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  • jezza
    jezza Member Posts: 295
    edited March 2011
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    Thought I would bump this for new Aussie members to the forum...

    The Melbourne members of the Australian forum got together for lunch last weekend and we had a great time. A lot of us had met before so plenty to talk about and we were able to put faces to names of ppl we had only chatted to online...very special.

    Hope you are doing ok now Trish..

    Hugs to everyone

    jezza

  • 2010
    2010 Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2011
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    Hi everyone, Having my very first surveillance mri in 16 days (not that I'm counting or anything!), any advice/words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. I'm really only nervous about the fact that the Dr made it very clear to me that it was likely I would get call-back from first one because they have no baseline to compare it with and mri is very sensitive so it will 'probably be nothing so don't worrytoo much if we call you back' - I'll work  on that I guess.

  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited March 2011
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    Welcome 2010 - good luck with the mri - I don't have much advice to give you - I've never had an MRI.  As your Dr says - don't worry too much, we have enough to worry about, but I know it's hard not to.

    I have news!!

    Went to the Onc yesterday, and I have now officially finished chemo! YAY!!  I don't have to do my last Taxotere.  He was concerned that it was knocking me around so much, and said I was one of the few people who have a bad reaction to it.  We discussed it at length and as I've done 5 out of the 6 treatments and it's really the Herceptin that will save my life, he felt it was safe to not do the last one.  I was so surprised, but so, so happy.  I still feel like I'm walking on air. 

    He went to the San Antonio conference last year in the States, and he said there was a lot of discussion about the efficacy of 4 treatments v 6 and the general feeling was that there wasn't a great deal of difference.  So - I'm happy to go with his reccomendation.

    I can't keep the smile off my face :-)

    Hope you are all doing well.

    Hugs to you all

    Trish

    xoxo

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Oh wow Trish!  That surely is great news and I can imagine the smile that just stays put for you!

    xo  Chrissyb

  • VickyC10
    VickyC10 Member Posts: 11
    edited March 2011
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    Trish that is great news. I only had 11 of 12 Taxol because of the side effects but the Onc said it would be fine as I had done better than some others and like you it was the Herceptin that was important. Do you have to have Radiotherapy now?

    Vicky

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Oh my gosh!  Where did everyone go?

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 1,422
    edited March 2011
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    Still here Chrissy - just recovering from rads again :)

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Sue, how you managing?  How many you got left?

  • Racy
    Racy Member Posts: 974
    edited March 2011
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    Hi from Brisbane everyone

    I am still following this thread.  I am going for my fourth of six TAC chemo treatments next week. Fortunately, my side effects have been minimal so far and I have retained some hair.

    I have also had my initial consultation about radiation which I will likely start in late May.  The recommendation is for whole breast radiation but no lymph nodes (I only had isolated tumour cells in two nodes).  I want to do some further investigations to confirm that this recommendation is consistent with current 'best practice' and will give me the best outcome in terms of minimising recurrence risk and safeguarding against heart damage.

    I read this website every day.  I found the info in the most recent monthly update an excellent information source that clearly explained some things that I hadn't fully understood previously. If you don't get the monthly update emails, I would recommend to subscribe to them.

    I hope all is going well and continues to go well for you all. 

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Racy, nice to hear from you and so glad that chemo is touching you with a gentle hand.  Good luck with your research, I hope you get the answers you are looking for.

    I'm from Burra, SA a short 2 hour drive north, north-west of Adelaide.  I'm doing just fine thank you as I am NED......Yay!!!

    Love n hugs.  Chrissyb

  • Racy
    Racy Member Posts: 974
    edited March 2011
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    I am so pleased to hear your status Chrissy and hope you continue to do well.  I enjoy reading your posts on all the threads.

    God bless. 

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Thank you Racy.

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 1,422
    edited March 2011
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    I finished last Tuesday Chrissie but am really tired, so not doing much. I'm just trying to rest up before I go back to work.

    Hope you're well.

     Sue

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    You'll probably feel washed out and really tired for a while so do take it easy.  When are you due to go back to work?  I sure hope it will give you enough time to build some energy.

    I doing great Sue last lot of scans have kept me NED so .....yay!!!  The change from Arimidex to Femara has been good for me so am actually feeling very well for the first time in a long time and am planning on a trip to the USA in Sept - October to meet some of the girls from the 'oldies' thread and I'm really looking forward to that.  This will be my bucket list trip so I intend to really make the most of it.

    Love n hugs.  Chrissy

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 1,422
    edited March 2011
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    I go back on the 21st but only part time to start with.

    I would like to go and meet my sisters from November 09 chemo group - we still write often. We are going to the UK and Paris in August/September mainly to see our son in London but we are  taking advantage of being there to enjoy ourselves.

    I'm so glad your scans are showing NED!!!

    Sue

  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Girls

    Sue - take it easy, I hear that the rads can make you really tired.  Not fair on top of all the tiredness from chemo.  But so gald to hear that you have now finished :-)

    Chrissy - so pleased to hear that you are NED!! That's great news, will be keeping as much crossed as I can that you remain that way :-)

    Racy - welcome - I'm also pleased that you have not been too affected by chemo - as far as I'm concerned chemo sucks.

    I don't have to do rads, so am very lucky.  Have started on Arimedex, and I'm confident that I won't have any se's from it.  If determination can make that happen, then it will lol

    I'm still floating on air, so happy to be finished.  Had my first Herceptin only infusion on Tuesday, and worked that day, left at 2.25pm and drove myself to the hospital, had the infusion and drove myself home.  So much easier.  Still feeling great!

    My goodness - you are all travelling, I can't wait until my DH and I can do some travelling OS.  Something to look forward to.  Maybe after the Herceptin is finished next year :-)

    Stay well everyone!

    Trish

    xoxo

  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited March 2011
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    Oh - forgot to add - my hair is starting to grow back!!! YAY!  It's still very sparse and a lot of it seems to be white, but I'm just excited that it's coming back lol

    Trish

    xoxo

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Trish so glad that you are still feeling great after the Herceptin and super excited for you that your hair is one the way back...Yahoo!!   Good luck with the Arimidex, but don't forget that there are others if you have too many problems with it.  With luck, you may be one of the ones that get little or no SE's from it.  Unfortunately I had many so am now on Femara and I am having only flushes and I tire easily but everything else is almost normal.

    Sue, glad to hear that you are going back part time to begin with.  I think we all forget just how debilitating these treatments can be and want to get back to 'normal' so much that we push ourselves rather than easing our way back.  Good luck!

    Chrissy  xoxo

  • Marie-Edith
    Marie-Edith Member Posts: 21
    edited March 2011
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    Hello Everybody,

    Chrissy this is great news. I am very happy :)

    Lots of XOXO 

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    How are you doing Marie-Edith?

  • Marie-Edith
    Marie-Edith Member Posts: 21
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Chrissy,

    I am keeping well, i had my taxol nb 5 yesterday and a big bruise on my arm. (not the same nurse though, this one was so gentle) !!

    It looks like my hair is growing a bit but if i pull on it, it comes out. Weird !!

    I have a few tingles in my hands occasionaly. 

    A Bientot :)

    xoxo 

        

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Well girls, as they say no news is good news so I'm taking it as being everyone is doing well as no-one has visited this thread for nearly two weeks!  Just wanted to say hi to all!

    Love n hugs.  Chrissyb

  • AussieSheila
    AussieSheila Member Posts: 439
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Chrissy and all the other ladies here. Yesterday started taking Bondronat instead of the Bonefos of the last 2+ yrs. It is the same thing but a much smaller tablet and I only need to take one per day.  The Bonefos had to be taken twice a day, two hrs after food and no food until 30mins after taking it. 

    No matter what system I followed, alarms set etc., I seemed to spend too much time watching clocks and smacking my head because, while making a snack/meal for DH &DD, I might, unthinkingly, just nibble a tiny piece of cheese/ham/tomato/cracker and throw my whole routine out. 

    Not to mention the times when we went out and I forgot to take a pill with me or, when I remembered, I would drink a coffee or tea because I was thirsty and then remember I was almost due to take a pill.  I wish I could say this was a great way to diet but as with all diets, you spend most of your time thinking of the food you're going to eat when you can finally get your hands on some.

    My DH eats all day long and never puts weight on, I think about it for most of the day and the bathroom scales scuttle out of the bathroom when they see me coming.

    I am enjoying waking up at 7am, taking my pill and then forgetting about all of the above until the next morning, what a weight off my mind, if not yet off the other part of me.

    Sheila.

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    LOL Shiela, bathroom scales scuttle out the door.......lol.....mine just hide under the cabinet.  Why the change from Bonefos?  was it just the timing thing or medical?  Just curious......does the Bondronat work the same or is there a difference?

    Chrissy

  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited March 2011
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    Hello Girls

    I've been so busy the last couple of weeks :-)  I had last week off as annual leave.  My plans were to clean the house properly (it hasn't really been done properly since my dx last September) and clean some of the windows.  Well I still have a messy house and dirty windows, but I've set my photographic studio up in a spare bedroom, so I'm happy.  I haven't picked a camera up since September, either haven't had the motivation or energy, but I'm getting it all back now.  My DH gave me a set of studio lights for my birthday in August, but I hadn't had a chance to set them up properly.  So - now I have, and I have lots of ideas for photos.  I'm happy - my life is starting to get  back to normal.

    Arimadex is so far not presenting any problems - hot flushes, which I'd been having for the past 8 years or so and had started to die down a bit before BC.  A little bit of joint stiffness - but nothing too bad.  So I'm happy!!

    I've worked full time this week - first time since dx, so again - my life is starting to get back to normal.  Just going in every three weeks for Herceptin - and that's so much easier too - a half hour rapid infusion.  Everything's good :-)

    Hope you are all going well too.  Sue - did you start back at work??


    Trish

    xoxo

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 1,422
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Trish - yes I went back on Monday - 4 hours only - 3 days a week. I am only allowed part time to start with - rehab policy at work. I was supposed to go today but I put my back out yesterday so had to go to physio. I'll do tomorrow morning instead.

    Sue

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Trish, so glad to hear that you are feeling well enough to do some house cleaning.  It's a bit of a bore isn't it?  Mine is back to the stage it needs a week of heavy duty cleaning and reorganising.  How does this happen?....lol   Great to hear that things are returning to normal for you.

    Sue, good to hear that you are returning to work, but not good about your back.  Hope the physio makes it feel better!

    Love n hugs to all.  Chrissy

  • Angelice
    Angelice Member Posts: 1,116
    edited March 2011
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    Hello ladies hope your all doing well , I'm also from Australia Melbourne. I just finished chemo in feb , I just started rads today have 33 :)

  • Racy
    Racy Member Posts: 974
    edited March 2011
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    Hi girls



    It's nice to see that everyone on this thread appears to be doing well.



    I had my fourth TAC last week and will hopefully finish just after Easter. Just have some taste issues at present (plus the flushes not helped by hot weather and very little hair!).



    I am seeing a naturopath tomorrow so it will be interesting to see what she advises.



    Trish and Sue, congrats on being back at work. I hope I can get back to feeling normal as easily as you, Trish.



    Keep well everyone!

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited March 2011
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    Hi Angelice and Racy, nice to hear from you.  Angelice, remember to take it easy while you are doing your rads as you can feel pretty fatigued during and for a while after.  Also remember to take care of you skin at the radiation site as it will probably burn so moisturise, moisturise, moisturise and continue to drink heaps of water.  Good luck!

    Racy, how many treatment do you have left?  Goodluck with the naturopath tomorrow just remember that Soy is not good for you with your ER/PR+.  Hope you stay feeling reasonably well for the rest of your treatments!

    Love n hugs.  Chrissy

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