Cancer support 67. Waiting for tests, just diagnosed or needing a handhold through treatment

[purpleunicorns]

Welcome to the 67th cancer support thread, the previous one can be found here.

If you're looking for advice, have any questions or just need some support while you're waiting for test results or treatment to start then pull up a seat and make yourself comfortable. You can rant, cry or scream if you need to but we do have some laughs along the way

No questions are silly so please don't feel embarrassed about anything you want to post. The chances are at least one of us has been there at some point!

There's a whole variety of people with different cancers at different stages and nobody goes unanswered, the people on here are amazing (even if I do say so myself ) and they have been a massive support to me over the last year.

If you have a friend or family member with cancer then there's a support thread for you here with lots of practical advice to help you support your loved ones

At the beginning of each thread we give a brief summary of who we are and what we have to save us trailing back through old threads

Here's mine: Im 35 and was diagnosed last October with cervical cancer, despite chemo and radiotherapy I found out in June that it had spread and I'm now having palliative chemo to keep me stable. A scan a few weeks ago showed that there was no new growth after 4 lots of chemo. 2 more chemos to go for me so I'm hoping it stays that way

Thank you for the new thread purple :)

Hi. I'm Leslie. I've got stage IV colorectal cancer (lung and lymph mets). Recent scan showed significant progression. I'm now on oral chemo (Lonsurf) and hoping that gives me some extra time. I'm also recovering from pneumonia, which has really knocked me for six (and then some!) so I've been whinging a lot lately...

Hi I was diagnosed in July with primary breast cancer. I'm 42 and have 2 DCs 5 and nearly 8. I had my penultimate round of chemo yesterday and should have a mastectomy late Jan/early Feb.

Hello. Almost exactly one year ago, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I had surgery at the beginning of this year to remove my upper right lobe. I was lucky in that it was caught early. I didn't need chemo/rad.
I've had a couple of scares during the past 11 months, but my last scans in October were clear of cancer (stable). My next scans will be in Oct 19.

However, I still lurk on this thread on the off chance that I may be of some use to someone and I am attached to you all.

Thanks for the new thread purple

Hi, I'm Noodles, I have breast cancer. Diagnosed in June, it is in a local lymph node as well as my breast, so had chemo first. I finished my 7th round at the start of Nov and I am due to have a lumpectomy & node clearance next week as a day patient, followed by radiotherapy next year. I am not looking forward to the aftermath of the op and recovery one bit...

Following on from the last thread, I hope you are ok pandora the advice to not get stressed is very easy to say, but how the hell do you do that?! Esp when you have such awful journeys to get your treatment and they keep messing up what drugs you need after chemo.
I'm sorry you are having such a rough time & hope now there is a heart issue to add to the mix, you will be very well looked after. It makes me feel very grateful for the superb care I have had and cross it is not the same across the board. Do you have any friends who can help with giving you a lift? I know I would do it if a friend asked and be glad to be able to help. Half the time there isn't a great deal friends and relatives can do, so are happy to if there is something they can help with.

bitoffun your leaflet wafting made me chuckle. Thanks for that

Glad to hear you are picking up a teeny bit Leslie at least you are going in the right direction now (however I realise it must be very frustrating) it must be the wiggles in the bath that are responsible for this improvement btw

I hope everyone has had a good day & are feeling as well as possible. I am having a medicinal glass of red which is going down a bit too well...

Hello, I’m Fuzzy, and I think my eyesight might be going, as I read wombat as saying she was attracted to us all.... ‘too right!’ I thought, these Lacies are rather special!

Other than bad eyesight, I had breast cancer diagnosed in May this year. ER+ and HER2+. Completed 5 months of chemo, and had a mastectomy with implant reconstruction three weeks ago. I just got a bit of good news from the surgery - no sign of spread to my lymph nodes, and the chemo has done a complete job of killing the invasive cancer.... I’m waiting to hear about whether I need radiotherapy, and am expecting to be put on long term medication pretty shortly.

I am sure that you are all very attractive Fuzzy And congrats on your good news.

pandora I meant to say that it is outrageous that you have to make such an arduous journey. I wish I was closer and could assist in some way

I will go back to lurking, but send you all best wishes for the festive season [santa]

Wonderful news Fuzzy

ranout I hope you're not feeling too rough after yesterday.

Hugs to you all.

Thanks for new thread Purple.

I have breast cancer diagnosed in July. I am married with an adult step-son. No children of my own. I do consider my step-son to be my son though as I’ve been in his life a long time. Sadly my husband’s first wife died of breast cancer 18 years ago. I put off going to the Doctor probably for longer than I should have done through fear. Still feel guilty about this. I had not yet been called for mammogram screening but by bitter irony I received my first call for one in November of this year. Just about 6 months too late.

I have tried to avoid knowing much about my diagnosis and I have resisted googling so far. My treatment plan is 7 rounds of chemo (now having Herceptin as well), mastectomy and lymph node removal followed by radiotherapy. So far I’ve had 6 rounds of chemo. One more to go before Christmas all being well. Wish I had found this thread earlier than I did as I am sure the support here would have helped with the fear/anxiety I had about cancer and I might have faced my fears earlier. Coulda/woulda/shoulda

Great news fuzzy that didn't take too long to find out either after your op (although am sure it has felt a lot longer to you!)
I am hoping mine is similar (well I know one node is affected, but it is the first one in the line of fire so to speak, the others all look normal on a scan, so am hoping it is just the one that is doing its job and reacting to the cancer cells from the breast)

I meant to say hi to flyingarcher too. Traffic is hideous around East Surrey/Crawley lately as they seem to have picked now to do lots of essential roadworks (everywhere!) I hope you weren't too held up. I had to look up the zol aciding - do you have breast cancer? I hope it is not too bad for you on Monday.

Thanks all...

Yes the two week wait was not a barrel of laughs noodles! But I had the fun of lugging myself and my drains around to distract me...

Glad you are feeling a wee bit stronger leslie

pandora - I’m truly shocked by the lack of care you seem to be receiving...You absolutely deserve better

I was diagnosed in 2014, a month after my 50th birthday, with breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and clear sentinel node biopsy, 15x rads and then tamoxifen. Last year I moved to anastrozole, prematurely as it turned out so I had my ovaries and tubes removed in March to force the menopause. My cancer is 8/8 oestrogen positive and I’m doing 5 years of hormone therapy which should finish next summer. I don’t post much any more but I do lurk and I’ll help if I can.

Simmi here. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 months ago - Hormone negative and HER2 +. I have at least one lymph node affected too. I’m also having chemo first - had last round of AC yesterday and start 12 weeks of taxol with herceptin and perjeta after Xmas. After that 15 rads then mastectomy with immediate DIEP Flap reconstruction. Apparently I’m fat enough to build one breast back up to a D cup but I’ll have to go smaller if I want both off . No current evidence of anything in other breast so I’ll probably keep it. I’m 34D so not massive but still managed to hide an 8cm tumour . Luckily the chemo so far seems to have obliterated the beast and my oncologist is saying she can’t feel anything anymore. Still need the full “gold standard” treatment though given the initial diagnosis.

I’m 42 with two girls- almost 5 and 3. I live in Australia (hence slightly different drugs etc) but was born and brought up in UK. Hope you’re ok pandora - angry on your behalf .

leslie thanks for asking about chemo - I’ve been sleeping a lot but other than that all ok. How are you keepcalm ? Xx

Hey. I'm 35 and was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma (a type of blood cancer) in October this year. Am just about to start my 3rd ABVD chemo session. I have two DC, aged 14 and 4, and a puppy, aged 6 months

Fuzzy Glad to see you got good news!

Pandora Surely they need to be giving you patient transport! I don't know how you manage that journey. I wish I lived closer, I'd drive ya.

Hi

I’m another inhabitant of the haematology department - I have leukaemia (CML). I’ve had a complete cytogenic response to the drugs (crap now undetectable in bone marrow) but not yet at the molecular level (the reading in my blood is slightly too high). They may be swapping drugs in Jan, unless test currently in lab is clear.

I’m in my 50s, with teenagers (one of whom has already had an amazing strop at me this morning - poor thing is far too tired and there’s still a while until the end of term)

Hiiii it’s my bowels that are my issue (along with my liver, lungs and lymph nodes so a bit of a full house bowel cancer wise). I am 34 and was diagnosed about a year and a half ago, at which point my lungs were behaving. Spread to lungs was defo A Bad Thing and I won’t be cured but my lovely oncologists are cracking on with trying to keep me stable for as long as poss.

So far I’ve had two bursts of chemo/immunotherapy, radiotherapy a couple of small ops and a liver resection, all of which have actually been fine.

I’m happy to go through whatever treatment they dream up and am super lucky with side effects but a complete disaster in the face of scanxiety, and also liable to discharge myself from hospital now and again as I don’t do inpatient. Other than that, model patient and a delight to treat

Oh and no kids, live in Oxford, angry cat and angelic (ha) puppy whose balls are coming off today so won’t be happy with me tonight

Aww name, you’ll have to get pup a couple of extra special baubles for Christmas

I will not miss his baubles! He loves to lie around on his back showing everyone!

I hope you're not feeling too rough after chemo yesterday Ranout and well done and getting through the last one! Hopefully it'll be mostly of your system soon and you'll have a lovely Xmas

Waves to Fuzzy, Wombat and MrsRhod 👋 it's always nice to hear from the older posters to see how you're getting on

Pandora I've been looking into patient transport. I live miles away from everyone on here so I'm not much practical use but I can google have you checked to see if St Johns Ambulance could help? They do a patient transport scheme here

waves I'm 32, stage 3 breast cancer with lymph involvement. Ive just completed my before surgery chemo. Now awaiting a date for surgery with more chemo and radiation therapy to follow.

Ive got my blood transfusion today so hopefully I'll feel a touch better.

www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/community-transport/
Delurking!
Pandora is this of any help? Hopefully there might be something here?

Good luck with your transfusion Pandora I hope that it perks you up :)

Tahiti good luck with your next chemo session.

Simmi sleeping is definitely the best way to deal with chemo side effects.

Namechange I hope puppy's op goes smoothly and that he doesn't hold a grudge too long! :)

Waving to everyone else

Hi, I was diagnosed in October after a routine mammogram. I’m 57 and have 2 DDs. One has just graduated and the other is in third year at university. Neither live at home. DH and I officially retired (early) this year and this was supposed to be the start of a new chapter including much travelling.
I have breast cancer, in both breasts. Had surgery just over three weeks ago and my lymph nodes are clear. It is er+ and her- . I’m having radiotherapy in January and have just started taking anastazole.
Both breasts are still very tender and I have a constant headache because of the anastrazole. But I know that really I’ve been lucky to have escaped relatively lightly.
Hugs and to everyone. Especially to Leslie and Pandora who are having a particularly tough time at the moment.

Pandora will you be able to pick your steroids and painkillers up today while your having your transfusion?

As promised to Aimless here is my very wonky zoo although looking through TQs photos on the Woolly Hugs thread I'm getting serious square envy so I'm going to make a real effort to understand the fancy patterns. I also have a half made dinosaur but the instructions are rather confusing so I'll have to come back to that one

Hi, I'm Caz, 44, diagnosed with breast cancer in November, one DD aged 4 and step-daughter aged 19 who's currently staying with us as I had surgery yesterday.
Currently sporting a very blue boob and feeling like I've been hit by a bus! Radioactive injection on Wednesday was nothing at all to worry about, the flu jab is worse! I was first on the surgery list yesterday, but even that didn't stop me from having a massive panic attack before hand (I have very bad anxiety with hospitals and all things medical). It didn't help that the consultant came in with a trainee and proceeded to draw all over me pointing out to him where the cuts where going to be made. I was seriously thinking about running away, but once they got me to the anesthetist he quickly gave me some drugs (DH said it was fentanyl) and I was away with the fairies. Next thing I knew I was in recovery. Home the same day. Really hoping that they got a good margin and my sentinel lymph nodes are clear, I'll find out on the 17th
Hugs to you all x