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This is my first time on forum. Diagnosed in feb with metastic breast cancer . Very scared . Chemo finished . On hormones now . Any one out there with similar. Had first diagnosis twelve years ago. Full right sided mastectomy Plus chemo. Tamoxofen for five years. Thought I was home and dry.

Hi all I have two daughters, 14 and 4. My 14 year old knows I have cancer, but my four year old doesn't. I explained that my shoulder was sore when I had my mastectomy, as I am still not able to lift her. Baldness is looming at the end of this month, as I start chemo next week. I just wondered how those of you with smaller children, explained your baldness to them. I don't think I want her to know that I am so sick that my hair fell out, but on the other hand I want to be as honest as I can be with her as well. I would be grateful to hear what worked for some of you. Many thanks, Mxx

Hi everyone I have being on Tamoxifen for 4 years. My weight went from 8 and a half stone to 11 stone when I started taking tamoxifen. I managed to get down to 10 stone by exercising and eating sensibly but cannot shift anymore weight no matter what I do. I even did the 2 day diet for nearly a year but no joy. I never had to watch my weight I was always thin and I had a very big appetite. Last year my oncologist told me I would be on tamoxifen for 10 years and not 5 years as was originally prescribed; because of the new study that found 10 years is better. Therefore I was hoping next year I would lose the weight gained but seen as I have to stay on tamoxifen I would love to know if anyone managed to lose weight and how! I am so grateful to have tamoxifen - don't get me wrong but I would like to be 9 stone for health reasons; as I do agree that weight causes certain illnesses.

Just looking for some advice please. I was diagnosed with DCIS in my right breast last May. I had two surgeries some lymph nodes removed which were clear thank goodness. Followed by radiotherapy. My most recent mammogram was in March. I also had a check up by my surgeon in July. But I am now experiencing pressure, not pain in the same area where the DCIS was but on the other breast. I am wondering if my mind is working overtime and if I am worrying for nothing. I didn't notice any pressure or soreness before finding the lump on the right side.

i thought id start a new thread here for anyone who has lost a loved one. once they are gone the family tend to be forgotten to get on with things and [for many of us me included] we are not ready to forget the person who passed away. so i thought it would be a place to write down how we feel or just to talk to others in the same situation. i really hope anyone in this position will take advantage of this thread and maybe help someone else as well................ anyway, i will start the thread by saying, i lost my dad to cancer of the oesophagus on 25 sept 2008. i still cry a lot as he and i were very close. he was the best dad a girl could wish for [in my eyes] and he died not knowing he was going to be a great grandad. i feel cheated that he was taken from me the way he was, he was 73 and i always expected him to die of old age and without pain and suffering. i just celebrated my 40th birthday yesterday and it was awful that he wasnt here, but he couldnt hold on and i wouldnt have wanted him to try. anyway that about sums up my story so please feel free to put your stories here and hopefully there will be a little comfort in knowing there are others like you out there. thankyou all for reading this and [hopefully] putting your own stories here too. trisha.

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All for you Take my strength, lean on me. Use it to be as strong, as your fight needs to be. Take my smile, that I force upon my face. Made helpless by the fact, I have no way to take your place. Take my sense of humor, take as much as you can. Laughing at what life throws at you, is really your best plan. Lastly, take my love for you, take extra, and put it in your heart on a shelf. For the days that lie ahead when you can't gather the courage to love yourself. I love you.

If anyone is awaiting Radiotherapy... I suggest you start taking MOR EPA (Omega 3) fish oils. If you eat oily fish at least 3-4 times a week, you won't need to take them as a supplement, you should be getting enough. They really helped me through my Radiotherapy as I didn't experience the tiredness nor the break down of my skin as was suggested might happen. I went on them and Vitamin D3 at end of September and started Radiotherapy on Nov 14th. I am studying Nutritional Therapy and am 100% convinced that taking them helped me to have 33 rather "uneventful" radiotherapy sessions. Best of luck to you all on your journeys. Happy New Year filled with health, happiness and positivity.

i need advice, i dont know how to cope with my friends diagnosis, hes 22 with lung cancer, and wont tell anyone not his family even, he confided in me. i dont want to betray his trust but hes not coping hes trying to drink his troubles away. he wont talk about it, or tell me any real information without knowing anything i cant find out anything, i dont know his prognosis, how sick hes going to get, it its treatable, nothing.. im afraid the worst will happen and id have known and not told his family i cant cope with my grief and his, that sounds selfish but its true. please tell me what i should do...

Hi Girls Am a lurker here and post infrequently however I did use this board a little when I was first diagnosed in Dec08. I met (virtually and in real life) two wonderful ladies soon after my diagnosis - we were all being treated in Beaumont. One girl, Linda (she used Linda on this board) had been diagnosed in 2006 but reoccured in Nov 2008 in the nodes and shortly afterwards was diagnosed with lung mets. I kept in intermittant contact with her during my treatment but realised yesterday that I had not heard from her in months. I decided to google her full name and a sport I knew she was passionate about. What popped up in the results shocked me. It was a reference to a memorial service from the sports club she was a member of. She had passed last Dec 2009. She would have been about 36. I cannot believe she is gone and I am so sad for her husband and family. When I met her in real life she gave be some head scarves and other stuff to help me on my chemo journey. I guess we all have to live and enjoy life and hug those close to us even tighter today! LindyLu