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!).

Morning @Cally62 and welcome but in the nicest possible way hope you aren't here long!!

Cake sounds lovely, am a bit of a baker myself so making a wee something something for a friend who has been exceptionally kind to me recently. Fingers crossed they both turn out!

Hello everyone else and look what I got back lol

Quick question. Do you think I'd be totally off my rocker to book a holiday for next October?!? A brilliant deal has turned up that we could pay up from now and DH has had his annual leave approved (which is rare) where we are the kids are off school and the fights are great times........ am so tempted. I hate having nothing booked but I'd be gutted if for whatever reason it didn't do ahead!!

Good morning ladies all this cake talk is making me hungry! I may have to join in later!
@KeepCalm book it, book it, book it! We had 2 hols booked this year we had to cancel and I said to one of the oncology nurses I'm not booking anything anymore and she basically said don't be so daft, in a nice way! Sounds an interesting holiday. Once I've got my picc out I'm hoping for a few days before surgery, school doesn't know yet but I'll take the kids out for a few days, time to be a bit yolo!

@ranoutofquinoaandprosecco not remotely interesting, just a horribly wonderful family thing that I know the kids would love on a special offer which is rare when there are 5 of you!!

I shouldn't even be looking as we're supposed to be 'nipping' to Spain in the summer to meet my new niece who will be one by then! They live in Oz but are hopefully visiting other family in Spain so we were going to crash in for a smooch!

Anyone know what happens with travel insurance? We're covered through DHs work but still....

@KeepCalm sounds good, go for it.

I was speaking to someone in HODU last week and she had cancer last year and her partner is currently undergoing treatment and they ended up getting insurance with Asda. I think she said it was around £50 everyone else was over a grand. It didn't cover her for the cancer she'd had, but needs must and I think she'd had ovarian. Hope that helps.

Cally

Your cake making sounds inspired and certainly beyond my skill set!

The next 2 weeks will pass and fingers crossed you will be able to come back and tell us you are ok. I think we all look forward to good news!

Keep Calm. I would book. We all need something to look forward to. I would like to book something too. Am dreading finding out about the travel insurance cost though. I think once my surgery and radiotherapy is done I might be able to book something then. I will still be having drug treatment but should be able to fit something in.

Keepcalm book it! Having something to look forward to makes the world of difference

Leslie I hope you're starting to feel a bit better now you're home and and able to rest properly

I'm still stuck in hospital the latest blood tests show that the E. coli and sepsis have gone but they can't work out why my temperature keeps spiking. They've taken more blood to see if there's anything that's been missed but if not it could just be the cancer

Photos of cakes would be very much appreciated

Good about the E. coli and sepsis purple, but sorry that you're still having temperatures. I hope they can get to the bottom of it quickly

Good luck with the baking KeepCalm and Cally.

There are various travel insurance companies that specialise in cancer/medical conditions. Insurancewith was set up by someone who has had cancer herself, and there are various others too. Personally I wouldn't risk not getting cover for the cancer because if something did happen I wouldn't want any hassle about whether or not it was related to the cancer.

Oh and thank you purple I'm feeling a little better. It's a bit frustrating being home and seeing how much I've deteriorated thanks to this bloody infection. But hopefully I'll soon get my strength back :) it's nice to be in my own non-plasticky bed!

Lol don't ask for photos of baking, I have more cakes on my phone than kids/pets. Occupational hazard 🤣

Book it KeepCalm. If you search for cancer travel insurance I think Macmillan have a list. I've just got cover with World First.

DH and I are on our way back from a weekend in Bristol. I've been tired but it's still been brilliant to get away.

Yes I think I might. Fuck it

Hello everyone. I've been in hospital since Friday night as my temperature spiked. When I went to the Day unit on Thursday they told me to go to the nearest A&E if it went above 37.5

I was prioritised but it still took hours to actually get any antibiotics, by that time I was as thirsty as heck so they had trouble finding a vein given that I'd been sick all week. Ended up in AAU in an isolation room at around 4am Saturday. No sign of infection, just a very low WBC count.

It's been a bit of a farce really, compared to the slickness of the treatment at Mount Vernon. They didn't do my obs at 2am Sunday morning and by 5 I'd spiked again back up to 38. Yet weirdly it had been entered into my notes as being done . I was all ready to home tomorrow, pending new bloods but they didn't get taken today (Sunday). Tonight's obs showed low blood oxygen levels and low blood pressure, so I'm back on the oxygen and fluids, and they have just taken bloods to check for a blood clot At least once the bloods are back they will know what is going on. What a palaver! Room is nice though.

Oh @SymphonyofShadows that's all just shit so sorry to hear.

Fingers crossed for a smooth night for you

Hi Symphony

Hope you are feeling better soon and can get home today

Symphony that sounds awful, hope you're on the up soon and they can figure out what's wrong! Also hope you've managed some sleep!

Oh @SymphonyofShadows hope you are home really soon.

Thanks everyone. No news yet. It could be something or it could just be someone overzealously interpreting one set of obs, given that they missed one lot the previous night. Either way, they won't know until the doctor gets here after nine.

Symphony

Hope you managed some rest/sleep and you are released after the Doctor has seen you. Can I ask with your high temp did you actually feel ill or did you just notice when you took your temp?

I think as time’s gone on I don’t take my temp as much as I used to. Maybe need to do it a bit more often than I am doing at the moment!

Oh symphony what a catalogue! Fingers crossed that the 0900 team get you sorted!

I’ll try to find the travel insurance provider I used - Leukaemia Care used to have a list, but it’s vanished from their website. STA (a high street travel agency) will cover st least some cancers,

Those who don’t bounce you immediately have a set of scripts - so you might be asked different things. IIRC I was asked what cancer and when diagnosed, if I had ever been given a terminal diagnosis, what is current treatment, whether I was taking painkillers, and whether there were any outstanding tests. And whether I had ever been advised by a doctor to restrict activities or not to travel.

I don’t know which of the questions were deciding if they’d cover me st all, and how many were deciding how expensive the policy would be.

MrsTraveller I take my temperature if ever I feel even slightly off for any reason, or if I’m just feeling cold all the time (I have a mildly deranged bodily thermostat). That’s because I have a rather strict card, which is in an obvious place in my phone case, which lists (actually quite minor) symptoms I need to ring in about urgently.

You kind of know it’s serious when you get the 24/7 number for duty senior registrar (maybe I was unusually slow on the uptake, but I hadn’t actually felt ill - side effects/consequences of treatment have been much more noticeable than symptoms/consequences of disease)

Thanks for all the insurance advice guys. I remain covered by DH's insurance although having declared my breast cancer they won't cover anything to do with that.

My only concern is due to the destination being the US, I'd be horrified if Anything happened so I might take out a delegate policy for me. They rest are all good on his.

After a night being wired on steroids and cocodamol I now have to fed up for work and look efficient with my massive overdue to do list

Happy Monday ladies. May any and all aches and pains and worries do one for you all today

Did anything help anyone with sore mouth after chemo? I heard that crushed pineapple is good, so I've just put some in the freezer for later. Anything else?

Tahiti I had a sore mouth last week, and found that ice lollies helped. I used the pink Corsodil mouthwash too, that helped soothe and heal it.

I've got news of sorts: The test that measures a potential clot, results were higher than they should be, but not hugely. They said breast cancer can cause it to be higher, so that is inconclusive. The doctor may decide to scan to be certain. The blood oxygen levels were apparently down in the night, even though I had the tube on. It has been hard for them to get a good reading with the clamp on my finger since I got here, and the day staff have been clipping the thing to my ear. Last night's guy didn't fill me with confidence so I'm wondering about good old user error. Also, my white cell count has shot up from being almost neutropenic to rather high . I can't begin to unpick that!

Mrstraveller On Friday when my temperature crept up I didn't notice anything at first, but yesterday morning I knew before they took it, as I was shivery.

Morning all.
Here think you all deserve a strong and
I'm trying to keep busy...all your kind words have helped me get through the weekend...
As promised.....a pic of my sous chef pud cat and cake

Oh Symphony not you in hospital too! I hope they get you sorted so you can get home soon

If anyone is having chemo and you notice you have a high temperature then ring your chemo ward ASAP as it can so easily turn into sepsis

Tahiti I found fresh pineapple and orange juice helped, and your doctor can give you some special mouthwash