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

mysillydog Becks Blue is vile AND it gives me a hangover which seem most unfair!

Hope you're feeling a bit better Bitoffun, there's nothing worse than the waiting for painkillers to start working

Are you still taking your chemo tablets Leslie? You probably already said but I got so lost with the thread over Xmas

I managed to have one night in my own bed and I'm back in hospital. I came for my blood test this morning and mentioned my left leg which is numb/really painful all the way down so they kept me in for an X-ray. Luckily nothing sinister showed up but they think it's nerve pain, possibly sciatica and it really, really hurts.
Fentanyl isn't shifting it so they're going to prescribe me something else

@purpleunicorns blinking rubbish. I suppose your in the best place thing is wearing thin now?
I must be odd, I used to like a Becks Blue when I was pregnant! Probably because I don't usually drink beer!
@KeepCalm was Mary P any good? I drove my parents mad with the original as I had yellow jaundice as a child, off school for about a month and watched it every day! Thank god for VHS!

Oh ffs @purpleunicorns that's a bit shit. Fingers solved for a quick resolution.

@ranoutofquinoaandprosecco I enjoyed it but then DD3 and I have had sound of music on repeat all holidays and I'm going to see Greatest showman in June and Matilda in April......

ranout I know where zaap is and it’s always so full, I’d like to try it. We didn’t do either of those places today, we stayed more in the Victoria quarter/gate area. I’m in Harrogate, daughter doing a Masters at the university which is why we were there today. Are you local to Leeds?

Sorry you’ve been re admitted purple, hope it’s not for long

Did I mention I got Hamilton tickets for Easter Saturday?

I may mention this on a weekly frequent basis for ever the next few months. ...

Sorry to hear you're back in again purple

purple so sorry to hear you’ve been re-admitted, I hope you can come home soon.

widget it’s so horrible awaiting results, my children were 3 & 6 when I was diagnosed, it’s a scary time & so hard. Love to you.

Dulce please can you DM as I’d like to join bthe Facebook group, thanks

Ooooooooooooh @TwitterQueen1 fancy!

purple so sorry you’re back in hospital

runoutofprosecco / keepcalm - SPOILER re Mary Poppins - a fairly large element of the plot is based on Ben Wishaw not being able to cope after the death of his wife. I watched it between biopsy and diagnosis. So I was probably massively over sensitive, but don’t want to repeat that experience for a while!

Hope everyone has a restful night x

Hi - hope everyone gets a good night’s sleep, wherever they are and whatever is on the mind.

I have a nasty feeling I’m coming down with a cold. Temp is normal and I’m hoping it stays that way. Once upon a time, precautions st bedtime meant something quite different from making sure I had (non-spillable) clear fluids and a digital thermometer within easy reach.

purple sorry to hear you're in hospital again! Hope they let you out soon.

ivampire I feel ya! Also thought I was getting a cold but it petered out and I think I'm fine. Hopefully yours does too.

Toofar thanks for the Mary Poppins heads up! I didn't know that, I think I'll give it a miss for a while!

iVampire your precautions comment made me snort blood out of my nose so now you owe me a new pillow

@Toofaroutallmylife aye, discovered that whilst watching the film and silently sobbed through most of it 

@purpleunicorns @WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo hope you're both doing 'okay' today

@iVampire brilliant!
Thanks for the heads up about Mary P. May decide whether to go see it over the next couple of weeks! Might be good for my DP to see, he's beginning to annoy me as I've finished chemo (10 days ago) so sometimes seems to forget I'm still "ill"!
@mrsrhodgilbert I'm on Ilkley, not far at all!
@purpleunicorns hope your home soon.

Hello lacies
I just wanted to wave and send a gentle hug to leslie. I hope you know how special you are.
Best thoughts and hot buttered toast (digestions allowing) to all.

Hello Grismo. We haven't had any baby elephants round here for quite a while! :) how are you doing now? I had a toasted and buttered cheese and black pepper muffin for my breakfast. Very tasty.

iVampire I hope your temperature is behaving itself and that the cold passes quickly

purple what a pain, literally! I hope they can sort that out quickly. Yes, still on the tablets. I have an appointment in a couple of weeks so I'll ask then if it's worth carrying on. Are you having more chemo or are they changing the plan because of your kidneys?

Mysillydog I hope you enjoyed your night out even if you were stuck with sparkling water

Caz that sounds lovely. I've found really strong flavours (sour or spicy) helped with the nasty taste.

Good morning everyone. I slept much better and I found it a tiny bit easier walking to the loo this morning :)

Morning all 🌞
I don't know how to go about introducing myself really when the chat is already so well established
I have a condition called Lichen Sclerosus which is described as a pre cancerous condition and am currently awaiting a biopsy on a suspicious looking lesion which I have ignored for a lot longer than I should have done.
I'm frightened and want to burst out crying every time I look at my little girl.
Hope you're all having a nice Sunday

Hi Rosies new people are always welcome, and by established you mean rambling and random right?

I don’t know anything about LS. Is it something you have recently been diagnosed with because of this lesion or has it been part of your life for a while?

How old is your little girl? I hope she is giving you lots of lovely cuddles

Rosie I don't post much ,my cancer was 6 years ago and I just pop in sometimes .But wanted to welcome you and give you my hand to hold .

It is so horrible to be waiting for results ,everyone will agree it's one of the very worst bits of the process .Even if the results are not want you want it will be a relief to get them and then you will also get told what the next steps are .Which is so much better than being in limbo .

I am thinking of every one but do hope bitoffun is in less pain ,that purple is out of hospital soon and that Leslie is keeping her chin up .Or having a scream ,whichever she prefers .

Rosie I have a friend with LS on her vulva ,no fun!

Welcome Rosiesmummy17, but sorry that you need to be here do you have a date for your biopsy? Hopefully you'll only be here a short time. And please just jump in (same goes for anyone else who is reading and wondering whether to post!) we were all newbies at one time or another.

Morning all - or I should say afternoon!
I’ve been sleeping lots the last week or so - racking up 10 hrs plus in bed every night (although there’s a lot of tossing and turning and getting up to the loo or let the dog out in that!)... I assume it’s just rest my body needs after the chemo and surgery, so I’m going with it while I have the chance - but hoping I get back to a more normal schedule soon or I will doing the school run in my pjs!!

Leslie I’m sorry you’ve been having it rough lately, but glad to hear you slept well. Cheese and black pepper muffin sounds delish! Where is it from? I used to get Cheese muffins from Morrison’s but they don’t taste so cheesy any more...

Hi to everyone - sorry to hear of those in and out of hospital, or not feeling well.
I hope things settle down soon.

Hello Rosiesmummy sorry you find yourself here. Don't worry about this thread being 'well established'. Sadly we have new people pretty much every week. Do you have a date for the biopsy yet? The waiting is definitely the worst part - when there is a plan in place everything seems more manageable somehow.

Leslie glad you're feeling a bit more active.

Hello everyone, I lurk on this thread but don't usually post. You are all fab.

This is for Rosies: I was diagnosed with Lichen Schlerosis back in April and was also referred to the vulva clinic (nice.) My appt was in October; the consultant said there were areas that were a cause for concern and referred me to an oncology surgeon on the 2 week pathway. Like you I had ignored symptoms for ages.
I was absolutely petrified; I have 2 youngish children and kept imagining them growing up without a mother. Long story short I was diagnosed with VIN 3 (dodgy cells that may or may not turn cancerous), and had an op before Christmas to remove them all. The biopsies showed no sign of cancer.
I won't lie- it was the most frightening time of my life- but I should be alright now will just need regular checks in case of recurrence.
Vulval cancer is pretty rare and slow growing, most cases are seen on women in their 60s and 70s. It is very difficult not to jump to the worst case scenario, I know, but try to hang on in there.
Will be thinking of you

Leslie could it be the chemo that's making you so tired? I'm seeing my oncologist tomorrow so I'll find out then about the chemo, I only have one more to go so hopefully it'll go ahead.
I'm now weeing blood so I'm still in hospital waiting to see if it's an infection.

Hello Rosie and fingers crossed the biopsy is clear. I also ignored signs of having cancer so please don't beat yourself up over it