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.

Another one popping in and thinking of Sleepy .

Minty that sounds very painful , could you ask if there's anything else you could use ?

Royal -sympathies re scanangst .Horrid .

Chewing that's too much having to wait another 3 weeks . Pester ,pester .Could you try your onc's secretary ?

Leslie hope you're getting through ,are they throwing everything they can at the nausea ? Gaviscon ,if you can take it while on chemo and with your other issues , is good for reflux as it forms a physical layer that sits on top of the stomach contents . I can only manage the tablets

I'm sure I've missed people but love to all posting and also to those just reading .

Mouseinahole, ten years! What a milestone indeed. Wishing you many more ahead.
Sleepy, we are all thinking of you. Hang in there!

I hope Sleepy can feel all our love and good wishes surrounding her. It's so strange to care so much for someone you've never met

ginger lovely to hear from you. I will reply properly later :)

mouse ten years is fantastic you must be counting down the days

Offering a hand to hold to anyone who needs it

Thinking of you sleepy.
I don't post very much but was hoping for some advice. I had my mastectomy in May 14, and I've always had a bit of nerve damage to my left arm (I had node involvement on both sides). This weekend I've had a really painful arm and it's a bit swollen, I've had to take my wedding ring off. My oldest two go back to school tomorrow so I'm going to try to see the GP.
I suspect lymphodema and I'm pissed off and upset about it. Cancer - the gift that keeps on giving!

You're still in my thoughts sleepy
mouse wow, 10 years. You have inspired me as my cancer is not hormone receptive either.
ginger it was the onc's secretary who said I need to wait 3 weeks! I think I will speak to my BCN for advice and see if she can tell me anything.
weebarra don't know much about lymphodema but know it's not too nice
Best wishes to you all.

Sorry chewing I missed that . What does she know ! Agree ,try the BCN ,personally I might have a little melt down on the phone .

Waiting for results is right at the top of the list of the worst things about cancer .It's absolutely torture .

weebarra hope the GP is available and helpful .

No, you didn't miss anything ginger - I didn't mention it earlier. You're right about the waiting,it has been the worst bit for me so far. It feels like it's been a long arduous journey so far and I'm only at the start

Keep popping back for any news of sleepy

Wee I was checked once as I thought my arm was swollen but it turned out not to be. There was a clinic I went to I guess that's where the gp will refer you. In the meantime they showed me how to stroke my arm very gently just with the fingertips to drain the lymph fluid starting at the chest and then the top of the arm and going down. Really gentle feather like strokes. You could try that and resting your arm on a cushion too. If is pants though I'd be pissed off too

Mouse lovely to hear from people still doing well after so long

Chewing the waiting is horrid :(

I've just looked in to hear if there's any news of sleepy, very worrying.

Chewing, I would get onto your BC nurse tomorrow. Mine have always looked up results on the system for me when I haven't been able to wait, or at least they could speak to the onc for you. You seem to have waited far longer than anyone I've come across and it's just not on. I'm particularly shocked at his secretary, how uncaring.

Just rechecking into the thread after my holiday- it's sooo good to have proper internet access again!

I've not managed to catch up with the thread as it seems to have moved on a lot since my last post, but thinking about sleepy, hoping for news and keeping everything crossed for her.

Mouse, so nice to hear from someone doing well so long after diagnosis.

Hello to everyone else, hope you all have a positive week ahead.

Chewing - I agree with Mrs. You have had to wait an incredibly long time for results. I know you are not a typical case but I admire you very much for keeping so calm. Is it the results of the breast biopsy and MRI of your spine you are waiting for?

Mouse thanks for popping in. It's always encouraging to hear from people so long past their diagnosis. Weebara I'm sorry to hear of your possible lymphodema. I hope you can get a quick referral and treatment to stop it progressing.

Leslie I'm glad you are free of your pump again. I would hate to have one of those to take home, so you have my admiration for your patience and the fact you haven't pulled it out in the night. Best wishes to everyone having chemo side effects.

Sleepy you are in my thoughts. I hope your meds are working. Stupid chemo indeed.

Yes, it is the biopsy and MRI results I'm waiting for. Biopsy was over a week ago so I can chase that but the MRI was only a couple of days ago so there's a bit longer to wait for those results. The biopsy is important as the results will determine whether I need a full mastectomy or not. I will definitely chase this up tomorrow.
I am not feeling calm underneath at all and wondering whether I really want to know the results just yet. GCSE results in a few days too will add to the stress

Sending love to sleepy

Thinking of you Sleepy and sending love.

Wee- hope gp is helpful. Cancer is indeed the gift that keeps on giving. I hope the swelling reduces.

Mouse- glad to hear from you. I had triple negative so it's reassuring.

Love to all

Goodnight all. Thinking of Sleepy and her lovely family

Night everyone x

Good morning all.
Wee, it may not be lymphodoema..let us hope it is not.
Sleep, still in my thoughts and hoping we hear you are well and over that episode soon.
Take care everybody.

Morning all

for anyone who needs one

Thinking of Sleepy

chewing it's definitely worth chasing results if you can bear it. I hope you get some news soon frustrating thing with scans is that they're ready and waiting so quickly, so delay is in someone interpreting them

TeamGB how are you recovering from rads? Hope you're doing OK. There have been a few near misses, most with door handles, but thankfully the port needle is quite well attached!

Fresta how was your holiday?

weebarra I hope you can see the GP today and that it is not lymphoedema

ginger I'm managing alright with lansoprazole and Rennies at the mo (I rather like the taste!) but will ask about Gaviscon if it gets worse. It's always such a faff introducing anything new. I'm seeing my colorectal nurse tomorrow so hoping she can help with digestive issues (gone completely haywire, frankly!). I've got various things for nausea and thankfully it's much less of a problem this time :) thank you for kind words and suggestions

I hope everyone has a good day

I'm trying to force myself to drink more water. Bleurgh!

Morning everyone.

I had a lovely holiday, thanks for asking Leslie. The weather was mostly OK and we managed a few days of beautiful beach weather so we were able to sunbathe and paddle and DD was able to body board without being frozen. The hills of St Ives has made me realise how unfit I am now though compared to how I was so I have made a plan to get more exercise! I swam in the hotel pool every day on holiday and it felt really good so will try to continue with this as much as I can fit in at the local leisure centre.

Did anyone develop a cough after radiotherapy to their clavicle? I was warned I might, but thought I had escaped it. Is it possible to have a delayed reaction do you think? It's not a bad cough, just a slight dry tickle and I don't even cough unless I think about it, but the tickle feeling is directly in line with the lymph nodes above the collar bone. I did have a cold about a month or so ago but that seemed to get better so don't think it's related to that.

Hope you get your results soon chew

Sending thoughts to everyone, especially sleepy, worrying about you and hoping you are recovering from your chest infection.

I've been to see the GP for the results of the X-ray on my lumpy clavicle. The good news is they can't see any sign of mets, big sigh of relief, but to be 100% sure they want me to go for an ultrasound scan...so it goes on, as it always does. It also doesn't look like osteoarthritis so a bit of a mystery. I've got some strong anti inflammatory tablets and others to protect my stomach from them so I hope to get some relief. Physio to follow if it doesn't improve.

Still wondering about sleepy. Does anyone know her irl?

Fresta, welcome back. I feel exactly the same about loss of fitness. I am so inflexible these days, I need to get back to the gym properly and probably do some yoga or Pilates. I'm blaming the tamoxifen now, after two years I think that's why I'm seizing up.

Chewing, have you made any progress on the results front?

Mouse, always lovely and much appreciated to hear from someone doing well many years on.

Leslie, I hope you get your system sorted out with the nurse tomorrow.

Mrs, that is somewhat like where I am at now after the "something "on my chest x ray. My CT scan is after tomorrow. I am so anxious but you would not guess it seeing me. I hope your scan reassures you that it is nothing serious.
Sleepy, we have not stopped thinking of you.
Fresta, welcome back and same here re fitness levels and the realisation post holiday!
Leslie, hope the digestion issues sort themselves out and the nausea subsides.
Waving to everybody else.

It's frustrating isn't it Royal? You get a few clear weeks and then something else crops up. I wonder if this ever settles down and hospitals become a thing of the past or we will be regular visitors even after the five years are up. For the first time I sensed that DH was thinking oh no not another scan or appt. I did snap and remind him that I'm not exactly enjoying any of this. Anxiety is never far away and I'm sorry you're feeling it again. Cancer truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Sigh. You summed up perfectly.
I feel I am paying for the pleasure of my two weeks holiday break..it has already become like some distant memory or dream and we have not been home a month:(

Sorry to keep you hanging. Antibiotics worked well so I'm feeling better. Scan showed significant progression so it's hospice at home time. I'm devastated even though I knew it was coming. Just one more month would have been goodly poor, poor family.

Good my