We're not that old but we're losing our hair... Do you still need us, now we're sixty four?! - CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 64

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Me again. Even attempted a vaguely witty title. Hopefully not in poor taste

If you have cancer, or you're waiting for test results to see if you do, then please pull up a chair and introduce yourself!

Some of us have been here for ages and others are just going through the testing process now, so there's bound to be someone who understands what you are going through.

Whether you are a newbie or an oldie it can be helpful to post a quick recap of your diagnosis/treatment to date just so that other posters can keep track without having to search previous threads :)

If you have a relative who have cancer then there is a thread just for you in the Life limiting illness topic, with lots of others who are sadly in a similar boat and able to support each other. Other threads in that topic might also be of interest. We wish you and your loved one all the best

Below are some links that might be useful. But feel free to ask any questions at all. Nothing is off limits here.

Cancer patients are eligible for a medical exemption card for prescription charges - there is some information on the NHS Business Authority website or you should be able to get the form from your pharmacy or GP surgery

You can find information about the individual chemo drugs or regimes on the Macmillan website here

See if there is a Look Good, Feel Better workshop near you - they are especially useful for advice on disguising missing eyebrows and eyelashes

Ellie's Friends
Something to look forward to
Cancer Research UK
CRUK science blog - this is interesting and very useful for getting the facts behind any big cancer headlines
Breast cancer care
Shine cancer support (for people in their 20s, 30s or 40s with cancer)
NHS What do cancer stages and grades mean?
Macmillan staging and grading (this is in the breast cancer section but applicable to many other cancers too)
CRUK stages of cancer
CRUK cancer grading
Don't forget the kids

Hi Marylou I'm glad you found your way here though sad you need to be... I have OC too - dx at stage 3/4, now 4. Chemo / op / chemo / chemo for the last 18 months. I will join you on your soapbox if I may. I put my symptoms down to weight and age, which is why I didn't go to the doctor for a couple of years really...

Lovely lacies. Greetings!
I haven't been here for some time. It's great, though no surprise, the support here is as strong as ever. I'm so sorry to see many new lacies, but I know that you've come to the right place.
I am an oldie who is on and off. I was diagnosed on June 2015 with breast cancer. I've had chemo and rads, was pronounced menopausal soon after and put on anastrazole after six months of tamoxifen. I have follo ups which, as the older members here may recall, were not without drama! I'm also being given prolia injections every 6 months after a scan suggested osteoporosis in my leg and also studies have indicated prolia injections can help breast cancer patients.
Just before going away on holiday my endocrinologist caused some undesired drama by requesting a thyroid biopsy(I've had a multinodular goiter for some time prior to my cancer diagnosis). Fortunately that turned out fine but almost ruined my holiday!
I'm due for my routune follow up next week and wondering if it'll be another cliffhanger
I've been lucky and am grateful, but always wary for sure.
Waving to leslie,mrs and every other lacy, old and new.

Waving frantically at royal lovely to hear from you, but sorry it hasn't been plain sailing. Hopefully your next appointment will be completely uneventful! Are the injections helping?

Hi marylou that's a double whammy! Sorry to hear youve been through that and I hope your scan results are good

Minnie I hope you're recovering well. Fingers crossed for 5th.

chasegirl yay for being finished and not too badly singed! :)

I haven't seen your thread TQ I will hunt it down now as it sounds good!

purple luckily it's only a folk festival so quite small. Nothing like a Glastonbury! Plus my family did all the hard work of putting up the tent etc. We go every year and I'm trying not to let cancer get in the way of our traditions :)

Having said that I'm home early because I feel a bit shit. My temperature was creeping up but I feel really cold so I decided probably best to come home. I might be able to go back just for the day tomorrow. My body just seems to have no resilience these days

Sorry not to reply to everyone I'm quite tired, and typing very slowly with just my finger poking out from beneath my blanket but thinking of you all and sending love

Our TQs thread is here and I couldn't agree with her more

Waves to Royal, good luck for next week

Glad your enjoying it Leslie and at least you should get a decent nights sleep in your own bed and hopefully feel better if you go back for the day tomorrow

I've had to ring 111 for the first time ever today as I feel like absolute rubbish, I think it's a water infection but I've started bleeding again, I've thrown up and I've got a temperature so I've got an appointment at urgent care at 9:45 tonight. I'm really hoping they don't keep me in

Oh no purple you poor thing! Hopefully it's just an infection and some antibiotics will get it under control quickly. Definitely prepare to stay overnight though as they'll probably be very cautious given how recent your surgery was

I can't lie - I'm looking forward to my proper bed it was freezing. I slept in a woolly jumper and my chemo sleep hat despite having a proper four season sleeping bag! Hopefully I'll warm up soon. I'm wearing a vest, two jumpers, two pairs of socks and I'm under my blanket

Fingers crossed for you tonight Purple Hope they can sort you out.

Leslie I have had to put the heat on for a bit this evening cos I was so cold

Stay cosy chasegirl :) I've put a little hat on!

Leslie I did think of you camping this weekend! And I was very glad I wasn't doing it - it's absolutely poured down all day here and the nights have been very cold apparently! I hope you're all tucked up and feeling warm now.

Purple I suspect you're in a hospital bed - hope you're feeling better.

YO! Royal good to hear from you. Best of luck for the follow-up.

Minnie we'll keep everything crossed.

Chase I don't think you're the only one putting the heating on!

I have an infection so I've been sent home with a prescription for antibiotics which I'll need to go back through to the hospital tomorrow to pick up. Slightly worrying when the doctor was on google trying to work out what to give me I think I'll try and get in to see a proper doctor on Tuesday.

But I've very happy I'm back in my own bed and I didn't need my hospital bag which is now always packed "just in case"

The heatings on here too it's bloody freezing

Blimey that sounds cold Leslie.

I can sleep on the side that was operated on now. The radiographer who first checked me thought the lump wasn't benign but didn't mention my lymph nodes, so I'm reasonably confident about 5th September.

Has anyone else been looking at fluffy dressing gowns?

Thanks all.
Leslie, sending you many warm blankety wishes
To answer your question:
The injections are supposed to help yes, and we should find out from my latest calcium blood test if they have. They do however, as all treatments, come with a price tag! I get aches and UTIs..sigh.
Wishing everyone as good a day ahead as possible.

Aargh the pharmacy at the hospital is shut. I'm going to try my local Tesco but if they don't have my antibiotics does anyone have any idea where I can get them from on a bank holiday?

Argh purple what a pain. Google "24 hour pharmacy [name of town]". There should be one nearby. Hopefully Tesco is open though :) I hope you get them sorted quickly and start to feel better. What antibiotic is it?

royal fingers crossed for your calcium results. Side effects sound horrid though. Is that for the whole six months?

Minnie that sounds hopeful :) glad you are recovering well.

TQ yes it poured all day for us too I don't mind camping in the rain but my lungs are being pathetic again!

Hi guys, I'm still here. I'm home, my mother in law has moved in to care for me. (I have a rare unbelievably awesome mother in law)
I'm sleeping a lot, there's no chemo for me. I'm very very weak In my body but I'm still in here!
I'm listening to the kids play and resting a lot. My partner has taken the girls into town to get my eldest girl new school shoes. God forbid.
Really struggling not being hands on. Everyone wants to see me but I can't believe how much it takes it out of me. I've emailed the royal marsden and they are will to look at my case, we shall see.
My blanket is beautiful @WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo thank you for that.
I hope everyone is stepping in the right direction, forward!

plannedshock I'm so glad you like it and your mother in law sounds wonderful. What a relief for you to have that support.

Now is the time to be "selfish". It's not really selfish at all, but might feel that way if you are used to trying to make everyone happy. Only accept visitors who you want to see and who won't make you feel worse. Limit visits to a manageable time - warn them in advance and have someone be strict about asking them to leave if necessary (DP or MIL could do that?).

I hope the Royal Marsden can help you.

How are your daughters coping? It must be difficult not being able to join in as much. There are various things you can do, if you can bear it. Like making videos for them, or recording yourself reading their favourite bedtime stories. It's not something any mother should have to do. Fucking cancer.

Thank god for Tesco, they had them in. Leslie it's Nitrofurantoin that they've given me although he said it may not be an infection and to go back and see a doctor next week if I'm no better I don't think he had a clue what he was doing

Planned it's so good to hear from you and I'm really hoping the Royal Marsden can help
I've made a memory box for my son which was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever had to do but I feel much better getting things in order, I've wrote letters and sorted photos out for other family's members too. Just my will to sign on Wednesday then all the lose ends are tied up
Did you get a woolly hug blanket? I got mine last week and it's beautiful, all pinks and purples which are my favourite colours. No idea who nominated me for one but whoever it was I'm very grateful. I'm practicing my crochet so I can help make them for others if I ever get good enough

purple phew. I hope they work quickly. I thought it might be that one so beware it might make your wee a funny colour!

Hello Planned Glad to hear you're comfortable at home and being looked after. I find people very tiring too, so as Leslie says, don't be afraid to ask your MIL to put a time limit on visits.

I hope the Royal Marsden get back to you pronto. Sending you love and

Hi,

I hope you have warmed up Leslie I did think of you camping yesterday when it was absolutely pouring down...

purple I hope the anti-b's work for you quickly & you feel better soon.

planned good to see you back. I hope the Royal Marsden can help you. Thank goodness for wonderful MILs too, my parents have been doing similar for me during my chemo, which has been amazing.

My brother & his wife have flown over for the bank holiday weekend. It has been lovely having company & they have helped a lot with the girls. I feel more human since my last post, but tired & rubbish again today (prob did too much yest) so they are at the park whilst I lie in bed for a doze. I have more chemo on Thurs & Fri. Am getting quite nervous about it as the next 2 drugs are ones I could have a reaction to. They are giving them to me at a bigger hospital to my local one (as it has an a&e incase I have a reaction) I have no idea what a reaction is likely to look like or be, but I am worrying about it already. Has anyone had an allergic type reaction to chemo drugs & if so, what happened?

TQ I have just read through your thread on BTS. I completely agree, I also hate the terms "brave" "fighting" & "kicking cancers ass" etc. I have no choice but to continue on, I am not feeling at all brave, I had a tearful day on Saturday when I cried at absolutely everything. Mainly due to lack of sleep I think, but I have picked myself up & carry on as I have no other choice. If I get an all clear at the end of treatment, it will be because I am lucky, not down to how I fought or any of that crap.

Waves & hello to everyone. I hope your bank holiday Monday is going as well as possible.

Planned so glad to hear from you

Hope everyone has warmed up today

Noodles yes... being called 'brave' makes me feel that I'm not allowed to cry or scream or rant and rave or tell that person how I'm really feeling .

Chase No. I'm sulking. They said it would be warm and it's not. Humph.

I'm so glad to hear from you planned and glad you're sort of settled. I too have a wonderful MIL better than my own mum so enjoy it and allow yourself to be looked after. I agree you need to be selfish now.
Have you been given any timeframes? Don't answer if you don't want to. I hope to god you're feeling as well as you can and that your family are coping too. You've been in my prayers even though I don't even know your name.
Hello to everyone else.
Purple I can't even begin to imagine how hard the memory box must have been. What's in it? I bet it's beautiful and special. Do you plan to tell him or wait and let him find it one day?

Hi peeps just checking in. Planned it's lovely to hear from you, so glad you have an awesome MIL. hopefully she'll be good support for DP too. Maybe you should start an 'I love my MIL' thread to counteract all the awful ones I'm definitely missing the 30 degree weather. Back to work tomorrow after 6 days at home being pretty lazy, which I'm not looking forward to... i also expecting to get my results from the second biopsy this week so mixed emotions all round tbh! My DH was shit when the DC were small but he's definitely making up for it now...
I'm utterly rubbish at people's names and situations so apologies for the lack of personal greetings
Oh and what's with lacies? I've assumed it was a typo up til now xx

I've realised I write like a stream of consciousness.... sorry!

Dulce it's a lovely wooden box with his name carved on it and there's lots of photos, pictures that he drew me when he was little, all the cards he's ever made me and just little bits and bobs that we've got each other over the years
No he doesn't know about it, he doesn't know I'm terminal yet. I don't think there's any point of him worrying about me longer than he has too

Noodles they said if I'm going to have a reaction it will be with my next lot of chemo. The main things they said may happen are a really fast heart rate, an itchy rash and generally feeling unwell but they will explain it all when you see them.
At all the times I've been for chemo I've never seen anyone have a reaction but they do need to warn you just incase