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!

@Namechangeforthiscancershit great last post

I think I have inflammatory breast cancer. But I haven’t googled and don’t really want to know if this is “bad”. I can only echo what namechanged has said. Step away from google. I have always taken the stance that I don’t want to know the detail of my diagnosis. At the moment I think the aim is to cure me but if that changes then I am sure I will be told.

Just take one step at a time. Try to keep busy for the next fortnight and I am sure we will all be hoping that the outcome for you is not breast cancer which it may well not be. As namechanged says lots of people are checked who turn out not to have it

Sorry meant to say Hi Emily at top of last post and missed it off!

Hi Emily
It's hard waiting. I found waiting for my lumpectomy date hard. But life ticks on, you'll do all your usual things and before you know it the date will arrive.

I'm currently having radiotherapy for stage 1 breast cancer.

If you do get diagnosed, you might find the Younger Breast Cancer group on Facebook helpful.

Thank you so much for the amazing advice guys!

I'm so sorry you've got difficult diagnoses and treatments to go through but I feel inspired by the idea that life just carries on and treatments become part of that.

Namechanged- you are fab and I will follow your advice! did we talk a while ago on another thread about emetophobia or was the someone else?

Thanks Minnie, I will join if I do end up with a diagnosis!

Emily I've also only been on here a couple of weeks. Mine is Grade 2 invasive lobular carcinoma. I don't know what stage until I get more information back from tests on my lymph nodes.

My worst week so far was from the day I was told I had breast cancer to a week later when I was told they couldn't couldn't find any other cancer anywhere else in my breast apart from the little lump I'd found - such a relief!

BUT, they then said they still have to check my lymph nodes to see if it has spread, so I'm worrying about that now.

I'm on the NHS, and things have moved very fast - in fact it's been 2 -3 working days turn around for everything. I honestly don't think a private hospital could push it through any faster.

I was diagnosed just before my Mum went on a 2 week holiday. I decided not to tell her so that she wouldn't be worrying and ruining her holiday. Anyway it's looking like I will have the lumpectomy 2 days after she comes back! So almost in the space of her 2 week holiday, I will have been diagnosed with cancer AND had it removed!!

It is fast, isn't it, astuz? I haven't had time to brood at all.

Mind you, I've been pissed for a month

I've got what looks like a shingles rash along one side of my lower ribs and a very sore throat- do you think these might be cancer related? I'm only 30 and normally fight off infections so quickly but my throat has been sore for 3 weeks and now my chest hurts too (feels like pressure).

I am so scared.

Rashes are common with a sore throat, please try not to worry x

Emily

If you are anxious then other things going on with your body will loom larger than they would normally. Would it help to have a quick trip to the GP regarding your throat etc to put your mind at rest?

Thanks BitofFun and MrsTraveller, I just realised how inappropriate it was to post about feeling scared on this thread- I'm sorry.

I'm not worried that the sore throat and shingles rash are cancer but more just a sign that my immune system is not work at its best- I'm just normally in good health. My throat feels quite chokey and is red and inflamed but it feels different to anything I've felt before really.

** not working, not 'not work'

Oh please don't feel it's "inappropriate"! We all understand the anxiety that comes with this- it's absolutely fine to ask for reassurance or support, that's just what we do for each other!

Thank you BitofFun!!! I just don't know where else to turn without people thinking I'm a bit nuts at the moment (i.e. that I've not even got a diagnosis and I'm in such a panic!) and you are all so lovely and supportive.

No not “inappropriate” at all- the one thing we all understand is that waiting to find out what is going on is a horrible horrible time. So please don’t feel bad about saying how you feeling. If it was a competition then we’d have to compare all of our worries and diagnoses and get an independent adjudicator to decide who had it worst out of all of us and they could complain but none of the rest!

Oh wow what a co incidence re emetophobia! Weird! I actually brought that up with my oncologist on my first proper appointment and rather than being all shut up child we’re a wee bit more worried about your cancer than your phobias as I slightly expected, they were reassuring and wonderful (and gave me all the best anti sickness drugs).

Oh and I don’t know about your rash or sore throat- sorry- but I do know that my immune system plus anxiety is a terrible combo. As is my digestive system plus anxiety but that is probably more than you wanted to know.

Bloody puppy decided to wake up at 3am (first time of not sleeping through the night in maybe 3 months) had a quick wee and now is snoring happily besides me. I meanwhile am wide awake. I’m listing him on eBay in the morning.

You’re not being inappropriate at all Emily - I hope you get some reassurance soon.

Poor puppy namechange

Hope you’re feeling better Leslie

Any luck with your hospital team pandora?

Day 4 post chemo for me today so feeling a bit rotten but not too bad. I had an appointment with breast surgeon this morning and she also thinks tumour has shrunk which is good. Not looking forward to mastectomy and reconstruction as recovery sounds like a nightmare but got to be done I suppose! 😖. Have a lovely Monday lacies

Shrinking tumour has got to be good news!

Yes Leslie I’ve been thinking of you and very much hoping you are starting to feel a bit better.

Simm. Good news about the shrinkage

It’s cold but sunny here today. My husband is off today so we are going out somewhere. Just in bed having a cuppa.

Yay for shrinky tumours @Simmi1

Nothing inappropriate in here @EmilyRosiEl - think of this as your safe place 

Burst blistered lips?!? Never in my puff but now? Is this a thing? Anyone any remedies?!

Keep Calm

My lower lip is a bit puffy and swollen but not blistered. I’m taking an anti-histamine once a day.

Emily I have a sore/swollen throat and have had it for at least a year on and off and at previous times before, but then I'm a teacher so par for the course. I've never had a rash though.

I've started to panic about every little ache and pain though, convincing myself I am riddled with cancer everywhere. I've been to the doctors a few times about my throat though (although ages ago - well before I got cancer) and the last time I went he just said I'd damaged my vocal chords due to overuse and I needed to stop talking - rather difficult in my job!

Just had a thought. Would it be worth trying a high grade manuka honey? Supposed to have good healing properties.

Sorry that was for Keep Calm but I guess manuka honey also good for throats!