CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 65 - for anyone with cancer or waiting for cancer tests (pets welcome!)

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Good morning everyone,

Welcome to the new thread, and the club that nobody wants to join. Our previous thread is here.

Anyone with any type of cancer is welcome. And we will hold your hand if you're waiting to find out whether or not you have cancer at all.

If you've got a loved one with cancer then you can get support here.

Please feel free to reintroduce yourself so we don't all have to remember from the previous thread!

X posted Thymeout, thank you.
My first mammogram was in one of those mobile lorry units.
Glad your second one was all ok.

Lizzie

I know my sister got called back once and it turned out to be fine.

It was just they needed to scan again for some reason so it can happen.

Well that was quick! I only had the phone call on Friday and I've got an appointment through the post today for 14th November. No information about the trial though, just the usual blurb about participating in trials and an instruction to allow at least an hour to find somewhere to park if you absolutely must drive....

I'm very much hoping the silence from MrseMc and LadyMaryC means they've had good news and have gone away to the sunny side of the cancer path. If not, we're still here for you.

Hello All

Thank you all for the lovely thoughts.

Things didn't go quite so well as planned.
Have come in to work today as it's better to be busy while waiting for the phone to ring.
So they found what was described as a 'lesion', not really sure what they meant by that, and took two biopsies; which have been sent off.
Not a huge amount of staff around yesterday so I was sent home afterwards having being told I'd get a call today about a follow up appointment this week or next.
I feel really weird, ultra calm and not really thinking. I don't think my wife slept all night, as soon as she gets worried her sleeping goes to pot.

Absolutely positive Noodles, I'm just glad it will be of some use to someone

TQ that's great! Fingers crossed you get on the trial, start it soon and have no nasty side effects 🤞

LadyMary a lesion still doesn't mean cancer so there's still a chance you won't need to be on this thread for long. Although it's upsetting for your DW I'm glad she knows so you have some one in real life to talk to too

LadyMaryC a lesion is any "abnormal" tissue. So it could be tissue damage or something, rather than cancer. I hope you hear from them soon. Did you sleep OK?

purple how are you getting on?

TQ I hope you get more details soon :)

Lizzie a few friends have been recalled - sometimes the images are not clear enough so they need to do another one. Hopefully it's something like that

noodles you could try wiping them with saltwater as that's good for conjunctivitis. But hopefully it is not that.

I'm home from my trip. I had quite bad pain this morning and I threw up in the service station loos but thankfully I felt much better after that. The heated seat in the car really helps with the pain!

I hope everyone is having a relaxing evening.

Oh bugger Leslie, do you think the pain relief patches are making much difference? I LOVE my heated car seats. In fact that is the only reason I bought the car I did 😁 it's like having an instant hot water bottle on your back

I had my 3rd lot of chemo today so I'm wide awake thanks to the steroids, my manager wants to see me next week as I'm guessing I've ran out of sick pay. Not sure what happens next but I think I'm going to have to hand my notice in

@purpleunicorns that's shite. It's one of the things I miss being self employed. Sick pay/annual leave etc fingers crossed they'll be supportive.

Another heated seat fan here too. DH's new car doesn't have them so I tend to drive the work van 

So. I neither drink tea nor coffee. My drink of choice is Robinson's orange squash (I'm aware am 42) and it now tastes funny. Am
Raging. Bought Blackcurrant & Apple and it's not the same either.

Tipple suggestions please ladies. I love my sugar free juice ...... 

Ugh the drinks thing is really hard. I feel like I get really dehydrated in the first few days especially as I can’t have anything cold. I’ve found Rose’s lime cordial good, iced tea (just the stuff you get in the Lipton bottles not fancy stuff), hot Ribena (retro), elderflower cordial. Basically I buy all the soft drinks I can find and hope I feel like something eventually. Confusingly I also bought 48 cans of Sprite last week. Chemo and internet shopping is a dangerous combo for me.

@Namechangeforthiscancershit there may be a few new pairs of shoes arriving this weekend after a day 'on the couch' yesterday 🤣

Forgot about like cordial, I used to take that in my vodka! Thank you 😊

7Up free got me through pregnancy with DD3 so that might be an option!

Forgot about like cordial, I used to take that in my vodka! Thank you

Shame about the lack of vodka

@Namechangeforthiscancershit i was told I could still drink alcohol in moderation? I don't partake often but we have a black tie do this wkend and the wine for the table was preordered...... seems a shame to waste it lol

You should be fine to drink KeepCalm :) just be aware it might affect you differently or taste different.

I have been drinking lots of lemon barley water.

purple sorry, I thought today was Sunday how was chemo? I hope you feel OK and good luck with the work meeting.

I'm not really sure about the patches. It's more that I don't know whether I really need pain medication all the time when the pain is only sporadic. I still have to top up with Oramorph when it's bad. I'm seeing my hospice nurse is a few weeks so I'll ask her about it then :)

i was told I could still drink alcohol in moderation?

Oh sorry I didn’t mean to worry you! Loads of people do still drink- I just struggle with it as it tastes so different and also I get nauseous a lot anyway. You should definitely hit the vodka if you feel like you can (you can drink mine!)

Lol @Namechangeforthiscancershit thank you. Am not a big drinker at all but this thing at the wkend is a BIG deal for the company and am taking the whole management team.
I'd hate them to be tiptoeing about me when we were planning to celebrate.

Sequins have been bought 

@KeepCalm sequins sound great! I've just had a day in Leeds shopping with the dc, then Home with a meal out and a couple of vinos! I know after this weekend I won't fancy then again for at least 2 weeks so I'm making the most of it!
@Namechangeforthiscancershit I've found a really nice raspberry Evian drink which is lovely. I can only seem to get it in out local coop but I stock up when they have it!
@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo hope your feeling better, pain relief seems so far down on the list of things to sort but is so important.
@purpleunicorns hope your meeting is ok with work and your feeling ok after chemo. I had my 3 round a couple of weeks ago and to be fair, I did rest for once and it's been ok.
@LadyMaryC fingers crossed for you.
@TwitterQueen1 hope

Pants posted too soon! @TwitterQueen1 hope you get some facts and a plan soon. I like a plan!
My blinking t'internet is playing up tonight so if I haven't replied to anyone. I have read all the thread and will try again later!

Last post! @noodles44 I've had problems with my eyes. Massively streaming when it's cold, windy and bright and then crusty when I wake up. Forgot to mention it to the nurses as it then seemed to disappear overnight! Definitely noticed a difference in my eyesight too.

Lost another 2lb tonight. At this rate it will take 2.5 years to get to the required weight.

Mastectomy and lymph nodes clearance hasn't been scheduled. Apparently the breast team forgot. FORGOT?!?!? I DONT FUCKING THINK SO!! so it's a good job I asked when it was scheduled for (as my chemo is a week behind due to an infection) fuck me sideways with a cactus, this hospital is run by incompetent arseholes.

I want this removed ASAP.

Twats.

Any weight loss while going through all of this shit is pretty impressive pandora - I’ve been trying to lose half a stone forever but have finally decided to go easy on myself through this bc journey. I know what you mean about wanting the boob off - me too - but I still have another 5 months of chemo. Sorry about your experience with the hospital- hope you get some proper answers soon.

I was also told alcohol in moderation was still ok. I didn’t feel like it the first two weeks after chemo but I had a glass with my dinner on Saturday as we had people round and it was really good - made me feel a bit more like me again.

purple it might be worth booking an appt with citizens advice and also contacting Macmillan before going to meet about your job next week. It may be that you can carry on on SSP for a while before handing your notice in. Worth investigating. Good luck. I hope you're feeling alright still after chemo. I have had a few failed attempts at pm-img my address (my iPad kept crashing yest, so I gave it up, will try again today)

lesley sorry your pain management has been playing up, at least being sick cleared it up, but not ideal. Another fan of heated car seats here too

ladymary my Uncle had biopsies taken from a lesion in his throat that made him sound hoarse. He ticked all the boxes for it to most likely be cancer and surprised everyone with it not being thankfully. I hope yours is similar. Fingers crossed...

TQ glad a date has come through quickly for ou. Just enough time for the cannibis trial to kick in before your Christmas!

pandora any weight loss during chemo is impressive as you are on steroids too. I hope you get your mx date soon.

Your shopping trip sounds great ranout I have a friend visiting & she brought food too which was delicious & we had a couple of glasses of red, like you say simmi it makes you feel like the old you a wee bit. Otherwise I drink a lot of fizzy water with squash (vimto or pink grapefruit mainly) or freshly squeezed limes & have also made smoothies with coconut milk & fruit (mango & raspberries) keep calm plus mint tea.

My eyes are still sore, I have some ointment for conjunctivitis that I am using now which has improved them a bit.

Morning & hello to all

@Pandoraslastchance quick question when's are they supposed to do the mastectomy and lymph node clearance booking? I haven't had that pleasure yet! I'll have my 4th lot of chemo (out of 6) next Tuesday, hopefully.

Morning everyone! I've not posted much because I'm in a weird limbo - I know my diagnosis now but my appointment to discuss it further, and treatment etc isn't until Friday. I am keeping up with the thread every day though.

Lady keeping all crossed for you that it's not cancer.

Pandora That's so bloody frustrating! I hope they book it in ASAP. Waiting is bad enough when appointments are actually booked. Hope you don't have to wait longer.

Simmi and Pandora I'm trying to lose weight too. Mind you I've lost about a stone in the last month, but it's just because I can't eat much. I had a scan on my ovaries yesterday and the doctor said I have polycystic ovaries, which makes it v hard to lose weight. She said it's the least of my problems now obvs, but to cut down carbs and eat more protein whenever I feel able, but no to dieting and calorie counting.

Noodles hope your eyes improve. I didn't realise chemo had that effect on them, you're all an education! Shall make a note of that and be ready to dispatch DH for eye gels if needed.

Good luck for the trial TQ !

Hope everyone else is doing well. X

It was supposed to be the 21st December as my last chemo is the 6th but now it's not looking likely until end of January. The main issue is that towards the end of each hemo cycle my breast goes bright red, hot swollen and incredibly painful so if ive got to go from 6th December to end of January then that's 8 ish weeks of pain etc where I don't sleep and that's not on.

My oncologist discussed the date when we went through the chemo regime at the very start of this and she emailed the breast team but the breast team have completely dropped the ball on actually booking the surgery. Plus given this is "aggressive" and already the whole of the breast tissue I'd have thought it would be removed asap to stop it spreading as any higher and there will be a struggle to close the wound when the breast is removed as they've got to go high up to ensure they get all of the affected tissue.

Please can I have a small moan? Have the worst bout of thrush ever and diarrhoea (sorry if TMI for a Tuesday morning). At least I don't have to worry about being constipated with the cocodamol.

I felt so miserable last night. My husband is away with work and things always seem worse at night don't they?

I have never watched the series Luther with Idris Elba in it so started watching that on my iPad in the middle of the night. I feel that somehow thus far in life I have neglected to fully appreciate Idris Elba

I have just done an online shop and ordered lots of different types of drinks to see if I can find anything I like (avoiding anything grapefruit related) I am getting tired of water and tea. I think like someone else said I probably risk becoming a bit dehydrated as at the moment I can only really face water and therefore sometimes just forget to drink.

On the positive side saw a nice GP yesterday. Have agreed to increased dosage in my AD (which I do think I need), she prescribed stronger painkillers for my next cycle, gave me something for the thrush and I booked my flu vaccine - so felt like that was a lot achieved in one visit!