Kiwi ladies who need encouragment, but all welcome.
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Good luck tomorrow with your Oncology appointment Donna. This seems a never ending road for all of us.
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Hi Donna,
unfortunately imagination is your worst enemy with bc...no wonder your bloodpressure is high, it's like a viscious circle!
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Donna, Good luck at the Oncologist today. Hope you get some answers that can put your mind at ease..
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I hope your onc appt goes well today Donna, and you get good answers to your questions.
Hope everyone else is going well too.
I have a sick alpaca at the mo, not important in the scheme of things I guess, but he's my favourite. He's either eaten something poisonous or he has facial eczema as his liver has been damaged & something that should be in the hundred is in the thousands (can't remember what protein or whatever it is). So he's in a pen with a buddy & will have to have oral meds & injections. Fun - the last thing I need as I feel stressed enough with my health, trying to get this place ready for sale & everything else that's going on!
I'd better get it together & just deal with it. I thought bc meant you weren't supposed to sweat the small stuff - doesn't seem to be the case with me...
kt
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Donna - good luck at the oncologist's today.
KT1966 - having a sick alpaca isn't small stuff. I'd be stressed out too. Hope the alpaca gets better soon and good luck on the property sale. My boss sold his house at auction last night. Came in at $116K above the pre-action offer and was only on the market for 10 days. Amazing market here in Auckland.
Wishing everyone a good week!
Terre
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Hi all
Welcome Koo
Hugs Donna
Still waiting to see specialist about my back troubles. Anyway it's a good excuse to wTch the cricket.
I had neuropathy in hands and feet while on letrozole think it's very common.
Hugs to all.
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Hi guys, thanks for your good wishes. I feel like such an idiot. My appointment with Oncology is next Tuesday, not today. Everyone at work is laughing at me, in a nice way hehehe. I am such a blonde and it's just as well I checked my appointment or I would have felt like such a fool at the Botany Superclinic. Anyway I am feeling so much better today. Whatever I have had going on has gone, maybe I just had a bug or something. IDK, anyway I hope you are all doing well. Donna xxxxx I hope your Alpaca gets better soon kt, they are such funny creatures, we have lots out where I live and it's never nice seeing a creature unwell, even if they do look like a bit like Elvis and spit at you
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Donna - hope all goes well today. Fingers and toes crossed for you.
Koo - welcome :-)
Huntly commute is a biggie - but not much longer than people living right in Auckland !!! Hope he made the most of the cheap(er) fuel! Better for the animals though.
I am starting to get the tingling fingers/toes (again). I had problems with numb hands at night several years ago which I am 99% sure is/was related to my neck. GP was adamant it was OORS even though it didn't stop after I had carpal tunnel surgery on one hand. Essentially disappeared when I finally found the perfect pillow !!! It is definitely not the same this time so I am sure it is the Letrozole. Won't even bother telling my GP - she just is fixated on OORS. Might mention it to my Onc if I still have it when I see him in July.
Auckland property prices are totally over the top - ditto the traffic! I live and work on the North Shore, but its still bad. Five minute drive from home to work before 7.15 a.m. After that it can take 30 minutes. My local shopping centre is like a dodgem ride on steroids - a lot of recent arrivals in SUVs. My original retirement plan was to sell up in Auckland and head down to mid/lower South Island (born and bred Mainlander) as I couldn't afford to live in Auckland on super. Now I don't worry so much about that ... sometimes.
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Thanks for the welcome twofer
I am a little bit lost at the moment, and don't know what to expect. Was wondering whether anyone can assist. I may have already posted some of this, so please forgive if I'm repeating myself (here on this board).
I saw my GP on Friday about a 2x3cm lump in my left breast, which is causing discomfort. While examining me, he found lumps in my right breast which he appeared concerned about.
He said he was sending a referral letter to Waikato Hospital Breast Care Clinic. He wasn't sure how long it would take for me to have my mammo and ultrasound. Can anyone shed any light on this for me please? Am I looking at days or months before getting those appointments? The waiting and not knowing is so hard, but everyone's been in this position and I realise there are probably a lot more urgent cases that need priority. Can anyone shed some light please?
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Hi Koo. I waited 6 weeks to be seen by the Counties Manukau Breast Clinic. I was told that each referral letter is assessed for urgency, and then the appointment wait is set accordingly. I had a big tumour which my GP thought was a cyst, so it wasn't considered to be urgent and took 6 weeks to get into the clinic.
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Hi ladies
Sorry I have been AWOL again lol. I have been travelling back and forth to Tauranga recently and studying and working and looking after my older daughter who has been going through a bad time - she found a lump on her Breast but after 3 ultrasounds they are sure it's a cyst or absess but it kind of triggered a stress reaction in her. She has been having panic attacks and ending up in hospital because she can't breath. She is 21 and now on some anti-anxiety meds to cope.
Anyway - I enjoy catching up on the posts when I log back in after a break.
Welcome Koo!! I am in Lower Hutt
Tomorrow I'm hosting the Breast Cancer ladies for lunch from my living well group - our first one for this year. Bitter sweet as one of the ladies is now unable to join us because she received bad news before Christmas that her Cancer had progressed and it looks like it is now Triple negative inflammatory Cancer and the chemo etc they are trying is not working so she's not in a good way. The rest of us are all gutted naturally.
Anyway it's motivated me to clean up the house a bit because they are coming tomorrow. Easy to let the housework slide....lol
Good luck for next week Donna - and great you are feeling better.
Take care everyone.
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Hi Koo - just seen your latest post - why don't you ring the Waikato Breast care clinic direct and just ask them if they have scheduled you an appointment yet based on your docs letter?? No harm in asking or being proactive surely??
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Thank you so much for that, Kiwi1966. Yes, I recall now that he said it gets graded in terms of urgency. I need to learn patience ... LOL
Kruise, sorry to hear about your daughter. It's so hard when our kids are unwell or struggling. You're clearly a wonderful mum. Thanks for the welcome!
I am from Upper Hutt BTW, but, due to my husband his job in Wellington, we've had to rent our house out in Upper Hutt and now live in rural Huntly with my husband doing the commute to Auckland every day. I like it here, but my heart belongs in the Hutt and in Wellington.
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Sorry, just me again. I know so little about anything to do with breast cancer, and I'm scared of treading on people's toes by asking what might be deemed personal questions. Please forgive me if I do. Was your GP wrong, Kiwi1966, in his thoughts that it was a cyst? Is a 3x2cm mass considered large (the size of one of mine)? This one gives me discomfort, which made me think it was nothing to worry about until recently.
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Oh I am sorry to hear about your daughter Kruise, it's so unfair isn't it. My 22 year old is suffering from the same thing and I know my diagnoses hasn't helped. Koo if I was you I would start ringing your Breast Care Centre today. Get to know the Receptionist, tell her how worried you are. Phone them every morning and every afternoon until you get an appointment. Tell them you will take a cancellation. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and the worst thing about this process is the waiting and worrying. I was seen within 2 weeks and I don't see why you have to wait so long??? Another thing to remember is they can lose referrals. My Oncology referral was lost and if I hadn't been proactive I might still be waiting. Honestly I can't emphasize this enough. Become a pest to them!!! Cry, have a tantrum, demand to speak to the head Breast Care Nurse, they are usually lovely people and understand what we are going through. Good luck and let us know how you get on please.
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Yes Koo my GP was wrong, but I had always had lumpy breasts. My mammograms had been fine, but I had a 13cm lobular cancer (basically my entire breast), which was not seen on a mammogram. It had distorted my breast on the left side quite dramatically in the 2 months before my appointment. The breast clinic knew right away what it was and did a core biopsy, not a needle biopsy. Anyway its long story but I had a mastectomy less an a month after my first visit to the clinic, and started chemo on 5/11/14 due to having 9 lymph nodes with extracapsular extension. I am doing well and have my last chemo tomorrow, then after 5 weeks I start 25 rounds of radiation and hormone therapy.
BTW I am from Wellington as well. Island Bay. I have been in Auckland for years but all my family still live down there.
Nikki
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Thank you so much, Fizzdon!!!! It truly never occurred to me to do that ... I have just phoned and got their voicemail (it may be due to the hour of the day) but have left a message. It truly would never have occurred to me to have been proactive. (I'm good at being proactive on behalf of others, but very meek and mild when it comes to my own needs ... )
Wow, they lost your oncology referral!! Whoa, that is so NOT good ... thanks so much for the heads-up, Fizzdon!
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Thank you for your post, Kiwi1966. . I feel quite humble, being a newbie here and to all of this, and when I hear your story (and others), I am inspired by the strength in everyone. it gives me an understanding of C breast and what may lie ahead for me. Unbelievable that they missed yours initially on the mammogram! I know all will go well with the radiation and hormone therapy, Kiwi. I will be on this board regularly to keep in touch with yours and everyone else's journeys, and update on mine.
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Lovely to have you around Koo. I think Kruise is right, I would ring the clinic and see how long the wait is and keep pushing. The squeaky wheel and all that ....
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Yes, a HUGE thank you ... I feel less alone and bewildered now!
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Welcome, Koo! I would agree about being proactive and getting the know the receptionist. The receptionist at Palmerston North knows me well - enough that she recognises me when I walk in. If you have bc, you need to learn to become proactive and your own advocate, especially in the health system here in NZ. Glad you found us and that we can help.
Kruise - welcome back! Sorry about your daughter (and fizz's as well). Just darn hard.
Good luck next week, Donna! Sounds like a blonde thing I would do - and have done.
Twofer - hope your tingles get better soon!
Terre
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Kruise- sorry to hear about your daughter...hopefully she's feeling better.
Koo, I totally agree with Donna, you have to be the squeaky wheel, even if it's not in your nature, you must make your problem theirs. When your health is at stake you just have to. I hated doing it, but it sure got things going.
My numb fingers (thumb, index and middle finger) seem to be getting a little less, I've been doing some stretching and accupressure & taking extra B6 and it seems to help. My specialist said I could stop Letrozole for a month to see if that would help and if so then go on Tamoxifen. I'm keen to stay on Letrozole as it makes a significant difference for those of us who have ILC, so I'll just keep doing the excersizes.
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Wow it's gotten really busy here! Nice to see you all
Kruise & Fizzdon, hope your daughters get over their anxiety soon. It's hard to watch your kids go thru that sort of stuff.
Yep, Koo, mammograms aren't infallible. Mine missed the extent of my tumour. I had a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy. But I have to say once you're diagnosed they are pretty good at getting on & treating you. Good to be your own advocate tho & make sure things are moving along.
Thanks for the sympathy Terre. First injection & oral meds down, one day at a time
Alyson I hope your back gets sorted soon.
And Woody- I agree letrozole is better than tamoxifen in my limited view! Se's are worth it if it keeps bc at bay.
Hope the last chemo goes well Kiwi1966,
Have a good night all!
kt
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Thank you, KiwiCatMom, Woodyhollow and KT!!
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Wow, it's got really busy in here which is great. Welcome Koo & Twofer.
Fizz I'm glad you are feeling a bit happier today.
Kriuse and Kiwi I have a teenage son with major mental health problems so I know how stressful that can be. Hope your girls are feeling better soon.
Alyson can't believe you are still waiting to sort out your back. Hope they get on to things soon.
KT hope the meds cure whatever is ailing your poor Alpaca soon.
I had chemo no 66 yesterday seems to still be going ok after that break knocked the SEs on the head. Off to Pilates today and paddle boarding tomorrow hope the weather holds for it.
Have a great day every one.
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I really love you ladies, it's just so nice knowing that we are not alone and we are all here for each other. Koo - my ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma) was missed for 18 months. I knew I had something going on in my boob but no-one would believe me. Finally a switched on nurse, who I think I owe my life to, noticed something and only because of her insistence I was given a biopsy. You know the doctor that did an ultrasound on my tumour said he couldn't see anything and if I was his wife he would be happy to let me go home because there was nothing wrong!!! So this has taught me to be pro-active. I don't think I will ever get over the way they made me feel like a hypochondriac. But anyway, I hope you have already started phoning the Waikato Breast Care Clinic and please let us know how you get on.
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Hi
Shazza, well done on the chemo & Pilates & paddle boarding! Did you enjoy the paddle boarding last time?
Fizzdon, well done getting yourself diagnosed
I had similar probs with a registrar asking me before I was diagnosed 'did I want to have the lumpectomy?' Like it was all my idea & I was wasting their time. Oh, btw did you see that Rita (onc) and her husband were in yesterday's herald. They've made a movie apparently!
Koo et al, it's great to have this forum for support. Hope you're all having a good day
kt
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I phoned Waikato Breast Care and no appointment yet -- I am still being triaged! I really feel for everyone else who has had to go through the uncertainty of waiting and not knowing. I have absolute respect for the "oldies" here (not as in age-old, but as in having had to go through this ... you get my drift? LOL)
Because I have 80% Southern Cross cover, I've now decided to go private for at least the initial imaging ... I am hoping that if something is found that I can transfer over to the public health system thereafter ...
I am so grateful to everyone who responded to my post, because, without you ladies, it would never have occurred to me to be proactive ... this way I am taking control of things and reclaiming my power in a situation where I already feel a little compromised (by my own body) ...
So sorry my post is all about me, when I see that others are going through their own challenges. As I become more familiar with everyone and settle into a rhythm here, it will be less about me and more about what others are facing, in my posts.
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Yay all finished ....... no bells, whistles or balloons
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Completely stuffed up the posting of this. Anyway, my last chemo was a doddle (see picture), not a celebratory balloon or steamer in sight though. Glad I managed a chardonnay and some duck fried chips afterwards :-)0
