Little black dress!

I did find a new dress! Black, lacy, knee length, round neck, sequinned, in the Next sale, long black lacy sleeves, perfect for the works dinner dance on a snowy evening last friday! I wasn’t happy with the prosthesis and decided instead on the “softie” pad I was given after surgery. Pinned into an old bra it fitted perfectly under the dress and was much lighter and more comfortable than the breast form. Previous attempts to wear the prosthesis have altered my mood and I find myself getting emotional when I remove and replace it from it’s box, insert it into the bra and then struggle with the lop-sided weight of it while trying to fasten the bra in place. It looks and feels like a breast and it’s an odd experience clearly reminding me that my own breast has gone and that this is a “replacement”. The softie is not a replica, it is just a fabric pad and somehow I find that much easier emotionally, for the times when I wish to balance my shape.

The dinner dance and overnight stay was fabulous, I felt confident and had a great sociable evening, good food and conversation and a little Scottish dancing thrown in too!

The first of this year’s trips was extremely enjoyable! I travelled with the snow to and from Peterborough last week but avoided any disruption to my travel plans. I managed a small suitcase without too much lifting and no pain. Good to catch up with some of the lovely people in my life. Mum and I had a super day in London, spoiling ourselves with coffee and lunch at The St Pancras Hotel, a visit to the British museum, tea with friends at the Athenaeum Club and an evening performance of The Nutcracker at The Royal opera House.

Back home and re packing ready to travel to France at the weekend to spend a couple of weeks with Dad.  Repeat prescription of Tamoxifen collected. This is the third prescription I have had and three different brands of drug, each time a different one! Some women have complained that different brands affect their side effects. I haven’t noticed any difference so I hope that stays the same with this new lot! The night sweats have stayed away for over 6 weeks and my periods carry on regularly as usual if somewhat heavier. That in itself causes me to feel quite tired for a couple of days but otherwise I’m feeling no difference.

I’ve borrowed a Kindle for the trip to France and amongst other things I have down loaded “It takes a Worried Man” by Brendan Halpin, his own account of dealing with his wife’s breast cancer and also “The Glass Half Full – a breast cancer survival blog by E.M.Glasson. Situated in a sleepy French hamlet without TV or to many mod cons, with plenty of peace and quiet, good coffee and fresh croissant, I will be relaxing at Dad’s, reading, writing, watching some films on my laptop and enjoying some fresh air walks, maybe even get back to some running!