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  • aussie12
    aussie12 Member Posts: 421
    edited July 2014


    Hi all

    Everything went well with the P Surgeon, he asked if I wanted surgery for a nipple , I said no as I just think that I don't need one, I have another appointment in a year incase I change my mind.

    I went to the Breast Clinic before my appointment and they were busy so I went back after and they said the Nurse's where at lunch and I would have to wait 30 minutes, so I couldn't be bothered. My period got heavy again yesterday and has eased off again. I know their busy at the Breast Clinic and it's a public hospital but they prescribed Tamoxifen so they should follow it up if a patient has a problem. I'll have to go to my GP now who hasn't got the experience that an oncologist has. Just not very happy with the follow up service from the clinic.

    Carol

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Carole great that your visit with the PS went really well..........I know you were a bit disappointed with the Breast Clinic but your GP will have enough knowledge to point you in the right direction with your period.  It's possible he may send you to a gynie to investigate further and a gynie knows about what Tamoxifen will possibly do and it's just possible that your onc would do the same thing.

    Hope you find out something soon.

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • Delvzy
    Delvzy Member Posts: 454
    edited July 2014

    welcome Evgeniya sorry you have had a hard time with rads I had double mx so didn't need to have them but I understand they can be tough. Any questions just ask one of us you have a good cross section of experience here on these boards so if one of doesn't know we know someone who does!

  • aussie12
    aussie12 Member Posts: 421
    edited July 2014


    Hi all

    Chrissy my period got heavy again this afternoon so I have booked to see my GP tomorrow to try and sort it out.

    Forgot to say that when I was waiting for my appointment at the hospital their was a old man waiting that started to feel sick. They took him into one of the rooms and not long after they called a "Code Blue" and heaps of Doctor's and Nurse's came running. They ended up taking him to ER in his wheelchair, so luckily he was at the hospital when he had a bad turn.

    Where ever I go there seems to be drama !!!

    Carol

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Carol please let us know what your GP says..........something that is as abnormal as this is concerning.  I hope it all goes well.

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • aussie12
    aussie12 Member Posts: 421
    edited July 2014


    Hi all

    Chrissy I went to my GP, I have to go and get a ultrasound but not for 2 weeks. It's eased off today but might come back tonight like it normally does. I'll just have to see how I go.

    Carol

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Carol an Ultrasound will show if you have a fibroid or if the lining is abnormal which can be a SE of Tamoxifen.  Two weeks is not so long and then at least you will start to get some answers.  Hang in there..........I do feel for you as I was soooo happy when my periods finally stopped so I can imagine how you are feeling when yours are heavy like they are.

    Love n hugs.  Chrissy

  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2014

    Chrissy, heard anything about Karen yet, since last  info,   KT over here has now got mets too, in bones and other areas, poor darling after 11 odd years and bang, she is hit with it again. You think you clear and wham. its like you can;t get away from it,  i feel really down when i hear my friends so low and not well. hope you ok everybody else. XXXX

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Annette I haven't heard any more of Karen but if and when I do I will surely post it.  Yes, I know about Kt and I have spoken to her via PM.......it's hard after so long clear but she sounds like she is getting her head around her dx all be it slowly and that is really quite normal.

    On a happier note, are you going to try to get up to Auckland for the get together?  I would love to finally get to meet you face to face and give you the biggest hug ever!  Chin up Lovely........this is what we call life with all its ups and downs.

    Love n hugs.    Chrissy

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2014

    I am sorry to have been missing...

    My new job is keeping me very busy and we have had a few social things hapoening including an engagement in Kiama this past weekend.

    My Mum had an aggressive melanoma removed a few weeks ago and they sent her for a PET scan last week that turned up entirely clear. Everyone is saying that is such good news, and it is... but if something had shown up we might have stood a chance of getting out of her unit and into a care situation. Her dementia is progressing noticeably and I would feel better if she wasn't on her own over there in NZ. Tony and i have booked to go over for a long wekend at the end of August to see how she is going.

    So sorry to hear about Karen :-( 

    Jenn

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Awe Jenn, It seems like you are between the proverbial rock and hard place when it comes to your mum.  I am surprised that her progressing dementia is not enough to get her into care!  I know you would have looked into this very thoroughly, but what is the criteria for her with the dementia and care? Good to hear that the doc got the melanoma and the PET was clear but with melanoma you just never know, it is soooo sneaky, far worse than BC.  I do hope that she stays clear with that one.

    Being busy is a good thing so never apologize for that and when you are in a new job you need to do all that you can so you can settle in and find your way.

    Take care!

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2014

    The problem Chrissy is that she refuses to even consider moving and although I already have a full power of attorney we can't force her out of her home physically. She gets twice a day in home visits and her neighbour is taking her to appointments. We are in a waiting game...

    Jenn

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Gee I hope that changes for you Jenn.  I know you can't physically remove her if she doesn't want to go but sooner or later you may need to consider that for her own safety sake.  Such a hard position to be in particularly when you are so far away.  I do hope that I don't get ornery when I get old.

    Hoping your visit will calm your mind a bit.

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2014

    On another note... I get my nipple tatoos in a few weeks! Friday 8 November.

    Jenn

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Woohoo!!!!   Nips and then you are done, done, done!!!!  That's got to make you feel good!!!   November 8th will be here before you know it!

    Good luck!!!

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2014

    yes i will be there chrissy, i want to meet you too and all the girls and give you big hugs too. it will be exciting.

    jenn, sorry about ur mum. it is very hard, i know.

    I am going away to my mum for weekend, she is giving me her car, she has brought a new one for herself and giving me her mitza bichi lancer, auto, well kept, i have not driven for many years,  Bil and hubby and i going up early sat morn and Bil drive back in little truck and Ron and I will drive back in my car lol, well he will drive, i am too scared yet, i  am scared of town stuff, need some lessons again, with a teacher, i have a license,  But mum wants me to be more independant and get out and do stuff. instaed of having to rely on  Ron to take me.

    well better go to bed lol xxxx

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Woohoo Annette!!!  Once you get your confidence back there will be no stopping you.....lol......you will be out and about and wondering why you didn't have a car earlier!

    I'm so glad you are coming to the gathering we have so much fun chatting and all that stuff........the weekend goes so fast!  Roll on November!!!!

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • kyliet
    kyliet Member Posts: 587
    edited July 2014

    Welcome Eveginia. I hope you are going ok, sending good thoughts. 

    Carol, I bled really heavily on Tamoxifen, it was like just after childbirth.  Then I started getting migraines, the doc said the tamox affect hormones like that in some people. I had the blood test to check if the tamox is working and it wasn't for me. The heavy bleeding was one of the main reasons why I went onto zoladex injections and Femara. Hopefully the gyn can help uou

  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2014

    image

    this is the car that my mum is giving me. mitsy bichi  lancer. auto. we picking up  weekend.

  • Alyson
    Alyson Member Posts: 3,737
    edited July 2014

    I have one but it's red and it's a great little car..

     Cold here today though my brother in Nelson laughed when I said that. Have been out today and had a coffee with a friend whose daughter I see quite a lot of and I steal her 15 month grandaughter. Alice's mum is very ill and on the heart transplant list so Grandma has been in looking after them the last couple of days as daughter's DH is away working. Friend thought she was going to have to get DD to hospital last night - she has pneumonia and of course it affects the heart. Our DDs have been friends since primary school days. 

    Big hugs to all

  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2014

    alyson  i texted you other day, did you get it, thought it would be quicker xxxx thanks for you message.

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Annette that is a great little car!  I know you are going to love it and the freedom it gives you.

    Oh Aly, thoughts and prayers fro your friends DD........I do hope she gets her new heart soon.

    I think I have gotten the flu.........apparently DB had been sick with it for days before I saw him and the girls last week.  As much as I would have like to see him, had I known I would have begged off as my immune system is compromised and I prefer not to put myself in harms way.   I'll just take it easy and hydrate well and hopefully I will feel better in a day or two.

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • Tammy_M43
    Tammy_M43 Member Posts: 565
    edited July 2014

    Annette, enjoy the car!  Looking forward to meeting you later this year!

    Alyson, may your friend's DD recover soon.

    Chrissy, take care of yourself.....I hope you have one of the less severe strains....

    Nothing much to report from me....just working....

  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited July 2014

    Annette, great little car, you will enjoy it.

    Aly I hope your friend's DD gets a new heart soon ((hugs)))

    Chrissy - rest up - I hope you don't get a bad strain. There's a lot of it going around Canberra so far.  I've been lucky and avoided it.

    All's good here too - working and living Smile

    Trish

    xoxox

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Hi girls, so far I am fighting well........lol.   Got the cough every now and then which sounds really wet but don't have the runny nose that usually goes with this sort of thing.  If I move around too much I get the sweats and I feel chilled so I know my body is fighting hard on it's own,  I am sleeping long and deep so I can heal......so far, so good.  It's been so cold that my warm bed is a good place to be.........lol.  I'll just keep taking it easy until Monday when I have an appointment with my doc and then Tuesday I have my appointment with my specialist for my six month checkup so I guess I will be well covered medically speaking........lol.

    Hoping you are all doing well with your day to day and if you are still in treatment, well I hope it's not kicking your butt!

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy

  • mclark55
    mclark55 Member Posts: 92
    edited July 2014

    Hello lovelies!  Hope everyone is well this afternoon.

    Deluzy - the small sharp pains you are getting 2 yrs after implants could be the nerves regenerating in that area.  I didn't have implants, but I do get the odd sharp pain from time to time from my breast reconstruction surgery (and that was 10 years ago!).  I have found that rubbing certain essential oils into the breast tissue really helps.  Let me know if you'd like the list of oils - send me a PM so they'll notify me.

    Melp27 - so sorry to hear of your loss!  Nannas are irreplaceable.  Sending hugs.

    Evgeniya - welcome, you've come to a very good place to get support.  Just drop by here from time to time and post a question and we'll do our best to help you.  I'm a breast cancer coach as well as a 10-year survivor, I'd be happy to help however I can.

    Aussie12 - I chose not to take tamoxifen, but from what I understand from many of my clients, the heavy menstrual bleeding that you are getting can be one of the (many) side effects of that drug.  Hopefully your doctor will put you on a different hormone blocker (if you HAVE to be on them).

    Trisha-Anne - yes, my dear thank you!  I am settled in Perth and loving the climate again and getting reacquainted with all of my old pals.  It's been wonderful to be back, we feel blessed to be here.  I was sorry to hear that Kate is not coping well.  I'm in WA as well, so if she'd like someone to talk to, I'd love to have the chance to sit with her and listen to whatever she needs to talk about.  I really feel like I could help her - I have lots of tools in my tool kit for helping stage IV people and all that this kind of diagnosis entails.

    Chrissy - hope you heal up soon!  Get lots of rest in that warm bed of yours.  Do you do any juicing?  That's a fantastic thing to help the immune system.

    Sending hugs to everyone today xxx

  • aussie12
    aussie12 Member Posts: 421
    edited July 2014

    Hi all

    My period has stopped the last few days but I'd much rather get checked just in case. It may start up again at any time. I didn't know their was a test to see if Tamoxifen was working or not, I'll see what happens and maybe enquire about it.

    Carol

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2014

    Hi girls, I know you are hanging for news about Karen and this was posted by her daughter Nicole just a little while ago.

    Hi ladies,

    This may be a long post as I can at times get carried away and type a novel!

    Mum was admitted to palliative care 10 days ago to get the pain in her hip managed to which we found out was a large tumour the size of a melon sitting between her two butt muscles on her right side.

    We were informed that she may not return home though after a few days of new medication we were advised that she would possibly be able to return home on Monday (tomorrow).

    After speaking with her oncologist he advised me that her cancer had progressed significantly and that chemo would no longer be an option although radiation would be for her hip. He then told me that her prognosis was 4-6 weeks optimistically.

    After several falls in hospital, on Friday night mum had three seizures, one of which lasted for 15 minutes. Apparently caused by her brain mets.

    After being sedated and getting her under control we left for home only to receive a phone call from her dr saying that he did not expect her to survive the night.

    She's still here with us, but very sedated and being extremely stubborn (a trait mum passed onto me!) she is still hanging in there.

    Her cancer seems to be far more advanced than what we initially thought and her onc advised the good blood results over the last 2 months were most likely false positives.

    So long story short - we are now playing the waiting game. After being diagnosed with Primary Breast Cancer on my 25th birthday her almost 4 year battle is coming to an end.

    She appears peaceful although the most gut wrenching part about it is to watch my dad, the childhood sweetheart and husband of nearly 40 years break so hard, refusing to leave her bedside and falling into a heap.

    This disease is a bitch and ruins far too many lives and I wish all of you the best in your personal 'journey's' through the most soul defining, life affirming moments in your lives.

    As I've always said to mum during the hard times

    "THERE IS ALWAYS A SILVER LINING, YOU JUST HAVE TO SEARCH FOR IT"

    As a family we have experienced both sudden death (my eldest brother taking his own life at the age of 23) and having the knowledge of knowing, being able to make the most of what is given to us. Neither is easy I can assure you (from my side of the picture).

    I will be a better mother, a better woman, a better person and a have a kinder soul all thanks to this wonderful woman who would sacrifice everything and anything for others, especially her family. She truly is an amazing mother and person and I am forever blessed to have had the 28 years of my life with her, it could have been a lot shorter and for that I'm grateful. It could have been a lifetime too but I got 4 long hard years which changed me as a person where I could make sure she knew how special she is and how much she is loved and that is my silver lining in all of this. She has taught me to be a better, stronger woman and i can only hope I can be half the mother to my son that she has been to me.

    She is still with us.  Love n hugs all!   Chrissy

  • mandymoo
    mandymoo Member Posts: 632
    edited July 2014

    Thank you, Chrissy. My prayers are with Karen and her family. Her daughter is so resilient and thoughtful. So sad..... I have tears running down my face and I dont know what else to say. Cancer is such a bugger!!! 

  • Ariom
    Ariom Member Posts: 4,027
    edited July 2014

    Thank you for posting this for us.

    What a lovely girl, Karen and her Husband have raised. My heart goes out to the family, what a terrible time for them all.

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