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!

he just said I'd damaged my vocal chords due to overuse and I needed to stop talking - rather difficult in my job!

Amazing! Can you imagine! What is your subject? Could you deliver it in the form of interpretive dance?

namechange I teach chemistry, and can't dance, so probably not!

My DH keeps cracking Breaking Bad jokes to try to cheer me up. "You could always set up a crystal meth lab in the shed" etc.

Hello everyone. Another newbie here.
I have breast cancer in both breasts. I’m having surgery in a couple of weeks. At the moment I’m expecting radiotherapy and five years of hormone therapy. Subject to results after surgery.
I’m 57 and went for a routine mammogram. Feeling a bit in shock at the moment.
As others have said the waiting was hard. I knew I had cancer because of what they’d said when I went for the second stage of screening. Just didn’t know the extent. Surgeon and nurses have been very reassuring. Really hate the waiting. Trying to keep busy.

ginisatonic sorry to hear that. I wonder how common it is to have cancer in both breasts?

I was in complete shock at my first diagnosis. I still am really.

Astuz, quite rare I think. Although I haven’t googled it - much. It’s two different sorts of cancer and they have just said it’s very bad luck.

Thank you Namechange! aw sorry to hear your puppy kept you up! what breed is he/she?
That's so good that the hospital are understanding and supportive with your Emet!
I think maybe my shingles and sore throat could be unrelated but it just seems odd that I never catch infections (I've not been to the GP for 4 years until last week!) and then suddenly I seem to have two things in addition to some odd IBC-like (but not necessarily IBC) symptoms.

Thanks Simm, I hope you start to feel better really soon. That's such good news that the tumour is shrinking.

Thank you Keepcalm :) I hope you're getting by ok this week so far.

Astuz, I'm really sorry that must be so difficult to know what's what.

Hi Ginistonic, I'm sorry that must be a huge shock. Thinking of you.

Thank you Emily He is mostly a King Charles. He has a bit of poodle, but we’re not allowed to mention cross breeds on Mumsnet

Here is his innocent face. He was NOT so cute in the middle of the night.

How are you getting on today? Do you have a nice busy day so it goes a bit quicker? Do you have a supply of cake on hand?

Hi ginisatonic (love your username!)

That does sound crazily unlucky. I believe that a few people on the thread are on the hormone stuff so may be able to give some advice there. If not, someone I know IRL is and she is getting on really well with it.

Aw he's gorgeous Namechange!! I have a two year old dog and remember the middle of the night wake ups well lol!

I don't actually have plans today, which is silly because there's a lot of time to think! I just watched a horror movie because obviously I'm not anxious enough at the moment!

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.
namechange that’s good to hear about the hormone therapy. I haven’t read much about it yet. I saw a couple of things about side effects and decided I’d revisit it later.
Thanks for the username compliment. I’ve been on here for many years and wanted a new name for this thread - which I assume is the same for you with your name.

Good afternoon lacies. Thank you for your kind wishes :)

Firstly apologies if my post is muddled or if I've missed any important posts. I'm still on quite a bit of morphine so I'm woozy!

My pneumonia seems to be improving. I'm not coughing as much, but when I do I am bringing up blood and gunk, which isn't very pleasant

I think I forgot to report yesterday, but the breakfast trolley now has croissants I might try one tomorrow.

Hi Gin and welcome. But sorry you need to be here well, maybe would be more appropriate!

Also welcome Emily hopefully you won't need to be here long. Have you had shingles before? If you get seen within 72 hours (I think!) of symptoms starting, they can give you medication to help. So it would be good to see your GP ASAP if you haven't already. Or at least show the rash to a pharmacist to check if it's definitely shingles.

Those who said they didn't know if they had inflammatory breast cancer, you probably don't :) it's quite different from other types as there's often no tumour, just skin changes. It doesn't help that they use so many acronyms with I in, when it can be so many different words in relation to breast cancer

A couple of posters on here have had it over the years, but I don't know if any of them still lurk!

Namechange very cute :) what's that mix called? Kindle?! My favourite dog is a cockapoo, but that's such a ridiculous name so I refer to him as a spaniel-poodle cross. He seems to appreciate my consideration. I have various plans to steal him when his family aren't looking. At family events he always comes and sits with me. I think he knows I deserve special attention

Mrstraveller/KeepCalm check with your team before trying manuka honey as apparently some oncologists don't like people to use it during active treatment

Simmi yay for shrinkage, and boo for not feeling great!

I'll stop there because I'm starting to get in a muddle. I hope everyone is having/had a reasonable Monday :)

Namechange, he is just adorable 😍- please feel free to post many many photos!

Ginisatonic- I'm on hormone treatment for my breast cancer, so if I can share anything useful, just shout me.

Awww thanks everyone he is a poppet mostly. Sometimes.

Does anyone else get so sick of taking their stupid pills that they procrastinate like mad? My capecitebine has been sat next to me now for over an hour! weirdo right?

emily a horror film? Really? Well maybe it’ll be cathartic! I’m watching some nonsense called club rep wars and I would NOT recommend it!

leslie glad your pneumonia is improving although blood and gunk doesn’t sound pleasant. Hope you get better quickly

Welcome Gin - sorry you need to join. My cancer is not hormone receptor positive so I’m not on any hormone therapy but where your cancer is hormone positive the hormone therapy apparently really helps to combat the cancer and stop it coming back.

Lovely pet photos. I’m still feeling a bit rubbish but going to try and get out and get my nails done this afternoon- after a bit of a nap 😴.

Hi all, just popping on to say I am thinking of you all and do try and follow the threads but by the time I catch up you've all moved on again.

My scans are all stable since my hemithyroidectomy which is fantastic news however I'm struggling with the after effects of both my surgeries so feeling pretty rubbish.

Finally got pathology report from daughters lump and they don't really know what it is or why other than it was benign (thank goodness) and appears to be a build up of calcium deposits which they said is very unusual outside the body?? If she gets anymore straight to the GP for a referral back and a check up with dermatologist to come so hopefully they might shed some light on it.

Take care all and I'll keep on reading.

Thanks bitoffun and simmi1 I’m a few weeks away from starting on the hormone treatment so may have some questions then.
Lots of cute pet photos.

Good to hear from you Likeazebra! Fantastic news about your scans and what a relief about your daughters lump.
Nobody warns you about the after effects, if you don't start feeling better soon go back to your doctor and keep nagging until they get you sorted. There's no point in you struggling when you don't need too

creaking grinding noise
I've woken up to a heap of side effects. My joints feel and are acting like the crypt keepers and I go light headed if I do the stairs. Ive also had a couple of light nosebleeds and near constant indigestion and my taste buds have gone.

Ive gotta carve pumpkins tonight with my children 2 and 3 and child 1 just had a major melt down at school.

Didn't manage to get to sw last night as I felt a bit rough.

Good luck with the pumpkins pandora

Does anyone else find the cold weather makes their lung symptoms worse? I was sure mine were gone and now I’m spluttering all over the place.

Also (am in a self diagnosing mood today!) did anyone else have pelvic radiotherapy and feels like answering some questions about my ovaries?

Good luck with the pumpkin carving Pandora. Hopefully you'll get a good nights sleep and feel a bit better tomorrow

Namechange I've had pelvic radio, I'm not sure how much use I'll be to you but feel free to ask any questions 😁

Ah thanks purple

I had 25 sessions back in March, no problems at all during it. No periods since which is sad but I have bigger fish to fry! The last week or so I have what feels a bit like cramps, now focussed on the left hand side where I imagine an ovary is (though my biology is pretty useless!). I can ask in clinic but I don’t have any follow up from the radiotherapy side and I don’t know if my chemo doctors can help. Were you told anything useful about this? Thank you!

I had mine back in November and have had no periods since then but I haven't had cramps or anything either. I wonder if it could be menopause related? They told me the radiotherapy would cause the menopause but other than a few hot flushes I haven't had any other symptoms so I'm not even sure if I've been through the menopause 🤔

So no, I haven't been much help 😁 at our hospital the chemo and radio work together closely so if you ask your chemo department they should be able to find out for you

Sounds like I’ve had it pretty similar to you then. At first I had a few hot flushes so I thought here we go, but nothing since. Hmm.

Honestly I think it’s also the fact that my chemo docs are all men that puts me off asking which is RIDICULOUS! Like they can’t handle talking about female reproductive systems! I’ll get over myself and ask on Friday in clinic. Thank you!

I'm having a similar experience- I am supposed to be in menopause now, but I can't say I've noticed anything...I keep muttering darkly to DP that it means "all sorts of really awful side effects and feeling dreadful" to keep the cups of tea coming, but so far so good really

Genius! I’ll give that a go!