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

Hi TwitterQueen - get us with our scaly hands and feet! I have just come out in a massive pustular rash on my face, which coincided nicely with the start of a new freelance assignment - just what I wanted! I hope your antibiotics help your toes ... sliders are very fashionable at the moment, even if not very warm!
Purple - I had a very similar hysterectomy to Twitter Queen - as the surgeon said - cut all the way from arsehole to breakfast! But I'm a Stage 4, so they had a lot of work to do. I was in hospital for 12 days because I couldn't keep food down (I think my digestive system went into shock), but recovery once I was home wasn't too bad. Relatively mobile after 3 weeks, driving after 4. Pain control all the way through was really good. I'm not sick on chemo either. I just feel wobbly and feeble, so it depends how physically vigorous your job is, I think. x

Thanks Nicky, I think I’m definitely preferring the sound of chemo over a hysterectomy at the minute after hearing these stories. I work in a supermarket so serving customers for 6 hours a day isn’t too strenuous so fingers crossed I’ll be able to manage once the chemo starts

iVampire I'm glad you've had an explanation. Liver cysts seem to be very common, but fingers crossed for the MRI results so you can properly relax

royal I'm glad you're busy with something fun :) I hope you don't get too cold standing on the sidelines during matches! My sister played football but thankfully I wasn't required to watch very often!

Twitter I'm glad the antibiotics are helping your toe. I'm glad you had a good break! :) I hope the dryness/scaliness improves soon

purple I'm sorry it wasn't the news you were hoping for. Give yourself some time to take it in as you say, it is still very treatable so that is a huge positive. Chemo is not fun, but it also isn't as grim as people expect. You'll hopefully be able to carry on as normal at least some of the time. There is some financial support available too. It is worth getting in touch with Macmillan to find out what you might be entitled to if you're likely to have money problems due to the cancer. Sorry it's not my area of expertise at all. And try not to panic about the surgery, as your cancer is different the surgery will hopefully be much more straightforward. I don't think we have anyone else with cervical cancer on here at the moment, but there's some information from Jo's trust here on hysterectomy as treatment for cervical cancer. Hopefully that might be a bit reassuring

Waving to everyone!

purple just be aware that chemo brain is a real thing, though it did improve quite quickly (not 100% yet). You will forget words and names. You will not be able to string a sentence together. You will point and wave in the air and shout very intelligent things like "that thing! "it's blue and it beings with P!" (when actually it's pink and begins with B). You get the picture.... the trick is to laugh.

These are the side effects they don't tell you about.

Thanks Leslie I’m hoping to carry on as normal at work but I’ll look into any financial help if I do struggle and need to take time off, I’m on the Jo’s cervical trust forum too but I much prefer this one, when thinking of cancer gets a bit much I’ll jump on AIBU too take my mind off it for a while.

I’d never heard of chemo brain Twitter, I’m a bit scatty as it is at times so god knows how bad I’d be with chemo brain

purple I hope I didn't mislead you about the op. Mine was considered a 'radical' hysterectomy (and I would expect from what you've said that yours would be a much more straightforward op) and although the initial 2 weeks post-op were tricky, I recovered really quickly. There were lots of women on my ward who had more straightforward hysterectomies who were home within a few days without any complications. So please don't be put off xx

Hello everyone.
I'm still reading and sending you all good vibes

It’s fine Nicky, right now I honestly don’t care what they have to do. I just hope they can get rid of it whatever it takes.

I’m going in for a needle biopsy on my lymph node tomorrow so I’m not looking forward to that one , then I find out on Monday what chemo I’ll be having.

Hi wombat, hope you’re doing as well as can be 🍰

On the plus side to all this I’ve got my xmas tree up early as I was expecting to be in hospital so I didn’t think I’d get chance to get it up before going 🎄

Evening all!

I just managed two weeks without an A&E visit, but I'm back in hospital. Partial bowel obstruction due to adhesions this time. I couldn't keep anything down at all. I'm staying overnight and they'll review in the morning.

So we won't be chemo buddies tomorrow after all nicky. Are you still on track to have yours?

purple when do you usually put your tree up?! I think that's wise about the forum. I never bother with the bowel cancer ones. Good luck with the biopsy tomorrow once you know your chemo regime you can look on the Macmillan website for the common side effects

wombat thank you. How are you doing?

Twitter that sounds very frustrating! I don't really get that so I shall count myself lucky :)

I hope everyone is having a good evening

Would it be ok if I joined you? Slightly breaking the rules as it's DH and not me that's waiting for tests. A large mass has been found in his colon, he's got a colonoscopy next week and an appointment for results the week after. He's 35, we have a 4yo son and we're worried for what the future may hold.

Hi Mammabear I'm sorry to hear about your husband. I hope that it turns out to be something harmless there are actually a couple of threads on here for those supporting a loved one with cancer that you might find helpful, though hopefully that's not what it is. They're quite well hidden so I'll see if I can find them and post links :)

A thread for those supporting relatives with life limiting diseases

Leslie sorry to hear you are back in hospital again. Did you manage to get a meal at home before you went in? I hope you've got a good book or two.

Purple I love that you've got your tree up already! We always wait until the first Sunday in December but I'm only going to have one DD at home so it'll be a bit odd.

IME the fear is always worse than the procedure itself. I think I had 4 needle biopsies and tbh I barely felt them after the local. Good luck anyway!

When I was in hospital for my first cancer surgery the woman opposite me had just had a huge mass removed from her bowel. Everyone had assumed it was cancer. But actually many years ago she must have swallowed a tiny piece of plastic and then layers of scar tissue had built up around it.

Twitter no I haven't eaten at all today. Quite unusual for me! thankfully I've lost my appetite as my bowel needs a bit of a rest. I have a secret snack supply in case I get peckish. How is your toe? Did you manage to get a shoe on?!

Sorry Leslie, stupid question on my part! You said you couldn't keep anything down and then I ask you whether or not you'd had a meal... chemo brain really does limit my thought processes! How about some music? I hope you've got some good toons to keep you entertained and block out all those interminable middle of the night noises.

Toe is a lot less painful - I guess the antibiotics are working. I haven't got a shoe on yet though. I'll try again tomorrow I think but any kind of pressure is uncomfortable.

Thank you WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo, I'll pop over there.

I have a soothing classical music album :) thankfully I'm on a quiet little unit with only five other patients at the moment. The nurses have just ordered themselves a takeaway! I'm glad your toe is healing up. I had mine swabbed the other day. It's so gross. Good luck with the shoes.

Mamma did you have a thread about your husband? Your name/situation sounds familiar. I think I read it but on a day I didn't have enough brainpower to post. I'll go and have another look in case I can help at all :) there's a few of us on here with bowel cancer at the moment

I rather enjoy the toenail updates!

I had to have a bone marrow aspiration and a bone biopsy. I don’t think any biopsy is ever going to feature on a list of ‘fun things to do today’, but IME they’ll stab you up with oodles of local so even really deep ones are bearable.

Hi, hope no one minds, but I’m feeling so anxious right now.

I was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma in June after a hysterectomy in April for ‘fibroids’.
CT follow ups have shown no further cancer.
Unfortunately I’ve been having facial numbness and an mri on my brain had shown a suspicion area.
I have a second mri with contrast dye tomorrow and haven’t been able to stop thinking the worst for the past week.
I’m currently about as anxious as I’ve ever been in my life.
Any wise words please?

Hi greyboot, not so much wise words but you're in the right place. We all know that terrifying feeling and there's nothing that will relieve it but we do somehow get through. You're probably in for a bit of a sleepless night, I like to listen to podcasts on my iPad when I can't sleep. Music doesn't help as I can still think but following a conversation seems to allow me to concentrate on something else. Have you got someone to go with tomorrow?

It’s definitely not usually up this early Leslie, my sons 15 so it’s not like I even put it up because the kids wanted it up it’s one less thing to do so I can concentrate on treatment. Really hope you’ve feeling better this morning and that you do manage to get home today

Thanks Twitter and Vampire, I’m seriously considering getting some numbing cream to get through all these injections. I’m such a wuss when it comes to needles

Good luck today Greyboot, hopefully it’s nothing to worry about

The numbing cream is called EMLA and is sold at the pharmacy counter in places like Superdrug. I got some for my needle-loathing DD before she had a flu jab. IIRC you need to put it on 20-60 minutes ahead.

Good morning lacies.
Leslie, hope you feel better and are back home soon
mrs how are things for you now? Hopefully better.
Wishing you all a good day ahead.