CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 58 - New thread, new year, but the lacies are still here! Please join us if you have any sort of cancer, or are waiting for test results

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Happy New Year! may 2017 bring health and happiness to us all

Welcome to oldies and to newbies. If you've just been diagnosed then this is the place for you. And if you're waiting for test results then please pull up a chair. We will hold your hand while you wait, and hopefully we will be able to send you on your way soon enough. If it isn't the news you hope for then we will be here for you.

Our previous thread is here

Following on from royalmama's suggestion (see, you're not just famous for typos!) I have compiled some of the excellent advice from the previous thread and I will post it below. I've divided it into sections to make it a bit more manageable. Please give me ideas on how to make it better for the next thread! :)

amber had some success, I think, with ice for her hands and feet during chemo (I think she used frozen veg!) so hopefully the frozen grapes will work for you Halfbaked. It's good that your dose has been reduced a bit too. Though I know it's a bit disappointing great news about the shrinkage. Fingers crossed for your ultrasound.

Flippy I'm glad the transfusion helped. Well done on getting through your first week! I'm glad you haven't felt too unwell. I hope that will continue.

I'm not really sure. I was a total twit. I was so pleased that he had finally agreed to the surgery that I didn't ask any questions at all! I have my next scan next week, so I imagine they will wait for the results of that before deciding anything. I'm really sorry about your post birth injuries. You've not had an easy time of it have you! good that you've had the surgery and that it has helped

I hope nobody has had any major damage from the storm

Morning all. Weegie I'll be thinking of you today. Flippy glad you are feeling ok. I'm in the Midlands and we had all kinds of trees down across roads. Quite fun when you don't have to go anywhere!

Thinking of you too weegie

Hi everyone. I hope you don't mind me posting. I was on here a few years back and got lots of help and reassurance when my dad had throat cancer.
He thankfully got through that but now has been fast tracked for suspected lung cancer
He had heart surgery a year ago but since then has been really breathless, has lost a lot of weight and now has a pain in his lung when he breathes in. His inflammatory markers are sky high. He has had antibiotics and diuretics but is still the same.
I'm so sad, the poor man has been through enough. He's now waiting for more xrays and scans.
Thanks for listening, I know a lot of you are going through your own hellish journeys but I just needed to vent. Thankyou

Hi there, I just wanted to pop back and let you know that my lump wasn't cancerous - its a calcification. Biopsy was clear that I don't have anything to worry about.

Thankyou for your support over the last week, and I wish you all well on your onwards journeys.

Phew weegiemum that's great news :)

LavenderRains hi. I remember your dad. I'm sorry that he's in this situation. Have they said whether they suspect a new lung cancer or a recurrence of his previous cancer? My bowel cancer has recurred in my lungs, but I didn't really have any symptoms, it just showed up on my surveillance scan. I hope he doesn't have to wait long for the tests, and hopefully it's not cancer I think there is a thread somewhere for people whose parents have cancer so there might be someone in a similar situation. I'll see if I can find the link :)

I hope everyone is OK. Have a good evening!

Here it is: a thread for those supporting relatives with life limit diseases (though mostly cancer)

Thanks whatwouldleslie that's really kind, I will look on the thread.

They haven't said much yet really. His throat cancer was almost 3 years ago and he still has check ups with everything clear so far. The breathlessness was thought to be more from the heart surgery but despite that and all the medication he's still the same and has pain now. His esr & crp are still high.
he's had chest xrays and they suspected fluid on the lung. Now I think they just don't know so are going down the cancer route. I'm so sad for him.

Brilliant weegie - so pleased for you. 😊

Hi Lacies, I'm a newbie I hope you don't mind if I drop in
Have read through the thread and must say it's a joy to see so much support for one another.
I have to have a lump and surrounding tissue removed from my vulva next week and subsequent biopsy. The Doc said if I was 50+ he would be sure that it was cancerous but as I'm 30 he said "it can't be...!"
Am I wrong that that didn't give me any confidence at all? Does anyone here have ( or know anybody who has) any experience with vulval cancer? Seems quite rare.
Thank you...

SeeMyVest sorry, I've no experience of vulval cancer. But welcome :) hopefully your doctor is right and you won't need to join us officially, but make yourself comfy while you wait. Has he given any indication of what else it could be? It's good that he's optimistic about it. But of course you won't be able to relax until you know for definite

Lavender I hope that his symptoms improve soon and you all get some answers

Hi Leslie, no he said he was at a loss what it could be. I've been given the all clear for warts/herpes though.
Just a waiting game now but I'm feeling calmer now I've seen him although I can't help but feel shallow that I'm worried about how I'm going to look 'down there' once it's been removed!

SeeMyVest I'm glad you're feeling a bit calmer :) that's not shallow at all. Hopefully the scarring will be minimal

Thankyou

Hello Lacies, I have been away for a week in France and fell off the thread!
We had a lovely break, and I'm now back in the throws of trying to convince the 3DCs that really, we'll all be happier in the morning if they get their stuff ready for school tonight.... Falling on deaf ears at the mo though.
I was pleased that finally some of my stamina is returning, managed to keep up with everyone on a couple of long walks we went on and only felt "normally" tired. The letrozole has been ok-ish so far, I have noticed that when I wash my hair more of it comes out - hair thinning is a common side effect, seems rubbish when it's taken me months to get the chemo hair back Of course it might be normal loss and my hair literally stopped shedding while recovering.
I haven't had a chance to read back but best wishes to all, leslie glad to hear you can have the op you've been waiting for, welcome to the newbies - I hope you won't be here for long (in a good way!)

pepper I'm glad you had a good time in France. I hope that mornings get easier soon! Also good news that the letrozole is working better for you than the tamoxifen. It's a shame about your hair though. I hope it calms down soon.

I hope everyone is well.

A friend died of secondary breast cancer during the night. I am fed up of this shit, frankly.

Hi Lacies, thought I'd check in.
I'm in limbo land between surgery and radiotherapy starting next week. Trying to fill my days with nice things though like yoga and lunch with friends.
I'm healing well from the mastectomy .. except ... except I'm worrying about the red blotches around the scar line. They weren't there after the surgery and have appeared the last couple of weeks. I'm worried the cancer is still in my skin - my breast was very red and blotchy before it was removed. I can't tell if it's the same type of redness yet.
I'm hoping to see my oncologist this week - my lovely BCN phoned me back on Saturday after I messaged her and was going to arrange appointment.

If it's in the skin is it likely that the radiotherapy is enough to kill it all?

I'm trying not to worry but I am. I've also not mentioned to DH until I get some reassurances.

Waving to all - I haven't managed to keep up but hoping everyone is ok

Hi rocket sorry I don't have any answers, but I'll hold your hand while you wait. I'm glad you're healing well, apart from the redness. I hope your oncologist can reassure you about it

morning everyone, just checking in after 28 days of recovery - i have to say it was needed

my post op appointment isnt until next week - apparently its such a long period of time to ensure path results are back and been discussed at a MDT meeting, the waiting for information/reassurance/plan of action is very frustrating.

today i can drive again- i am ridiculously excited

and to everyone

Oh Leslie, shitting bastarding cancer - so sorry about your friend.

I'm wiped out and can barely string a sentence together, but hugs to everyone. Rocket, it's over 6 weeks since my surgery, and my scars are red and blotchy - I hope your onc can put your mind at rest. My surgeon said that the scars are healing when they're like that. He suggested I try massage and maybe some silicone tape.

None of my side effects are currently unbearable - stomach issues, joint and muscle aches, fatigue, dry eyes - but they're all annoying. The worst is that my skin has broken out with hideous acne - face, chest and back - it's really sore. I have a hospital appointment tomorrow so I'm hoping the onc or nurse can help. My hair has started to shed, I can cope fine with the cold cap so I do hope I can hang on to some of it!

looking I hope you're enjoying be able to drive again. It's a long time to wait!

Flippy I'm glad the side effects are bearable. The acne sounds painful. I i hope you got some help at today's appointment and thank you. You don't need me to tell you it's a bastard! Fingers crossed your hair hangs on

I'm off for chemo tomorrow. It seems to come round quickly. Because of the delay last cycle I've had a few extra days off and I'm sure I feel better for it. Possibly just my imagination!

I'm thinking of all the lacies who are a bit quiet at the moment. I won't name names as I'll undoubtedly miss someone and I don't want anyone to feel pressure to reply. But I hope everyone is getting on OK

Goodnight

I wonder if I can ask anyone who has a moment to sign Breast Cancer Now's petition to try and make Kadcyla available on the NHS in Scotland - action.breastcancernow.org/page/6371/petition/1

After the Scottish Medicine Council turned down Pertuzumab again last year, I'm not feeling too hopeful, but maybe a few more signatures could help. Thank you Lacies.

Hope everyone is ok x

Hi Leslie, I'm still reading every few days but not posting so much. I was very sorry to hear about your friend.

I've got my three year check up with the surgeon next week, followed by annual mammogram some time later. I wish they did it all together on the same day.

Signed Flippy and I hope Pertuzumab is available soon too. The APHINITY study is out today which shows that Pertuzumab is effective at increasing invasive disease free survival in early Her2+ breast cancer given in an adjuvant setting. This is in addition to the now well established evidence for neo-adjuvant treatment. I would have liked to have received it, but I guess we can only get the treatments which are available funded at the time of diagnosis.

I did start a Kadcyla thread on chat when the English campaign was going through and quite a lot of MNers seemed to think Kadcyla would deprive their mums from getting hip replacements. In fact I pretty much got flamed. Rosalie Marshall who did a guest post also got flamed by some fairly mean spirited posters who mis-interpreted what she said. Not MN at its best.

Waves to everyone.