October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Health + Injury

03/10/2002 at 16:37

Ladies (and men tell the wives)

Please, please, please check your breasts regularly. Know your breasts and know when they change. Don't sit on any problems - get them checked. Don't go through what I went through!!!

Do it, do it now!

Also, check out BreastCancerCare.org.uk

XFR Bear

03/10/2002 at 16:45

I know I shouldn't joke about such a serious subject, but if you can sit on them then you really have got a problem :o)

Iain

Nessie

03/10/2002 at 17:07

Thanks Cath - I think we all need a kick up the bum to do this - and its not as if it takes ages or needs special equipment. (Although I'll wait till I get home from work, if that's ok ;-))

One point though - men CAN get breast cancer too - I don't think its all that common, but it does happen. Also, men should be checking their dangly bits too.

Lets all get touchy feely together!!

Redhead

03/10/2002 at 17:15

Thanks for reminding us Cath.

Nessie, you're so right men (of all ages, not just the over 50s) need to check their giblets regularly. My friend also discovered prostate cancer thanks to a regular health check at BUPA.

No need to get paranoid, just be aware.

Michelle

03/10/2002 at 17:44

Yes that's right - we should all be checking our bits & pieces regularly! Please all say a little prayer tonight for my cousin, Steve, who underwent an operation today to remove a cancerous tumour from his neck.. he had the lump for 13 weeks before going to the doctors.
Michelle x

Catherine Muge

03/10/2002 at 18:21

This is a bit of a stab in the dark, but I've got this problem with my foot.....
I'm a bit flat footed, and made sure I got a good pair of running shoes before starting running again a month ago. But I had a few tweaks, and after a 10k yesterday, the entire side underarch of one of my feet has slightly swollen up and is a bit painful to walk on.
Do I need to buy special insoles? Aren't they very expensive? Do I need to see a sports physio? This is soooooo frustrating, because my running has just started to go well! Advice would be appreciated....
Cat

04/10/2002 at 10:53

Iain - no offense intended but after the day I had yesterday, I didn't think your joke was funny. It hurt me to be quite honest. If you have time please have a look at yesterday's entries in the general forum under the "staying healthy" thread and you'll understand what I mean. I'm not angry just it upset me a bit. I'm sorry, I thought you should know because you seem like a nice guy and I think you would probably feel awful if you'd thought you'd upset anyone. I started this thread because of what happened yesterday - the more ladies (and men) who I can get checking, and if they find anything, get it sorted rather than just leaving it, well I think that's a good thing.

Michelle -- I hope Steve is okay. Have you heard from the hospital..? Is he up and about yet..?

Michelle

04/10/2002 at 11:18

Hi Cath,
Steve is up and about thanks Cath and they are talking of discharging him over the weekend - they don't hang about do they! I'm gonna nip over on your other thread now Cath.
Love Michelle xxxx

04/10/2002 at 11:27

Michelle -- I'm so glad he's okay. Have they said whether he'll need any other treatment yet ot not..?

Michelle

04/10/2002 at 11:48

Hi Cath - no, not yet they haven't, he's still waiting to be told at the moment Cath. I've been looking for a nice card to send him, but the 'get well' cards all seem so flippant and jokey, and the 'thinking of you' ones look like those 'in sympathy' cards.. so they're either too jokey or too morbid for my liking... have to keep looking I s'pose! I can't believe they're sending him home so soon - but I suppose once they've taken it out, there's not a lot more in-hospital care that can be done is there? Thanks for asking after him Cath.
Love Michelle xxxx

daisybop

04/10/2002 at 11:49

Hello Cath!!

Have just been reading your thread on cancer awareness:And I totally agree with you:Every
one out their should all be checking their selves reguarly!!As in the past I have had a bit of a
scare:Lucky enough I had the lump removed from my breast:And it was clear.But to be honest
with you,I have not been checking myself recently:but after reading this I shall be checking myself
every day when I come out of the shower.

Hope everything goes alright with steve,michelle shall say a wee prayer for him:For a speedy recovery!!

Anyway guys have got to get going now! As i am off to Oban,doing my first half on sunday
so fingers crossed for me:I get through it alright.Speak to you,s later.

Flipper!!

Michelle

04/10/2002 at 11:59

Thank you Sharon! Good luck for Sunday. Let us know how you get on.
Michelle x

04/10/2002 at 12:04

Michelle -- get him a blank card. You know one of those arty ones or one with sunflowers on or something and write your own message in it. I hope he doesn't have to have further treatment but even if he does, like you all told me, it's not a death sentence these days, most cancers, especially in young people respond really well and I'm assuming he's relatively young like you..? I know how worried you and all the family must be right now but try to keep thinking positive. In my case I just kept thinking, it could have been worse, so in Steve's case, it could have been the lump could have been somewhere he wouldn't necessarily have seen it and you know, 13 weeks isn't so long. It's only just over 3 months so it's likely it's caught really early. Try not to worry too much hun. Love Cath.

Sharon -- good luck with the Oban race on Sunday!! Oh and breast awareness is good enough with a self exam every two weeks, so my nurse says but I agree with you, more can't harm can it!

Michelle

04/10/2002 at 12:17

Oh thanks Cath! Yes, good idea I will get a blank card and write in it myself. Steve's not doing too bad, but his mum (my auntie) is in a terrible state and can't stop crying. But you are so right Cath - they have caught it relatively early haven't they and he's 47 and never really been ill before. He's a non-smoker too. Thanks for your message and good wishes Cath. Oh and I did a breast examination last night too because of your posting! Take Care Cath..
Lots of Love, Michelle xxx

Wicked Witch

04/10/2002 at 12:33

Cath does Clatterbridge Hospital have its own charity, could you e.mail me.

04/10/2002 at 12:56

WW - I tried emailing you but just in case. I'm not sure that Clatterbridge Centre for Oncolgy Trust have their own charity - I'm sure they must do or must have a procedure for making charitable donations. You could ring them and ask. The phone number is 0151 334 1155. Or the address to write is

Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Trust
Clatterbridge Road
Bebington
Wirral
CH63 4JY

Hildegard

04/10/2002 at 14:25

Thanks for the reminder Cath - it certainly worked for me earlier in the year. I've been hearing in the news that the NHS no longer wants GPs to tell women of the importance of self-examination, because of a lack of correlation between detection and cure rates. I simply cannot accept this as sound advice, so please tell me that I'm misinterpreting their message!
Take care all,
Miranda

04/10/2002 at 14:36

Miranda -- I think with the NHS it's more likely to be a case of wanting to save money! The amount of women who do self examinations and the amount of women who do need treatment for breast cancer does show a huge disparity, in that the former far outweigh the latter. However, how on earth would they find the lump otherwise. I'm very skeptical of anytime the NHS start whining about issues. The NHS has to prioritise and that is the number one issue with their budget issues. What irks me the most is that breast screening was introduced solely on the back of some figures from a couple of studies - no huge research studies had been conducted and now they're whining about it.

04/10/2002 at 15:19

Just to push it back to the top :)

04/10/2002 at 22:47

and again :)