Breast Cancer Resources

clare64

I'm with Inkyblue on this and would champion the sports bra. Really comfy, especially as I hadto wear it for 24 hours aday for 6 weekspost surgery.
Look good,feel great is brilliant
Good luck in your treatmentxx

lucy*locket

Hi Elise, this is a c***p time for you, but you will get through it and you seem to be dealing with it in a practical way which is the best way in my opinion...you can't fight it you just have to deal with each step of treatment in order to get better.
I was diagnosed with BC 3 years ago, had 3 ops, chemo, radiotherapy, Herceptin treatment and am currently on Tamoxifen, 2 years down 3 to go. Being MSE I wasn't prepared to spend a fortune on essentials. I lost my hair, and wore scarves to start with which I'd bought from car boot sales and charity shops...I wore them with a cotton headband to stop them from slipping.

Hated the idea of wigs but you are given a free (or very cheap) one on the NHS (your BC nurse will advise you on where to go to get it). My employer was kind enough to pay for a wig for me too which was over £200, but I have to say when I returned to work I wore the NHS one all the time 'cos it looked better (you can wash them).
Cheap sports bras are ideal after surgery, also the vests with hidden support I found very comfortable, they were less than a tenner in M & S I think.
I heard about tattooed eyebrows but the cost put me off so I learnt to use an eyebrow pencil and also eyeliner to enhance your eyes if/when you've lost all your hair. I like the Clinique Quickliner, costs around £13 but lasts a long time (maybe someone would treat you?!) Rimmel eyebrow pencil is good, I'm still using them now.
When you have radiotherapy the hospital give you aqueous cream, as much as you need, so you don't have to buy anything special.

Find out if the hospital have subsidised parking for cancer patients, you may be entitled to it and it saves a fortune( I used to get lots of tokens at a time and keep them in my car). Also it's expensive to buy food in hospital when you're going for treatment, I always took a packed lunch and often a small flask of tea.
Wishing you all the very best, please feel free to PM me if you want to chat, I remember how supportive some people were to me when I was diagnosed and I'm always happy to pass on the kindness.
Gill (sorry to waffle on)

elisebutt65

Thanks for all the replies so far. I'm really touched. There were also some nice comments on my blog as well(I don't think I can post the link but it's called A Touch of Slap: Beauty and the Breast) renamed it for the year - LOL.

Work have been fantastic so far, I don't know why but I was expecting them to be a bit off, but I've got 6 month full pay and then half pay for up to another 6 months, but I want to be back for the new college year next September.So that's a huge weight off my mind. I'll miss the overtime for covering lessons but it's such a relief knowing that rent and bills are covered plus there'll be all sorts of work expenses, such as lunch etc that I won't be needing now.

I've been getting an awful lot of hugs at work as well:rotfl:. Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't really do hugs as they tend to make me emotional:o.

I was going to get all my hair cut short (halfway down my back now) as it would be easier to look after post-op, but OH has said he'll pay for me to go to the hairdressers once a week so I can keep it nice and you never know, I might not lose it. I really don't like the idea of not being able to have a soak in the bath up to my nose for a while though

I've got a visit to the hospital on Thursday to look at photos. I don't want to go but the nurse and my OH think it's better to prepare me. Also the whole family is now booked in for flu jabs just in case. I'll do another blog post after my visit as it sort of helps to blurt everything out online semi-anonymously(even though everyone I know is reading it-LOL) Am still going to carry on with the beauty stuff as well, like my weekly nails on Pinterest.

Thanks again:D

Violetta_2

Good luck Elsie, I've heard that udderly smooth cream is good http://www.amazon.co.uk/Udderly-Smooth-Extra-Unscented-Moisturising/dp/B001KYTVZ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352246746&sr=8-1 in fact just looking at the reviews & 1 say's it was recommended by their oncologist (relieved as I thought I might be making it up). Can I also recommend a nice soft fleece blanket, they are nice & light but cosy.
ETA can I also congratulate you on your marriage. (just read your blog)

Dunroamin

elisebutt65 wrote: »

Work have been fantastic so far, I don't know why but I was expecting them to be a bit off, but I've got 6 month full pay and then half pay for up to another 6 months, but I want to be back for the new college year next September.So that's a huge weight off my mind. I'll miss the overtime for covering lessons but it's such a relief knowing that rent and bills are covered plus there'll be all sorts of work expenses, such as lunch etc that I won't be needing now.

I was teaching at a college when I had a mastectomy for breast cancer and I'd recommend returning to work a week or so before the end of the summer term. It gets you back into the swing of things and then you have the summer to rest a bit afterwards. If you go back in September you have to hit the ground running, which is more difficult.

Don't forget that you'll need more time off work for the cosmetic surgery procedures you'll need later and the availability of future sick leave will date from your return to work.

Obviously this will depend on how you're feeling; I was fortunate and didn't have either chemo or radiotherapy and was only off for 5/6 months.