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

well got the result or not..there are two areas that they don't know what they are.
Initially he said ..don't worry it's not cancer so was so relieved.

Then he went on about options to remove a large part of my bowel
He explained that there are two areas , the one they found in colonoscopy and then another teeny area of concern in another area.
He then went on about re scanning in 3 months to see if there are any changes or I could choose an option of surgery ..???
I clearly said well if there is no concern i will have rescan in 3 months
..then he sat and looked at CT results ..dunno if he'd read them before then?? And after he'd read them he said ..when are you back from Canada?? Shall we review you in the new year , I'll consult with some colleagues and see what we think we should do.

So basically none the fucking wiser..but reassured that I can travel and it's teeny whatever it is ..its been caught early ..so having a gin and tonic at 1645 and don't care ...lolol

I'm glad they're not overly concerned ggirl but sorry you didn't get a more definite answer! Good news that you can go on your trip to Canada :)

Must be frustrating ggirl to not get a definitive answer. Good news on the holiday though and they have a plan for the new year.

Hello peeps. I'm slowly coming round. I found out today that I have 22 weeks of sick leave available, on full pay. Plus I can apply for our company Payment Protection thingy, which will give me around 70% of salary. So I'm going to do it. Stop working. Start stretching out every single second.

My CA125 is normal. What use is that? My right kidney is compromised but because of the CA125 it's apparently OK.

Sorry Leslie - I forgot you were extending your cycle to 3 weeks. I hope that felt good today! I did get my hot blanket and they'd toasted up the room before I arrived so the polar hat, slipper and mitten combo was slightly less ferocious!
ggirl - sounds like good news. I hope you can enjoy the holiday and get a bit of clarity about why they think surgery might be a plan in the meantime.

TQ that sounds like a positive decision and good to have some financial plans to rely on.(I'd just gone freelance before I was diagnosed and given up fab sickness/death in service benefits - what a fool - luckily there's Mr Nicky so we don't starve but I kick myself for the bad timing). I had a dodgy kidney post-op; they couldn't tell from the scan if it was disease or scar tissue from a bit of prodding, so they knocked me out to put in a stent and then decided it was going to be ok without. I haven't had bother since - maybe something similarly un-bogus if it's not impacting your CA125? Has your CA125 stayed the same or has it trended up within the 'normal' zone? I hope you have fun planning what to do with your non-working week and don't follow my default of too much 'Say Yes to the Dress' and coffee with mates!

And I'd forgotten we had got out of sync. It's complicated enough remembering one's own appointments let alone anyone else's I'm glad they kept you warm ish. How are you finding all the cold bits and bobs?

Twitter that sounds very sensible. More time to eat odd about your kidney. Was your CA125 raised before? My tumour markers weren't raised at all when I was diagnosed, even now I think they're still within normal range

Hello everyone.
Just a quick update.
I received my results yesterday and a confirmed lung cancer diagnosis. They are fairly happy that it has not spread.
The plan is to remove the top third of my lung containing the cavity. They will take some sort of sample from the middle of my chest during the operation, and provided there is no evidence of spread, I won't need to have radiotherapy or chemo.
So not the greatest ever news but it could have been an awful lot worse. I have an appointment with the thoracic surgeon on monday and expect to be given a date for the lobectomy.

I apologise that I can't reply to each poster as Lovely Leslie does, but I'm sending you all gentle hugs and good vibes.

Wombat I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but there is a plan and if they're confident it hasn't spread then things are good.

Nicky & Leslie my CA125 at diagnosis was around 530+ so when I got the news in Aug/Sept (can't remember exactly) that it was 10, I just thought YIPPEE! All is good. So I do find it confusing that although it's still apparently within 'normal' range, my cancer is growing... I guess the cancer isn't big enough yet to have an impact on my body.

Nicky I am only just realising how fortunate I am to have these work benefits, BUT I'm finding very difficult emotionally to sign the forms and give the go-ahead because I'm basically signing away my working life. And that is a huge part of who I am and I am also still sole support for 3 DCs. I'm 58. I will never work again if I do this. Who am I if I don't have a job and I have cancer?

But then I need to do this because I don't want to spend the time I have left doing stuff that is just so irrelevant. I have no heart for it anymore.

wombat I'm really sorry. Though I expect it might help a bit to finally have a definite answer after all the tests etc. I'm a big fan of surgery. It feels much better when they've whipped it out. (I know I'm being a bit flippant and having body parts removed is a pretty big deal!) I hope that Monday's appointment goes well. Do you think they'll do the surgery before Christmas?!

Twitter is there any possibility of going to part time or something if you're not absolutely certain about stopping completely? It seems like a good decision, but the finality of it all can be a bit overwhelming. I don't work and I do feel quite sad about it sometimes. But it's not really practical.

I'm snuggled in front of the fire with a lovely mug of cold milk - my favourite. Cheers everyone!

Thank you Twitter and Leslie

Twitter We are not defined by the jobs we do or by cancer. You will still be you, but with less stress and more time to do the things you want to do.

Leslie I would be happy to have the surgery before Christmas if it's offered so soon. I guess I will find out on Monday.

Hi wombat - I'm sorry to hear it's a cancer diagnosis but pleased for you that it's contained and that they're able to deal with it surgically. Still no picnic at all, but some comfort that it's not spread, hopefully. Good luck with the surgeon.

Leslie - my cold bits and bobs were ok yesterday! I'm used to the cap and I've kept enough hair so far to make it seem worth it. The boots and the mitts were not my choice and they're a bit grim, but if it helps me get the full treatment cycle, I guess I should persevere!
TQ I completely understand the mixed feelings; I think a working identity sometimes helps you feel normal when life is not normal and is important to your self-esteem. But it might not be stopping work forever - you're just making a choice to do things a bit differently for a while. That's not giving in, that's taking control. I still freelance a little when I can, as it stops me from writing letters to Points of View and makes me feel a bit more in the game, but actually when I work I'm looking forward to a bit of time off to gather me rosebuds, so I think we just have to do what makes sense at the time.
Hugs to you all x

Hi everyone.

I never did come back and update because i hate thinking about it and denial has been my way of dealing with it. However as I have chemo coming up in a few weeks I thought I'd come back.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks ago. They haven't given me a stage (is that normal?) but have said it's grade 3. The lump is small but has spread to one lymph node. I'm having 6 rounds of chemo whilst I wait for genetic testing. As I am 32 and my sister was young when she had it, then it mostly likely is. Then I'll have a double mastectomy and most likely my ovaries whipped out to.

Good morning Betty I'm sorry to hear that I think they often wait to give a stage until after surgery. Are you starting chemo before Christmas?

nicky the boots/mitts sound horrid. Do you have to keep them on all the time? I'd be so bored and grumpy if I couldn't crochet during chemo. I'm a complete fidget.

I've just done my mindfulness meditation. Does anyone else use mindfulness? I find it very calming. I've got a sore throat this morning so I hope that buggers off quickly as it's my choir Christmas performance later

Morning all. I was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks ago. Surgery yesterday to remove the lump and a sentinel lymph node biopsy. Hopefully they have go a clear marking and that’s the last of the surgery. If lymph node is clear it will be radiotherapy in late Jan . I feel a strange sense of relief today that the lump is out. Hopefully the speed at which we have gone from finding the lump to surgery (23 days) has given a more positive outcome. I have some amazing supportive friends but the support and advice on MN is quite simply amazing. Good luck to everyone undergoing treatment and love to you all.

Oakthorn - I'm in a similar position, had WLE and SNB a few days ago, and my cancer is ER positive and HER negative .

Like you, I'm pleased to have the lump removed but I am starting to become anxious about the results - have you got an appointment yet? I'm waiting for me although I was told that it would be two weeks after the operation.

Maria exactly the same diagnosis. I only had surgery yesterday but with the speed my hospital have responded I expect a recall writhing 2 weeks.

Was it also invasive ductal cancer?

Yes grave 2

Same here too re grading - how are you feeling post op? Hopefully not too sore?

Surprisingly not too bad . Bit sore but have a horrible bitter taste in my mouth. Even water tastes weird!!

I hope you are both recovering well from your surgery oakthorn and Mamia and good luck with your results

Oakthorn - That's good to hear - odd about the bitter taste, must be the GA.

Thanks Leslie

Thanks Leslie. Hope the choir concert went well

You don't have oral thrush do you? It's pretty common after surgery, and from various medications. That can cause a yucky taste. They can prescribe drops that will get rid of it.

My choir concert went very well. Thank you for remembering :) I had to have a chair (everyone else was standing) and I need to take extra breaths/skip the long notes, but I really enjoyed it. Very Christmassy