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!).

Hi Everyone. So much to catch up on with the thread but I just wanted to say how pleased I am MrsT that it was good news.

I’ve felt really sick again all week, hardly ate anything and ended up in the Supportive Care Unit on Thursday to get fluids. It turned out that the antibiotics they gave me in A&E as a precaution were making the nausea worse. Since I’ve come off them I’ve eaten a bit of a Ginsters chicken & mushroom slice. Filthy food but I really fancied it.

Met my surgeon in the week, he’s worried about the pulmonary embolism. I’ve been booked in for surgery provisionally on 19th Feb pending a CT to check on the clot, but then he started muttering about speaking to the oncologist about putting it back 6 months! I’m going to speak to the oncologist about it in clinic as there surely must be some middle ground. The Haematologist reckoned the clot would take 3-4 months to disperse and the surgery date is just over 3 months. I’m scared about the tumours having a chance to grow again, after the excellent shrinkage so far. This Docetaxal has been so tough that I don’t want it to have been for nothing.

Sorry to whinge when others have it much tougher

Symphony hopefully your surgeon is being overly cautious. I had surgery with my pulmonary embolism. The anaesthetist wasn't really bothered. Hopefully it'll have disappeared by February anyway. Sending you thin non-sticky blood vibes!

Righty ho. I must drag myself out of bed and get dressed.

Oh and no need to apologise. Whinge away. It's not a competition :)

Thanks Leslie I’m still trying to live down the shame of puking into a cardboard ‘hat’ in the unit when the old girl in the next chair was trying to eat a tuna sandwich

Well, I don't think people should eat tuna in public (or at all...) so I reckon you're even

@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo nope! I stupidly did all the running about after the kids and some christmas shopping with middle kid and decorated my friends hospital room with Christmas decorations AND I might have accidentally arranged to go see a PUPPY

Sitting on my Lardy arse on the couch watching Fred Claus as am wiped now.

Will try to read back and catch up now!

Ah yes - puppies

Family member might be having a litter from their (slightly uncommon breed) bitch. Mating earlier this year didn’t take, going to try once more. I wouldn’t contemplate a different puppy, but one where I know mother, grandmother and great grandmother might just have our name written on it

How could you not @iVampire

@KeepCalm how could you not!
It must have been a day for puppies yesterday. My DD isn't great with dogs which is interesting as where we live is very dog friendly, but she made me go into a clothes shop yesterday because the little dog was looking at her! It was some kind of terrier, chichichua (can't spell!) cross and very cute! We now need to work on DH!

@ranoutofquinoaandprosecco I have a horrible feeling we'll come home with two

Because I haven't enough on just now

And well done to your DD! Wee champion!

Go for it @KeepCalm. I thought I'd have to have radiotherapy so my selling point was that I needed a puppy to snuggle up to! I was told at my last appointment I may not have to have it now! Mmmm I'll find another selling point to DH!

Very cute KeepCalm :)

We've tried to rehome 3 and missed out each time so this might be the most sensible option

I got my puppy monster mid treatment and it was honestly the best decision I’ve ever made. He gets me out in the fresh air, loves me unconditionally, gives me the best cuddles and gives me something to focus on that isn’t myself or the bastard cancer. So I’m very much on team puppy!

My point exactly! He's a beaut @Namechangeforthiscancershit

Love the doggy pics!

Aw their little faces! Absolutely gorgeous 😍 I'd have a houseful of dogs if I could

Love the puppies. I had to give mine to my DSIS when the cancer returned last November. As promised, here's the tree! The lights were supposed to be warm white but we ended up with multi-coloured as the whites weren't working.

Me too @purpleunicorns !

Gorgeous tree @TwitterQueen1

I can't put mjne up for a while as the in-laws are coming at the end of this week and we'd have no where to sit. That's a bit too close for comfort for my liking.

As soon as they're gone.......

Really gorgeous happy looking tree TQ

The multicoloured lights look really cheery He’s a good shape too.

I hope it's ok to post here..I am a very long term user ( kate and the girls, Peters trifle...) but mostly lurk. My best friend, who was at one stage in life my partner, and who lodges with me now, has had ongoing bowel cancer...late diagnosis, large t4 dukes tumour removed last year, chemo etc. Thought all was well early this year but then he started having stomach issues again. He has another tumour...a leftover from previous illness they think ...he's been undergoing chemo and radio and was told that he will need a major op...the local centre says probably just impacting the bladder....however he was referred also to a specialist centre...the consultant there sent a letter to the local consultant which reads ' total pelvic exentoration very possible.' This has really shaken us as was so different from what the local hospital consultant said. My friend is not at all sure he would go ahead with this procedure as it seems so intrusive and the outcomes don't look good. I just wanted to ask if anyone had any experience of this procedure? I feel at a loss and scared for him. Please do point me in the appropriate direction if this is better asked elsewhere .

I have had a similar op Ratty

I had a ten and a half hour op and ten organs removed from my abdomen but my bladder wasn’t removed. I recovered well from the op but I was in good health to start with (Non smoker, don’t drink, healthy weight, walked lots).

I would suggest he doesn’t rule out having the op until speaking to his consultant. He may be an excellent candidate for the op or they may feel the risk is too high.
Dr Google isn’t sympathetic and its info is often panic inducing. He really ought to speak to his consultant and take their advice.

If you don’t mind me asking, is the specialist centre in Basingstoke? That’s where I had my op and the post op care I received was excellent. The nurses were wonderful.

You're so kind to respond Aimlessly - thank you.I think we both just feel a bit shocked at the differing takes on what the way forward might be- he has just finished chemo and radio and awaits a PET scan and other tests before things should become clearer. The specialist centre is Newcastle - I'm so glad to hear you had excellent treatment - what a trauma to go through - I do hope you're doing much better now. Once he has a clearer view as to what his options are I know he will take all possible advice from the specialist consultant - reading on Google it just sounds so horrendous -

Google really isn’t our friend. I actually think it’s an anti-anxiety pill producing pharmaceutical company writing the answers to any medical queries.

Sorry for being nosey about where he’s being seen. It’s just that Basingstoke and Christie’s in Manchester both specialise in bowel/colon type cancers.

Unfortunately my op was not successful and I only have months to live but I’m glad I gave it a go as I was ever so uncomfortably bloated pre op and it bought me some time.

Wishing you and your friend the very best of luck whatever route he decides to take. x

I'm so very sorry for all you have been through and continue to go through. ...i have been reading through the cancer support threads a little..such kindness and strength and humanity. ..