Roll up, roll up and join the lacies for CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 59 - anyone with cancer is welcome (and those awaiting test results)

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Hello everyone,

This is the cancer support thread, which has been running for many years under different names. Most posters have breast cancer, but various other cancers are represented too! Whatever cancer you have, feel free to join us. We also welcome those who are awaiting test results to find out whether or not they have cancer. We know how difficult the waiting can be and we are happy to hold your hand. Hopefully you won't need to join us permanently

Feel free to ask any questions. There will usually be someone who knows the answer or will know where you can find it.

Whatever you do, stay away from Google!

You can post anything you like here. We don't mind swearing or complaining or angry ranting. We aren't brave or inspirational and you don't need to be either. Nobody signed up for this, but we support each other as best we can

The previous thread is here

VLCos this must've been a difficult week for him I'm glad you're having a fun weekend. It's a good distraction! How old are your children?

Argy sorry you're feeling rough when I had chemo the first time I felt awful but used to think of it as six months of feeling shit in exchange for a chance of a healthy life. It's really hard when you're in the middle of it, but it will pass quicker than you think

Nat I can see your husband's point but now you've got the referral you might as well have it or you'll never be able to relax! :)

Have a great day everyone

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo it definitely is ! They are 4 (girl) and 2 (boy) . They are wonderful they keep me smiling. Do you have any ?

Aw how lovely VLCos :) I am glad they are keeping your spirits up. My neighbours are similar ages and they are having lots of fun in the garden today. There are not many sounds in the world more cheering than children laughing.

No, sadly I don't have any of my own. I am making do with being an honorary auntie to various friends' children!

fluffy (and anyone else with a stoma who might be lurking?!) have you been swimming at all? We are going to the beach tomorrow and I won't be able to resist a dip in the sea. All the leaflets say it is fine to swim, but I am a bit nervous :)

Morning all ! Rain here today lot cooler.

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo being an auntie is good fun to.

Wanted to ask you any hip pain for you ? Bowel problems touch wood have calmed a tiny bit but left with left sided hip pain and if I lie on stomach it's tender at front.
My favorite position so couldn't sleep well !
I know my mum has this when her diverticulitis flares up .

No, not really VLCos the only hip pain I get is muscular, which is a result of my surgery. I don't remember any pain before my diagnosis, though it was a few years ago now. I hope it clears up soon as it's really hard to sleep in the "wrong" position!

It rained here in the night and we had lots of loud thunder :) we are going to the beach so I hope it won't rain. But clouds are probably better for me anyway as my antibiotics make me extra sensitive to sun. I've smothered myself in SPF50 just in case the sun reappears

Have a great Bank Holiday lacies

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo

Thank you Have a great day at the beach !! Hope it stays dry :-)

Evening all. Good news today that I don't have to have the last chemo. And I got to see my favourite consultant who said I was looking well :)
Nat I agree that you should definitely have the procedure as hopefully, and very likely, the results will be fine and it will put your mind at ease.
Leslie, sorry didn't reply sooner as hopefully you've had a lovely time at the beach today already. I haven't swum but that's because I've had a picc line in and consultant said not to swim when having the chemo. But I'm totally planning on going on our Park holiday in July with the children in the pool. I tend to wear two swimming costumes anyway as have big boobs but small bum so need a smaller costume underneath for support/not baggy on butt and then a larger one on top to cover side boob :) Hopefully that will disguise the bag a bit but you can get stoma friendly swimming costumes. I've also told DH he needs to be on standby in case I need to get out of the pool in a hurry (poor lifeguards and general public don't want to have to deal with a code brown... :) ) I'm sooo pleased that I can actually enjoy this half term with the children. There's a science exhibition/craft activities on at our local cathedral tomorrow, DD is having a friend over for a sleepover and we're going to the forest for a picnic and paddle in the river on Thursday. Hope everyone else is doing as OK as can be expected xx

Congratulations fluffy that is very good news indeed! Have a great holiday

VLCos I was thinking about your hip pain yesterday. Is it your actual hip, or just that area? When I get stomach cramps I often get pain in the sort of sinewy bit at the front between my hip and pubic bone

fluffy yippee! :) my dad was on hand with my towel for the swimming, and at least it was the sea and not a swimming pool, but it was absolutely fine. To be fair I didn't stay in long as the water was pretty cold! I just wore my normal swimsuit. I have a tankini but with a decent overlap between top and bottom. It is ruched as well which disguised everything quite well. The worst bit was having a wet bag afterwards so I shoved a flannel in my waistband for a bit to stop my clothes getting wet! Anyway, hopefully you'll have a fantastic time swimming with your children but definitely good to have someone on hand just in case. My mum and I have a similar plan as I am hoping to try swimming at the leisure centre soon :) it sounds like you've got a really great week planned so I hope you all enjoy yourselves and good luck with the sleepover I hope they get a bit of sleep...

My port is misbehaving a bit so I've got to have an x ray before chemo tomorrow to check it hasn't moved! I went out for a lovely family meal yesterday. I'm taking full advantage of being able to eat a less restricted diet now

I hope everyone is having a good half term

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo morning ! It is definitely on the back around the hip . I have suffered saitica in the past so wondered if it was part of that. It's OK if I don't do to much so maybe a strain ?!

Otherwise sometimes on the left at the front where you describe I have had some discomfort there of and on but not cramps . I did wonder about cysts as I had the mirena removed and it can cause them.
I guess I am just thinking of everything . But only a good look will give me answers.
Yesterday all day felt totally fine and energy has improved but slight stomach ache before bed short lived and lots of wind . An hour or so after evening meal. Strange !

Hope the beach was a good day out :-)

Ah yes could be sciatica or something. As you say there's no way to know until they have had a look inside! But it's difficult not to analyse every twinge while you're waiting :) the beach was lovely thanks. It rained and was quite cloudy, but actually that was quite good as I'm meant to be extra careful in the sun anyway due to chemo/antibiotics

If symptoms come on after food then perhaps it's an intolerance of some sort. I ended up having trouble with gluten before my diagnosis. It wasn't coeliac disease or anything, the nurse just said it was probably because gluten can be quite irritating and my bowel was already irritated from all my polyps.

I hope you don't have the hip pain today

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo thank you . Half term so no time to dwell this week :-) ah glad it was a good day out. Nice to get some fresh air ! Would it be terribly rude of me to ask your age ? I know it's irrelevant but all gps and consultants like to say . With your age (38) statistically.....

Most of my problems started when I came off high fat / low carb diet and made worse by gallstones . :-/

VLCos I'm 26 now. I was 21 when I was first diagnosed. But I have FAP, which is a genetic condition that causes loads of polyps. You're basically guaranteed to get cancer unless they remove the colon and rectum before that happens.

Hi all, firstly wow what a lovely, brave and inspiring group you are!

I am currently waiting an urgent referral to a dermatologist as I have a dodgy mole- feeling crappy about it but getting more worried as the days go on as feeling so out of sorts- more tired then usual even dosed off yesterday(not like me) so keep having all sorts running through my head. Only had doctors appointment yesterday and so waiting to hear from the hospital, patience is not a strong point of mine where health is involved.

Thank you for reading and sending you all or or even whatever makes you smile xx

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo thanks for the reply some people don't ask that question ! So so young !

@knicknic hello and welcome ! I hope you hear soon about your appointment

Hello, I need some comfort if poss! For the past 10 years I have experienced bleeding from my bottom. I have had 7 colonoscopies, the last one being exactly 1 year ago. I have a rectocele (bowel prolapse) and piles. The last colonoscopy the doctor banded my piles and gave the all clear on the rest of my bowel. About 5 weeks ago I started having terrible diarrhoea, bloated tummy, gurgling gut and dull ache on my lower left abdomen. Went to the doctor who ordered blood and stool tests. 5 days later, saw a different doctor (really nice) who said all the bloods and stools were good, Liver, kidneys etc in good shape. He thought it might be diverticular disease and prescribed antibiotics and something to stop the runny poo. He said he would refer me for another colonoscopy. After the course of the drugs the diarrhoea improved but I was still in pain. Received a letter from the hospital for a CT scan for pelvic/abdomen. The scan is tomorrow. I can't wait to go. But, and this is what I am really stressing about, for the past 3 days I have had excruciating back pain and I can feel a sausage shaped lump about 5 cm long deep in my left lower abdomen. I am not sure why I am posting as I am having the scan tomorrow and what ever will be will be, but I wanted to ask if anyone knows how quickly bowel cancer can arrive on the scene, as I had a clear colonoscopy only a year ago. Of course, the other thought is it could be my ovaries. I also had a trans vag scan last may and that was OK then. I am 53. Help!

@Finewineandcake hello ! I could have wrote your post I have all the same symptoms apart from the bleeding and lump !!
I am not an expert but would guess if you have had a colonoscopy a year ago it might be reassuring.
I am awaiting tests.
I hope tomorrow goes as well as it can
Have they done a CA125 blood test for you to check on the ovaries ?

Got go to say I am frustrated . They still haven't given me a date for the CT even though I keep ringing them.
I rang about the colonoscopy and was givenJuly 5th which seems like a lifetime to me even though it's not I was hoping it would be sooner as you know living with this worry is hard.
As it's a good 5-6 weeks I guess the consultant isn't mega worried or surely he could have made it quicker ?

The consultant said to me 3-4 weeks would it be worth ringing his secretary to try and get a quicker appointment?

Welcome knicknic but I'm sorry you've got this worry it's easy to start analysing every possible symptom once cancer is a possibility, but it may just be that the stress itself is tiring you or you're not sleeping as well or even that you're noticing the tiredness more than you normally would because you're worrying. Easy for me to say, I know! Stay away from Google and vent here whenever you need to. I hope you get an appointment soon - are you seeing a dermatologist? And I'll take some thank you very much

Finewineandcake I have bowel cancer. I posted my symptoms a bit earlier in the thread, so I won't repeat myself but I didn't really have many to be honest. The "lump" is quite possibly constipation. Bowel cancer is generally quite slow, so having a clear colonoscopy last year is a really good sign. Even if it is cancer, and I'm not suggesting that is likely, then it would probably be quite an early stage so highly treatable. Good luck with your scan tomorrow

VLCos I'm sorry you're still waiting for the CT appointment. 5th July is quite a wait for the colonoscopy. I don't see any harm is asking the secretary if they can speed things up a bit. They might say no, especially if they're not that worried, but you might as well ask :)

I hope everyone has had a good day :) I'm having chemo tomorrow

chewing are you around? I hope you are getting on alright

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo I think I will ring tomorrow and ask .I will quote the consultants 3-4 weeks from consultation and see if it gets me anywhere !

I hope Chemo goes OK tomorrow and you have had a good day .

Yes appointment is with the dermatologist the doctor said I will get a call and they may want me to send a photo of the mole before the appointment not heard of this before x

Hi VLCOs, thanks for the , just got back from the CT scan and was told that it will take about 2 weeks to come back with the results - more waiting! Colonoscopy happening tomorrow morning so get that out of the way and wait ..... I've looked back at your previous posts and I also have pain in my hip, which radiates to my back. Hope you can get your CT and colonoscopy done quickly. I am surprised you have to wait so long, I saw my doctor last Thursday, had the CT today and the hospital rang yesterday to arrange the colon job for tomorrow! For you

WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo thanks for the reassurance. I am keeping with the thought that a year ago all was OK so fingers crossed. Had the CT today and colonoscopy tomorrow - Happy Days!

Good luck tomorrow for the colonoscopy fine-It does seem to differ on times for these sorts of things doesn't it? I was hoping after my consultation that I would be having my own Colonoscopy relatively quickly yet after what you said VLCos I can probably be expecting some time in August!
Mum seeing GP about her bloods and change in bowels tomorrow so hope all goes well for her.
I cut out wheat and onions and started to use de caf t-bags-and seem a lot better lately-I know however that until I have had a camera near my backside I will not be able to fully relax(doubt I will be able to relax whilst said camera is near to backside either!
Hope everyone is ok.
Nat99 Hope your Colonoscopy today went ok.

@Finewineandcake thank you . Glad the scan went OK. Hope the colonoscopy isn't to bad. Do they usually give you the results of that straight away ?
CT is happening next week now. I have left 2 messages for my consultants secretary as I am not happy about the wait. I can only think they don't seem it to be urgent.
I went to see the gallstone surgeon today he said lots of people get bad bowels when having lots of gallstones but best to get it checked out.

@charliebear78 hope your mum gets on OK. Have you had your consultation yet ?
Funny same hospital one department say they work on timescale from referral other department don't . !