today is gray and cold, tomorrow is promised to be warmer and sunny. But, every time it turns warm it gets very windy, I find that hard to tolerate these days, I hate the wind blowing in my ears.
I read that Gill has cataracts, I think they are quite common as we age, I've had one removed and have one still on the other eye. I will say the world is a bit brighter when they are gone. I have not heard they are caused by chemo, but I do believe that the harsh chemo we had does put a strain on systems in our bodies.
With that, I must close and will talk to you later!
Love, Mary
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Hello Sylvia,
I don't like my new Samsung Galaxy tablet at all. IT is getting more complicated to use, it should be getting easier. Many people have no idea how to use computers and mobile phones, yet all landlines will be phased out in 5 years. I'm hoping to get to grips with the tablet over the weekend.
We were without Internet access for much of this week. An Openreach engineer has been here all afternoon and thinks the problem is water getting into some wiring. Part of the farm track to our cottage will have to be dug up by another engineer who is qualified in 'soft digging'. We'll be losing our Internet connection on and off for the the next week.
I'm very glad that I paid for additional back of the eye scans and whole eye scans at the opticians as it meant that there was a clear picture of the macular and mine is still good. It was money well spent. I was given a stronger prescription for reading and my new glasses will be ready on Wednesday. I bought a spare pair this time. They're fairly jazzy frames, one purple, the other red. Chemotherapy is the likely cause of my cataracts, not my age or UV light. It's not uncommon and they can form quickly as mine did.
We are soon to be pulled out of the European Convention on Human Rights. We'll be isolated from almost 50 European States and pushed into a relationship with Russia. This will mean that our friendship with the US will crumble as they are keen to protect Northern Ireland. It was all so predictable.
With over 7 million people on hospital waiting lists and a drop of 27% in nursing degree applications plus the Government ordering medical schools to cut the number of doctors being trained, it looks as though the NHS is finished. So many of us are afraid of becoming ill. It doesn't make for a happy retirement.
Wishing you and Raymond a peaceful weekend, with some sunshine.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Mary,
It was lovely to hear from you. I am out of time for today but, hopefully, I shall be able to talk to you tomorrow and I hope Gill will be along as well. I know she was having trouble with her broadband. I do think technology is going too far. It is getting difficult to talk to a human being.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
As far as the UK is concerned I think that our health service is finished. I think it will end up privatised. It was never meant for a high tech system, an overpopulated country and one that treats patients from all over the world and does not receive the payment from these patients that they are supposed to pay. The have not paid into the system. The NHS is supposed to be a National service not an International service, it has been underfunded and used and abused. It is now a bureaucratic monster. The NHS is the second biggest employer in the world! There are too many bureaucrats with huge salaries but our frontline nurses are paid peanuts.
As for Covid it is still very much around in the UK but information now is largely hidden, along with information about excess deaths, long Covid and all the nasty illnesses we now have which were supposed to have disappeared. We have scarlet fever, diphtheria, polio and goodness knows what else. My eldest brother died of rheumatic fever in 1945 aged 10. I was just three at the time and barely remember him. It started with scarlet fever, progressed to rheumatic fever which went to endocarditis, inflammation of the lining of the heart. There were no antibiotics at the time.
I think we are a tired old country, except for the privileged few who own all the wealth and have all the power. We are too boastful and arrogant and need to come down off our pedestal. In the order of things we are just a small insignificant island, just off Europe.
Cataracts are a common feature of old age. Like you, I have never heard of them being caused by chemotherapy. I think there is a tendency to blame everything on chemotherapy. I think it is much more likely to be caused by ultraviolet rays and perhaps overuse of the eyes in an age of spending too much time on the computer and in front of the television, not to mention smartphones. Bad nutrition might also play a part.
I think, like you, that chemotherapy and indeed radiotherapy did not do much good for our immune system.
That is about all for today. Please keep in touch.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx and Raymond sends his regards.
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Hello Gill,
I somehow missed your last post. You must have popped in while I was posting my short post to Mary. I am just going to have a short break and then I shall try to get back to you sometime today.
Love
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
Just a quick word to say that, if you look online, you will find a whole lot of information about chemotherapy and causing cataracts. There was too much information for me to take in today but I did see about the possible connection with certain drugs and I did see the taxane drugs and in particular docetaxel (Taxotere), not to mention tamoxifen.
All the best.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill,
I do agree that IT is getting too complicated for everyday people who are not involved with the technology. We have a laptop computer and we are alright with that so far. I should say that Raymond, a retired Chartered Electrical Engineer, who has designed phones and television cameras etc. thinks it is becoming too complicated. I curse it all the time. Raymond says he always worked on the KISS principle, keep it simple, stupid! We have a simple mobile phone and I do not really want a smart one.
I am not happy with the idea that landlines will be phased out in five years. If I phone anyone on their mobile, especially when it is handsfree, the diction is poor and echoes. Raymond says this is because they were not built principally as phones but as multi-purpose instruments, whereas landline phones were built as phones!
I do hope that you will get your internet back soon.
As you will see from my brief line to Mary I have been researching chemotherapy and cataracts. I found there is a load of information, which I need to look at properly. There was no mention of any connection between cataracts and chemotherapy in my medical books. As I said before, we shall never know the extent of the damage from our treatment. All we can say is that it has kept us alive.
Thank you for the interesting information about your eye test.
We seem to be in such a mess in this country. Can anyone ever sort it out?
I am not convinced that this government will be able to pull us out of the ECHR. I think it would be a mistake. We are part of Europe. Why would we be pushed into a relationship with Russia? I think the government is getting us into a war with Russia. I am not sure what will happen with Northern Ireland. I think that they should be reunited with the Republic of Ireland, of which they are so obviously a part.
As I told Mary, I think the NHS is doomed. Everything has gone too far. I am not sure what the future of this country will be.
That is about all for now.
Sending you love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
I've been trying to reply, but BT Openreach have been here all morning, so no Internet. No sign of the men who do the digging yet and we still don't have a reliable connection. Agree with the KISS principle.
There's quite a bit online about chemotherapy and possible eye damage. It takes about 18 months - 2 years after treatment for cataracts to start forming. I did notice my eyesight becoming less sharp about 2 years ago, but thought I just needed a stronger prescription. I should have gone for an eye test much sooner, it was losing my best pair of reading glasses that prompted me to go for a check up. Cataract surgery is quick and simple, my only concern is that by the time I go for surgery, the NHS will no longer exist.
There's a few people in the village who have covid symptoms, none have tested positive, though not many people have a supply of tests at home, so are untested. They have raised temperatures and flu like symptoms, but it doesn't seem bad enough for flu, or perhaps this year's flu jabs worked.
I watch the occasional YouTube video by John Campbell and the last one was fairly alarming. There's a huge spike in excess deaths across Europe and in many countries across the world. 43% more deaths than normal in Germany. If the statistics, which are from reliable sources and crosschecked, are accurate, why aren't we being told? I hope this can be explained.
Weather is bright and sunny again, but still no rain.
Keep safe an well.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
I have no time to post at the moment but I shall catch up as soon as I can. I think we can sum up the situation in the UK as nothing works and they are just wasting our hard earned money with taxes and no services, while they live it up and waste money galore.
Look after yourselves and keep well and safe.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill,
I do hope that you are making progress with your BT Openreach and even hoping that you now have your internet back.
As for chemotherapy and eye damage, including cataracts, it is highly possible that the chemotherapy may start something off but I think that sun exposure and ageing also contribute. It may be worse with chemotherapy if you have it as an elderly person. Neither Raymond nor I would be keen to have cataract surgery. It is OK if there are no problems, but there are often are. We do not trust the NHS anymore.
Raymond and I are going for eye tests next week and will be having the normal free test plus £10 each for the optric test. I have not been for an eye test in a while as we have had year after year of stress for about five years, when Raymond started to have problems. I was at the hospital for lymphoedema treatment and finished with it to give priority to Raymond.
As for Covid I saw a friend yesterday who is a District Nurse. She tested positive for Covid on Christmas day and had it badly. She was off work until quite recently. I think she should have stayed off longer.
Apparently the flu that is going around is not any picnic either.
I was interested in what you said about excess deaths. I still do not think we are getting the true statistics.
I have just been reading the latest email from Chris Woollams dated February 14th. It is entitled 12 strong Health Tips from research in 2022. The articles that were of interest to me were as follows.
1. Linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. How you might stabilise mild to moderate dementia.
3. How to have stronger bones.
4. How to control inflammation.
6. Reduce blood pressure naturally.
8. Cancer, heart disease and/or metabolic syndrome.
There is a video of The Sunday Show about Holistic Dentistry and Cancer – How your teeth can influence cancer survival by Dr Elmar Jung.
This latest newsletter has a lot of interesting information.
The weather here today has been dry, not too cold but too sunless.
The news does not get any better. Roll on the General Election and I think we need new parties.
That is about all for now.
Let us hope the group joins in.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Gill and Sylvia,
I'm so sorry about all of the things you are going through. I can't imagine ration books. Is it availability because of supply due to the number of people needing so much or inability to grow what is needed to supply everyone.
We have some supply problems, but can usually find alternatives. Prices are insane. We are thankful for the mild weather this winter. Oil prices are so high that we'd have needed to refill several times by now to heat our house. Luckily, we've only refilled twice since last summer. Yesterday was cold and windy, but today is supposed to be much more mild.
I've had my port removed. The procedure was quite easy--only a local anesthetic. The worst was hearing the PA talk about cutting away tissue that had adhered to the port. But it was an easily tolerable procedure and took little time to recover. The PA asked me about my attitude toward the port. She said it seemed like people were denying use of a port and having inserted.
But I had to say that all of the times it was used for chemo and labs, I was thankful that I had it. In infusion sessions, I'd listen to the nurses trying to get IVs into patients' veins and the struggle that ensued. I would not have wanted to go through that pain in addition to having weekly chemo. Fortunately, I do have good veins, but I wonder if they'd still be good if I'd been stuck every week for chemo.
I'm coming due for some scans and it makes me a bit nervous. I guess it will for the rest of my life. I'm just trying to eat healthy and enjoy my life. I guess that's the best we can do.
Stay healthy!
Love, Sue
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Hello Sue,
Thank you for your post.
This country is in such a mess that it is difficult to know where to begin. All our problems are to do with overpopulation for an island as small as ours. We have more people than we need. There are 166,000 people that have come into the country in no time at all for asylum, refugee or economic immigrant, legal and illegal and they are waiting to have their cases processed. About 400 hotels have been commandeered by the government and paid for with our taxes that are no longer available for business people and tourists. They are all extra mouths to feed. In addition food shortages are being blamed on bad weather in Morocco and Southern Spain. One cabinet minister has been giving us a variation on Let Then Eat Cake supposedly said by Marie Antoinette at the time of the French Revolution, by telling us to eat turnips. Suddenly turnips are in short supply or have vanished!!
The cost of living crisis continues and heating costs are sky high but the Utilities have all made record profits.
Other excuses are the war in Ukraine and, would you believe it, Covid!
I was glad to know that you had your port removed. I am glad you did not find it too difficult.
I do hope all will go well when you are due to go for your scans. What scans will you be having?
We seem to be having nasty bouts of weather in various parts of the world. Different weather patterns have always happened. Here in the South West it is still pretty cold and we could do with some sunshine instead of the constant cloud. Nevertheless Spring bulbs are beginning to make their appearance.
I do hope Gill will put in an appearance. I know that she is busy and as despairing of this country as I am.
That is all for now.
Thinking of you and sending love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
Much colder here this week, not a good time to be cutting back on heating. The wood for our log burner is now ridiculously expensive. The price of electricity is set to rise again and it's already more than three times the price it was this time last year.
Therese Coffey is Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She's happy to vote for our beaches and rivers to be flooded with untreated sewage and chemicals and refuses to acknowledge that this is killing fish and wildlife and making the environment dangerous for humans. I fully expect cholera to be a problem this Summer.
The supermarkets and smaller shops have run out of vegetables and salad or are selling produce that's no longer fresh. I'm sure our MPs have plenty of fresh food in their heavily subsidised restaurant. When Coffey was asked what she proposed to do about the shortage of fresh vegetables, she said that the public could eat turnips. The farmers are booing her, but she's happy to let them go under. Not a popular woman.
I did try to read some of Chris Woolams' latest news, but have had to save it for when I have more time. I'm interested in knowing more about Berberine. Good health usually comes down to a good and varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables and plenty of exercise. I'm not good with exercise, especially at this time of year.
I do hope that Raymond's pacemaker was in good order. Getting a hospital appointment is a triumph in itself theses days. So many hospitals are in a dangerous state, with wards having to close for safety reasons. Junior doctors are out on strike in March and the Health Secretary is looking the other way. I fear being ill. What a dreadful country this has become.
I shall go and catch up on some paperwork now.
Try to find time to relax and enjoy each other's company for a while.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Sue,
I'm glad that you've had your line removed. You don't need to be reminded of cancer every time you look in the mirror and see the port. To have someone talking about cutting tissue away while it was actually being done would have worried me too. We know what's happening and try to psych ourselves up, distract ourselves if we can and then this tactless person decides to give you a running commentary!
I had a PICC line and was very glad of it. My oncologist refused to let me have one for the first two chemo sessions, but my veins are so small and hard to locate that she gave in. I remember the pain of the chemotherapy nurses trying to get a cannula in, having to have several goes and eventually calling for the 'cannula queen', a more experienced nurse who was brilliant at finding a vein that actually worked.
We don't have ration books for food yet, but it's heading that way if shortages become even worse. Our Government has made an enemy of Europe and many countries won't export produce here any more. It takes too long to get through all the red tape at our ports and lorries loaded with perishable produce can be stuck at the main port of Dover for days. England is becoming more and more isolated.
Good luck with your upcoming scans. Try not to let tests and check ups worry you too much. Triple negative responds extremely well to chemotherapy and you were treated quickly. You have every reason to be positive.
Stay healthy and enjoy life.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your latest post.
I think all we can say about this country is that nothing works. It is truly broken Britain.
Chris Woollams always has something interesting to say.
I do agree that the most important thing about trying to keep healthy is to have a good and varied diet with the emphasis on fruit and vegetables and to keep active. There is far too much processed foods as any online food shopping list will prove. They need to stop tampering with simple fruit and veg.
Everything went well with Raymond's pacemaker and the hospital did not look at all busy. A lot of the patients we saw did not look in good shape! So many were overweight, as were the hospital staff!
Have a good weekend. It looks as though it is going to be another cold one.
The latest statistics on the NHS show that they are short of 133,000 staff. This will never be resolved!
Take care.
Love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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hello to all, Sylvia, Gill and Sue
It seems the weather is at the top of everyone's mind, it's changeable as ever right now, I never know what to wear. I for one, dread the return of hot summer, I'm hoping for a long Spring.
I read an article yesterday about TNBC, it seems a study was conducted last year at an Institute in Utah. They found that there are 2 proteins that are implicated in this form of BC. Glycocorticoid receptors GR and STAT3, these are transcription factors which are involved in the process of converting, or transcribing DNA into RNA. I suppose this is the reason there are no targeted therapies for TNBC, since any drug would have to affect both proteins to have a chance to stop it. So the work is continuing, in the search for new targeted therapies.
The article also said that TNBC recurs in almost half of Cancer sufferers, that makes me feel that we here are lucky indeed!
I also have the feeling that there are so many things going on in our world, that it's hard to grapple with most of them. Over here our gas bills and electric bills are climbing also, with no end in sight, as the billionaires sit and yammer about getting rid of fossil fuels. For good or ill, our weather is not suited to this, not yet anyway. We have so many dark rainy days. Climate change, I think if our climate changes there won't be much we can do about it. We should be thankful we are not in a volcanic Age, as back in the time of the forming of Pangea. There are so many people who don't know that New York City was once covered by a mile of ice, during the Ice Age, which was not so long ago, in Planet time!
I could go on, but maybe that's enough ranting from me for now.
Thanks for reminding me about Chris Woolams, I will check my inbox.
I'll be back, I have more to tell!
Love Mary
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Hello Mary,
It was so good to hear from you.
Thank you for your information about TNBC and the study conducted last year at an institute in Utah. It all sounds a bit complicated. I am wondering what Glycocorticoid receptors GR and STAT3. Because of my insatiable curiosity about everything, I looked the first word up in my up-to-date large Collins dictionary and I could not find it. The dictionary online found it and said it was related to glucocorticoid. Then came a very long explanation about it. This is the link to this word.
https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/glycocorticoid
I have no idea what STAT3 means. I do understand the problem of dealing with DNA into RNA.
It seems that with cancer research is always emphasising finding new drugs rather than emphasising doing all one can to prevent cancer. All drugs have very nasty side effects.
When I was diagnosed back in 2005 my consultants did not mention anything about TNBC. I was simply told it was not hormonal and so tamoxifen would not be of any use. I found out about triple negative for myself. I read that it mainly affected younger women and so I suppose that, if you are diagnosed at a younger age, for example in your thirties or forties, you have a greater chance of recurrence because normally you have much longer to live.
It is good to get back to discussing TNBC and breast cancer in general.
It seems we are powerless to have any influence on those in charge. Whatever our feelings they do whatever they want and what is good for them. I feel that democracy is waning in the so-called Western democracies. I feel that, especially in the UK. It is a case of pay up and shut up!
As for climate change, it has been changing forever, way before man ever appeared. Like you I believe the climate will do what it wants, when it wants.
I was interested in what you said about pangea, the ancient super-continent, comprising all the present continents joined together, which began to break up 200 million years ago. Just imagine the chaos if it all floated back together again! The continents cannot get on together separated and humankind is always having wars which solve nothing. Mankind is not doing the planet any good. Mother Nature may want to get rid of us!
Have a good look at Chris Woollams latest newsletter, especially about Berberine and TNBC. I found three separate articles entitled as follows.
Berberine can cut blood sugar and reduce blood pressure.
How Berberine helps fight TNBC.
Berberine as a cancer treatment.
That is about all for now. The thread is not very active for posts and goes along slowly for views.
We seem to have two Brits in Gill and me and two Americans with you and Sue who post faithfully. Not that I ever call myself British. I am English and was born in England. The term British means little to me. We are a very peculiar country in that we have all sorts of names, but I recognise just England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern Ireland is really part of Ireland, just look at the map!
Sending you love and best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Sylvia,
Cold and wet here again, but gives me a good excuse to forget about all the gardening that I need to catch up on and Norfolk could do with the water after last year's rain free Summer.
I suppose that hospitals aren't as busy as they should be because serious staff shortages exist in every department. We had lunch out with friends yesterday, both older than us and suffering from the various health problems you would expect with age and they are paying for minor surgeries, physiotherapy, podiatry and cardio check ups for atrial fibrillation. They don't have health insurance and are digging into their savings. Our millionaire, tax avoiding Government has deliberately forced this on us. All our services have been destroyed, yet over 20% of the population, mainly from the poorest, least educated sector, still think the Tories are doing a good job.
King Charles is becoming less and less popular, people are not at all happy with the cost of the Coronation when so many are going without food or heating. The idea of Royalty is so outdated and adds nothing to the country's prosperity or status in the world. I think we should be given the opportunity to vote on it.
We have so much work to do this month and no doubt this will continue throughout the year, we don't really have time to go on the cruise, or any sort of holiday at all. The Diocesan Archive is a full time job, minus a salary. Michael's 70 this month and I'd hoped to have more time for ourselves at this point.
That's about all for now. Try to keep warm.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hi Mary,
Good to hear from you. Interesting news about TNBC. The women who have died from it tend to be much younger than us. I've given up worrying about it coming back, metaplastic has a higher likelihood of death because chemotherapy tends not to be very effective. But here I am and I didn't expect to be. Hope I'm not tempting fate now, but I was diagnosed 5 years ago this August. How quickly the years go by.
Our fuel bills are more than three times greater than this time last year and are rising again this month. Some people are heating only one room. We are finding that the price of wood is sky rocketing, but at least we're keeping warm. This will come to an end in 2025 as log burners with boilers are being banned. I've no idea what we'll do then as there's no gas in the village and most people use oil which is increasingly difficult to get hold of as there's a shortage and promised deliveries are being cancelled.
Our new Bishop invited us both over to his residence last Tuesday and we spent an hour talking about archives. Bishop Peter's a real mover and shaker, priests happily ensconced in sleepy parishes will have to watch out.
Anyway, that's about all for now. Stay warm and safe.
Love,
Gill xxx
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Hello Gill,
Thank you for your latest post. I think we are all getting fed up with the weather. It is much the same here in Exmouth. I think we are all fed up with everything and everyone, but especially politicians! Parliament is a disgrace and should be taken off the air! When, oh when, are we going to get some sanity back?
As for the NHS it looks as though if you want anything done without endless waiting, you are going to have to pay for it and most people will not be able to afford to do this. As you say, all of our services have been destroyed, and yet people still support the Conservatives and I think a lot of it is ignorance or snobbery. Our class system is so awful.
As for Charles Windsor, I think he is putting on a big act and trying to pass himself off as the peoples' sovereign. I cannot believe all the money being spent on the Coronation amidst all the poverty in this country. I agree with you that Royalty and Monarchy is outdated and that we should get rid of it. I feel that, if we had a vote on it, the people would vote to maintain it. I cannot believe the way crowds turn out to see them and seem oblivious to their privileged way of life. How can this be democratic? I believe in a peoples' democratic republic with devolution for England, Scotland and Wales and a federal parliament for external affairs etc. As it is, England treats Scotland and Wales like colonies. As for Northern Ireland, it should be restored to Ireland. It is so obviously a part of it.
How long have you been doing The Diocesan Archive and what is it for? I do hope you decide to go on your cruise while you are able. Otherwise, as you get older, you will have regrets.
I do hope that Michael will have a good 70th birthday this month. Try to make more time for yourselves and have some enjoyment.
I do hope you will try to read some of the information from Chris Woollams about Berberine and cancer. It is most interesting and, I think, important. I have printed off all the various articles in CancerActive and will try gradually to post about some of it. It may take some time!
I can start by quoting some main points about Berberine and cancer.
Berberine has many benefits like those listed as follows.
Anti-inflammatory benefits.
Anti-infectious benefits.
Blood sugar reduction.
Berberine re-activates AMPK. The information about AMPK is a bit complicated.
Berberine is a chemo-sensitiser and radio-sensitizer. It can act on its own but because it also attacks and weakens cancer cells, it can also improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy by enhancing chemo-sensitivity and restricting cancer cell drug resistance.
Berberine reduces drug resistance.
I think that is enough for today. I wonder if and where Berberine may already be in use for cancer treatment, because some of the articles go back quite a few years. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has used it. I made enquiries at my local natural food shop and was told there was a product available as a tincture of goldenseal which must contain it. Of course it was expensive.
I do hope Mary will post more regularly, but I realise she has a lot to do.
That is about all for today. It has been quite busy.
Take care of yourself and give our best wishes to Michael.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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hi Sylvia and Gill
I am noticing that the Moderators are informing of a "migration" of these threads to a new site, and then all will be well. Starting tomorrow, the 12th. They say any Private messages will be lost. I hope this is not too painful a change!
Sylvia, I always perk up my ears when there is any news of TNBC, there isn't much of it to be sure.
Gill, I'm also noticing that more and more people are falling through the cracks into poverty, this crazy inflation caused by our administration, and the leaders of other Countries, that are sending Big money to Ukraine, to 5 million illegals our "Leaders" have allowed in, and to many other causes they champion. Is this the New World Order? Sounds like it, the people at the top will flourish and everyone else will suffer.
Gloomy here too, and damp and a cold wind blowing. I'm sorry about your heating situation, the same is happening here, we are all sacrifices on the altar of Climate Change.
On that cheerful note, I will close, and I hope to see you on the other side of the site migration!
Love, Mary
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Hello Mary,
Yes, indeed, the Moderators are informing of a migration of our threads to pastures new. Will it work? The 'digital' grass is always greener on the other side! Will our much missed HelenLouise whose username disappeared in the mist of technology suddenly reappear? Let us hope so. Are we going the way of the Silicon Valley Bank?
I think all of us who have been through TNBC will always be on the lookout for any news but, as you say, there is not much. I have been going through the pages about Berberine of which there are many on Chris Woollams CancerActive. Of particular interest is one page dated 2021 entitled How Berberine helps fight TNBC. There is a lot of information and it needs reading carefully and repeatedly. This one has the following information in bold "Berberine shows multiple anti-cancer effects both in-vitro and in-vivo against hard to beat Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) not just by cutting blood sugar or being cytoxic or causing apoptosis but by affecting Cyclin A and activating caspase to block tumour growth."
I shall post more information about this as I feel able.
From my bits of reading it seems obvious there is a connection between sugar, high blood sugar and development of cancer. It is no wonder there is so much mention of the drug metformin which is probably the number one drug for diabetes.
I think we are all fed up with the spreading poverty in our two countries. Our governments seem to be throwing our tax money around but not on our own people. Until we have strict people control there will be no progress. You are right when you say the people at the top are doing fine and the rest of us will suffer. We have gone backwards since all the progress made after 1945 at the end of WW2.
We have gloomy weather, too. March so far has been very wet after a very dry February. It has been cold for what seems an eternity.
There seems to be no good news.
Take care and hope we all stay true to the words of the song, We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but hopefully after the great technical migration, but will you still be Mary and will I still be Sylvia?
Lots of love.
Sylvia xxxx
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