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!).

A huge hug for you TQ. I hope your walk has helped.

That's very good news Mrstraveller. I hope it will make the post-chemo grimness a bit easier to bear.

KBG glad they got some blood. Good luck with the port. Sorry, my phone went haywire earlier so I gave up trying to post!

I seem to have a UTI again so on another course of antibiotics.

Waving to everyone.

Great news MrsT!!

Grrrrrrr to UTI Leslie, I hope you are comfy and cosy on this rainy day... xx

Noodles sorry to hear about your Aunty although it sounds like they've caught it early. And happy birthday to MiniNoodles! 🎁 Although rather you attempting Hamleys than me this close to Christmas
*
MrsT* what a relief! So pleased it nothing serious

Sending you a massive virtual hug TQ and I hope the walk has helped. It's trying to stay positive and upbeat when people are around that drains me but the more people worry about me the more I worry about them so it's easier to try and plaster a smile on my face and say everything's fine. It really is exhausting, especially when it comes to not wanting to worry your kids

I'm feeling better than I have for months. Not sure if it's all the steroids (and non stop eating) or the anti sickness tablets which they have given me which are also anti depressants for people with palliative illnesses according to google but other than going up and downstairs I feel a million times better.
I'm wondering wether to ask about anti depressants, I've never been depressed as far as I know but maybe I just haven't realised. Mentally I feel much, much happier than I can remember so I've got all my Xmas shopping done and wrapped while I'm feeling up to it

Although I have my interview to try and claim esa on Monday and I can't imagine that being straightforward

That’s fab news MrsT. So so pleased for you. Lovely to read some good news and such a relief for you.

Sorry to read you’re having a bit of a teary day TQ. Hopefully the walk will improve your mood. It often does. Don’t know if it’s the little bit of exercise, the fresh air or just the change of scenery that helps but “Go for a ten minute walk” ought to be given on prescription!

Hello to everyone else - So many new messages to mention everyone but hope you’re all doing ok.

Just off to see some friends for a coffee which will be nice.

TQ no shower yet. I think I'll stick to baths for now :)

Enjoy your coffee Aimlessly

purple I'm glad you're feeling better :) what a lovely update to read.

Thanks Leslie.

It was nice - A catch up and a giggle is quite a tonic. How are you today? x

OK peeps.... change of tone here. This weekend is TREE weekend, so .... blue lights or not? Personally I love them, however, my DDs have banned them for the last few years. I will post a pic when we've got it up and decorated, in the meantime, opinions please! Also, tinsel?

Go for it @TwitterQueen1
I'll do the decs next week, but I've gone all out on advents this year! Made the DCs a wall hanging one which I've filled with different chocs and if I see bits while I'm shopping ie Xmas rubbers, stickers etc I'll pop them in too. DH has a very sweet tooth so I've got him a wooden box and individually wrapped bars of choc, cans of beer and a small bottle of gin! Obviously, I haven't left myself out and I have a lovely beauty advent!
Get the tinsel out and the more decs the better!
I was looking at the lights you pop outside and they project into your house! I may need to purchase one of these next week!

Yes to the blue lights! Although this year I have a pre lit tree which is sooo much easier as I get a bit obsessed with the lights being on just right

I don't have tinsel this year as I haven't been out shopping and I chucked last years in the bin. But I do have those ceiling streamer things all over the ceiling 80s throwback

I’m not keen on blue lights myself, but if you like them - go for it! Mine are boring white. DMum has the same multicoloured ones dating back from my childhood! Part of me really wants to go and have Christmas with Mum. But DC definitely want to be in their own house,

Yes to tinsel. I have various strands of various colours - mainly silver. hold and red (as you can tell, perhaps, I like my tree eclectic). We have decorations collected over the years (often bought on holiday). But the tree doesn’t go up until after the DC have broken up,

I did a
Little trip to Lakeland today, just to get cellophane bags to put chocolates in. Came away with two bags full of useful gadgets and foodie stocking fillers

I prefer yellowy lights to blue, but to each their own.

I got a leaflet from the oxygen company and it is a bit gloomy about lights so hopefully I won't be on the oxygen as much by the time we put the tree up!

I am not feeling that festive, but trying to fake it til I make it :)

How is everyone this evening?

I got quite edgy earlier so I took another lorazepam earlier - I've been snoozing most of the evening!

Waving to all and sending hugs as necessary

I’ve been sat in front of a line of capecitibine (nope still can’t spell that!) pills for an hour trying to psych myself up!

Maggie’s organised for me to meet a trials nurse today to talk through what being put on a trial would entail if I get offered one. She was amazing and I feel a whole lot better informed now so if a suitable trial comes up at the right time I know a bit more about what it would mean.

But for now I need to get these pills down!

GONE! Feels like a big achievement tonight!

Evening all

Third dosetaxcel today after a 14hr shift yesterday. That's the last previous christmas commitment so no more of those bad boys!

Will catch up properly tomorrow

Brilliant news mrsT now get back to enjoying feeling crap without the worry of the other boob joining the cancer party. I hope your side effects are not as bad this time and you don't feel too bad over the weekend after all.

Funnily enough fuzzy I popped into town earlier and bought the M&S black bra with the pink piping (they only had one front fastening bra in my size) I hadn't thought about swelling tho. I liked the idea it could be a sports bra afterwards too for when I join a gym once I am able to after the op... I haven't tried it on yet.

Glad you are feeling better/lighter in mood purple you are right about Hamleys, for some reason I thought it would be nicer/easier to go there than organise a party! I am not so sure now!! I have hardly been anywhere since my diagnosis at the end of June, so will make a nice change hopefully. I shall most definitely be having a large glass of red when I get home!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes for my DD, she seems to have had a great day and is very much looking forward to the weekend too.

TQ good luck with the tree. I prefer the warm white lights, although the girls chose some multi coloured ball lights from Homebase a couple of years ago (which reminded me of my Mum & Dads old lights too ivampire) and I love those! I like the tinsel strands that you chuck all over the tree after the decs are on. We used to call them icicles, not sure if that was their official name or not. They can and do get everywhere though, my fluffy cat likes playing with them!
I hope your walk earlier did the trick. Getting some fresh air and sunlight usually helps me once I make it out of the house.

Leslie it is still November, in my book you cannot get festive until December anyhow! I definitely think faking it for now is probably the way forward. If I have any energy left on Sunday, I shall put our tree up.
Your advent calendars sound great ranout I have dropped a clanged this year as I only got them for the girls... I should have got myself one too! Oh well I may have to pick up a bar of dark chocolate 2mo. Green & Black do these fruity balls coated in dark chocolate, they are delicious. I haven't actually bought any yet, but they were being handed out in a local supermarket the other day, so maybe a bag of those would suffice!

Great news MrsT - I’m always worried that there’s something lurking in my left boob but keep being reassured it’s very unlikely.

Hope you’re feeling better with the lorazepam leslie and the chemo hasn’t knocked you about too much keepcalm

It’s a lovely sunny day here today (at last!) so we are going to the beach 🏖 . Hope everyone has a good night xxx

Have fun at the beach Simmi :)

I'm glad DD has enjoyed her birthday noodles sending you strength for tomorrow!

Well done Namechange it's really hard to psyche yourself up to take them and that's good about the trial nurse too.

KeepCalm I hope you have a restful weekend ahead after all of that

Another white light fan here.

Silly story but we bought a box of white lights from the garden centre to put on the tree just outside the bay window.
Took a blooming age to do, up and down and on and off a chair. Went inside and switched them on and they were bright blue flashing lights! In the wrong box obviously.
Hated them! However, having spent a freezing cold evening wrapping them around the tree and really not wanting to take them off and then have to do it all again with replacement lights we said we’d see if we could bear them.
Well it was ok when they were on constant but every few minutes they started flashing. It was like having a Police car on the windowsill trying to get in.

Put up with them for about 30 minutes then they were switched off and taken down the next morning.

Like Purple I’ve bought a prelit tree this year. We’ve always had a real tree but I don’t want to be vacuuming up needles twice a day for three weeks plus I haven’t the energy to put the lights on and I can’t let anyone else do it.

Am going to miss the real tree smell. This is last year’s tree complete with dog on pressie guarding duty.

I got my Mum a flashing Christmas tree this year. She loves Christmas, but finds some of the trappings to be just too much effort now.

We chose it together at the (huge) Christmas shop at a garden centre near her. My siblings don’t know about it, so I hope they enjoy the surprise!

Got to love the ole 'no sleep steroids' ......

Noodles I bought a couple of bra extenders that gave a bit of extra room for the first 7-10 days x

Well done for getting the pills down Namechange! Do they give you many side effects?

Wow Aimless that tree looks absolutely amazing 😍 I'd love a real one but couldn't be bothered with constant hoovering

Fake it till you make it always works with me Leslie so hopefully you'll feel festive soon. Did you manage to get all your cards and presents sorted? And blankets made for your mum and sister? Hopefully the antibiotics do there job soon. I seem to have constant infections and wonder if I'm not completely immune to antibiotics with the amount I've had

Well, I spent most of the night weeing. But, touch wood, it has finally calmed down. I took all sorts of drugs so who knows what actually did the trick, but I did get some sleep in the end. Had a dream my mum came and shouted at the infection to go away, but I don't think that was it

I've written all my cards, just need to put the stamps on and send someone to the postbox.

The infections are such a drag aren't they purple

Sorry you had a wakeful night KeepCalm I hope you can laze about today!

Aimlessly lovely tree photo :) did you swap the outdoor lights or just give up on them?

We always have a real tree. I am very particular about the type. Hopefully I'll be well enough to go and choose it a bit nearer the time :)

noodles I hope you all survive the Hamley's outing without too much stress

Aimlessly

Love the tree and so love the dog. Dog looks so cuddly.