Cancer support thread 62 - here comes the sun (hopefully)

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Good evening

Our previous thread is here

If you've got cancer, this is the thread for you. Introduce yourself and feel free to ask any questions. We also welcome anyone who is waiting for cancer tests. We know how scary it can be. So don't be shy. We will happily hold your hand and hopefully wave goodbye when you get good news :)

Hello, I have posted before but may have been under another user name, I read but dont post but as its a new thread here I am!

DX in Nov 17 with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of the Rt Breast, Stage 2b, Grade 3 not spread to lymphs (apparently) but due to my young age ansd the tumor burden x 3 one 55mm, 17mm and 10mm I have had a Mastectomy, am currently coming up to my 5th round of Chemo (Fec-T) and then on to radiotherapy.

Just yesterday I have found a raised area above my clavicle on the non effected side, I'm waiting for the BCN to call me back as I am scared to s**t that it has spread to the nodes and this was missed.

A big Hi to all of you brave ladies facing this things day to day xx

Mrsp sometimes your finger nails and toe nails do fall off but it depends on which chemo you're having. I had cisplatin and my skin, nails and hair were in better condition than they'd ever been. I used a nail oil on mine and kept them short just in case they did weaken

Mczeba fingers crossed it's nothing to worry about, if your body is fighting infection lymph nodes tend to pop up all over

Well I had my pre-chemo bloods yesterday so will ask about my WBC when she calls and hopefully that will be he answer

Hello all. Nice to have a thread like this. Erm basically I have an ultrasound to check for cancer on sunday. Many symptoms going on about 6 months. Wont bore you with listing. Dr initially thought water infection that was clear. Then did bloods to check for basic infection all clear. After two more visits as now the pain is intolerable his parting words were its something structural. I asked if it could be a cyst...he said I'm not saying it's cancer but it would have to be a good size to be causing these issues..and I'm not feeling anything that big. I left there disheartened emergency ultrasound letter came 2 days later hope I'm worrying for nothing but as soon as he said the c word I panicked

MissRP , I'm sorry to read your post and I just wanted to say I understand your worry. I wasn't too bad yesterday but now I'm a bit scared. I feel like there's something wrong. Just don't know what and I am conscious of there being a fair amount of cancer in the family. None survived.

@yearofyouremember I have a horrific feeling I actually have it and oddly this was before he even mentioned it. Like a feeling of dread. I've had gynae issues in the past and plenty of them but this is the only time I've felt this. What are you symptoms and how is it being looked into? Sorry if you've posted already im on a hefty dose of tramadol and I'm not really with it. Really hoping for good news for you and sorry avout family members x

MissRP and year I hear you both. I'm drifting between 'of course it's nothing' to 'I'd better get everything in order'. I haven't told my kids yet but the youngest knows something is up. H is pretending nothing's happening and I just want to be honest and say my head is fucked right now. Thank God for this place

@freshtart hope your ok limbo is an awful place to be isnt It

I seem to have all the symptoms of ovarian cancer but the GP I saw a couple of years ago said I'd be sicker if I had it so I stopped worrying. I then had a couple of difficult years and am now going through peri-menopause so feeling all out of sorts as well.

I'm sorry for my abrupt comment re my family. Should have been more thoughtful.

It wasn't meant abrupt if I'm honest I wasnt sure if it was something u9ud want t9 discuss as I know I'm cagey avout taking about mine. Sorry again

Not sure if I misread that if I'm not making sense its the tramadol and no sleep..

Well, had a manicure and a new hair style - paid far too much, but got lots of full size freebies and a lovely pampering day! Even if all my hair goes (won't know treatment regime until weds) then I shall enjoy my new style until then and the products will keep!!!

@mrspotter12 I'm glad you've pampered yourself you deserve it. It does actually cheer me up when i do it. May have a nice bubble bath later when the kids are all asleep so I don't get one of them dropping in to do a poo when I'm trying to relax hopefully Wednesday goes ok for you

MissRP that made me chuckle!

Funnily enough as soon as my butt hits the bubbles one of them seems to home in and do something gross.

purple I hope so too :) how did the paint shopping go? I've been trying to get our kitchen redone for aaaaages. Every time I try to go and have it all designed I end up in hospital or something

Mrspotter that sounds great. I don't know of anyone who has had chemo for primary breast cancer and not lost their hair, unless they used the cold cap. If you have Tax then some people paint their nails a dark colour to protect them - I think it's to do with UV light, but not entirely sure.

McZeba hi :) I hope you hear back from your BCN and that it's something harmless

Hello MissReginaPhilange I hope you get good news will you get your results on the day or do you have to wait for a follow up appointment?

@whatwould erm not entirely sure I'm hoping there and then to end my suffering. And thankyou hoping it's something or nothing

MissRP - I meant I was abrupt in saying none of my family who had cancer survived. Grandad smoked and died at 50 of lung cancer. His wife never smoked, survived breast cancer 20+ years later then five years after that died when it came back in her lungs and then everywhere. Other grandad also died at fifty of cancer.

@year I reread and realised you didn't mean I was being abrupt. I was mid school run very tired and dosed up to my eyeballs. Really truly sorry to hear about your family its awful and I imagine it's doing nothing but add to yout worry . Not that you need any more to worry about. Praying your body is just being akward and there's nothing to worry about

Got an appointment through at hospital at top of the road at 12.30 tomorrow for kidney / bladder cancer referral privately Work are also calming down and it's a 3 day weekend. I apparently get 3 months paid sick leave a year at full pay on a rolling 12 months so that's good.

TQ I read your post too quickly and thought you had a new live-in boyfriend.

Good luck to all those going through tests, hope to get lots of all clears soon.

Leslie How are you now?

MrsP Glad you got a nice new hairstyle and good luck for the chemo.

Purple Hope you get good results on Tuesday.

Tayto Hope works goes well and look after yourself and those chicks.

Have a lovely BH weekend everyone!

Thanks MissRP.

Penguins PMSL at the thought of me having any boyfriend at all, let alone a live-in one. No. One marriage was enough to put me off men for good and all. I don't do online dating though I was thinking that when they've all flown the nest it might have been worth a second thought.

Funnily enough I am still in touch with my ex-fiancee from when I was 19/20. I should have married him. He was - and is - lovely.

Leslie chemo was fine tx - usual 2 attempts at finding at vein. I didn't get a recliner though and had to have an upright with a footstool, which was not comfortable. I was also in an end chair near the nurses' loos and everytime one of them went in or out they banged my drip stand big time! Really annoying.

Year and Regina really ignorant comment from doctor about being 'sicker' if you had OC. It's called the 'silent killer' because symptoms are often non existent and painless. My triggers were putting on over a stone in a month, which proved to be fluid (ascites) and really bad localised back pain and breathlessness, which turned out to be a left lung 50% full of fluid because the cancer had spread.... At this point my tumour was melon-sized and measured 24cm x 20cm x 14 cm.

A CA125 blood test is the easiest, cheapest, non-invasive test for potential inflammation / cancer so this is what GPs tend to do first. An ultrasound will show a mass, but not necessarily a cancerous one.

Everyone's experiences are different so I don't want to give you either false hope or to scare you but obviously I have everything crossed hoping that it is not cancer.

Swaying how are you doing? the lovely steroids meant I woke up at 4am and I didn't have any good books to hand. I hope you're not suffering too much with any side effects.

Leslie How did your PET scan go? Are you allowed to knit now?

I have put quite a bit of weight on but don't look any bigger than when I was lighter. Then sometimes I look pregnant.

Just looked about a private blood test and have 6/7 out if the 8 symptoms. No. I'm fine. I've no time to be ill and I've survived worse shit. I will not be ill.

Thanks penguins, good luck for tomorrow.

Leslie I bought paint that apparently only needs one coat I've put one coat on and it's going to need at least another 2

Year do you have a date for your scan yet? You'll feel much better once things are in motion, but fingers crossed it's nothing serious

I've just finished work and I have 5 missed calls from the booking department at the hospital. I tried phoning back but they're now shut until Tuesday. Does anyone have any idea why they would try phoning me at 8pm? I'm panicking a bit incase they have my results back and need to see me urgently