CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 60! Here we are again... join us if you have any sort of cancer (or if you're waiting for cancer test results)

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Welcome everyone to a shiny new thread :)

It's a club nobody wants to join, but if you need us, you are more than welcome. If you're waiting to find out if you have cancer or not then pull up a chair. We hope you won't need to be here long, but we are here as long as you need us. And if you do have cancer then this is the place for you. Swear, rant, scream, laugh, cry... someone will have at least an inkling of what you're going through!

We only have one rule, which is do not Google. Though perhaps we should update that to please Google responsibly as few can resist completely!

I hope this thread will be a source of support for all who need it

Our previous thread can be found here

But I did have a lot if help

I know iVampire, it's weird isn't it? I didn't feel ill last year either, and then the rads made me exhausted and the letrozole took a while to get used to. The treatment made me feel ill, and it's only been recently that I've felt normal again.
Anyway I'd better get to bed, and see what tomorrow brings.
Thank you everyone,

I am so relieved! I saw my consultant and had an ultrasound. After a thororough examination she is confident that I have cellulitis of the breast and has prescribed antibiotics.
If I'm still worried in a few weeks time I'm to contactv the open access team again.
I guess heightened anxiety about cancer returning is the long term side effect for us all.
Thank you again handholders, I'm glad I didn't worry my children and other family in real life.

Yay!!! Result! Though cellulitis isn't a piece of cake either, but it's not cancer coming back.

Great to have some good news on here. I trust you sleep better tonight Areyouready

Fantastic news areyouready! What a relief for you. Go buy lots of cake and celebrate x

Fantastic news Areyouready Fingers crossed the antibiotics do their job quickly.

I am having the CT guided biopsy on my lung tomorrow. They told me that I am a high risk for having an air leak so hoping that doesn't happen.

Does anyone know anything about blood tests? I was told on Thursday that my blood tests had shown a raised level of calcium so they took another sample. I have a message on my phone today to say that I need to give more blood for tests tomorrow. Any ideas why? I don't think I have much left to give!!

I'm home. Absolutely exhausted so I won't reply but thank you all so much for your kind words :)

wombat good luck tomorrow

purple good you've got a plan but sorry it's going to be over Christmas!

mrsrhod headache no fun at all. Hope they can sort it :)

Areyouready what a relief! Though cellutis not pleasant either. I hope it clears up quickly :) yay for pivot tables during my brief foray into the working world I worked in statistics and I love Excel. I can barely count to ten these days though

Sympathies to those facing bowel effects. They're hard work, but can usually be successfully managed

I don't want to drag the thread down, but also feel I should be honest. I found this latest hospital stay rather tough. I think partly because I was referred to palliative care team, who were amazing, but a sort of admission of where I am heading (albeit not at any great speed). I've never been that bothered by the "palliative" label as it really just means not curative. But it was just lying in that bed thinking I'd never feel better and wondering what the point of medical intervention even is also I didn't even have the energy to text or Facebook much so felt very detached from real life, but not sleepy enough to properly sleep so just lying there waiting for time to drag on. I soon perked up after a little walk round the corridor! I feel much better at home with my own comforts and distractions. No worrying about disturbing fellow patients and no waiting for nurses to bring meds :)

Oh Wombat I wish I could give you some advice, or had an insight into this.
I always make sure I've had a good glassful of water before going for a bloods, although I'm sure it doesn't really make any difference.
And I can never look!

wombat often before any surgical procedure they'll take a sample in case you need a blood transfusion (unlikely, but much better to be prepared!) so could be that?

Leslie, so good to be home, and sorry to hear you have been at a low ebb.
I bet you do have a spreadsheet on the go, 🤓as you are so good at making sure all have had a check in.
You probably don't even realise how much that means to people.
I remember you mentioning me last year and it perked me up no end.
I am quite a rubbish mumsnetter, and will soon fall off the radar, but thank you,

Thank you Areyouready and Leslie

Leslie I am so sorry that you have been feeling so rough. I think the words "palliative care" are very scary, but I do know that it doesn't mean imminent. I hope that you manage to catch up on some rest now that you're home.

leslie yay for home comforts so glad you are back where you belong.

I know what you mean about palliative care, even though I'm not there yet. On Monday my consultant made a point of saying 'when' the cancer returns, not 'if' and there is now a likelihood that I won't be able to continue with the Avastin because it's causing too much neuropathy. I've had a couple of days (and nights) thinking that I'm never going to feel any better than I do now, and missing those 'karaoke' moments before cancer struck, when I used to sing my heart out to my dog in the car feeling like I own the world

Hey Leslie, phew, you're home. To my mind, this space exists as a safe place where we can be honest. Not always easy though, is it?
I hope you'll feel a bit better soon, or that you already do. I've heard the palliative care teams are the best in terms of pain relief but, yes, it must be incredibly hard. I guess the thing now is to try to build up your strength, teeny bits of whatever you fancy eating when you're ready and taking it slowly. Take carexx

Hi leslie I'm so glad to hear you're home although this last hospital trip has obviously been hard on you physically and also made you consider the future a bit more than you might like. I hope you do feel physically better and be back on the dance floor again. You've got such a lot of people watching out for you here.

twitter I'm sorry that you too have had to confront you'd rather not.

areyouready great news, that's a new one on me but it's not cancer and I hope you're feeling better soon.

I saw the oncologist this morning, just a bit of a chat really and he confirmed that hysterectomy is probably the right way to go to avoid all this palaver again. Also reassured me that my four months on the wrong meds over summer shouldn't be too harmful as my ovaries are probably almost shrivelled. Only time will tell...

Best wishes to everyone else. wombat I hope tomorrow isn't to difficult.

Thank you mrsrhod

Fingers crossed for shrivelled ovaries mrsrhod there's something I never thought I'd wish on someone! I'm glad he could reassure you a bit, but annoying you'll need the surgery

Areyouready no spreadsheet, I promise, though sometimes it would be a lot easier! I'm very aware of missing people out at the moment and it makes me fee twitchy. I suspect I know who you were but not absolutely sure and don't want to out you anyway. But it's lovely to know you're getting on with life OK, apart from this hopefully short blip :)

Thank you all. I feel very supported here :) I already feel much better. The palliative team themselves are absolutely lovely and made me feel very safe and cared for. And they definitely take pain seriously. It was just the days of feeling grim, and s couple of setbacks, made me start to worry I'd ever feel better. Even though I knew logically that I would.

I feel so much better for having shared it, and for being home again.

I hope everyone's having a good evening

Leslie...i am.useless at posting but always read and answer where relevant. But every time I'm freshly astonished by how thoughtful and lovely you are. I'm sure you will recover much better st home....and I wish you nothing but sunshine, roses and unicorns!!
And love to everyone else...and er cake because why not?!! Xx

Good morning all. leslie, I'm so glad you are home and feeling better. As those before me said, you are so magnanimous in your thoughts and concerns for everyone else here. I'm afraid I'm rubbish at keeping up with everyone and everything.
mrs sounds like you're on the right track now. Last time I had a pelvic exam, I was told everything in there was shriveled and gone 😑 mixed feelings I had re that.
Best wishes to all lacies and congrats to areyouready on it not being cancer. I had cellulitis in my lymphedema arm and though scary, it's totally treatable.

I actually bought some yesterday! Passion fruit icing one from M&S if anyone's interested. And I'm enjoying it in a secretive and gluttonous way....

Twitter I'm on my way! That cake sounds delicious.
Thanks Royal, it really did scare me, and now I have purple breast, which looks like it has been kicked around a bit. Wierdly, not sore..
Leslie, I hope you wake up feeling refreshed and can spend some time today doing a bit of something you like.
Wombat, I hope the CT scan goes without a hitch.
MrsRhod, is the expression, better out than in? Although not a procedure anyone would volunteer for.
Calm day wishes to one and all.

areyouready yes I think that's what everyone is thinking generally although there is a bit of a divide between the male and female medics. The men are all in favour of surgery and the women are all a bit more cautious, funny that!

Leslie they’re coming up with new treatments all the time so don’t lose hope, and as you say palliative doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen anytime soon.* We need you on this thread so that’s that, you’re not going anywhere and Twitter*, one day at a time. Be nice to yourself and get people close to you to spoil you, hope you’re feeling a bit better today

My chemo once it gets started will fall on Xmas day, will I need to go in or will they shuffle it about do you think? Obviously if I have to spend 8 hours in hospital getting chemo then I will, I just need to be prepared to make arrangements for my son etc

So apparently I can’t type without things turning bold . 🍰 and for everyone else I’ve missed

Hi,
I’m waiting on a biopsy appointment so not even at results stage yet.
About 6 weeks ago I was taken into hospital as turned out I had DVT and subsequently a clot on my lung. It was decided I should have a CT scan to rule out any causes. I had the CT scan on Friday and was called in first thing on Monday. The CT shows lesions on my liver, all over it. The Dr that broke the news isn’t an oncologist but said it’s very likely it’s cancer however there is a possibility it could be something else. He said normally with liver cancer there would be other organs affected too but there’s no sign of that which gives me a bit of hope. I had more blood taken (I have had so many blood tests and really didn’t know there were that many you could have). I have been told that there will be a meeting to discuss my case on Thursday (tomorrow) but the next step is a biopsy and probably an MRI and a specialist oncology nurse will be in touch with me soon (I’m assuming they will treat it as if it’s cancer as in the nurse etc until they know otherwise?). It all feels very surreal but a little confusing too as the Dr seemed pretty much convinced it’s cancer but then listed reasons it could be other issues (I didn’t really take those on board). I’m sort of reeling I think, I was 100% convinced the scan wouldn’t show anything. Im 38, a single mother to one high functioning autistic DS. I have ME/Cfs and a headache condition that is quite bad (I don’t want to give too much detail as worried about being identified as not told any family or DS’s father). The Dr said that some of the symptoms are similar to those of the ME, he mentioned this could have been going on for ‘a couple of years’.
I’ve told some friends and will tell family (all very dysfunctional and drama oriented) once I have the date for the biopsy as I will need help with DS but I’m sort of dreading their reactions. I know that nothing is certain until the biopsy results come in but I really don’t know what to think at the minute. I’m really hopeful that the biopsy won’t be long coming.
I did google as I got confused between liver and kidney functions and then googled very briefly liver cancer and only via nhs and wished I hadn’t, It’s definitely good advice not to google. The information at the start of the thread is really helpful, I’m very grateful to have found this thread.

Hello OhWhatAlife there have been far too many new people on here lately, and I'm sorry that you find yourself here too. But you are welcome nevertheless. The waiting is the worst part. I don't have any useful advice other than use us all as a sounding board / audience to rant at.

Life is just shit sometimes isn't it? And for single parents it must be especially difficult. I am one too but my DC are older - uni age. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long to get a date for a biopsy and MRI.