CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 66 for those with cancer or awaiting cancer test results. Rant, rave, laugh, cry, joke, scream - whatever gets you through the day.

[TwitterQueen1]

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 have a loved one with cancer you can get support on a different thread here

For old and new posters it's very helpful if you (re)introduce yourself in your first post with a summary of your diagnosis (chemo brain is a real thing and my memory isn't what it used to be!).

I'll start! Call me TQ - so much easier.
Ovarian cancer, dx March 2017. Initially stage 3, now stage 4. Soon to start 3rd line chemo, awaiting a consultant appointment to see if there are any suitable trials, otherwise it will be weekly Taxol again. Ask me anything about OC. Seriously, do. It's a bugger because it just creeps up on you without symptoms....

Three DDs, almost grown. I love dogs (especially cockers) and I crochet a lot for the very lovely Woolly Hugs people.

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in October 2017 which I had chemo and radiotherapy for but a scan in June/July (somewhere around then, chemo brain is definitely real!) showed that it's spread to my bowel, liver and lymph nodes. Currently having more chemo to keep me stable and I get my scan results on Wednesday to see if it's working

Breast cancer diagnosed this July. 42 2 DCs 5 and 7. Think it's stage 1 but to be honest I haven't got into the nitty gritty too much. Had 3 rounds of chemo due 4th this Tuesday as it was postponed last week due to low bloods. Will be having surgery after chemo and possibly radiotherapy.

Hiiiiii all! I was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in sept 2017, spread was to my liver. Have had loads of chemo, couple of small surgeries, radiotherapy and a liver resection. Back on the chemo now. Found out about 2 months ago that the cancer has wormed its way into my lungs, totally uninvited.

Am 34 and like mince pies, my puppy, boring people with pictures of my puppy, picked onions, toffee apples and Greys Anatomy. Dislike rain, finding out all your pants are too tight, house work and cancer.

And thank you TQ for setting up the thread

Thank you TQ - great title! :)

Hello everyone. I'm Leslie. I have stage IV bowel cancer with lung mets.

I'm still in hospital with this blasted pneumonia. Hopefully moving in the right direction, just slowly! I'm sleeping nearly all of the time. Except at night when my mind is in overdrive and I'm all sweaty from the ridiculous plastic pillows! I've asked the doctor to prescribe a sleeping tablet so hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight :)

Waving to everyone x

Good to hear from you Leslie! The body heals better while we're sleeping apparently so sleep as much as you need too.
The doctors wouldn't prescribe me any sleeping tablets while I was in hospital so I always take my own in just incase.
I hope you feel better and get that cannula out soon 💐

Namechange and everyone else. There's only one rule here, if you mention a pet - especially a puppy - you have to post a photo! . Even if you posted one on the last thread you need to it again...

Here's my lazy bugger. She does nothing but sleep and eat. A bit like me 😁

Good to hear from you @WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo hope your going in the right direction. Fecking sweaty pillows that's all you need.
@purpleunicorns too cute!!

Thanks for setting up the new thread TQ

Good to hear from you Leslie - I hope you get some sleep and get out of hospital and back to your comfy mattress with not a plastic pillow in sight soon....

I have breast cancer, grade 3 (stage unknown until after my op) with at least one lymph node also cancerous.
I have just finished 7 out of 7 chemo's (last one was yesterday)
I will be having herceptin (another 15 on a 3 weekly basis) and my op to remove my lump & all lymph nodes from under my arm on the affected side is on 11th Dec (as a day patient) and will have radiotherapy once that is healed enough in the new year.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. I am feeling a bit peculiar as slept immediately after getting in from chemo yest until about 9pm and then have been awake most of the night. Managed a decent dog walk & jigsaw puzzles with the kids (age 4.5 & 8 at the end of this month) and am just about to attempt to have a nap...
Sleep is definitely not overrated!!

Waves & hello to everyone

I had stage 1 breast cancer diagnosed in July. I had a lumpectomy and am currently having radiotherapy.

DS is 5 today. He's being thoroughly spoiled this weekend.

Good for you @Minniemountain I've turned into Disney mum the last few weeks!

Breast cancer here. There's lots of different types of breast cancer but mine is "invasive lobular carcinoma", around 15% of breast cancers are this one. Having a lumpectomy on Tuesday, then radiotherapy, then tamoxifen for 5 years. All indications so far are that it hasn't spread, but they'll take out my sentinel lymph node when they do the operation and that will be sent off for detailed pathology, so I'll know more then.

Unfortunately, I don't like animals! I'm a bit -very- scared of most pet type animals if I'm honest.

Breast cancer stage 1 September 2017 age 44. Lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. Four weeks radiation therapy and an infected radiation burn. Tamoxifen therapy developed lymphadema left arm and then a blood clot left knee. Placed on blood thinner then hemhorraging with menstruated cycle just had uterine ablation two days ago. Another venous scam on left leg on Tuesday to see if clot is gone. Am on secondary oral Rx and monthly lupron to block estrogen. Trying to avoid hysterectomy. So tired of side effects. Genetic testing revealed brca negative but have two gene mutations relating to pancreas (long suspected) I guess I was “lucky” to avoid chemo at least

Hi - quick intro; I have leukaemia (CML) which is incurable but for which there is a very effective treatment (not chemo in the classic sense, but still cytotoxic). I’m currently stable (diagnosed just over a year ago).

And am the utterly insufferable perfect twat - that person who is irritatingly always mentioned to you when newly diagnosed ‘my sister’s therapist’s cat’s breeder’s DH’s mother’s hairdresser’s friend has cancer and she runs marathons you know’,

I try to keep it under wraps on this thread though, except when something major is going on (which there was last month). Not least because I sometimes feel a bit like a fraud. I don’t feel ill, haven’t needed an operation or any zapping, and I tolerate my daily poison well (so far, touch wood).

But I’m about to get scanxiety, as the 6month surveillance of my benign liver cyst (incidental finding during initial test) is due later this month, as is next set of bloods and results early Dec.

I’m having a fairly ordinary weekend. I can hear fireworks, but haven’t been out to see any properly. I hope all the doggy people and their furry family members are surviving all the bangs.

Breast cancer here too. Stage 3, grade 3. Dx in September have started a six month course of chemo after which I’ll have radiotherapy then a mx with immediate reconstruction. Will be on herceptin for a year. No pets but two girls aged 4 and 3 who behave like naughty puppies

I'm 32 and I've got stage 3 invasive ductal breast cancer with inflammatory presentation er/pr negative hr positive. It's in my lymph nodes as well but they don't know how many yet.

I'm on 4/6 rounds of adjuvant chemo, mastectomy and node clearance at Christmas, then more chemo and radiation.

Then got to lose 10 stone in order to have my reconstruction.

Goods news-the genetics people believe it's not genetic related so hopefully my girls will be spared going through

Ive got 3 kids 14,5 and almost 4,

2 guinea pigs and a ferret complete our house. Missing work so much and it's hard having to go to my hospital for treatment and bumping into people I know or worked with. It's going to be a long 18 months until I can get back.

Thanks for new thread TQ and glad to hear from Leslie.

Breast cancer person here. It’s spread to lymph nodes - 4 I think. Current plan is for me to have 7 rounds of chemo, 18 of herceptin and a mastectomy after the chemo. Then reconstruction at some point.

But I’m not thinking that far ahead. I’ve had 4 rounds of chemo so far. 5th one due next week.

Hello Older, I think you're new here? Welcome. Talk about complications! Any more to throw into the mix?

iVampire you are annoying and inspirational in equal measure . We need someone like you to make us think 'well maybe I could ......'

Evening all and thanks TQ for new shiny thread!

Grade 3, triple negative breast cancer diagnosed Sept 18 alongside scan showing up lung cancer too.

1 of 6 docetaxel done and second one due this coming Friday.

Side effects minor so far but hair has started falling out in clumps today.....

3 DC aged 15, 12 & 10 and we did have the best dog in the world but sadly had to have her put to sleep last month. She was 16.5yrs bless her heart.

Have managed to trace my biological mother who has let the genetics team there isn't any previous history in the family AND got the news yesterday that the tests for faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have come back negative

Well to the rollercoaster everyone x

Ahhhhhh, here you are! I'll repost what I just put at the end of the old thread- hopefully this one will be easier to load!

Apologies for not addressing anybody's posts- this darn thread keeps crashing on me!

I'm having a bit of a weird moment, I don't know if anyone can relate to it, but how the hell can I possibly have incurable cancer?! I feel FINE. Totally normal. My back isn't even hurting today. I'm just having real trouble processing this at the moment.

I presume my relative lack of pain means the radiotherapy has done something positive. So what now? Will I be well for ages? Will it get me in the end? When?

To add to that, by way of introduction: I have Stage 4 Breast Cancer, with metastasises to my spine, mainly, and possibly my adrenal glands. I've had radiotherapy and I'm on hormone tablets to knock me into menopause because my cancer is oestrogen-positive.

Metastastastaststses 😂

Bitoffun it really messes with your head when you feel so well doesn't it?
But you COULD have years if the treatment does it's job and keeps it stable
Your oncologist should be able to give you a rough estimate, I asked mine but I need to see what my first scan says before she could answer to see how well (or if) my treatment is working