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Original poster

All the fives... Tamoxigang cancer support thread 55

926 replies

WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo · 12/03/2016 14:01

Welcome newbies and oldies to our 55th thread!

Our previous thread is here.

If you have any sort of cancer please feel free to join us. We are always happy to offer a hand to hold if you're waiting for test results too.

There are no stupid questions here, and there will usually be someone who can answer, or point you in the right direction.

OP posts:
gingeroots · 13/05/2016 10:40

Just popping in to say hi to all ,with special mentions to anyone waiting for results /treatment to begin .

Lots of love to lily and leslie . Thinking of rust today and her baby .

TuppennyBit · 13/05/2016 10:42

Good luck to Rust! Flowers

Lily So pleased you're feeling better and had a good night's sleep. Makes all the difference Smile

Thanks Boobz and royal for info on fasting/diet. Will follow up that link with interest royal.

I've had date of 23rd confirmed for double mx. They're doing sentinel node biopsy again, it was clear last time round when I had WLE so we'll see this time, not sure if will be lucky twice though. I've got 4yo twins so DH is taking them to my mum's next week for a holiday so I can recuperate. We've got no family nearby and I've not had many breaks since they were born so I'm actually guiltily looking forward to a couple of days before surgery (and even after!) when I can watch a film on the sofa and doze to my heart's content!

rovercat · 13/05/2016 10:51

Morning all,
Leslie Glad you've got a plan in place and I think a holiday is a wonderful idea!
Rust Good luck for today Flowers
Fresta Hope your arm continues to get better and your appointment comes through quickly.
Lily A good nights sleep seems to make things seem so much better doesn't it!

Hello to anyone I've forgotten, hope you can enjoy the sunshine.

FlyChickie · 13/05/2016 12:11

Hi All

I was on a few weeks ago, then life, kids, cancer got in the way and I've been quietly lurking ever since. Recap: 39, DCIS, no gene, ER+, HER-, diagnosed a month after my beautiful, brave mum died, and 2 days after my DD's first birthday. I must have been REALLY bad in a past life!

I had lumpectomy and SNB last week, will find out next week if I need chemo and that's the bit that really scares me. And then I feel guilty because if my mum could do it, then I can do it. I'm just terrified of how I'm going to manage with the DD. DH is amazing, but I just feel so guilty about the effect I'm having on other people.

Post lumpectomy I'm quite mobile and have been driving. The numbness down the back of my arm is driving me crazy. Anybody else had a similar experience and if so how long did it last for?

Am thinking specially of Rust today and hope everything goes well Flowers.

And apologies for the semi-lurking...

Fresta · 13/05/2016 14:23

welcome back Fly. After my sentinel node biopsy my arm and armpit were numb and for the first few weeks it felt as if there was something in my armpit all the time and really bothered me. But that feeling went away after a few weeks and i din't notice it anymore. I did continue to have lack of sensation there though and wasn't able to feel hot and cold. It was just coming back again after about six months, but then I had a full node clearance and am back to stage 1 again now. Smile

FlyChickie · 13/05/2016 15:04

Cheers Fresta. Yes, I do feel like I have a golf ball permanently wedged in my armpit and it's driving me mad after only a week. And then randomly feel like I have something crawling down my arm which also freaks me out (having an irrational fear of creepy crawlies!).

I think for me the realisation is starting to dawn that the effects are long term and I'm in for the long haul. I don't think I was quite in denial but at some level it's not quite real is it until you start/have a treatment? And then you realise 'shit, I have just had surgery'. Does that make sense?

And of course the greatest fear is fear of the unknown..

mrsrhodgilbert · 13/05/2016 16:55

Leslie, a holiday sounds like a great idea and it's reassuring that your team are calm about it all.

Lily, I'm pleased you're feeling a bit better, hoping for continued improvements.

Fly, having thought more about it, although my arm was never numb, I did feel like I was carrying a brick around under it for a few weeks. It felt like I had a bulky, scratchy thing in my armpit. I think the week between surgery and results is probably the worst and seems endless. The initial days are such a whirlwind and then you do start to realise that the future suddenly looks different. But don't write yourself off yet, if you've been lurking you'll know that there are lots of options.

Boobz · 13/05/2016 23:05

Rooting for Baby Rust's arrival - can't wait for the update!

Mysillydog · 14/05/2016 13:51

Thinking of the rust family today. Hopefully you are enjoying lovely new baby hugs.

rustcohle · 15/05/2016 20:26

Hi all thanks for the thoughts. Baby rust arrived yesterday at 8.17 pm. Back to back with just gas and air so quite proud of myself as had an epi with dd! He is amazing and his big sister adores him. I am feeling fairly emotional at the moment though as now have the horror of staging scans and chemo. It has hit me a bit that I'm actually going to have to do this now and I'm scared. I just can't believe it all over again when I look at my gorgeous tiny children.

pepperrabbit · 15/05/2016 20:54

Aw, congratulations rust- well done you Flowers Smile Cake
How lovely, enjoy the moment. Big hugs.

Mysillydog · 15/05/2016 20:56

Congratulations Smile

I'm so glad baby rust arrived, you must all be so proud of him. I'm also very pleased that you avoided a section which may have delayed your treatment. Please don't stress about the chemo. You can do it, you have done so much already. Oncologists don't want you to suffer, and they can tweak treatments and give supporting medications to help with side effects.

But for now just enjoy your beautiful children.

FlyChickie · 15/05/2016 21:12

Fantastic news. Sending you strength and hugs - no need to send you bravery as you already have it in spades FlowersFlowers

rovercat · 15/05/2016 22:07

Congratulations Rust So glad he's arrived and all went well. Chemo is doable, not great at times, but certainly doable and the oncs are brilliant at sorting side effects. My side effects meds were changed or tweaked with each session depending on the side effects and remember that you won't get all the side effects that are listed I certainly didn't and some of them that I did get were pretty mild anyway. We're all here to offer support and advice but at the moment I hope you're getting plenty of lovely baby cuddles.Flowers

mrsrhodgilbert · 15/05/2016 22:14

Congratulations rust, you did really well. Dd1 was back to back and I couldn't manage without forceps. You are stronger than you think and I truly believe you will be getting the very best care possible when treatment starts, they'll all Be wanting to get you through this. X

mumto2andnomore · 15/05/2016 22:45

Congratulations rust have been checking for news. Sounds like you did brilliantly and you will cope with what's ahead. We will help you all we can you're not alone x

royalmama · 16/05/2016 03:42

Congratulations rustcohle! Welcome baby! So pleased for you. Enjoy your new baby and trust me the chemo is doable. We all have that initial fear then things start to fall in place. Just look at that angel of yours and you will feel the calm. Bless.Flowers

Boobz · 16/05/2016 09:17

WOOOOO Welcome baby Rust! Amazing news - so so happy for you. DD1 was back to back (4 days of labour - grrr!) so I know how awful it is, so WELL DONE you.

Chemo, as others have said, is do-able. I had almost no side effects (apart from a bald patch, some mouth ulcers and some bone-aches from the bone marrow boosting injections) so you don't necessarily get all or even most of the side effects which sound scary. Try to exercise as much as poss - I think this was what made chemo just a bit of a pain for me, rather than anything else.

Pic of baby please!!

HelterSeltzer · 16/05/2016 10:14

Delurking to say congratulations on the safe arrival of your little one rust Cake. Hope you sail through the chemo.

Waving hello to everyone else too, I'm pleased to report that mum had her third chemo last week and is feeling grand Grin

Elmindarina · 16/05/2016 12:42

Delurking here too to say congratulations to you rust! What lovely news. Also, I agree with what others have said, chemo is rough, but doable. x

Original poster
WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo · 16/05/2016 14:32

Congratulations rust and welcome to the world little babyrust Flowers what fantastic news.

I agree with what everyone else has said. Chemo is unpleasant, but doable. Though of course it is daunting.

And without wishing to be patronising, especially as I have never been through it myself, your emotions and hormones will be all over the place at the moment, so I am sure that makes all of the cancer worry an awful lot harder.

It's bewildering that the same body that could grow a tiny person from a single cell can also grow cancer.

How is everyone else doing?

I'm sending love, especially to Sleepy - I hope your pain is under control now.

OP posts:
chewingawasp · 16/05/2016 20:24

Hi all. Been lurking a bit - congratulations Rust.
I found a lump the other day and am currently waiting for an appointment at the one stop clinic. Feeling very anxious about it. The timing is rubbish as ds has just started gcse's and I know I won't be able to hide this from him and prevent him getting stressed.

mumto2andnomore · 16/05/2016 20:32

Chewing we all understand how hard the waiting is. Hopefully your lump will turn out to be nothing, most of them are but we'll wait with you. I hope your appointment comes through soon

chewingawasp · 16/05/2016 21:04

Thanks. I don't think it will be nothing though - my GP was honest with me and admitted she was concerned Sad

mrsrhodgilbert · 16/05/2016 21:50

Hi chewing. I was going through this two years ago just as dd2 was about to do AS levels. I kept everything quiet throughout initial appts, biopsy, diagnosis, pre ops and we told her the evening of her last exam, my surgery was the next day. It was really hard but it can be done. I didn't want to spoil all her hard work. Have you got other support at home?