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

I feel sick.
I've followed your story twitter
I've never posted as I never felt I had anything remotely helpful or useful to say but you have been in my thoughts 💐

Thank you MrsR Believe me, it does help to know that people I've never met are thinking about me. Helpful or useful? It doesn't have to be. A simple hello is lovely in itself.

And now sadly you are in people's thoughts and minds too. Do read all the advice on here. BC is not a death sentence - there is so much that can be done to treat it.

This is the worst bit - the waiting, the not knowing. Remember it may not be cancer. Try not to Google too much. It doesn't help.

You can always ring a Macmillan help line. They are there for everyone, even if you haven't been dx yet. We are all here to support you.

Oh Twitter
Now I'm crying
You're so kind and going though so much yourself

Hi all..
Mysillydog so very sorry about the recurrence...horribly unfair. Hugs
MrsReynolds that seems extraordinary and v unlike any experience I've been thru. Slightly wonder if it is a standard letter for your gp surgery... after all I suppose most referrals to breast clinic are to rule in or out a suspected cancer. What sort of relationship do you have with your gp?? Worth calling to clarify?
And if it helps...i have two young boys (11 and eight) and was diagnosed with breast cancer Feb 2017. I had a lumpectomy, didn't need chemo and then radiotherapy. Physically it wasn't too bad at all. And my experience is the same as many women have. That isn't to belittle what others go thru....but I was terrified when I was diagnosed and wish I'd known that for many women it's physically relatively straightforward....

mrsreynolds

(De-lurking)

Before my surgery, I got a copy of a letter that my surgeon had sent to my GP. It said 'suspected granulosa tumour, ovarian carcinoma'. I'd seen him only a few days previously, when he'd told me he thought my tumour was benign, with the disclaimer that he couldn't say for sure until he'd taken it out. (He was right. It was benign.)

When I asked him about this later, he brushed it off and said, 'Oh, that was just something we thought you might have had at one time.'

Given that this is what your GP must have told the clinic, and you haven't even had a scan yet, I'm wondering if they put down the worst case scenario in order to justify putting you on the 2 week referral pathway and getting you seen as soon as possible. There's a 2 week target for surgery, too, and I was operated on 13 days after seeing my surgeon, which, I'm guessing, wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been a chance it could have been malignant.

I don't want to give you false hope, but I know how scary it is to see 'suspected carcinoma' down in print. 'Possibly cancer' doesn't sound as bad. A possibility is bad enough, but hold on to the fact it isn't a diagnosis. Fingers crossed and for you.

Thank you all
So much
Im being an idiot....i know I need to just wait but...its knocked me for six

mrsreynolds you have symptoms which could be cancer. But that doesn’t mean they necessarily think it is particularly likely. Of course it’s not pleasant seeing it written in black and write though! good luck on Tuesday

Waving to everyone else

I’m just having my chemo. Today is my 30th cycle of this regime.

Blimey Leslie 30 cycles deserves some kind of medal or gold star! I hope it goes well. Thanks for your good wishes. Glad you're weathering the Caelyx well TX - it has made me a bit queasy which I'm not usually. Hoping that'll abate in the next day or so.
So sorry you didn't get the news you were hoping for mysillydog - lots of love to you - and a hand hold to mrsreynolds until your appointment.
MrsRhod sorry to hear about your dh's job - I hope he finds something good soon.

Hello to magbob - hope they stop messing you around and you get some answers soon.
Waving from under my blanket to everyone else x

I had armpit pain which gradually radiated out to my right breast too, MrsR. This was December 2016, and when I discovered this wonderful board. I went to the doctor's and was referred to the breast clinic - I was at my wit's end with worry. It turned out to be nothing. I learned from this board, and from the similarly wonderful Breast Care forum, that most of the time these cases do turn out to be nothing - breast cancer rarely presents as pain. Anyway, you're in the right hands. I'd recommend you speak to your doctor but I agree with PPs, the mention of cancer was probably too ensure you got seen in the clinic within the prescribed two weeks. There's no way they could attempt to grade cancer if they couldn't even feel anything! Keep talking, we're all here to hold your hand!

Hugs to everyone else. I've continued lurking here ever since my brief visit - you're a special bunch.

Hi everyone. Just popping my head in to say hi!

I'm actually a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with Wilm's Tumour (a form of kidney cancer) when I was five years old. I had my right kidney removed and underwent chemo and radiation. I'm now a fit and well 21 year old I've been cancer free for 13 years. I wish all you amazingly brave warriors all the luck and good health for the future. I find myself blown away by your courage.

WWLKD what an epic username! 😁
Thank you
And best wishes for your 30th cycle x

moon thank you so much for posting

You've all helped me so much x

I'm disgusted at myself tbh

I'm a coper

I don't over react

Or so i thought til today!! 😔

Less of that 'disgusted at myself' rubbish please MrsR

You're allowed to be shit scared every now and then.....

😙

Mrs R... of course it's terrifying. Unfortunately most of us seem to be pre programmed that upon hearing or seeing the word cancer we fear the very worst. I know I did. But cancer is an umbrella term for so many variations. Even within breast cancer there are so many different sorts. When I was diagnosed I clung onto my granny's experience...had lump...left it for over 2 years as so frightened...it was huge when she finally went to doc. Had a mastectomy, radiotherapy, no chemo and lived for nearly 40 years afterwards. Eventually died after a heart stent went wrong aged 91!! And her story isn't rare.
I'm waffling horribly....but to try to sum up.. .normal to be scared/terrified....outcome more often than not is nowhere near as scary!! You take care...xx

mysilly I'm sorry to hear your latest news, I hope they get your treatment going quickly. Awful to be in the middle of more tests and waiting again.

mrsR I'm also inclined to believe that it's probably a standard letter which has to mention possible cancer in order to get you onto the two week pathway. I've never seen or heard of anything like it before. I had a similar experience to freddie above, very manageable treatment plan but I do understand how terrified you are right now. I'd suggest calling your gp for clarification or the breast cancer care helpline who are great listeners and all nurses.

Thank you x

I think it’s a standard letter too - they need the form of words to show that there is s possibility of cancer, hence you need to be seen under the two week rule (even if the GP’s own professional opinion is that this is a benign) And GPs do handle s lot of boobs!

I’m on this thread for a different cancer, but have been to breast clinic under 2 week rule - GP started off with ‘yes there’s s lump and I must refer you this way’ But when I asked if If was just precautionary (lump was large, tender and had appeared rapidly) she was cagey (ie non-comittal, butI didn’t hear if that way st the time), And that terrified me!

But I was fine, One mammogram and ultrasound later, they could tell me it was a benign cyst, no treatment required.

And that’s the story of most women at breast clinics (though quite a lot also have biopsies before hearing the word ‘benign’)

I hope no-one minds me sharing that, as this is the place for those who have the malignant diagnoses,

But I wanted to tell MrsReynolds that being knocked for six is a wholly normal and appropriate reaction. The waiting for tests and their results is always difficult

I have to go in for another bone marrow aspiration today. 14-21 days until results

And all the best for everyone having tests around now.

MySillyDog I was wondering if you’ve had your scan. How long until the right people have read it?

Hello vamp
Thank you 💐
Hospital letter arrived this morning
I'm trying to convince myself the 2nd degree burn I gave myself last week on my hand isn't infected 😣

Ouch mrsreynolds! Might be worth getting it checked out if it's looking that way

iVampire thank you for sharing. It's always good to have positive outcomes for balance. 9 out of 10 lumps referred are benign but of course we end up with more people who had bad news as often people don't join the thread until after they have got a diagnosis, so it probably seems more gloomy to anyone waiting for results!

Good luck with the bone marrow aspiration is it a day procedure or will you have to stay in?

Waving to everyone else :)

Good luck vamps 💐

It's gone a funny colour but the blister is going down!

mysilly Sorry to hear your news, hopefully your scan a and results will be speedy. Such a bastard thing to happen.
I have my appt through for 2 weeks to see my oncologist and get results from last week's routine mammogram and all the extra blood tests they did after my surprise period. Mrs did your gynae stuff start after a post menopause bleed? I'm wondering if I'm heading the same way.

Oh good, glad you didn’t mind!

WWLKD Bone marrow aspiration is a quick procedure done in the day unit. It’s not unlike a biopsy, but taking a sample of bone marrow. So a hip full of injected local, but you can’t deaden right into the bone and that’s the bit you can feel. But it’s not that bad, and I had a lovely, gentle senior registrar today.

Hip is feeling rather sore - it’s a deep puncture to heal. Some people apparently are barely bothered by pain after procedure. I’m not quite that lucky! I can’t have aspirin or NSAIDS, but can have paracetamol/codeine and that does do the trick (plus reducing activity levels for a couple of days).

Now I just have to wait for the results.

All the best to everyone, particularly those awaiting tests and results.

BTW: have all the manky toenails improved?

Hope the pain relief kicks in soon vamp 💐