New year, new thread - cancer support thread 68 - join us if you have cancer, or are waiting for cancer-related tests

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the new thread. Our previous one is here.

Anyone with any cancer is welcome, or anyone waiting for tests because they might have cancer. If you're new, just jump in wherever. Don't feel you need to catch up with previous posts. We talk a lot! Ask any questions you need to. Someone will hopefully have an answer. And feel free to post photos of cute pets too.

Whether you're new or not, it's helpful to post a little introduction on the new thread to save people trying to remember everyone's different diagnosis and treatment.

I hope you are more comfortable now Dulce

Mrstraveller sorry you're still suffering from the op

It's lovely having my sister here. She is staying a while. I guess it depends how long I linger on for!

The neck pillow is very comfortable and stops my cancery lump causing problems :)

Good afternoon lacies. Just checking in to see how everyone is.
@WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo lovely to hear you've got your sister with you. Hope the neck pillow is helping.
@Mrstraveller are you due to see the nurse for your prothesis to be fitted, can you ask her about your pain at the same time? I didn't have lymph nodes removed and am nearly 3 weeks post op and I'm sore but not in pain, although I've still got what seems like a lot of fluid to me. I had that checked by the nurse yesterday (no drains) and she said to leave it as it should absorb. My nurses have said to contact though if it causes discomfort so I'd say the same for yours. It won't hurt to give them a call and ask them. I've suggested that it would be really useful if we could all FaceTime them and show them the problem it would save so much time!
Waves to everyone else.

Delurking to give hugs to borntobe People are stronger than we give them credit for. Once I allowed myself to rely on my elderly MIL for a bit of support, she proved invaluable, and much chirpier than I could have expected!

Touched that so many of you remembered about my colonoscopy last Wednesday. The good news is, they’ve found nothing. The bad news is, I am still having the symptoms! Am awaiting follow-up appointment, plus another one with my gynae-oncologist to see that the problem doesn’t stem from that end (bowel puns are too easy). Meanwhile, am just getting used to living with near-constant discomfort. So far, I think it’s made me a bit kinder to others- you never know what people might be going through! Though whenever the discomfort turns into actual pain, I revert to being a grumpy b.

purple - you are one of my heroes. I hope your son is doing alright.

Leslie - how nice to have your sister there. I never see mine. I hope you’re as comfortable as you can be.

Baba - good to hear from you. Sorry to hear you’re still in pain, but at least they seem to be ruling some things out. Hope you get a definite answer soon

baba what a relief that your colonoscopy was clear. It's always good to hear back, as otherwise we wonder what happened to people :) I hope that they find the cause of your symptoms soon, and that you can get some better pain medication in the meantime. All the best

We've already nearly filled this thread so I will start a new one this evening. We might as well fill this one up first, otherwise people sometimes post on the older thread and get forgotten.

Well, maybe tomorrow, rather than this evening. I'm not sure we will have another forty posts today (famous last words...)

Well I think we should all just post so as we give Leslie something to do this evening

Don't worry Dulce I have no shortage of things to do I'm knitting a scarf for my hospice nurse. (This really will be my last one!) she's visiting tomorrow, but I don't think I'll get it finished in time. I'm only about halfway through at the moment.

ranout. Yes I think they do so sort of drop in clinic at my hospital on a Tuesday morning. Can’t go next week as I’m braving the dentist for the first time since my diagnosis.

My pro thesis fitting is on 05/03 so not too long to wait. Hopefully it will improve in that time. It seems to get worse by the evening. It’s like I have a tight band around my left arm, soreness under my arm and soreness across my back/shoulder

Xx

I can witter on for ages.. I'll give you two dog stories - separately. I miss having a dog so much...

Big hug for TQ. Sorry, I don't have a wet nose or a waggy tail!

Man loitering on the path yesterday for a while - it's a long straight path so I could see him for a good while. Carrying a dog lead. Immediate thought was "he's lost his dog and he's too embarrassed to say anything to anyone." He was smartly dressed and around mid-late 30s [irrelevant really but I thought maybe he was too cool for a lost dog ]. He was still there when I returned half an hour later. Before I got to him I heard very loud rustling in the very spiky, thorny bramble bushes so I called to him and asked if he'd lost his dog. He said "not really, I know she's there but she won't come out until. I've been waiting 45 minutes for her but she's ignoring me and my treats! The dog (cockerpoo) had poked her nose out when I spoke to her but decided I clearly wasn't interesting enough and went back in! Apparently she's done this before....

The second incident was today, when I made a new friend! Lovely lady with a puppy and 2 rescue dogs, recently moved down from up north. We had a lovely chat and are now friends on FB.

I don't stalk people with dogs at all.... no.... never.... really..

CT scan and echo next week.

Waves to all. Lovely Lesley, the neck pillow sounds ace. How is the weighted blankie going?

For those with under arm lymph node pain - it does go on for a while. I took loads of tumeric and also would put a wrapped up ice pack under there to reduce inflammation. Even now, almost two years on, I have days when it mutters at me and the nork grumbles a bit.

DS2 passed his driving test on Friday. Yipppeeee. So no more driving him to work and training. Oh the freedom for us both!

My shoulder is still poorly with this impinged tendon/rotator cuff thingy. I can't raise my arm very high and am worried about how I am going to cope at annual mammo which will be next month.

baba I am delighted for you. Hope they can get to the bottom of your symptoms soon

at the lost dog TQ. If I had a dog I would want a cockerpoo. My aunt has one. But he's impeccably behaved and would never dream of hiding in a bush. And yay for your new friend and her dogs :) hopefully you can go for walkies with them!

Flying well done to your DS2 and yay for your freedom! Sorry about your shoulder. That sounds horrid

I found the gravity blanket very comforting, but I've not been using it the last few days as it's quite heavy and I was struggling a bit to move it.

I'm so desperate to have a dog!! Dh is not keen and I have to try and convince him. I do worry what we would do for holidays etc.
I now work from home 3/4 days a week so it wouldn't be alone in the day. Cockapoo is also one of my favourites. Or sausage dog.
Has anyone used share my doggy (or whatever it's called?)

I think my friend uses that. She walks a couple of dogs anyway, that aren't hers.

At the Shine conference I went to last year they had therapy dogs. I'm not keen on all types of dog. But there was a really cute one who actually looked like he was smiling!

Like this little fella!

I'm sorry, it's me again. I'm still waiting for my colonoscopy (which I know is likely to be fine). In the meantime, I'm still feeling sick every time I eat a meal, and I'm getting what I can only describe as colicky pain too. I'm also getting bottom pain which feels like I need to go to the toilet all the time, but often I don't.

While I know it's not likely to be sinister and I really shouldn't speculate, are these symptoms those of you with bowel issues have had? If so, did you find a way to relieve them?

Those symptoms are all very familiar to me, but really can have any number of causes.

Eating little and often helps me rather than big meals. Painkillers I find help the pain in the bum, and stops me thinking I need to go all the time!

When is the colonoscopy. I am not suggesting your symptoms aren’t physical, but the worry really won’t be helping.

HugAndRoll you could try Buscopan or mebeverine helpful with the colicky pain. Both are available over the counter. Some people also recommend peppermint oil capsules. I've never tried them myself so can't comment on their effectiveness.