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!).

Yay for wedding planning BitOfFun

Fuzzy I'm glad you're home with plenty of drugs. Hopefully you've got the antibiotics sorted now. Rest up

noodles lots of people do have a post-chemo wobble, and with all the extra stuff on your plate it's not surprising you're feeling down

I'm still in bed. My sister is visiting this weekend. I will be so happy to see her :)

That is exactly it fuzzy and namechange - the GP said it is common & often at the end of treatment. I was aware of the potential for feeling like this after all treatment ended, but wasn't expecting it just yet!
Everyone is very excitable at how pleased I must be to have finished chemo and I sound like I am a bit mad because I am not deliriously happy.

I am also a bit nervous about the op, it is nothing specific really.The threat of lymphodema and the recovery are what worry me most, but I have also never had an op, so am just not looking forward to it. I have every faith in my surgeon etc & my friend has booked the day off to keep me company and bring me home. I think I just need to keep busy again.... Am currently painting my youngest daughters bedroom...

I hope everyone has as good a day as possible & the side effects have all calmed down now x

@BitOfFun i'm joining you in the toilet stakes. I'm 8lbs down in 4days and can't bring myself to eat as I've to drive the kids 2hrs to my aunts........

Love a bit of wedding planning though

Afternoon ladies, sounds as if we've kept Andrex (other toilet paper manufacturers are available) afloat, literally this week!
Can we all help you plan your wedding @BitOfFun?!
@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo sounds like a lovely weekend seeing your sister does she leave far away? My family are a couple of hours.
I'm been giggling to myself this morning as my trip round Tesco's took twice as long as I kept bumping into people who wanted to chat. It's lovely people want to know how I'm doing, could just do with them building a cafe!
Hope everyone's SEs are easing up.

Twitter Queen. That's very good news re the trial. I hope you get into the best group for you and hope the PIP thing is now all sorted

noodles - my counselling at Macmillan has finished for now but they have left it open to return as apparently a lot of people do have all sorts of unexpected reactions when they reach the end of treatment. I had never heard of lymphodema until my sister mentionioned it and then I saw something read about it briefly in one of the MacMillan leaflets. I've decided not to google but must say it is at the back of my mind too as I think I am having all my lymph nodes removed with the mastectomy. I think I will just ask a list of questions for the Breast Care nurse when I know for definite when my op will be happening but try not to think about it for now.

As everyone else has reported how they are doing toilet wise thought I would provide my update. Had to resort to the Loperamide capsules they gave me at the hospital yesterday - since which time nothing!

xx

Hello everyone. Sorry to see there are so many of you not feeling so great at the moment for various reasons.
I had my surgery on Tuesday. Lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node removal on both breasts. I’m feeling ok. Bit sore at times. Worst symptom - like many of you the constipation is hellish. My poor arse 😢 I’m assuming a side effect of the pain killers and general inactivity. Hope everyone has as good a day as possible.

Oh lacies I shouldn't be chuckling but @Ginisatonic "oh my arse" was so funny. I told my DH I felt as if I'd given birth again when I managed to go on Monday!! We need to come up with a new medicine that works and market it as "oh my arse!" That and a share in those wet toilet tissues!

@Ginisatonic @ranoutofquinoaandprosecco agree completely.

After being constipated due to painkillers, yesterday was a 'catch up' and I just haven't stopped.

I feel like am on fire and would gladly shove an ice pole somewhere soothing if I had one

Positive, soothing thoughts to everyone's bot

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't kept up with the thread, I've been catching up on my sleep since coming home from hospital.

For those with constipation I can recommend sugar free sweets! I bought some cough candy from Amazon as my throat was so sore from vomiting that I want to soothe it. When they came they were in a sort of cone thing and weren't individually wrapped so I didn't eat them, and they were sugar free. DP munched his way through some the other evening and was up all night going to the loo. He didn't realise until I told him. Gave me a laugh!

Sorry so many are having bowel troubles

Gin I hope you are healing well :)

ranout she's just moved a few hours away. Previously she was only about 40 mins away so could easily see her for an evening.

Symphony how are you getting on with the injections?

My belly button is infected again the GP has given me some drops, but I had to have a swab. I said I couldn't go in because of the oxygen so they sent someone to my house! (I've ordered a wheelchair, but it hasn't arrived yet and I can't walk far enough.)

For those who have gone too far the other way, anything with gelatine in is good for slowing things down. Haribo, jelly babies, marshmallows etc. I'm vegetarian, but I now make an exception for these because they're so effective.

Leslie I'm giving myself the blood thinning injections for the clot twice a day. I've finished with the WBC stimulator ones for this round. I've got used to it really quickly, it's a faff but I'm too scared to forget.

Ah, thanks for the good wishes! No help needed with the planning though, not when you're as lazy as I am and go for a very minimal fuss wedding . I could show you my frock though?

@BitOfFun that's a teasing question for Friday evening - it's a show me, show me, show me, from here!

Hee hee

Ooooh PRETTY! You’re going to look amazing. When is the big day?

March. My youngest will be settled in supported accommodation by then, so she be able to attend with a carer, and hopefully I will be more experienced in managing the side effects of my treatment. It's so nice to have something to look forward to!

@BitOfFun it's gorgeous! How exciting x

Lovely dress bitoffun wedding planning will definitely be a great distraction for you (& us if you keep us up to date on how it is going!!)

Lesley sorry you're still feeling ropey, good that someone came to you from the gp's. I hope the tummy button clears up quickly with antibiotics. All you need on top of getting over the hospital stay...

Well I painted 2 walls of my youngest daughters bedroom today, in the colour she chose, only to be told when she got in from school that I had made it look wrong (in a monumentally stroppy manner) & that she really really didn't like it. It will have to grow on her tomorrow as I am not repainting it! So glad I did that over going back to bed for a sleep now!!

Meant to ask too how are you managing today purple? Have you used just paracetamol, or have you had to go back to the morphine? I hope you are not too uncomfortable with it all...

Ooh that's lovely Bitoffun! Do you have your shoes sorted? I loved organising my wedding and would do it all again if it wasn't so expensive

Thanks for asking Noodles. I feel rubbish today, really constipated and the laxido which is the only thing that helps has made me throw up the last 2 times I've tried taking it. I've taken loads of dulcolax and senokot so hopefully that will get things moving. I'm really uncomfortable without the morphine but paracetamol seems to be taking the edge off

I go to ONE FILM at the cinema and I miss the wedding chat?!? WTAF people?!

Beautiful dress @BitOfFun just gorgeous

Oh I I didn't shit myself at the cinema so am taking that as a win!!

Loving it @KeepCalm always a goal for the day to not shite oneself at the cinema, well in public really! I must say I thought I had a near escape on the school run on Wednesday! I wonder if it's worth wearing a black bottom half just in case! Hope you saw something good?

Lol every small step eh @ranoutofquinoaandprosecco

We went to see Fantastic Beasts. Loved it

The shoes? A lovely online friend has offered to lend me these...