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

Morning all. Thanks for all the Xmas smileys Leslie - ho ho hope your cough is getting better - and well done for passing on your excellent human interaction skills to your oncologist!
Sorry for your loss Jools and all the best with the waiting - it really is the pits not knowing. I hope you get good news.
Good luck for your appointments wombat, Mamia and Oakthorn - hope you had a good night as a 'flapper'!
The problem with the frozen hat, flippers and mitts combo Purple is the contrast when you take them off! So even if I'm not hot flushing, the slightest temperature makes me sweat like a donkey! But I actually have seen some cooling scarves on amazon that might do the trick for you. Littlegreycat - the anti sickness drugs work really well so you definitely don't have to suffer - particularly if you're having to deal with post-garden centre Santa trauma!! Hope everyone else has a nice weekend - I'm off to find my husband's Xmas present that I put somewhere concealed and cunning but have since forgotten where

Hi all,

My mum got diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy at the end of Nov. Yesterday she went for a check up and they'd said that they'd also removed 6 of her lymphnoids and found cancer in 3 of them. She now has another operation to have an auxiliary node clearance on 22nd Jan (which seems a long way away) and then to have the nodes tested in Florida (? Dont get that bit!) Before she decides whether to have chemo or not.
I'm really confused by it all. Does this mean there is a high chance the cancer can spread to her other organs? She had tests and a bone scan before the masectomy and everything was fine- could it spread again from her lymphnoids before her op?

Also is her prognosis worse now because it was found in her lymphnoids?

Finding it all very confusing and scary

Hi wonder I've not got breast cancer myself, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly. I know others have had the auxiliary node clearance so can advise on that.

But firstly don't panic!

Lymph nodes are basically little immune system "checkpoints". So if there are cancer cells present that means they have escaped from the tumour, but the nodes have caught them.

Lots and lots of women with breast cancer will have some in nearby lymph nodes. It doesn't mean that it has spread elsewhere.

Is it definitely the nodes that are being tested in Florida, or is it just a sample of her tumour? There are some tests that look at the genes in the tumour to learn more about it. That can tell the doctors whether a patient is likely to benefit from chemotherapy. I think someone else on here recently ish had a sample sent to the USA so they may be able to tell you more about it.

I am sorry about your mum's diagnosis and I hope that her treatment goes smoothly

nicky I like to think I melted his stone cold heart I hope you have found the present!

Thanks leslie dad had lung cancer and deteriorated really quickly, it was such a shock I still can't believe it and now I have this uncertainty hanging over me.....
Does anyone else have any stories about calcification in the breast? I don't understand it all really.

Breast Cancer care's website is very good for the kind of information you are looking for:
www.breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/diagnosed-breast-cancer/primary-breast-cancer

I

This explains califications

www.breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/have-i-got-breast-cancer/benign-breast-conditions/breast-calcifications

Thanks mamia I have resisted googling but I think I need to face facts that this might not be 'nothing'

It sounds like the cancer hasn't spread - just to the lymph nodes which is very common in women with breast cancer.

The good thing about BC is that it's very treatable and the NHS are really thorough and will do everything they can to ensure the treatment plan is the best one tailored for your mum hence all this testing.

Thank you for all the help and support,it has reassured me a little. Still a horrible situation, I feel like I'm on tenterhooks until she gets the all clear

Good luck today wombat

Waving to everyone else

Hope everyone is having a good day, or a better than they expected day, and is managing to manage Christmas, feels quite overwhelming this year, not being able to drive and having to rely so much on my husband. Does anyone have any experience with afatinib?

Hi ILoveDolly no, sorry. Though I'm on cetuximab which works in a similar way, but for colorectal cancers. It sounds like the side effects are quite similar!

Hi all

Thanks for the good wishes Leslie. It all went as expected. Still haven't heard from the endocrine dept so I think I will ring the specialist nurse tomorrow and see what's going on.

Sending you all hugs

I'm glad it went alright wombat. I hope your nurse can get you some answers tomorrow!

Hi Im not sure if should post here or start a new thread but my sister has been unwell for a couple of weeks flu symptons and really made her feel poorly plus backache, then came out in a rash. Went to GP who took bloods. This was a week ago she went for results and GP said blood vells were abnormal and increased paraprotein levels and mentioned multiple myeloma. She said it was prob a form of blood cancer and she was being referred for more tests and maybe bone marrow tests. She said she wasnt going to worry and just wait to see what hosp says. Ive googled and now totally freaked out Im so so scared I cant stop crying. Ive read it depends on the levels and stage as to how serious it is. Im sorry if this isnt the right place to put this I just needed to tell someone

Ok Leslie interesting, I suppose I am so glad not to have chemo but still worried about the impact of side effects.
Hi 123 sorry to hear about your sister, I hope the hospital will provide her with more useful info. Google is so terrifying I try to avoid!

ILoveDolly hopefully you won't have all the side effects and lots can be counteracted with other medications

123lookatme I'm sorry about your sister's possible diagnosis. Definitely try not to Google. Especially as there are so many types of blood cancer and they vary a lot!

Today was ny first chemo session. I was in there ages and had that horrible freeze cap on for 5 hours!! Fingers crossed it was worth it.

I have some steroids for tomorrow so I guess that will hold off the worst of the symptoms.

I also have some daily injections for my White blood count but I was told to take them in the evening as I will feeling achy. I also get hot flushes and night sweats with the zoladex ( to stop ovulation) so I'm worried I would be able to tell the difference between those symptoms and symptoms of feeling ill. Any tips?

Betty the first one usually takes longer so hopefully next time it won't take long. I've not had any hormonal treatments myself so I hope someone more knowledgeable will have a more useful answer soon. If you feel hot or sweaty and have any other symptoms of possible infection then you should definitely get it checked. Have you had hot flushes before? My mum's seem to come on very suddenly but also go quite suddenly afterwards, whereas if I feel unwell it's more gradual.

Hi Betty - as leslie says, the first chemo is normally longer than any that follow as there's a lot of caution and checking to make sure you're coping with things ok. The cold cap didn't work for me with frontline chemo, but has worked well enough for me to not need a wig/scarf this time; it doesn't feel great but you do get used to it - a fabric alice band on your ears and forehead stops the brain freeze if you don't have one already. I used to take the self-administered gcsf injections - i did them before bed. Only tips are to change sides each time (I did mine in my lower stomach fat), pinch gently and don't rub the site. The long-acting injections made my legs ache a bit but it wasn't too painful so hope not too sore for you. I don't take zoladex but had a surgery-induced menopause and I would concur that hot flushes for me are quite literally flushy and flashy rather than anything long-lasting. Do you have a reliable thermometer - I found that an easy way to check if I was proper poorly. Good luck for the next few days.

123 sorry you're having a worrying time with your sister; I hope you won't have to wait too long for her results . Hope you got the answers from the endocrinologist you were looking for wombat. Hugs to you all x

Can I ask for a little hand hold? I have been recalled for another mammogram which takes place today. They were really quick in their recall, only 3 days! I am hoping that the person who did the last one just did not get good enough images. For some reason, bless her, she just did not seem quite as adept as the lady who did it 3 years ago and kept taking extra photos.

I am sorry if this is not the right place to post but I could not find anywhere else on the boards to talk about a mammogram recall.

Hi all, I've also posted this on the gallbladder thread, but as Mum has stage 4 breast cancer I thought I'd ask for opinions here too.....

Mum in hospital since mid last week with acute pancreatitis. Seems to also have an infection so now on IV antibiotics. Plan is to remove gallbladder but they don't want to proceed as yet due to infection and inflamed pancreas. Today the doc has intimated her op "will not happen on this admission" and I read into that that they plan to discharge her and then give her a date for the op.

So my question is - how safe really to discharge when she has acute pancreatitis? She was in absolute agony and needs pain meds to cope. We're concerned about a relapse at home.

Your thoughts...? Thanks.

Hi all, I hope it's ok for me to post here. My MIL has been diagnosed with stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer and started chemo on the 8th.

We are due to spend Christmas at SIL's house, that is me, OH and our 4yo and 4mo daughters, travelling up on Friday.

My major concern is that the big DD currently has a cold and baby is a bit snotty.

I have voiced my concerns to OH but he says his mum will not forgive him if we don't go and she doesn't get to see the kids. I tend to believe him as she does minimise risks and loves the girls fiercely and is in the mindset that this may be her last Christmas.
So what do we do? How big of a risk to her will a cold be after one round of chemo (she is due round two on 28th), is the effect on the immune system cumulative or instant after the first round?

Any input gratefully received, thank you.

I haven't got any personal insight into pancreatitis or mammogram recalls, but wanted to send a hand hold to you Jill and KittiKat - I'm sure someone on here will be able to offer some helpful advice. Stitch - the effect on the immune system tends to be cumulative in my experience, but that doesn't guarantee she won't pick up a cold (in the same way that anyone else would). I think the only one who can make the call is your MIL - I always really appreciate it if people ask whether we should get together if they've got a lurgy. I try to avoid people with chest infections, stomach bugs and flu but colds are pretty hard to steer clear of at this time of year. Just my view but I'd definitely prefer to be asked than have people make a decision one way or another without having talked to me first.

kittikat I know how you feel. I was recalled for a repeat mammogram
I had a routine screening as I'm 50+ and was called back 4 days later. I went in last week and had a repeat mammogram, ultrasound and vacuum biopsy.
I was told they found some calcification so it needs to be checked out. I am due back this friday for results . Im so worried. I recently lost my dad to cancer so the timing is pants.
I hope yours is good news. I was told they recall so quickly as they have to complete the 'process' within 3 weeks. ⚘