The Lacies are back for cancer support thread 56 - all welcome!

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Hello again, and welcome to our 56th thread. Some of us have been here ages and others have just joined. I hope you've all made it safely over to the new thread.

An extra special welcome to anyone who is lurking and feeling a bit shy. We are all quite friendly and we definitely don't bite, so please do say hello if you'd like to.

All are welcome here. We started off as a breast cancer support thread many years back, but all cancer types are welcome and at any point in the "journey", even if you haven't yet been diagnosed. We have all had different experiences but there's almost certainly someone here who will understand how you are feeling.

Our previous thread is here.

I have started the new thread a little early, and I will explain why in a moment.

Royal, that's a worry you could do without, sorry to hear the news. Thank goodness you were able to enjoy your break.

Chewing, good news on your bone scan but shame you're not out of the woods yet and have more tests to go. Good to hear you're doing better than average with the chemo....but way better than average at your slimming club!!

Mother, so good to hear you got the best results you could have hoped for. Let's hope the next stage is equally as successful.

Fresta, I get to see my oncology team and surgical team every 6 months (alternating between the 2) for a chat and physical check up. I'm not sure how long long that would go on for though as fate has stepped in the way.

I'm off to hospital later for my pre op blood thinning injection and radioactive injection so they know which lymph nodes to biopsy tomorrow. So not looking forward to the big op but it needs to be done. Will have to catch up with you all on the other side

TeamGBsometimes ( or as we know her silly!) great to hear your rads are coming to their end. In many ways we are no different than olympians!
Thanks lacies..my doc said he would not have bothered about the radiographer's report had he not written a recommendation for a CT scan. He seems to think there is much over diagnosis going on and that our bodies can show so many anomalies without them being necessarily cancerous...and so on ..and yet he said it would perhaps be wiser to just have the CT scan for reassurance( and probably to avoid any trouble too!) . He seemed quite confident the "lesion" was nothing scary and probably calcification or inflammation , etc.but I don't know as all trust in my bosy is lost! I am also not looking forward to the whole scan / mammogram experience. Oh sigh..sorry I am moaning and just back from a lovely holiday too!
Chewing: the bone scan result is reassuring and yes the tests- as you can tell by now- just never stop!
Fresta, I was told I would see my oncologist every three months for now ( did not see him in July after the tests he asked for because he was away on holiday and then I went away hence the delay)
Minty, hope the procedure tomorrow is swift and trouble free and that you are then reassured.

Minty sorry that should have been later not tomorrow! Just realised you actually said it is today! My fuzzy brain.

Royal, you're not going mad! I'm just on the way to hospital now for the 2 injections although there is a chance the radioactive one could be a waste of time. Apparently having had rads last year my breast might not drain as it should and it might not be clear during surgery which are the lymph nodes to remove. So I could end up with a sample being taken anyway!

The main event tomorrow though (as well as the lymph node removal) is a mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction :(

Good luck minty. Hope everything goes well for you

Best of everything to you Minty. Brave lady, hope it all goes as very well as it can.

Best of luck Minty

Thanks everyone. Both injections really stung but I guess that's nothing compared to tomorrow!

Glad there is the Olympics on TV tonight as I suspect I won't sleep much.

Catch up again in a week or so when I'm out the other side!

Good luck tomorrow, minty. I'll be thinking of you. Hope there's some exciting volleyball or something on tonight to keep you distracted.

Best of luck for tomorrow minty !

Popping in quickly to wish you luck minty

Waving to all. Chemo side effects especially grim this time, but at least I have a nice view of the sea! Hand holding for all those who need it

Holding your hand too leslie. Sorry the SEs are more annoying this time round and yes you did well to get out and have that seaside break. Hope you feel better and better as the day progresses.

minty hope it goes ok today and that leslie you're feeling a little brighter.
DH has taken the boys out and DD is away on a sleepover at her cousins so I have been prowling round the house throwing things away!

minty thinking of you and hope you're ok
Leslie hope you're feeling a bit better
My chemo tomorrow has been cancelled due to low blood count and they wanted to reschedule for when I am having my MRI next week . I was expecting a call back to let me know when it is but not heard anything so will chase in the morning. Disappointed as I just wanted to get on with it.

So sorry your chemo had to be delayed chewing. I had one of mine delayed when I had a UTI and I recall how it felt. You want it to end and delays are frustrating. Hope all goes well with the MRI.
Has anybody else had anything "unusual " appear in a rib after a chest x ray after treatment for breast cancer? I read it could be from the radiation( i hope it is just that!)

I'm back to the Nightingale tomorrow - at last! I have been telling anyone who would listen since I had my mammogram following my call back that I could feel two areas of 'discomfort'. One has been dealt with (successfully) and I've had radiotherapy but I am still convinced that I have another 'area of concern'. I have been assured by various people that my files will have been pored over by all sorts of experts, and that no one can feel anything, but no one could feel the lump they took out so that does nothing to appease me. Finally a lady at the Christie agreed to refer me back and my appointment has come through quickly. She did say that if there is another lump that I will have to have a mastectomy. I will be a bit peeved as if it is there, then it has been there all along. I can 'feel' it when I wrap a towel around my boobs following a shower. Although since radiotherapy I have no idea exactly what my breast is meant to feel like anymore.

Anyway, fingers crossed that is just my paranoia.

Sorry for the ramble.

Thanks royal. It is frustrating as I feel absolutely fine. Never mind, hopefully will be fine for next week. Having stereotactic biopsy tomorrow on the inconclusive area they've already biopsied. It took them ages to do last time so hopefully this one will be a bit quicker. I hope your rib anomaly is just the result of the radiation.
Exit I hope your area of concern turns out to be ok. It is a worry for you If my biopsied area is cancer then I have been told that I will most probably having a mastectomy too.

Minty I'm thinking of you and I hope you are comfortable after your op.
Leslie I'm sorry that chemo is tough going this round, and Chewing I'm sorry that your bloods are low. Horrible as chemo is, it's nice to tick off the treatments.
Royal I don't know enough about the effects of rads to know if it is usual for chest X-rays to show unusual areas. Is this the reason for your follow up CT?
Exit good luck at the hospital tomorrow, and I'm glad you have been seen quickly. Unfortunately cancer wrecks our peace of mind. I keep panicking over my ribs being a weird shape as I rub moisturiser into my skin after rads, even though they have always been weird.
Mishmash if you are lurking, how did you get on at the hospital. Did the doctor have any idea what is causing your pain?

If there are any herceptin lacies, including lurkers, do you know if it causes joint stiffness? I feel about 90, and I'm not sure if it's the medical menopause or herceptin that makes me creak. I'll run it by the oncologist when I see her in a few weeks, but just wondered if anyone else has experienced this.

TeamGB, yes the CT scan is to further check what that something is.
I don't know about Herceptin, but Tamoxifen has affected me in the very way you describe! If I get up from a sitting or lying down position, I am so so stiff especially in my feet and have to bend and tread slowly like an old lady indeed. The more mobile I am the less stiff.

Anyone else on Letrozole?

My weight has ballooned. I grow back fat daily. I now have my own personal arse cushion to rest on in bed.

Hello all

So sad to hear about Lilymaid - thoughts with those who knew her and with her family.

I've had quite a hiatus from the group, and apologies, I've not even looked properly over the most recent posts on this thread. I've just finished rads and really struggling with fatigue and a boisterous 16 month old. Plus had query DVT (breathlessness) and the joys of settling into Tamoxifen. Just getting on with day-to-day tasks and even catching up on Mumsnet has been beyond my capabilities! Am such a lightweight.

You're all in my thoughts - oldies and newbies and hopefully I will get to trawl through the posts and catch up with you all soon.
xx

Team GB; unfortunately my son contracted chicken pox so I had to rearrange my appointment and the soonest they can see me now is sept 20th; as its a follow up app the 2 week rule doesn't apply.😕 Thank u for asking. Hope you are all feeling as well as u cannot today.

Herceptin - when I was on it for a short time, I was so creaky and stiff that even going up and down a flight of stairs was epic. So yes, it can do that, for some.
Waving to all.

Thanks Amber and Royal, I'm definitely less flexible than I was. I can't cross my legs easily anymore even though my joints are generally hypermobile - I'm not sure my hips are any more. Watching me try to get up from sitting on the floor is a source of entertainment for onlookers.

Mishmash I hope your son is feeling better soon, but I'm sorry you have such a long wait for the clinic.

Appointment went well. The lump I can feel (and no one else can except the lovely ultrasound lady) turns out to be glandular tissue and nothing to worry about. Phew

I do need to get a bigger bra though, to take account of all my lovely back fat.

Not been on these threads very long (only diagnosed in Feb/March) so apologies if I don't always know the protocol.

The sun is shining here at last so hoping for a view of the Perseid Shower tonight.

Hope everyone is feeling positive.