Cancer Support Thread 97: support for those diagnosed and going through treatment

[LiliJilliBobs]

Cancer support thread 97: support for those newly diagnosed and /or undergoing treatment…..
Thread 96 is pretty full - here’s a new one

@cannaecookrisotto i hope you’re soon on the mend and have some decent earplugs to deal with any hospital noise.

on the hair side of things, my clinic put gauze over a thinning bit during my chemo.

@Nonamelass I am sorry to hear you are in the exclusive Double Cancer Club. I was so angry with my second diagnosis I wanted a Rage Room at the Breast Care Unit. I dread the third encounter so will be sending you lots of positive vibes for results and treatment plans. Hopefully things won’t kick off for you till after Christmas.
@cannaecookrisotto the knack of getting through EC is not to look ahead and dread how you are going to feel next time but to survive every hour as well as you can, and after week One of hell, there is week Two of recovery, then week Three when you feel really well just in time for descent back into hell. Even though you sink to the depths the clever thing is how your body recovers and allows you to tackle the next round. I have never felt so ill in my entire life but I got through FEC and AC both times without any dose reduction. (I did have one week’s delay when I broke my ankle…) The result was a total pathological response to treatment with no cancer found at surgery. That is what you are doing it for! Keep going for baby fatfat so she can be really annoying to her DM when she is a teenager. My DD told me I had to do it for the GC and now he is here.

@cannaecookrisotto sorry to hear you are in hospital but its fantastic news about your results you must be really relieved.

Yes get the dose reduced as I did, and although its been bad its definitely not as
bad as the first time which I couldnt have gone through again.

I too have a sore throat I think its part of the chemo shit, I also have nosebleeds but they come in the second week usually.

Get yourself better and then you can escape.

Thank you for all your support! I have the appointment tomorrow to find out if it's spread and to discuss treatments. Am dreading it, but also feel like things are progressing forward.

@cannaecookrisotto sorry to hear that you're in hospital, but well done on the tumour-busting front! Does being in hospital get you out of doing any more Christmas stuff? I've told DSs and DP that this Christmas I am doing NOTHING and they are doing ALL OF IT. Of course I will get involved and it will be lovely!

@Ventress yes I got a reduced dose this time and it has been better, also better sickness meds but still quite dreadful just not as intense or long lasting as the last one.

oncologist next week because of the travesty of the first dose they are keeping a closer eye on me and after the drama of the second dose pushing red buttons and being very alarming I am hoping for a third peaceful session on 29th December so at least i get to taste christmas dinner.

I have been for a walk with the spaniel today and am now knackered, its my first adventure into nature for weeks but lovely to see some trees and hear the birds.
its all about the small things

glad your chemo is done, so you can enjoy christmas dinner too.

@TopOfTheCliff First time I was just so petrified , second yes I was like you in a HUGE STOMPING rage , plus I thought I’d at least have that third good week you describe off but then also had weekly taxols so felt like there was no break for the whole 18 weeks ( the weekly taxol in its own wasn’t too bad tbf) I missed just one taxol cos of neuropathy starting. Then of course came radiotherapy which just felt like a doddle compared to FEC and whatever I had the second time (ec?)

Yeah I think unless it’s a huge emergency I should be able to get to the New Year unscathed.

@cannaecookrisotto That reduction in the tumour is absolutely amazing !!! All this shite is so worth it in the end .Sorry you’re in hozzie but hope you have a good rest being taken cared of by kind nurses.

One more sleep and I’ll know a bit more what’s what for me. Gulp 😉

Hope the chemo went ok and that you’re not feeling too bad today , sending warm hugs

@Ventress glad your chemo is done, enjoy the chocolate and xmas dinner !!
@watchadewin good luck for tomorrow x

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic thanks for the info about gauze, there should be plenty of that in a hospital...

Hi everyone, hope all is well . Just come out of my appointment and yep it’s round three for me. Not too scary ( touch wood) as it’s small in the end , 18mm ( compared to MRI 28mm) hormone receptive, grade 2 but inconclusive on type as yet . Have to do a petscan which is obviously freaking me out 😳 and then if all ok appointment with surgeon and off we go … GRRR
DH and me were kind of expecting it anyway …

@cannaecookrisotto how are doing? Hope you’re feeling better , hugs x

I’m sorry to hear your news @Nonamelass. I knew you were fairly sure but I had everything crossed anyway.

Hopefully treatment will be okay. Best wishes. Take care of yourself x

@Ventress thanks x yeah we were a bit fatalistic about it tbh. The waiting really is the hardest almost relieved now we know and will’ tell the kids this weekend . Now waiting for petscan which is another bit of torture, if that’s ok ( touch wood) it’ll be a mastectomy that I will be ecstatic with and may try to have both done if they’ll let me . Dunno about chemo yet . We’ll see as and when , hope you’re ok xxx

@Ventress Our now chubby happy little cat turned up just this summer I cant help getting a bit woo and thinking he’s either a reincarnation of our dog or that our dog sent him to help. Both boys too. Its not like we even live in the countryside we are just out outside the capital on a busy road. Daft I know x

In your shoes I would be asking for double mastectomy too @Nonamelass But all that can wait until after Christmas and after you have told your family. Sending huge hugs and strength across the water to you and your DH (and your lovely chubby cat).

I wasn't even slightly woo before, but I am now. I fully believe that your cat was sent to help

Do you know when the pet scan will be? Hopefully that can be before Christmas.

.

Oncologist ´s secretary said she’ll get one quickly (she’ll be in touch asap) ie before xmas This is of course what is giving me the proper jitters. The freeking petscan. I know it’s got to be done but .. gulp.
Right off to find my happy tablets so I can float off to the butchers to finally order that beef!! Thanks for listening 💕Sending you and your DH bigs hugs back across the channel xxx

@Nonamelass PET scans scare me too and I think mine have been every three months this year. As I have this constant ache over the area of my liver (and my liver enzymes are always elevated) I live on edge. My primary care dr thinks I have Mets, my oncologist says no 🤷🏻‍♀️. Hoping for negative results and that they come quickly. Waiting is so hard.

@Nonamelass Yes, take the happy tablets!!! I’m off to do the filgrastim (#1 of 3) and I have Percocet for the pain following. Happy tablets:)

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone 🤗. I’m still bloody in!! My neutrophils haven’t budged from 0.2 since Monday, only today have they started to move slightly in the right direction. My temperature keeps going down then re-spiking, so had more cultures done this evening. I’m crossing everything for a release tomorrow. I’ve got stuff to do for Xmas, I’m missing my children, they can’t visit because germs, I’m sweaty in this plastic bed and I’m bored shitless so just sleeping the days away.

Praying to the neutrophil gods tonight. It’s my eldest daughters school show on Friday and by god I’m going to it.

@Nonamelass
I’m so sorry that you’re back on this hamster wheel of absolute wankery for a third time, what fucking shit luck. Everything crossed for you that it’s a case of MX and job done, and that you don’t have to go through the rigmarole of chemotherapy. I think considering this is the third time round they should be open to the conversation of a DMX.

The waiting for scans is the worst isn’t it. It’s just massively shit, I’m sending you the biggest hug.

…

Sending everyone else hugs too, I’ll be back to my usual ramblings once I’m released from this joint and back to my full neutrophil brain power

To all who need it xx

🙏 thankyou !! Îd go with what your oncologist says.. no mets !! and long may that last xx

Yep happy pills have great, they got the through the work xmas party / lunch yesterday though I was rubbish in the song blind test even for the english ones 😂. I can’t believe no one ever prescribed them for me before now. They have really helped to take the edge off this waiting around x

Thanks @cannaecookrisotto 💕 yeah well with my TTR it’s hardly surprising , it almost actually felt like good news ( touch wood cos yunno the freeking petscan) Yep its gonna be a double whammy for the feckers if I get my way . Poor DH is hoping for no chemo ( AS AM I only second to a nice petscan) What with my snoring and 25 years of tit trouble he’s a hero. I seriously wonder who it’s worse for ,him or me sometimes.
But WTF… three times ? WTAF.
I’m rubbish at remembering all the scientific stuff but did spend a couple of nights in the emergency bit of cancer unit last time with low bloods and an infected boil ( TMI) I ended up with a transfusion that got me back on track. Though me being me I’ve got some weird subgroup so had to wait ages for it be brought from somewhere. Shout out to all wonderful blood donors !!! And reminder to self : never loose blood in accident.

That plastic bed sounds orrible. Keeping everything crossed you’ll be out to see your girl’s play and see both of them asap

See you soon on here and have you ever thought of being a writer? I mean obviously none if this is funny ( AT ALL) but you do make me chuckle with some of your ramblings 😉

Hugs and make sure they know you want out to see the play 😉congratulations again on the shrinkage , that’s flipping marvelous

Hi all, been keeping up with all your news but just haven't had time to sit and do a proper post. Catching up with all the things I put off whilst waiting for diagnosis.

I know I will have missed someone so apologies in advance, but you have been so welcoming and I don’t want to be here just taking and not giving so Ive been following you all and trying to keep up.

@ForestFlowerFairy Hope you are having some lovely time with your kids now they are back from Uni. Don’t know about you but having my two around (20 and 15) really makes a huge difference to how I feel on a day to day basis, and my eldest is really great at helping out around the house when I’m tired. I live on my own and have my youngest here half the week, and my eldest stays the weekend and it lifts me without fail to have their energetic background chatter and irreverent humour. Love the Egg based cooking. My soon to be MIL has one and I love it!

@Nonamelass Salut! Ca Gaze? So jealous that you live in France. I have family over there and one of of the gutting things about starting chemo is missing out on going over for the truffle festival this year. Really sorry to hear you are now having to start round three. You sound so sorted and accepting and yet positive…I am drawing inspiration from you. Good luck with the scan. Keeping fingers crossed for you.

@Ventress Great that you are taking some time off. I think there is so much pressure in modern life to just push on through everything and I swear that this the pace of life is part of the reason so many of us are on this thread in the first place. Congrats on finishing chemo! That must feel amazing…just in time for all the festive munchies!

@TopOfTheCliff CONGRATS on becoming a granny. What a beautiful, joyful thing. I can’t wait to be a granny. My parents always said you get all the love but none of the hassle. :) I like how you describe the body recovery between treatments…but like how your body ‘forgets’ about childbirth so you can do it more than once. I’m going to hold onto that thought when Chemo starts.

@cannaecookrisottosounds like you are really going through it with the nosebleeds and the untrustable farts and exhaustion. EC sounds like a steamroller lovely, hope your hospital stay isnt too draining and you can get home soon (sorry if you already are and Ive somehow missed it) sending you a huge unMN-y hug. You are always so positive and giving of good energy on here, so know that we’re sending it right back at you.

@Ohjoyohbliss Hope your chemo hasn't knocked you sideways too much, the MooGoo recommended above is supposed to be really good for dry skin and Christmas is just around the corner so maybe you can drop hints for some. Thinking of you.

@watchadewin Hope today went as well as it could for you, this time between suspicion of disease/testing/results and plan are really the pits. I think we’re likely to be starting treatment around the same time. I know its selfish but as much as I hate that you need to be on here it will be somehow comforting to know that were starting this at the same time. I’m rooting for you.

@Sbmpp Hope the post chemo nausea and nosebleeds are not too severe. Sorry you are also on the waiting bench for results..its just the worst. Fingers crossed for you too.

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic Good luck with the bloods on Friday, I really hope the 7 days off the tables is giving you a bit of a rest.

I’m doing ok. Up and down with acceptance/grief/anger/determination but I know this is normal. I’m glad to have a treatment plan. Chemo starts mid Jan. I’m getting a chemo kit sorted and getting all my paperwork filed and a diary to track it all. Controlling the only bits I can will help me deal with it so much better.

I’m thinking of each and every one of you. This thread has already helped me immeasurably in not feeling as alone and scared as I would otherwise. I’m grateful to be here, as much as I hate having to. :)

@Nonamelass Thank you, one of my oncology nurses said the same. I just get scared with every pain that pops up. Yesterday I started having pain in my right underarm. Last time I had this it was a dvt and sure enough I found a very small lump same place. I’m already on blood thinners so what’s now :( Chemo was Monday, at the moment I have a bloody nose, my cheeks are bright pink and hot to the touch, I had no idea there was a thing such as “chemo farts” but now I know where all those farts are coming from (I’ve been taking Lactaid and gasx with no relief 😝). The lump is really concerning. I just don’t want a PE. Sorry for the complaints. I keep thinking of cancer as the gift that keeps on giving but not in a good way. At my chemo session Monday I was in one of the rooms that is a shared with one other pt. This woman has been through a nightmare. She has a GI cancer and takes chemos I’ve had, but she has also had to have major abd. surgery with most of her intestines removed, a colostomy, and it has now spread to her lungs. I sat and listened to her and my heart was breaking. We’ve been through all the same SE, share the same feelings and fears. In the end (as our chemos were finishing) she said “I just don’t want to be a burden on my husband. Bingo. Yes, I told her I knew exactly how she felt. What was surprising was how she saw me as I first entered that room. She said that I looked happy, in good spirits (paraphrasing) and I looked like I felt good. I guess I must be a great actress because I really feel lousy 😝. Bless her heart and I really I hope I share a room with her again (most everyone really dislikes the shared room but there’s only two). Sorry about the long rant but on the bright side my ndn brought over roast beef and mashed potatoes he just made and my sister’s Christmas cookies and jelly came in the Mail. If this is tldr that’s ok 😝😵‍💫

Thank you everyone for good wishes.
It's good (well, better) news in that the cancer hasn't spread and it looks like I just need the op. My lymph nodes are inflamed, though, but they're coming out anyway so they can fuss all they like for the next few days!

I have a mass on my liver which needs an MRI, but the consultant doesn't think is cancerous and is proceeding with planning the op.

Sending love to everyone on this thread x