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! :)

Pah, don't worry. It wasn't so bad really. At least they found it. And actually a weird lymph node popped up on my collarbone shortly after so I expect I'd have had that checked out and they would have found out then instead! :) I don't think I posted about it at the time, partly because it was rather dwarfed by the shock of the cancer and partly to avoid worrying people. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it now either!

Hi, last chemo tomorrow so have been busy doing things in my short window of generally feeling ok, but the fatigue is setting in now.

Freddie and mrshod sorry to hear you have both had issues with getting information. It's so frustrating and tiring trying to keep on top of it all.
Leslie hope you are feeling better although annoying chemo has been delayed, more time for stuff to taste nice!
Twinset hope you get out of hospital soon.
Flippy hope the next chemo is on time and the redness dies down
Hello to anyone else I haven't mentioned.

I had my appt with the surgeon and thankfully am having a lumpectomy rather than mastectomy, as the chemo has done its job and shrunk the tumour. So so pleased and dates work well for work/financially.
I might even get a holiday in the sun between surgery and radiotherapy.

I had my henna crown done today and it's great, it's made me feel so confident. I just wish the weather was warmer. I'll post photos if I can work out how to do it.

Half baked...that is AMAZING...wow! Your head is beautiful! And brilliant news that lumpectomy is now the way ahead..
I love good news. Here's hoping for more of it for everyone!!! Xxx .

Wow! That is stunning. How long did it take? It is so intricate.

I'm glad you can have a lumpectomy, and absolutely fantastic news about the shrinkage. I hope you manage to squeeze in a sunny holiday soon :)

Thanks, it took almost 3 hours in all. I had a little hand one done too.
Plenty of time to stretch, drink tea and chat to the lovely lady who did it.
I'm really glad I had it done, although it quite weird being out in public with nothing on my head!

Halfbaked that looks great. I have been looking at designs and pondering whether to have one done. How long do they last for? Was it expensive? Where did you have it done? Pm me if you'd rather not say on thread.
Fab news about the lumpectomy rather than major surgery.

Freddie hope you get results today

Leslie, I'm still pretty shocked at what happened! Seems a lot of us have encountered care that's not fantastic. I'm horrified by the consultant who carried out all of the unnecessary surgery - truly harrowing, I can't imagine what his poor patients went through.

Argh, posted again before quite finished!!

Halfbaked, your henna crown looks wonderful. I think the weather is going to improve next week so hopefully you can show it off. And great news about your surgery too, I'm glad that you've had a good result and that chemo is done for you.

I had my second last chemo today. One week left. Can't quite believe I'm here, and although I think three weeks of rads is going to be a bit of a slog, I can see an end to it all.

Hope everyone manages to have a nice weekend .

Hello lacies.
Halfbaked, what a lovely crown! Wish i had thought of that bavk when i was on chemo.
Leslie , how are you feeling now? Hanks for asking anout my lymphodoema..it is behaving, thank God and i havent had to wear my sleeve for a long time.
Mrs so sorry you had to endure the complexities of dealing with NHS communication. Now that you are officially menopausal( a very elite club !) you can focus on the new meds. I hope the SEs are minimal or non existent. I am doing quite well and i hooe you will too. My onc told me it is actually milder tha Tamoxifen. Best of luck!
Waving to everybody else.
Have as good a day as possible.

Hi chewing it cost £40 and took almost 3 hours, I got a pattern in my hand too! It should last 1-2 weeks, depends how much you wash it.
I found the lady via google/Facebook search and she charged less for henna crowns than her usual hourly rate. I had it done at her house.
I pretty much let her have free reign as I'd seen her work and really liked it.
Thank for the compliments. Hope you all have a lovely long weekend. Last chemo done so I'm taking it easy.

Thanks halfbaked
My hair has finally given up. It was coming out in handfuls this morning so I am rocking the Kojak look
Have a good weekend everyone.

Beautiful, halfbaked, really lovely. I'm waiting for the warmer weather before I get mine. I've still got stubble anyway...

Love & hugs to all the lacies.

halfbaked that looks amazing, really lovely and what a great idea.

royal I had to laugh reading your post, you must have the worst autocorrect going. I was wondering who on earth it was until I spotted your name. Lovely to hear from you and thank you for the encouraging words. I'm three days in, nothing to notice yet. I'm pleased your arm is behaving too.

I hope everyone is managing to enjoy a little sunshine, thoughts to all those waiting for results, the worst time.

Halfbaked that looks fabulous, fingers crossed for some good weather to show it off

Hope everyone is as well as can be, enjoy whats left of the long weekend.

mrsrhod good that you haven't had any noticeable side effects yet. I hope that continues :)

chewing sorry to hear about your hair

Halfbaked yippee for last chemo! I hope you're feeling alright

royal that's great about your arm. I hope it stays that way. I'm feeling really good thanks :)

Flippy the final countdown... I hope it's not giving you too many side effects. Yes that surgeon was utterly dreadful. Hopefully there aren't (m)any more like him around. I've been very lucky with my Caren overall.

freddie I hope your appointment on Friday went well and that you were able to relax and enjoy the bank holiday weekend

I hope everyone has a good day

chewing what day of chemo are you on? I ask because I'm on day 13 and having 1.2 session tomorrow (I'm on weekly, 1 big (carbo, taxol, bevacizuma) followed by 2 x taxol only.

I'm wondering when to go Judi Dench in the 1st instance and then wait for the fallout,, or just wait.

Twitter my hair started falling out on day 14 and came out in handfuls by day 17 which was when I had to chop it off. It was just too messy and I didn't even have long hair to start with. My hair has only finally gone after starting this treatment ( Docetaxol & Herceptin). It didn't fall out with Carbo and Etoposide or Topotecan even though I was told it would. You might be lucky and not lose it.

Hello everyone.. .I'm still in limbo land...with no results because they mucked up sending the lump. But im.getting started with radiotherapy and chemotherapy appointments so I'm sort of ready to go with either as soon as they do get the results.
Btw on Sunday I'm visiting a cancer hotel to write about it for a magazine. Sounds amazing.. .nurses, all dietary requirememts met, fridges for keeping medicine in, adapted rooms etc....and of course everyone in the same boat. It's v reasonably priced and you can get Macmillan grants so if anyone is interested pm me and I will let you know if I think it's worth booking. I interviewed a woman who's been there and she said it literally gave her back her zest for life...which was lovely to hear.
Leslie I hope you're doing ok still post up
Chewing I hope your hair hasn't upset you too much and that your team is behaving and remembering what chemo you're on etc. Did you decide to stick where you are in the end?
Flippy...im convinced that surgeon was a one off...tho equally convinced we need to keep an eye on the admin side...er probably 2 very close eyes!!!
Half baked in still admiring your henna crown.. .
And I'm waving enthusiastically at everyone else...
Xxx

Hiya Freddie
I'm not upset about my hair as I've been expecting to lose it for ages now. I am surprised at how small my head is without hair. I bought a cap today and it was for age 7-10
I am intrigued by the cancer hotel and would like to know more. What part of the country is it in? Could we hold a lacie meet up there maybe?
More chemo for me tomorrow. Hope everyone else has a good day.

I haven't decided about moving hospital yet. Have some more questions for onc and specialist nurse when I meet up with them soon.

It's in Bournemouth.. .by the sea for bracing walks...will post a potted version..tho um judging by my previous rather verbose posts, will end up being another essay/dissertation!!
A lacies meet up would be just brilliant...xxx

Ps...chewing..loving your pea sized head...rather think mine is too beneath the present worzel gummidge mop!!! Xxx

halfbaked the Jenna crown is stunning

flippy I had surgery Monday afternoon and went home Thursday morning. I am amazed at how quickly I have bounced back. I am pretty much back to how I was before surgery, modern medicine is almost miraculous. I am walking round, - I did 8000 steps today, taking my son to playgroups, doing light housework and needing minimal pain relief. That is just as well as on Sunday I had some kind of allergic reaction - possibly to the Oramorph and woke up with a face full of quite painful spots which were blistering. I phoned 111 for advice and had a callback over 8 hours later! I am not supposed to be picking up my son for a few months but that is just not realistic - I am trying not to pick him up but I have forgotten a few times.

I am now in a strange limbo land as I may be cancer free.

Bournemouth is up the road from me, I am going to have a google