Five years post treatment🤞 - My Breast Cancer ...

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Five years post treatment🤞

Lainey66 profile image
22 Replies

Hello everyone. I was just looking back and noticed it is 5 years since I first posted up in this forum. Yesterday I had to attend the pancreatic clinic. I actually got to see the consultant himself. The small 'fatty' mass (as a gp passed it off as) now has to be investigated and I have to undergo both an endoscopy and a biopsy. Should this prove to be cancerous, then it is small enough to be dealt with. Next week, I get the results from my CT scan on my lungs. This is the second scan in 2 months to see if there is any change to the 'spots' they found 2 months ago. Fingers crossed they are merely scars from pneumonia and/or the radiotherapy I had last time round. Since I last chatted to you all, besides the sea swimming, crafting, reading and writing poetry, I have taken up cycling (an e-bike of course as my dodgy bones would not manage a totally manual bike) growing my own herbs, making pesto and salad dressings and growing plants in a mini greenhouse. I meditate and basically enjoy living. A positive outlook and living in the here and now has served me well, and I hope it does for years to come. I hope, among all the chaos, fear, ill health and general shizz storm that cancer brings, that you are all managing to find 'you', a sense of peace and the chance to live for the moment. As we have all experienced, none of us knows what is around the corner. Enjoy your day everyone, and when feeling low, try to find just one thing to smile about. It really does give you a little lift. Sending positivity and love to you all.

Lainey 🚴‍♀️❤💐

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Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66
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22 Replies
mfsglt92pzjlau profile image
mfsglt92pzjlau

Hi what a wonderful positive person you are hope all your tests turn out fine and you continue doing all the things you enjoy sending you all good wishes 😍

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to mfsglt92pzjlau

Thank you so much for your kind wishes, I wish you the same. As my husband told me ' Life is to be enjoyed not endured!' Stay safe and well ❣🙏

thekeys46 profile image
thekeys46

Wow Lainey, What a positive post. I find it better to be positive than angry at what life has thrown at you. Life is for living although with Covid it’s dfficult to do everything you want to do. I hope you have a positive outcome from all your investigations💕

I am coming up to 3 years since diagnosis, nearly 2 years since end of treatment. I also have a few autoimmune disorders and had a minor heart attack and stent insertion in November. I try to walk at least 2 miles a day but have a lot of discomfort. Awaiting results of spinal MRI ? Spinal stenosis. Recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and struggling to control hypertension…but I am still here and want to enjoy everything in life.

Take care xx

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to thekeys46

I agree, there is no reason to be angry. It would be easy to get into the rut of 'why Me!' But then all we would be is bitter and waste so much of our precious time here. I say 'why not me?' Why should it be someone else and not me? I would not wish this on my enemy. If anything, this last few years has made me re-address my life, appreciate each day and made me take time out for life, not living to work, but working on living and I am so glad I have done this. I have no time for gossip, drama, unpleasantness and find it so easy to just let people be now. If it is not good for the soul then it is not good at all. Give me peace and harmony, the Sun, bird song, a good book and the ocassional glass of wine. Bliss 😄

weathervane profile image
weathervane

You are an inspiration to everyone Lainey 😀. I finished radiotherapy a number of weeks ago and you have encouraged me to get fitter to cope with the future xx

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to weathervane

I am glad that you feel that I have encouraged you. It has been a tough road and you will feel the after effects of treatment for a while. Start gently, taking up something you enjoy. When you are tired rest. There is no rush, you do what you can for enjoyment as well as fitness. You will find once you start that you not only begin to feel better but you feel happier too. Wushing you all the best ❣🙏

weathervane profile image
weathervane in reply to Lainey66

Thank you 🙏🏼🙏🏼💕💕🌸

janyoshi profile image
janyoshi

Thank you for such a heart warming post, Lainey! I finished my treatment for BC five months ago. Well, except I have to have Herceptin infusions the rest of my life for that HER protein. I feel very well, but sad that my ex now has brain cancer. I'm going to be taking him for his daily radiation treatments whenever they schedule them shortly. He has no one else to take him, and I figure showing him kindness is the best thing to do. I am so very grateful for all of the positive support that I got, including this forum. It is so encouraging to talk to cancer survivors about the precious gift of life that we are bestowed every day. I wish you the best.

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to janyoshi

You really are going through the mill and are amazing to help your ex like you are. Make sure not to burn out though as you will feel the effects of treatment for a while yet. Listen to your body and when you are tired rest up. You are a very strong and generous person and I wish you alk the best ❣🙏

Foden1925 profile image
Foden1925

Lovely read well done

A lovely message Lainey66 . Will certainly try to find something to smile about. At the moment my tumors are growing and thriving. I wish I could inject them with poison but for now I am on my last hope of treatment fazlodex so apart from chemo and I dont know if my poor old body could take that. It's good to hear positive words like yours so thank you for them.

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to

I certainly hope that this treatment works for you. It isn't easy to smile when this is happening. Face the sun, listen to the birds, feel the breeze, and knoe that I and many others are sending you positive vibes. I have added you as Firebird10 to my reiki groups distant healing that they do regularly. Sending much love ❣🙏

pollymacchili profile image
pollymacchili

Thanks for the up-beat post and congrats on your adventuring and longevity! Curious about your e-bike...your opinion and comments re: balance..some younger folks have told us the e-bike zips along so fast it take a bit of skill to manage...your thoughts? And our wishes for you to keep on keeping on!

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to pollymacchili

Hi there. E-Bikes will shoot off if you are using the throttle only. Here in Ireland the throttle only setting is disabled as it takes the bike into scooter category and you would need a license for it. I would recommend you go to a sellers first and have a go one one, most places allow for that. Start in Zero which is pedal only and move up if you need help pedaling. I am 54 and up until I got my bike 5 months ago, I hadn't ridden a bike for 36 years. I have now done 1080km in 5 months. They are very easy to ride.

pollymacchili profile image
pollymacchili in reply to Lainey66

Thanks for the good advice! Will do some research with a nearby bike store!

Supriya-s profile image
Supriya-s

Dear Lainey66,I had my treatment the same time as you and have also just finished the 5 years post treatment. I remember reading all your posts then about your treatment, all the ups and downs and how beautifully you managed them all and at the same time inspired all of us to stay the course. It can’t have been easy.

Good luck with all your tests - and I hope they come back fine.

I’ve just been asked to stop tamoxifen after taking it everyday for five years and I’m happy as well as scared. Happy because maybe now I’ll be able to take some of the belly I’ve developed in the last five years off…plus maybe I won’t have so many hot flushes. And scared because I’m now without the crutches that any sort of treatment provided. But I consider myself lucky to have lived a largely normal five years, with just the annual oncologist meeting, mammogram and ultrasound and chest X-ray which remind me each time that I’ve had cancer. I’m also scared that I’ll have periods back since I’m 46 and they may be uncontrollable. After 6 years of no periods ( except twice, both of which was super bad)..one gets used to not having them.

But all in all I can’t complain. I’ve just moved countries for the third time in these last 5 years and have joined a gym with a trainer who understands my pace. In just two weeks I can already feel my abdomen getting stronger - which was an issue earlier due to my DIEP reconstruction in which they had to take a bit of muscle as well apart from the fat. I’m hoping for an up and up from here and wishing everyone well. Your advice is spot on - listen to the birds and smell the breeze. I’m grateful for another day.

Wishing you the very best!!❤️

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to Supriya-s

I am so pleased to hear that you are doing well. It is a scary time coming off meds. For a couple of years they had me on aromasin as in the early days there was the minutest trace of estrogen in the biopsy however, when I had the double mastectomy the cells all came back as triple negative. But, they kept me on the aromasin. It caused me terrible joint pain, so 2 years ago I took myself off it, after being informed that the percentage of the tablets keeping the cancer away for me was less than 1%, basically useless for me. Being tablet free has made me feel so much better. Guarded but better. We will always live life looking over our shoulders where cancer is concerned. Now, I look at quality of life over quantity. I have rid myself of fear through meditation and being as positive as I can. I am glad you are back at the gym. It gives you a focus. Keep on keeping on, and I wish you many years of good health, happiness and being fear free ❤

Wishing you very good luck, hope all goes well.xx💕💕🤞🤞

Lainey66 profile image
Lainey66 in reply to

Thank you. I hope you are keeping well ❤

Hi Lainey, good to hear from you. What an exciting time you’ve had!!I, too, am five years out. Had a bone density scan end of July- still awaiting results from oncologist.

Surgeon has said she doesnt need to see me anymore unless the oncologist is unhappy! So still waiting to hear and if all ok will be able to stop Anastrazole!! Its going to be really strange if I’m totally discharged - no fall back especially as it is still difficult getting face to face appointments, but Hey ho! It is what it is.

Hope ti start riding my bike as soon as my back and groin settle down!!

Take care my friend. Xx

jackearls1000 profile image
jackearls1000

Good Morning Lainey ....You were one of the ladies that really helped me so much ...4 years ago ....I'm now all ok ...my hair grew back, and I feel such an idiot thinking on how I spiralled out of control at the thought of losing my hair ....I'm just very vain I think ....I do have moments of worry if I get an illness or a pain but otherwise I have done things I would never have done ..ie been on safari In South Africa , I would never would have gone through fear ..and this year all being well with corvid etc we are off to Egypt ...If I could have spoke to myself back then at the beginning ...it would have been do not stress and take one day at a time ...which what was exactly what you wrote to me ....thankyou for your support and I hope all your tests and scans come out ok for you ....and just keep making you happy ....lots of love Jane xxx

jackearls1000 profile image
jackearls1000

Lainey .....you were amongst the first to come to my rescue ...Id like to thankyou and so glad your doing ok .....you were the voice of reason in a haze of panic and fear ....big hugs Jane x

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