Crack open the wine... it's CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 61!

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Some of us have been here a while and others have only just joined. If you're lurking, feel free to say hello. We are quite friendly really.

You are welcome to join us, whatever sort of cancer you have, or if you're waiting for tests to find out whether you have cancer or not (we hope not!)

Our previous thread is here. Do check it out if you're new as there's lots of useful information in the first few posts.

Best wishes to everyone who finds themselves here

Thanks everyone. The consultant seemed very keen to emphasise how certain she was it was cancer. Just a waiting game now to see exactly what I'm dealing with.

bsmirched what an absolute shitstorm of a time you're having I'm so sorry about your sister. That must make this all even scarier for you. Remember though that your sister is in a very unfortunate but small minority. I will keep my fingers crossed for your results. Obviously the hope is that it's not cancer at all, but that sounds unlikely, so hoping for the best possible news

Happyland that's a good saying. That's how I try to approach things, and generally I find it works quite well :)

Tayto that's good :) yes I've got one now. It is definitely worth asking again (hopefully he will draw you another diagram!) just because it's useful to be able to explain to other medics what is where. Fingers crossed for you

Miles I hope the crash isn't too big

I hope everyone has had as nice a weekend as possible. My sister visited which was lovely. Though I've spent much of the time getting reacquainted with my sick bucket and the pain was awful during the night/this morning.

Leslie I am very sorry to hear you are in pain again. Can your drs give you more (stronger) relief perhaps than they did last time? I hope you were able to enjoy your sister's visit, at least partly, and of course I hope you will be feeling better again very soon.
bsmirched I get it. I was told by the consultant who read my mammogram, even before my biopsy, that she was sure it was cancer. But you don't know any of the facts yet, and as other much wiser people on here have pointed out, even if it is cancer, the majority of BC is very very treatable. I know it's hard, but please try to separate your situation from your sister's illness in your mind. And post away here when you feel like it, there are so many of us who understand.
Happy wishing you the very very best of luck tomorrow; I will be thinking of you.
I start my radiation therapy tomorrow, and I am more nervous about it than I was before my surgery - not really sure why!

Leslie sorry to hear you're upchucking and in pain. It's not much fun for you at the moment is it? I hope you don't end up in hospital again but if you do and you fancy a real life visit let me know. I will send you to sleep by explaining in great detail how I made each of my woolly hug granny squares. ...

You're all lovely, thank you.

Genie Hope the radiation therapy goes as well as it can and you've got someone to take care of you.

Leslie Sorry you are feeling rubbish again. Hope things start to improve.

Bsmirched Sorry to hear they are fairly certain its cancer, hope they have caught it early. The waiting is very nerve racking, I think the only thing that helps is distracting yourself when you are able to. As I have an animal obsessed ASD DS I'm doing weird and wonderful animals, this is a tree kangaroo.

Oh my goodness! :) loving the tree kangaroo Penguins

TQ I'll be honest, it's not been my favourite week ever I'm in reasonable spirits, certainly better than the other day. That's a lovely offer and I shall bear it mind, though very much hoping to avoid another hospital stay as the last one doesn't really seem to have helped much we ought to meet up anyway though. I'm wary of making plans these days because I am so unreliable. Have you just started crocheting? I learnt during chemo first time round as I couldn't knit with a cannula. I am knitting some squares at the moment but I'm glad they extended the deadline as I'm running behind

genie good luck tomorrow hopefully the reality will be much less scary. I have been avoiding contacting anyone because a) I don't know who to contact and b) I don't want them admitting me to hospital again, but I'm going to have to go to my GP tomorrow as I'm nearly out of morphine so I'll see what they suggest

I'm a bit frustrated as I've still no idea what is causing the pain. There have been various theories but most have been ruled out now. One doctor just shrugged and said it's the cancer, but it seems a bit odd that cancer in my lungs would cause pain in my lower abdomen. I'm convinced it's something gynae-related as it's right down by my pubic bone. Has anyone ever had a "normal" (not cancery) ovarian cyst? I have polycystic ovaries so I wonder if it's that.

Sleep well lacies

I had non cancerous cysts during my first pregnancy probably as it was ivf, while back now, think ultrasound showed them and they did a blood test maybe CA125 to check for cancer. Don't think I had any symptoms but obviously can if they rupture. Maybe ask for an ultrasound.

Hi Lesley So sorry to read that it was a rubbish week for you

Many years ago, I had bilateral ‘chocolate’ cysts (ie ‘ordinary’ cysts with added endometriosis on the cyst). Symptomless (until one twisted), diagnosed by scan and operation to remove. CA125 was elevated, but at levels typical of endo (just over 100). Quite big (8cm+ IIRC) and I was hoping to be lighter and flatter-of-tummy when they’d gone. There wasn’t actually much difference (pity) - but I have no idea if that was typical.

bsmirched - I found that not telling anyone until my diagnosis was confirmed and treatment path decided. For my type of cancer, that took 2 weeks. Because telling other people is difficult (you have to deal with their reaction) but it’s a bit easier when you can tell them how it will be treated (I found this especially good for telling my teens)

miles I think one of the blood cancer charities has a support group for people who have the slow-growing, don’t require treatment ones. I think it must be quite scary, to know it’s there but they’re not going to Do Anything. It’s good news, of course - you’re going to stay well all by yourself. (But you have a medical condition which is enough to make your travel/health insurance more expensive, but isn’t bad enough to pay out your critical life coverage!) I hope to be waving to you on this thread for decades to come!

I’m currently doing a Mindfulness course - so very interested to see the recommended apps

Fingers crossed Happy and fit everyone with important appointments and tests/results soon

genie good luck with radiotherapy... I found it absolutely fine...just got v tired towards the end...drink lots of water. And moo udder cream is good to stop burns
happy good luck today, ditto everyone else with appointments this week
leslie so sorry you feel crappy again...hope you had a better night...presumong they've ruled out things like appendix etc...

Morning everyone,

Lesley I'm sorry your in pain again. I hope your doctors can get to the bottom of what's causing it. That's lovely you had your sister to visit. It seems like you do so well to keep your spirits up in spite of all you have to deal with.

iVampire I loved mindfulness. I used the headspace app when I was struggling after DD2 was born. I thought I had severe anxiety but on reflection, I now believe it was PND. Mindfulness made the world of difference, although doing it daily was vital for me.

So today's the day for me! Thank you so much for the good wishes everyone. You guys have kept me sane for the last couple of weeks. Being able to offload on here has saved me from offloading everything on DH. Feeling surprisingly calm this morning after freaking out a little last night. I'll update you all as soon as I have news

Morning everyone

Well, I had my appointment on Thursday afternoon and the short version of event is I was given the all clear. I do have one very small cyst on one of my ovaries but it's so small it's not worth even doing anything with apparently. Fair play to the hospital though; got my results there and then - well, they asked me to go and wait for half an hour while they typed up the scan results and send them to the Consultant, who then called me in to go over them.

The relief was immense and emotional. I couldn't stop crying for ages afterwards I'm sorry, I feel a bit 'wrong' saying that here; so many of you are going through such difficult times; I feel a bit of a fraud being on here now but so many of you were SO lovely and supportive to me it just didn't feel right to not update you.

I'm keeping everything firmly crossed for you today Happy

That's brilliant news Mars! What a relief for you! And don't worry about it feeling wrong to post on here. We love it when we hear positive news about people's results x

Mars - great news! And interesting that you had 'a very high' Ca125 score but it turns out to be a v small cyst 'not even worth doing anything with'. Useful for others to bear in mind when referred on the 2 week pathway for raised levels. Obviously, it needs investigating but not necessarily the worst case scenario.

Leslie - so sorry you're having such a miserable time. Are you able to eat at all? Hope your GP is on the ball about pain relief. Often hospice community care are more experienced. There are other drugs and combos, tailored to individual needs. Post surgery, I had an excruciating pain caused by bladder issues. Like permanent cramp. Ovaries tend to be a bit to the left or right of centre. The only thing that worked was diazepam. (Taken with sherry, but sshh about that.)

Good luck Happyland

Thank you iVampire and Penguins

freddie luckily I don't have an appendix as I had my colon and rectum removed

Thanks Thyme pain is on the left. Sometimes radiates across. If it continues I'll ask for an ultrasound just to rule out something that could be relatively easily dealt with! I had midazolam and then diazepam in hospital, which seemed to work. But then when I took it the other night it had no effect. This is also like permanent cramp. Do you mind me asking what bladder issues? I have issues with urine retention following my bowel surgery. They checked for UTI etc.

My GP surgery is hopefully arranging a prescription for more Oramorph as I've nearly run out.

I do have contact details for the hospice community team, but they sent me to A&E last time so I'm a bit wary.

Obviously if the pain is just going to continue then that's that. But I feel a bit uneasy when they haven't ruled out other possibilities.

Sorry to keep going on about it.

It's quite spring-like today. I hope everyone gets a bit of sunshine :) I've been sitting outside enjoying the fresh air.

Sorry Mars I forgot to say that's fantastic news!

I'm seeing urology as well as gynae. The other possibility that springs to mind to consider is kidney stones - think its a cystoscopy as ultrasound just shows the big ones. Causes pain and can make you sick. I don't have these but think I read they can be linked to dehydration. www.abdopain.com/kidney-stones.html

Mars Congratulations that is wonderful news. It's good to be able to say goodbye to posters on this thread, as they no longer need it.

Leslie I'm so sorry to hear you are still having pain/sickness. It must be wearing. I can understand why you are wary of contacting the community team but I think I would give them a call.

happy I hope things have gone well today.

Penguin A tree kangaroo! I didn't know there was such a thing. Every day's a school day

genie I hope the radiotherapy went ok today

Thought as a wombat you would know about the tree kangaroo I didn't know about it or the cassowary but when I said to DS (ASD) I got a half hour talk on cassowary key facts then asked what I know about the Christmas tree worm.

Mars so pleased for you!
Leslie I'm sorry the pain is back. I think you're wise to be thinking of requesting an ultrasound.
genie I hope your treatment today has gone as well as can be expected.
bsmirched I have no practical advice to offer as I'm in the middle of testing. But I've found this thread AMAZING as a place to get support from people who understand the utter mindfuck of waiting, and I hope you will too.

Hi all, it's good news. They said the lumps I have are down to hormonal changes. Even although they don't come & go with my monthly cycle, they are still hormonal. They're not concerned about my cracked nipple (which healed up fine both times) or the small amount of discharge I had. They can't explain either of those but have ruled out it being anything serious. I'm so relieved and so thankful to you all. It's amazing to know that this thread is here. A place where everyone pulls together to support one another. I can quite confidently say that I would have fallen apart without having you all to talk openly too. You also made the thought of having cancer somewhat less scary as I knew I'd have a support network of others who understood. You have helped me more than words can say. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Wishing each of you all the very best with your cancer journey. Thanks again

Aw Happy I'm SO pleased for you! I've been thinking about you most of the day and wondering how you were getting on. Now bugger off and celebrate and hopefully we will never have to see you again

Happy fab news! Really pleased for you.

happy that is absolutely fantastic news...I'm so very happy for you....yippppeeeee.
Enjoy copious amounts of booze tonight....and I echo purple ...in the nicest possible way I hope we never see you again...
take care