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!

I do love our doggies . Aren't they the best?!

I love how everyone's awake here in the middle of the night! We have snow and quite a bit of it 😮

I have pet envy. Your spaniels are so sweet.

Pandora I'm sorry your hospital is being so utterly shit. Re. the kitten, maybe start leaving photos from your local pet rescue around with "please adopt me" on them?

Snow?? Where in the world are you purple ?

I just ordered myself some hats for when I shave my head. I measured, and my hair is long enough to donate to the charities that make wigs for children with cancer, so I'm really pleased that I can help in that way. Also, I don't think I'd cope well if my hair just fell out. Thankfully, I suit hats!

Blimey, it is very cold here purple but not a drop of snow!

The dogs are all gorgeous 😍

Mine is a dachshund cross border terrier with a bit of Jack Russell thrown in too I think!

Love all the pet photos. I was up in night with simultaneous “upset stomach” (polite term!) and nosebleed,

Really cheers me up to see the photos. They are all so cute. I want one. Provided it could arrive fully trained! [unrealistic]

That's fantastic donating your hair Tahiti, mine was in terrible condition after 20 odd years of dying it ridiculous colours so I don't think anyone would have wanted it.

I'm in the North East, the snows all gone now but it's still bloody freezing ❄️

mrstraveller I feel your pain. On my 1st docetaxel round I had a few nosebleeds in a 24hr period and one took 40 mins to stop. I was advised by the chemo nurse to use tampons if it happened again to stem the flow. I haven't needed to, but a top tip!

I have managed to go from being constipated to having a dire rear in one trip to the bathroom a couple of times. The last time I managed to be sick at the same time too! It was not my finest moment!

I meant to say purple no rush for the pillow as my op is not until 11th Dec. Don't make a special trip (esp if there is snow on the ground with you!)

My bottom lip has also gone a bit puffy. GP is adamant this is nothing to do with increased dose of AD and chemo hotline don’t seem to think it’s anything to do with the docetaxel. I think given that I did have an allergic reaction for which they gave me piriton through the drip I’m inclined to think it’s just some sort of low level allergic reaction. I’m taking anti histamine. I’ll show them at the hospital next week if it’s still there.

Tampon up the nose is indeed a top tip! I managed to drip blood on the bedroom carpet so was clearing that up in the midst of everything in the early hours.

mrstraveller I haven't had any nosebleeds on rounds 2 & 3 - just a tiny bit of blood if I blow my nose, so fingers crossed you won't need to use the tampon info either...

Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't posted for a while. I am too dopey to catch up on everyone's posts at the moment but I'm sending love to you all.

I have been feeling pretty rubbish the past few days and then this morning my temperature went up to 38.5 so I dutifully reported to A&E. It turns out I have pneumonia. At least I'm not neutropenic. Actually they said my immune system was responding really well. So hopefully the IV antibiotics will sort it out quickly :)

No snow here! I hope you're all snuggled up having a cosy evening

I’ve been snuggled up on sofa, with takeaway pizza and (rare, these days) red wine. Very unenterprising and it feels great!

Sorry you’ve been feeling rubbish Lesley and I hope the ABs work soon

Sorry you're not feeling great Lesley good to see you posting though & hopefully the anti-b's will kick in quickly.

We watched Gangsta Granny on Netflix earlier tonight, which was good.

I-vampire I had an email through from look good feel better about a 5k run dressed as Santa in London. Not quite a marathon, but would that be your cup of tea to do?

My friends were due to visit today & one of them had laryngitis in the week, so they postponed as were still coughing etc & didn't want me to catch anything, so it has been a lazy day with no plans in the end, other than a dog walk.

I hope everyone has a good Saturday night, at the rate I am going, I will be in bed soon!

Get well soon, Lesley

Love to Lesley

Rubbish to have pneumonia but really good news that your immune system is ace.

Had a quick read through lacies and will reply properly tomorrow.
Hope your feeling better @WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo
I've been to lincoln to see my parents as it's my dad's 70th on Monday. They were so pleased to see me. Bless them. However usually we would stay the night but we haven't. I like to be in my own little nest on a night, near hospital. Although I'm in bed now with a vino tinto and poirot!
We had sleet today but no snow, thank goodness!

Hi Everyone I hope you’re all having a nice weekend. Very glad to be having an extra hour in bed tomorrow!

Leslie - You poor thing! So sorry to read you’re so unwell. Hopefully the antibiotics and lots of rest will have you up and about in no time. x

Hi Leslie

Glad you managed to post even though feeling a bit crap. Hope the antibiotics are starting to kick in and you start to feel a bit better soon

Lesley that is truly awful about the pneumonia.

Mrstraveller I had a reaction to the doxcetel as well. I went red hot and sweaty and then very pale. So they loaded me with antihistamines as well so fingers crossed they were one off incidents. I slept for 12 hours after my doxcetel 12 hours straight!

Managed to get some meds such as my oramorph so I can sleep but no steroids so I'm hoping that it's not going to cause any problems. I rang the 24 hour chemo line only to speak to a nurse who said that they could give me paracetamol and one sickness tablet(cyclizine) if I came down to a&e. Umm.. No thanks. That place is crawling with germs and bugs. It's disgusting that there's no access to cancer patients notes over a weekend because they are locked in the cancer department. Lesson learned never have treatment on Fridays or leave without all my meds. Bit annoyed that the nurse at the chemo unit didn't called back as she said she would as I'd never leave a patient hanging like that. I was trained better.
Not able to move to a different hospital as I don't drive which is a shame as I'm so tired of fight constantly and double checking everyone's work to ensure I'm getting what I should be getting at the right time etc.

My day taste buds have gone.

Pandora that doesn’t sound right at all. We have a 24/7 cancer triage line where they have access to everything, a triage (like a&e but just for us!) which they will call you into if they need to see you 7am to 11 (I think) 7 days and then they will see you on the oncology ward outside of those hours if they need to

We’re soecific told not to go anywhere near a&e as they won’t react fast enough to potential sepsis.

I can’t believe how much it varies between areas and hospitals.

And yes, not getting called back is really not on.

Sorry you're not well Leslie I hope you recover soon XX

Our cancer unit is mon-fri 9-6 anthing outside those hours it's the general AAU(acute assessment unit)but 9/10 they are too busy so redirect you to a&e who have no clue and berate you for not taking paracetamol and ask why you are there for a temp of 37.6. They are clueless and if it wasn't for my background and being normally bullheaded I would be buggered.

Aggghhhh I have rage for this Pandora that is so dangerous. I do understand there’s a recruitment crisis of course but that just sounds so badly managed.