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!).

Deranged poo, the images in my head!
Afternoon everyone. Hello @Yvbmioasp and @HannsG let us know how you meeting goes.
@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo hope your feeling a bit better now, I'm also pleased your mum and Dad are with you.
Well I should be sat having chemo but yet again my bloods are low. Was a bit fed up but then realised that means Xmas week should be ok so I'll take that!
I've seen my breast surgeon today and she's lovely. I've decided to have a mastectomy and no reconstruction. I felt no influence from her either way and she she said I could change my mind at any time but I'm 99.9% sure that's what I want.
Anyway off to snooze to something high brow on alibi. all round.

ranout

Do you mind me asking why you have decided against reconstruction? Feel free not to say if you feel it’s too intrusive. I am thinking along the same lines. So far they have talked about delayed reconstruction but I haven’t asked any questions yet as still feels like a long way off.

I’m only a B cup so I’m thinking if I am ok just using the breast form things after the mastectomy I might not bother with reconstruction.

I’m watching a film I recorded called the Lincoln Lawyer. Has Mathew Mconaghey in it. It’s ok so far

Xx

@Mrstraveller yesterday was another 12hr stint and Thursday will be the same. Thankfully that's all the prearranged event commitments fulfilled so fingers crossed no more 12hr numbers.......

I accept the fact that everything has to change . I don't like it but I accept it

They've put me in a room and made the bed up for me! What?

Eh? How strange maybe see if you can get some snacks though if they're feeling obliging...

KeepCalm unwanted change sucks hopefully it's only a temporary blip and you'll soon be back to doing things how you want to. (Sorry, I haven't quite kept up with all the work discussions.)

ranout sorry for the delay. But I'm glad it works out with Christmas plans! :) also good that your surgeon is nice and that you've reached the right decision for you. I hope you had a good snooze.

@TwitterQueen1 send those cleaning angels round to my shit tip.... my in-laws arrive next week 

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo don't be daft. I can barely keep up with my own work nonsense so wouldn't expect anyone else to.

Suffice to say am self employed in the hospitality industry and have commitments to uphold. What I haven't done is add any more and have had to turn down a lot of work.

It's a big step for me.....

Lovely snooze thanks @WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo!
@Mrstraveller I totally don't mind you asking about why I've chosen not to have reconstruction. I think there's several reasons: The first thing I needed to eat my head around was how I felt about my physical appearance as my DH pointed out to the surgeon I do love clothes! However, when you think about how often do you actually have your boobs out!! So I'm not bothered about being a uni! Also I have a 5 and nearly 8 year old and I've spoken to mainly the nearly 8 year old to make sure she won't feel embarrassed about mummy looking different and she is fine. Other reasons are I just want the cancer out, I don't like the idea of reconstruction as an actual operation. I definitely don't want an implant and the actual surgery using your own skin sounds a bit too much for me at the moment. The surgeon has said that I can have reconstruction years down the round but if I have a mastectomy it will need to be the type using your own skin.
Other things to bear in mind are whether or you you will be having radiotherapy as if so it may affect your skin, so I think they would want you to decide either way for definite before then. Fingers crossed I may not need radiotherapy.
Sorry it's a long answer, I have given it a lot of thought. Lastly the prosethics (can't spell) we're fab and they can also order you one for swimming! They also have a lady in a sewing room at hospital that can pop you a pocket in your usual bras so that you can carry on wearing them after you've recovered!
Hope that helps.

@ranoutofquinoaandprosecco that's a really helpful post thank you. I haven't even started to think about surgery yet.....

Hi ranout

Thanks so much for replying. I am going to read a couple of times to digest what you have said. I have been told I will be having radiotherapy. Like you I don’t want an implant and not sure either about taking skin from other places and more surgery.

Xx

....and good thinking about getting a pocket put in existing bras. I was thinking I’d have to chuck everything and start again with the post surgery bras from M&S

@Mrstraveller my hospital also sell bras at cost and they looked ok to me today!
I've been looking at breast tattoos!!
If you haven't already got the Liz Riordan book on breast cancer it's worth a read, my DH has also been dipping in to it. Not sure if that was a good idea as he asked the surgeon loads of questions! In a way it was nice though! He also treated me to Thai for lunch!
I'm still in bed snuggled up with crap tv!
Tomorrow I should have a bit more oomph!

Oh Leslie that must be so scary, I'm glad you have your parents with you. Don't you go dying anytime soon! Christmas is coming and there is cheese to be eaten

How did today go TQ? I'm lost Are you in a room in hospital? Are you starting treatment now?!

Keepcalm it's awful when you're feeling like that but just remember it will pass. Rest as much as you need to

I got myself in such a panic. I need to stop watching medical TV as I'd got a bit delirious and sort of mixed it up with reality. Even when I absolutely knew the doctors from ER had not visited me I just couldn't shake it off properly. Thank goodness for my mum and for zopiclone! :)

How are you today purple?

Also wondering how you're getting on TQ. Maybe they anticipated the paperwork being very strenuous and you needing a lie down afterwards

Hi

Not sure whether to post but here goes. I'm 34 and have been referred to the breast clinic due to 2 lumps I've found. I can't remember when I first felt them. I have a 3 month old baby. I was unable to breastfeed and now can't remember if I felt them during the torture of hand massaging to try to express but then forgot in the madness of having a newborn. I found them (again?) about a month ago when I was prodding around. My appointment is next week.

I'm terrified. DD was conceived after a diagnosis of low fertility and then a miscarriage. During my whole pregnancy I was convinced something wasn't right and I was going to get the chance to be a mum. I assumed there was something wrong with her. The feelings have all come back and made me think maybe it's me that the problem is with and I won't get to be a mum because I won't be around to see her grow up.

Only DP knows. I haven't confided in friends about how scared I am as their parents are close to my mum and I don't want her knowing unless she has to - I can't deal with all the 'how are you feeling?' comments. I know the chance of there being something wrong is probably small but it is such a scary prospect. I lay awake for hours at night as I can't sleep.

Is it normal to feel like this?

Hi voxnihili do you have an appointment yet? Your fears and feelings are perfectly normal. Lots of the thread have been in a similar position and will hopefully be able to reassure you better. Chances are that the lumps are harmless, especially with your recent hormonal changes, but definitely worth getting checked out.

Hi @voxnihili sorry to find you here but hopefully it won't be for long

This initial waiting is the worst part. Just be kind to yourself and we'll all be sending you every positive thoughts meantime.

Panic over! Blimey I got worried there for a bit - I'd only got my boring grey knickers on, not my 'going to hospital ones', plus one dull plain white crop top, not my posh swirly green one. And the usual odd socks - I do try to find a matching pair if I'm going to have to get my kecks off.
It was just paperwork. No news on which trial arm in yet but I suspect I'm going back again on Friday for the consent plus the scans.

I did get the results of my 13th Sept scan, which no-one had told me about. 2.5 cm tumour in right groin. Not sure how big spleen one is. Lymph nodes in lung area affected, small ascites in left lung area etc etc.

Leslie if it happens again, can you try to conjure up George Clooney in his Chicago Hope scrubs? (I suspect you may be too young to remember that but he's it's worth a look).

Purple how are you? Hopefully recovering now you're out!

@TwitterQueen1 was he in Chicago Hope?!? I only remember him in ER

Kids making tea as I'm still on the couch. Have progressed from dodgy channel 5 movies to tipping point though.... having not watched day time tv in about 8yrs this is still a novelty

I'm feeling pretty good at the minute, still get tired really easily but eating ridiculous amounts of food seems to be helping. I drove for half an hour today just so I could get a pecan roulade from Tesco

Vox I know it's not much comfort now but keep in mind that 9 out of 10 lumps are totally harmless

@purpleunicorns totally justified road trip!!

Tipping Point is addictive. When I went to York last month my uni friend (retired teacher) got me into it. I blame her.

I may be confused. I know he was in ER for some reason I thought he was in Chicago Hope too.... Brain fail again

@TwitterQueen1 no idea if he was in both, I was just worried am missing something!!!! Have made DH promise to take me to the arcades with our jar or 2ps lol

Hiya first post in this section, not 100% if here is the right place or not

I have been told by GP that its almost certain I have a tumour on my adrenal glands, I asked her to check results of urine collection that was done when I was in hospital at beginning of Oct.

She asked when was the medical consultant I was under planning to review, I explained he wasn't that he had passed my care back to her. She showed me my hormone levels and it is over double what it should be, indicating a tumour.

There is a small chance it could be cancerous, but where it likely is affected all vital functions and could answer quite a few ??? above me. It's under endocrinology. patient.info/doctor/phaeochromocytoma-pro - Other websites place it under cancer so that's why I have joined this thread

She spoke to a consultant who advised her to get a 24-hour urine collection so because I have incontinence, a nurse is coming tomorrow to put in a temporary catheter. It takes 3-4 weeks for the sample results to come back and in the meantime, I go onto the list for endocrinology and referral for scanning (MRI or CT)

So taking the pee literally tomorrow and starting a possible journey from here, I don't want this journey but it would explain a lot of things.

So as I say not 100% sure if should be on this thread or not, but hello anyhow.