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.

sounds like a sensible approach mrs. hopefully the bleeds will be few and far between.

meant to say mishmash, sorry you're still suffering. something doesn't sound right. I hope you have had a call back by now and plans in place to see someone

Thank you so much mintyneb et al. Have received another appointment at the breast clinic this morning for a week on Tuesday although it looks like it's with the same consultant who discharged me with barely a glance at my breast and who described my pain (in letter to GP) as being in my 2nd rib??? Hope you are all enjoying the summer now it's a little more comfortable. Sorry motherlondon that you are struggling; please make sure you lean on as many people as u can. X

Evening all
mrsrhod glad to see that you had a positive chat with your GP and have a bit of a plan now going forward.
Leslie Yay for shrinking lymph nodes
motherlondon welcome but sorry you're here. Hope your op goes smoothly. Lots of lacies have gone through similar so there's plenty of good advice here.
minty I hope your surgery goes well
I had the MRI scan today. Lying face down with your boobs dangling through holes is most undignified. I did chuckle at having to stick cod liver oil capsules on my nipples though Treatment so far has given me lots to laugh about really which is much needed some days.
Hope you all sleep well.

mishmash glad to see you have another appointment and hope it goes well. Stand your ground if you are feeling fobbed off.

I need a blood transfusion. I feel a bit worried about it , I would like to not be anaemic but I am squeamish about blood.

Nice to hear some good news Leslie.

Hope you get some answers soon mishmash.

Sleepy sorry you're anaemic. Have you had a transfusion before? I hope it helps :) maybe they could put a bag over the drip if you're feeling squeamish, like they do at chemo.

chewing I'm intrigued by the cod liver oil? I hope you didn't have to lie there dangling for too long and I hope you don't have too long to wait for the results.

mishmash I'm glad you have another appointment. Hopefully you'll get some reassurance this time.

minty good news that you finally have a plan, though sorry it's needed. I hope that you have some nice distractions from cancer thoughts :)

mrsrhod it sounds like a thorough chat. I'm glad your GP was able to help. Fingers crossed for no more bleeds before your October appointment (or at all!)

Waving to everyone

Hiya Lacies
Leslie The dangling lasted around 20 minutes but felt like forever. I was told that the cod liver oil capsules help with the scan taking as it gives them something central to focus on Sounds odd to me but I just did what I was told. The funny thing was I got dressed afterwards and forgot to take them off so they stuck out like bullets through my t shirt Luckily I quickly noticed or it would have been mortifying strolling through the hospital like that.

Sleepy I hope the transfusion goes ok and can understand you feeling worried about it

How do the capsules stick if your boobies r dangling down???!!!!

They were stuck on with surgical tape mishmash

Feel a bit silly now!

Ah, I wondered if it might be something like that. I wonder why cod liver oil specifically

I think a lot of the treatment is very high tech and whizzy and then the next minute you've got tablets sticky taped to your boobs! I do get a bit cheesed off with the writing all over you in pen for rads every day.
I was expecting top notch tech for my "marking up CT scan" for the boosters yesterday. What actually happened, was the oncologist looked at last time's CT scan, then chose a plastic circle shaped disc from a tray of squares, rectangles etc and drew round it on my breast...... I was reminded of one of the kids shape sorter toys! Then he breezes out of the room, and the radiographer with me phones for another assistant to come in as he needs to take a photo of it (sigh) but can't take a photo of it alone - so 2 men were needed apparently! Then they traced it onto a thin plastic sheet..... I am most looking forward to being treated like a proper person again I think.
My skin is very upset by the rads but not blistered so they gave me some medihoney today, I shall try that tonight. Fridays used to be a lot more exciting as I recall

I was just so thrilled to be given a 5 day boost (given my age) they could have marked me up with a felt tip pen and chewing gum.

Sleepy I hope the blood transfusion went ok. I totally understand feeling squeamish. My Hb almost dropped to a level where one would be necessary and I wasn't keen.

I'm almost halfway through rads, and also get drawn on every day. No side effects yet for me and I feel a lot stronger than I did when I was on chemo. Exit I hope you didn't have any problems with your rads and that your dd took your diagnosis well. Are you on tamoxifen now? I think I may have that pleasure at the end of August.

Mother I hope you had a reasonably stress free weekend, and good luck for tomorrow

Waves to everybody else.

Morning all. Hope you had a good weekend. This week I actually have no hospital appointments but am going to the wig shop today and then out for lunch.

Morning all. I hope everyone had a good weekend.

Mysillydog glad you're feeling stronger now. I hope radiotherapy isn't causing too many problems. Do you have tattoos or is the drawing instead of that?

chewing good luck at the wig shop :) I hope you find something that you love!

I wore my wig out briefly at the weekend. I felt like everyone was staring but I don't think anyone even noticed.

My dad has trimmed off the straggly ends of my hair. I now have a very short bob and look like I should be romping about in an Enid Blyton or Arthur Ransome book having a jolly old time with lashings of ginger beer I'll shave it off after next chemo as I'm going on holiday and I don't want to moulting everywhere. I still have just enough to cover the bald bits, but I don't think that will last much longer.

I hope everyone has a good day x

That made me chuckle Leslie
I don't want to look like an Ann or a Titty although my dsis has suggested a bob

It turned out that DD knew about my diagnosis. We haven't really discussed it. It's strange as we talk about all sorts of stuff but not this.

I am on Letrozole. Weight is piling on - yeah, go me.

Thankyou all sweet ladies. Trying to stay calm about tomorrow. Littlies are excited about their holiday with Aunty. Hope I can muster your stoicism tomorrow.

HI all,

I'm sorry I haven't been back for a while, I've felt a bit funny about posting on here, I think I feel like a bit of a fraud as no diagnosis yet if you see what I mean. I'm aware that sounds bonkers!

I had the results from the colposcopy, the biopsies removed a nasty bit but it was microscopic and clear margins so just needs following up in 6 months at the moment. I was offered treatment (lletz to remove part of the cervix) but don't want it unless necessary. I've had it before and the aftereffects are not nice and lasted for a long time so watching and waiting is preferable.
The consultant has written to the gp asking me to referred on for a hysteroscopy now as she still thinks there is an issue higher up. So, we shall see what happens next!
My partner is still not interested, I go the results on my own, made the decision for treatment on my own etc. I'm not really sure how I feel about that one at the moment so I've parked it until I know for sure whether or not the consultant is right that there is an issue or is just being very thorough.

I've not caught up with the thread so I'll read through now, hoping all of you are ok at the moment though and enjoying whatever summer we are getting at the moment!

I am full of Geordie blood ( it says on the packet where it is from) and am feeling a great deal livelier. My face is pink again after being grey for weeks. I can recommend blood transfusion as needed. I think it is the first thing I have had that has instantly made me feel better!

Leslie - congratulations on your wig day. I bet you look good in it.

abit - they are certainly being very thorough with you. Hope it all checks out ok.

motherlondon good luck for tomorrow. Hope all goes well.
abit I posted here before I received a diagnosis so don't feel like a fraud. Sorry your partner is not being supportive - that must be hard.
sleepy glad the Geordie blood has perked you up
I had fun wig shopping and dsis made me laugh saying that one looked like an old guinea pig. Tried loads on and settled for a 'short and saucy wig with razored layers' I wore it for lunch in a restaurant and didn't get any funny looks so it can't be too bad.

Exit I hope you get a chance to talk about it, if that's what you and DD need

mother best of luck tomorrow good that the littlies are excited - hopefully that will help you not to worry too much about them. No need for stoicism. Be scared or angry or sad if you need to. We've seen it all here!

abit good news about the colposcopy. I hope the hysteroscopy doesn't turn anything else up. Sorry about your partner. I'm sending him a virtual kick up the arse. Parking your feelings until this is dealt with sounds very sensible you're definitely not a fraud, so post here all you need, but don't feel obliged to keep up either.

Sleepy so pleased to see your update. Well done Geordie blood! :) I love transfusions. I remember at the time saying it was like feeling the life flowing back into my body. Long may your cheeks be rosy ->

chewing great that you've found a wig you like, and that you had a fun day with your sister too

Goodnight all

Morning Lacies!

Sleepy, so nice to hear from you, and yay for the blood and rosy cheeks! Hope you continue to feel lively for some time x

Glad to hear of the successful wigs. I hated mine at first and throughout most of the winter I wore hats. But I was really grateful come the warmer weather to have something that made me look 'normal' and after a while I forgot I was wearing it and stopped thinking everyone was looking at it! They really weren't!

Good luck to everyone who is waiting for scans and results.

I'm still doing ok on the Tamoxifen and as it's the summer holidays now for me and DD we are making the most of it. Running here there and everywhere, getting ready to go to Cornwall next week and buying uniform and things ready for DD starting secondary school, also redecorated her room so it's somewhere she can feel proud to bring her new friends back to. It seems slightly odd to be free from appointments for a few weeks. In some ways I don't feel like I have had cancer, and without the physical scars to prove it I could believe it was just a dream. It all feels a bit surreal now looking back, as if it happened to someone else. There's a little niggling fear at the back of my mind that it could come back but really I just feel like like my old self in lots of ways.