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Happy Christmas after Breast Cancer

(27 Posts)
Anannymous Tue 24-Dec-19 22:29:56

Hope you don’t mind me posting this here. Sixteen years ago today I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Well I am still here and thankfully still well. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have enjoyed my children’s weddings, the birth of my gorgeous grand children and to have shared those years with my lovely husband. So for anyone going through something similar I hope you are as fortunate and I hope that in 16 years time you will be writing something similar. Happy Christmas everyone.

MissAdventure Tue 24-Dec-19 22:33:44

Ah, that's lovely!
I hope you have the happiest Christmas with your family. smile

GagaJo Tue 24-Dec-19 22:35:11

9 years for me Anannymous. Happy Christmas! XX

lavenderzen Tue 24-Dec-19 22:39:24

Happy Christmas to you both

Tedber Tue 24-Dec-19 22:59:07

Wonderful to hear that Have a very happy Christmas x

Bellanonna Tue 24-Dec-19 23:09:08

What a kind and thoughtful post Anannymous.. Happy Christmas to you too.

grannyactivist Tue 24-Dec-19 23:16:09

Anannymous - what a lovely encouraging message of hope. tchsmile

annsixty Wed 25-Dec-19 21:35:12

Well it is 20 years this month for me.
Diagnosed on Dec 8th and operated on Dec15th.
In those days it was usual to take all the lymph nodes out and to be in for 7 days.
I came out on Dec 23rd and Christmas was dreadful but all was well and quite frankly the chances today are even better with the progress and advances made.
Everyone should be positive and full of hope.

Harris27 Wed 25-Dec-19 21:42:11

Well done and what a lovely post. I know I had to a hysterectomy on the 15 th dec 14 years ago and got out on the 21st Rembrandts it ever year . Feel so lucky as it was quite serious. Like you I feel so reflective and thank god for all the progress made. Bless all you survivors!

Harris27 Wed 25-Dec-19 21:42:47

December ! Sorry should of checked spelling.

Suki70 Wed 25-Dec-19 22:13:27

9 years for me, diagnosed on Dec 16th, operated on Dec 18th. DD and family changed plans and came to us for Christmas, DS was in New York with his girlfriend and we knew he was going to propose, so I didn't tell him until they returned. Skyping him on Christmas Day, when he told us she had said yes and they wanted a September wedding, was hard as I knew chemo and radiotherapy would be needed in the new year but I attended both their wedding and a friend's in Italy that summer.
Since then, five friends and a niece have been diagnosed and treated , all of whom are still here and living life to the full.
Medical progress is being made all the time and as annsixty said, everyone should be full of hope. Happy Christmas everyone.

BradfordLass72 Thu 26-Dec-19 02:23:54

I wish I could show this post to my brave friend Kathy.

She's about to go into her 4th session of the chemo which has made her extremely ill and ruined the past few months.

She still has to endure radiotherapy and Tamoxifen for the rest of her life.
It has not been a happy Christmas for her but I am very glad indeed that you, Anannymous have had the sort of respite and celebration you too could probably not have envisaged 16 years ago. flowers flowers flowers

EllaKeat Thu 26-Dec-19 06:33:55

Life is so precious, and how wonderful to hear so many wonderful post cancer stories.
Hope you all enjoy many more happy years?

☃️Merry Christmas⛄

Joelsnan Thu 26-Dec-19 06:48:16

One year down. Felt grim last year having just completed treatment and still bald.
This year totally different, a mop of grey very curly hair, a bigger belly and not very nice tablets, but living and loving life again.
The chemo was really grim, I send love and support to anyone in that toxic bubble at the moment.

harrigran Thu 26-Dec-19 08:50:42

I was diagnosed with cancer, not breast, in November 2015. I had an operation in January 2016 and I am still around to tell the tale. The chemotherapy took it's toll and I had a PE but I am still here and thankful to be seeing the GC growing up.

dragonfly46 Thu 26-Dec-19 09:07:22

I have my 4th chemo tomorrow which means I am halfway through with 4 more chemos and radiotherapy. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November last year but as it had advanced I had targeted therapy first and had operation in September. I have been lucky as the chemo so far has not completely knocked me out.

I love to hear about all those who are long time survivors!

Mythbirtthedragon Thu 26-Dec-19 09:09:35

Diagnosed in January 2013, mastectomy March 2013 and first granddaughter August 2013, born 2 days before my last chemo. (and I was there, our first picture shows her with a lot more hair than me). I was back on the tennis court 4 and a half weeks after my op ( one of my work colleagues did say, I’m pleased it wasn’t your tennis side), had chemo as part of my belt and braces approach plus asastrozole for 5 years, worked throughout with a very flexible manager and colleagues because I wanted to and signed off by the hospital Jan 19. Now just waiting for the imminent arrival of second GC. Life does go on.

EllaKeat Fri 27-Dec-19 17:33:05

@dragonfly46 how did chemo go today?
I must admit, chemo was a relative doddle for me, it was radiotherapy that I crashed on ( driving 48 miles per day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks might have had something to do with it)!
Have you had a mastectomy, or lumpectomy? Just wondered if you had reconstruction to consider.

Best wishes to everyone on this journey - you are amazing!

butterfly1 Fri 27-Dec-19 21:21:59

Had mastectomy in June 2011, no chemo or radiotherapy. Celebrated my 60th in the August with family and friends. After a lot of soul searching decided against reconstruction.
In September 2015 had surgery for removal of bladder after cancer diagnosed again, not related to breast. No chemo again and 4yrs later am still cancer free. Cancer can be cruel and leave your body a mess, but when fully clothed nobody knows and i'm still here to tell the tale and enjoying life.

Daisyboots Fri 27-Dec-19 22:05:01

I had breast cancer in 1996 and after treatment got on with living my life until this time last year when I had terrible back pain. A CAT scan in January showed metastases on my spine and I was diagnosed with Grade 4 metatastic breast cancer. Unfortunately it cannot be cured but can be treated. So far a gruelling 12 weeks of chemotherapy which left me feeling very ill. Two weeks ago I finished a weeks intensive course of radiotherapy to hopefully shrink the metastases. So at the moment recovering from that. Just hoping that next year brings better health. When i asked what had brought this on they said that the Tamoxifen taken for 5 years had failed and not killed some rogue cells which had laid dormant for years.

Daisyboots Fri 27-Dec-19 22:07:18

Well done Butterfly1 for beating cancer twice and having such a positive attitude

Daisyboots Fri 27-Dec-19 22:13:37

Ellakeat I didnt need chemotherapy the first time round but the radiotherapy did me in too. I had a 100 mile round trip 5 days a week for 6 weeks plus it had to be timed around my young children being taken to school and being picked up in the afternoon. It was a worry if there had been a machine breakdown which would make my appointment late but we managed.

dragonfly46 Fri 27-Dec-19 22:16:45

So sorry to hear this Daisyboots but I am sure these days they can contain it.

Ella I have had a mastectomy as I had two different tumours. One of them was not in the breast but underneath so not diagnosed until it had spread to chest wall so I am not able to have reconstruction. I wouldn’t have considered it anyway as I want to be aware of any changes.
I am halfway through chemo then will have radiotherapy. Belt and braces approach.
So far I have been relatively lucky with chemo.

Auntieflo Fri 27-Dec-19 22:19:06

I was diagnosed with breast cancer, 15 months ago.
I received 4 weeks of radiotherapy, at a facility not too far away. After which, I was not prescribed any tablets, and had a check up after the first year.
DH was diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. He had six weeks of radiotherapy, and now has an implant/ injection, every 12 weeks.
He has finished his first year, with one year to go.

So although this has been a bit of a rough ride, we are surviving, and thankful for the care we were given.

Good luck to all on their own journey

Daisyboots Fri 27-Dec-19 22:31:08

Thank you Dragonfly46 I hope your chemo went well today.