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

Very glam Twitter! I hope you aren't out too late so you can slob when you get back :)

I am envious of your level of organisation, purple and all the best for the next steps.

twitter Heathrow can be glamorous! Just channel the 1930s

I’m not sure what you mean by a port leslie - is it some sort of fixed line?

I’m doing fine - I’ve had a consultant appointment and my WBC count has been normal for a month. I’m a bit puffy as a side effect, so was thinking of trying reflexology - anyone here had good/bad/indifferent experiences with it?

Also, they need to rescan my liver. They’re pretty sure it’s a benign cyst, but it’s obviously a shy one as it seems half the department has s squint at it and they’re more or less sure.... But they sound unworried as they fin’r Want me in the tube again until 6 months.

iVampire yes. It's a portacath. A fixed line completely beneath the skin and they just "plug in" a needle to access it. It's brilliant, when it works!

Good news about the liver cyst. I agree, if they were at all worried you'd definitely be scanned sooner than six months! And great news about your WBC count :) I've not tried reflexology. I'm sceptical about the theory behind it, but if nothing else it'll be a nice foot massage

Hi all - my radio silence has been because I've been working in London, many more days than I've worked probably all year and I am a bit knackered! Hope your conf goes well Twitter and that your results are good tomorrow. I wanted to say hurrah to greycat, good luck to purple for radiotherapy and give a reassuring squeeze to carbuckety as that all sounds very stressful. iVampire I had reflexology from a lovely friend; I couldn't swear to the science, but it felt fab and perked me up a bit if I had it a few days after chemo. I did check with nurses that they were happy for me to have it. Leslie I hope your port behaves tomorrow; I'll send you some good luck vibes from one drip to another! My port got blocked last year (fibrin sheath regrew and acted as a kind of bung stopping any outbound fluid and impeding inbound). They got a man in who stripped it for me and it has worked brilliantly ever since (touch wood). He put a clipping wire in at my groin and fed it up towards the port under x-ray guidance and had a snip of the fibres. Didn't take long and didn't hurt. Hope you don't need that in any case xx

Blimey nicky that sounds a bit complicated, though interesting. It's allowing fluid in, but no blood coming out. It has done this before a couple of times, so hopefully it will have sorted itself out. I'm not surprised you're knackered. Were you commuting each day or did you stay in London? I hope you have a chance to rest now how are you feeling after last chemo?

Hey everyone. Hope everyone's doing ok.

I finished rads today! So pleased to be able to have my days back. But so knackered. They let me keep my shell so thinking of wall-mounting it and decorating it for Christmas Got a few weeks off now before I start chemo so planning lots of relaxing! I'm signed off work until Feb so at least I can enjoy this time with the children.

Struggling to think of things to say now so off to bed!

Congratulations on finishing radiotherapy littlegreycat - hope you have a lovely few weeks off. leslie - it was honestly not too bad and the radiologist was a bit of a dish so all the nurses were swooning which distracted me a bit! I'm commuting so I'm looking forward to a chemo snooze and a day off tomorrow! Good luck with yours - hope the port co-operates!

Yippee! I'm glad it's finished LittleGreyCat I love the idea of decorating your shell! I hope you are relaxing today

nicky no wonder you're knackered. I hope you have been having a nice snooze today!

I'm having my chemo. Thankfully my port has sorted itself out. I've done a bit of online Christmas shopping. And I had a lovely head massage earlier :) I usually start to feel grim once the second infusion starts so won't be very productive after that.

Thanks nicky and Leslie. I'm so pleased it's over! Hope chemo was ok for you both yesterday and you aren't feeling too tired.

LittleGreyCat Hurrah for finish radio - I hope you're feeling a bit better now though if it's anything like chemo the effects take a while to kick in and then kick out again.

I've been away with work for most of the week. On the one hand it was good - change of scenery, new people, different activities etc etc,, but on the other I found it quite depressing. Everyone knows my situation - I've been very open about it - and I had lots of lovely comments and warm wishes. On the other hand, I've found it very upsetting again. I don't want to be the one with cancer. The one everyone is nice to. The one who can't hold food on a fork easily because my hands shake too much. The one who couldn't paint in the team building (again, shaky hands). The one who couldn't do the bowling because of the shoes... I want to be in the 'normal' group.

Scan results on Monday. Fingers crossed everyone please.

I know that feeling Twitter. My friends are really nice, but now I'm the odd one out. Everyone holds the door for me and pulls out my chair. I don't even need that. I'm like their elderly aunt, not their friend. It sucks a bit. Will the shaking wear off soon? I hope so as it sounds very frustrating

LittleGreyCat I hope you're resting up. Chemo went well thanks, just the usual post-chemo iffiness :)

I hope everyone is managing to stay warm and cosy!

Forgot to say my fingers are firmly crossed Twitter

Everything crossed for Monday Twitter.

Good luck for Monday Twitter.. .
And love to everyone else...

I have developed a rash, which doesn't fill me with confidence ref continuing the Avastin. I have red, itchy cheeks - I had to get up in the night to put cream on, and it's also around my neck and decolletage (sorry, poncy word for lower neck, upper shoulders, chest etc, don't know what else to call it).

It's weird - I haven't had Avastin since 1st November and my last chemo (Taxol) was 25th October. Why would I get a rash now?

Sending skin-soothing vibes Twitter and best wishes for your results

purple how was radiotherapy? And good luck for tomorrow

nicky I hope you're not feeling too grim after Thursday

carbuckety I hope you are hanging in there

LittleGreyCat I hope you've had your feet up all weekend! :)

A gentle hug for wombat how is it going?

My brain feels rather fuzzy today, and everything tastes a bit iffy, but otherwise all good here. I'm sending you all lots of love and sorry to anyone I've missed, especially if you've got results/tests/appointments coming up

Radiotherapy was a lot quicker than I thought, it took longer to empty my bladder, drink 3 cups of water then wait 45 minutes before getting it done. I've been feeling quite nauseous but they said that's to be expected with it being so close to my stomach. I'm going to ask about antisickness tablets tomorrow before I get chemo.

Hope your tastebuds come back soon Leslie

Hi everyone, posting because I am waiting for news about a lump found in my colon.
I had the bowel screening flexible sigmoidoscopy for 55 yr olds at beginning of the November , found some polyps but referred for colonoscopy cos nurse endoscopist couldn't remove as I take clopidogrel.
Had colonoscopy and removed 3 polyps - nothing to worry about . But also found lump further up colon . CT scan a few days later and they phoned to say the MDT don't know what it is and I am going to see a surgeon on thursday this week.
I'm a nurse so always think the worst ..can't help it .

Was the CT scan to identify it as lipoma and now it definitely isn't one (doctor during scope mentioned lipoma) ?
Trying to be positive as I have big plans in a few weeks , flying out to Canada to spend xmas with my family as haven't spent xmas there for over 20 yrs as I've always had to work. Also worried as I have had a niggling pain/sensation on my right side for ages and ages and just assumed nothing or if anything something like bilary colic ...and yes I ignored-stupid I know
I verge between thinking everything will be fine and catastrophising .

Thanks for the vent.

Hello ggirl not the news you want, especially with your upcoming trip I hope you get good news on Thursday, and I'll be holding your hand tightly until then

Thank you Leslie , I hope you're feeling ok this evening and manage a good nights sleep.

Thinking of you ggirl and hoping that you have good news and are clear to fly for Xmas. Twitter - I wonder sometimes if after a lot of treatment and then none, your skin has a bit of a shock reaction? I had a week off from chemo a few weeks ago and had a massive rash on my face the whole week which subsided as quickly as it came. Most odd (and bloody annoying). Hope yours abates soon. All good after chemo thanks Leslie; I usually have my wobbly day on Monday so we'll see what tomorrow brings! Hope your tastebuds perk up (I had a filthy delicious and probably-not-allowed Stilton the other day and thought of you!). Purple chemo normally comes with a whole bunch of anti-sickness pre/post-meds so hopefully they'll have something in mind for you. Hope it goes well. Happy Sunday evening to everyone else x

It's not good news. Two new outbreaks - one on the spleen, one near the bowel. And apparently one kidney is obstructed though I think it's been like this for a while and no-one seems overly concerned.

So no Avastin, off the trial, and onto more chemo in the New Year. Anyone know anything about Caelyx?

The recommendation was that I go home and relax over Christmas. The news spots are only about 1cm each so they can wait until January (although they're obviously not shy in coming forward as I was NED in August). They would start me next week if I wanted but I would like a trouble-free Christmas too.

Twitter, I'm so sorry it's not better news. What a bugger. If you want a trouble free christmas and they're saying that's fine, I would probably go with that.
oh bollocks though.....not what you wanted to hear.
Hugs and cake....

Oh bugger Twitter I'm sorry to hear that. A break over Christmas sounds wise. You might as well give yourself a chance to recuperate a bit and gather strength before the new chemo. Sorry I've no experience of that one. Do you have any real life support? I know you weren't necessarily expecting the best news, but it's always a shock even if you feel prepared

nicky I hope your wobbly day is going alright. I have retreated under my blanket for the evening! :) this is usually my worst day too

ggirl how are you today?

purple I hope you got some antisickness meds. As nicky says they're usually quite generous with them! And you must ask if you need more. No need to suffer in silence :)

Waving to everyone

Really sorry to read this Twitter. I really hope you do get a lovely relaxing Christmas. And you too ggirl. Fingers crossed you get in that plane.

I had to go for a visual field test at 8:30 this morning. After being up with the kids on and off since 3am I could barely see anything so not sure I've done particularly well. Just so exhausted. Still, the toddler is away till Wednesday now so hoping I get a bit of sleep! Might have to put DH on baby duty.