Cancer support thread 63 for a handhold or advice and anything in between

[purpleunicorns]

Continuation of the lovely Leslie's thread here as it was nearly full

If you're worried about symptoms, waiting for test results or just need a safe place to vent then pull up a seat, we're a friendly bunch and we don't bite too much

There's quite a variety of cancers on this thread so hopefully one of us will have some advice and hopefully you don't need to stay for long.

I'll start with my story:
Diagnosed with stage 2b cervical cancer in October 2017, 25 lots of radiotherapy, 4 internal radiotherapy and 5 lots of chemo. Was told last week that it's spread and is incurable, palliative chemo starts on 16th July

noodles you've been through an awful lot recently. I'm glad you've got a good support network good luck with tomorrow's shave

Tayto sorry you're feeling down. It's very common at the end of treatment, but do talk to someone if it becomes overwhelming. Some trusts don't even test CEA as it's not that reliable. But it's good it's within the normal range anyway :) good luck with the packing and I hope you have a lovely holiday! (Any room in your suitcase for a stowaway? )

Dulce that's promising. I don't think the GP would say anything unless he was quite convinced. They're usually very cagey. But it will be nice to have the definite results. I hope you manage to relax and enjoy your holiday.

Pandora five more?! Is that because of the type of surgery you're having? Hopefully you can get a diazepam prescription before the next one... that sounds awful

TQ sorry your toes are still troubling you. Get to a podiatrist! Or soak them in saltwater. That seems to help with most ailments. My toe is healing well and absolutely fine thank you :) I just need to change the dressing every day for six weeks.

Wildboar welcome I hope you get your surgery date soon. When were you diagnosed? You'll pick the lingo up pretty quickly!

Thanks TQ it's not painful as such I just feel really grotty and and have no energy at all. I have no idea why I can't have chemo either, nobodies actually bothered to explain anything to me. I'm hoping it is just chemo side effects Leslie, glad you're feeling better today

Oh Pandora that sounds awful, could you get a mild sedative from the doctor before your next MRI?

Welcome Wildboar not sure about everyone else but I'm still learning the lingo. Where abouts was the tumour you had removed?

Hello wildboar. I found I picked up the lingo pretty quickly tbh.

Purple hope you get some information tomorrow.

Pandora I had an mri for my neck. Well 2 as I had such a panic attack with the first 1 they couldn't get me in it. I had to have a couple of days of diazapam before the 2nd go. Was chilled completely

Am off camping in Wales after my treatment tomorrow. Whole glorious summer and its this weekend it's going to tip it down. Luckily my friends are already there and have put my tent up. Its a family festival so it does have lots of covered areas and a cinema .

Miles I had reflexology the other day which was lovely. Am having facial reflexology next no idea what that's like

Hope everyone has a comfortable weekend and doesn't get too wet.

They want mri before,in the middle and then after chemo and then before middle and after in my post op chemo. I think also as I'm only 32 mammograms wouldn't be as effective.

But yes all the diazepam!!! Ketamine,tranq darts,chloroform and anything else I can be prescribed.

Hope all you ladies are doing better. I'm going to bed as I've got ct scan, bone scan, echocardiogram and ultrasound tomorrow.

Much love to the lacies

addle yes I'm waiting for my scan and breathlessness to be discussed by the MDT. Hopefully I'll get those results before my next chemo in three weeks (assuming I'll be continuing the chemo). How are you doing?

Phew. That was easier for me, but probably annoying for everyone else

purple I think the no chemo is because of the infection risk with surgery (and also it slows healing) but hopefully they'll get a move on with the surgery!

Pandora they're being very thorough! Presumably because of all the delays to begin with. Some hospitals have open MRI machines so you could ask if there's one of those locally that you could try instead (as well as all the drugs!). Sleep well and good luck with tomorrow's scan bonanza!

chase I had a rainy weekend in a tent last weekend and it was brilliant :) I hope yours is too. I love going to sleep to the sound of the wind and rain on the canvas. Excellent that your tent is already up as pitching in the rain is no fun. I hope you really enjoy yourself.

Thank you for all the comments after my ridiculously long post yesterday - what a really lovely bunch you are! I'm feeling okay about tomorrow as I think from my pov it'll be pretty much like the last biopsy - and I'll be prepared for it this time. I am cautiously optomistic, but I don't want to get hopes too high as then I'll have further to fall if it's positive you see what I mean! I think I seem to be falling into their 'unusual' catagory and so need to be ready to expect anything!

Pandora that sounds hideous... you really shouldn't have to go through another MRI like that. I looked into what could help my very anxious and claustrophobic mum when she needed one a few months ago - yes to the sedation (mention it to them in advance or diazepam from the doctor (worked a treat for me yesterday ) but also ask them about music - some have special headphones you can wear and I think some will even let you take your own choice of cd! Also a sleepmask has worked for some people. I also asked about the possibility of her going in feet first... I think it really depends on both the area being scanned and the hospital but there's no harm in asking, even if unlikely.

Oh and thank you noodles I shall take up your suggestion of asking the consultant radiologist a few questions tomorrow as I have quite a few now I've had time to think about yesterday!

chase the camping festival sounds fab, I hope it is not too soggy for you. Mind you whenever I go to Wales it usually seems to rain, so good luck with that!

Glad you managed the chemo ok Lesley and are feeling alright.

Hello wildboar sorry you find yourself here. You'll sadly pick up the lingo pretty quickly. I was diagnosed at the end of June & seem to be muddling through with the terms.

Good luck 2mo pandora with all the scans. I (weirdly) found the CT relaxing. It is nowhere near as closed in as the MRI and takes no time at all to do.

Hello, unfortunately I am here. I've been "referred" by another thread.
My story is 1 year ago I went to the drs having lost over a stone unintentionally I couldn't eat, couldn't keep food down.
I've had an endoscopy which said I had gastritis and h.pylori.
2x eradication therapy and still losing weight went back. Told it was prob stress, given lansoprazole.
Started passing out, vomiting and bowels went to shit, literally, 2x visits to out of hours drs told to go back to drs.

Again fobbed off, ibs, stress. I asked 5 different god at same practice if I had bowl cancer all said no, followed by 2 visits to a&e bleeding from back passage.
Finally kicked up enough fuss to get referred to a gastro. Had colonoscopy yesterday, am now in gastro Ward with colorectal cancer awaiting an mri tomorrow.
I've got fucking cancer. A whole year I've been ill. A year undiagnosed, I'm now having to wait until the 20th for a ct scan to see if it's spread.
I've got two little girls. And fucking cancer.
Obviously I'm at the raw stage, staring into an abyss of still not knowing anything.
Any advice? Tips? Miracles?

Hello Plannedshock. So sorry you are here and what has happened to you .

I had breast cancer and a young DD.

There are a couple of ladies with bowel cancer on here who will know a lot more about treatment etc than me I just wanted you to know you are not alone

Hi plannedshock so sorry you are here and for what you've been through this past year.

I have no advice, the waiting is the worst bit as your brain/imagination runs away with you. I have breast cancer so not very knowledgeable regarding bowel cancer and the procedures you have had to date.

Best wishes for the MRI 2mo. How quickly will you get the results?
I hope it is immediate, and that the news is the best it can be.

Hi planned - sorry you have had such an awful time. It is an extremely stressful time and I totally understand your anger/frustration. I have stage 3 colon cancer - it was on the right side. Is yours on the left? Have they told you any more about the tumour itself?

Leslie is our resident expert, but tayto and dulce are also in a similar situation to me - we have just finished 3 months of chemo after operations to remove the tumour.
Good luck with the tests and keep checking in if you need to have a rant or ask questions. We are here if you need us!

Yes mines on the left. I'm just praying, hoping, wishing it hasn't spread. My friend had a great word SCANXIETY having a scan then freaking out until you get an answer. I'm in tomorrow for mri then the 20th for a ct, why the hell is there so much waiting

Sorry you've had to join us plannedshock have a and make yourself comfortable.

I've got bowel cancer too. Between us hopefully we will be able to answer any questions that might come up as you're getting your treatment plan etc.

What's the MRI of? And hopefully they might be able to bump you up the queue for CT.

Have you been given any sort of plan yet?

I'm sorry you've had such a nightmare so far. It just isn't taken seriously in younger people. The more I read of people being fobbed off the more I realise how lucky I've been.

No plan yet, mri of the pelvis then ct of the rest of me to see if it's spread.
Were all of yours contained? Not spread?
Bloody waiting is a good way of screwing your mental health

Hi planned. You're at the worst stage. Anger, fear, frustration and uncertainty. I've also had bowel cancer after going to the doctors 6 times and having an ultra sound which came back normal. I was eventually taken to A&E and had an emergency operation. My surgeon said he believes I had the tumor for the best part of a year. I also have a 5 year old dd and that's the hardest part. How old are your kids?
You'll either have surgery first if your bowels are blocked followed by chemo, or chemo/radio to shrink tumour followed by surgery and more chemo after. The chemo you'll probably take won't make you lose your hair (that for me was a huge relief) and although it's shit, it's not half as bad as I feared. I felt queasy everyday but never actually threw up which was also a huge relief for me.
Right now there isn't much you can do and the wait really is the worst part. Come and wallow and cry with us, and ask as many questions as you want. Good luck.
Hi to everyone else.
Quick question to the bowel cancer ladies. What's your diet like? I've put on almost 2st since surgery (I'm sure those weed pills give me the munchies and don't help) and I would like to lose some if not all of it, and I've always been a low carb person but I'm worried about eating too much meat. Any suggestions or advice?

Good luck today Pebble, ranout, pandora and planned

planned mine has spread to my lungs

Good morning Dulce

I couldn't do a low carb diet as I find I have to bulk my meals out with white starchy stuff, and I can't eat much fibre or anything too fatty (I'm vegetarian so I don't know how meat/fish would affect the bowels).

I did gain weight to begin with. It's partly from the steroids but I'm sure your munchies don't help I don't like the idea of dieting anyway so I've been trying to eat more mindfully. It's something I'd already tried previously, before I decided I deserved to eat anything that wasn't nailed down because I have cancer oddly my body doesn't just crave cheese and cake as I had imagined it would. It has worked for me, but slowly.

Though rather eclipsed by my recent fluid only diet/lots of throwing up which has lost me 2kg. Not recommended though

You'll probably find that some of the weight will come off by itself now chemo is finished. It's really annoying. Everyone always assumes people with cancer lose weight but I know far more who have gained it!

Morning! I've bought some for Pandora and plannedshock. Sorry to read your stories.

pandora, I read your thread and my heart went out to you. I've got lymphoma so no advice, but wanted to say hello properly.

plannedshock I was diagnosed in March, and this thread is the thing which calmed me down and normalised things. You're in the right place!

Lesley, I've got an aromatherapy massage booked in September... Smell To Get Well. (My favourite Reeves and Mortimer sketch).

I'm seeing the haem today prior to next week's chemo.

Btw, I've found the thing that sorts chemo-taste: suck fruit sherbets. Magic!