Cancer Support #70. Please post on this thread, not #69, If you have cancer or are undergoing tests for cancer. Rant, rave, scream, cry – whatever helps. Supportive lurkers for Leslie welcome on #69.

[TwitterQueen1]

Thread #69 is filling up with messages of support for one of our own who is very seriously ill. Leslie told me a few weeks ago that she didn’t want any such messages to get in the way of those who need support through their cancer treatment so we are starting a new thread just for those who do have cancer or who are having tests. Could we respectfully ask lurkers and supportive posters to confine their comments to thread #69? Thank you.

We normally start with a brief introduction to our cancers – I’ll kick off. Ovarian cancer dx March 2017. Now on third-line treatment with a trial providing targeted and chemo drugs taken orally.

Hi old as TQ said this is not a thread for relatives but for those of us who actually have cancer. So it's overall a completely boat I'm afraid.
You might be better off starting your own thread to get some advice - and on things like this it might also be worth reading the thread before posting.
Good luck to you and your mum.

Evening ladies!

Still on fire here with rads burns. Am only person in Scotland who didn't want a heatwave! Have a CT scan on 29th and new chemo starts on 1st. It really did hit me at my oncology appt that this shit for me will be never ending........

But the sun is shining and the puppies are fuckwits so for today that will do

ust wondered if anyone had any experience, I have to go for a hysteroscopy in the morning after ultrasound showed thickening of the womb lining had an internal and biopsy’s taken last Friday. Have a long and complicated medical history and had no bleeding for 5 years then it started again about 6 weeks ago.
Dreading tomorrow and dreading the wait also my thickening seems a lot thicker than most at 26mm when they investigate when it’s over 5 sad
I spotted this thread after posting on menopause, I’m a single mum of 5 and have a life limiting illness.

@KeepCalm bless you, I can't believe you're still burning  might be worth calling your rads team/ BCN tomorrow?

@LargeGlassofRed unfortunately I can't offer any advice, only a welcome and a hand hold... I prescribe a large glass of red (I'm currently on my second large glass of white!) and some chocolate? Xxx

Hello all. Sorry I have been a bit quiet. Been suffering a bit with fatigue and sore skin after the radiotherapy. I bought some medihoney but it doesn't seem to help that much more than the aloe? The ones in my armpit are so sore i can;t wear a bra and, due to being large of nork, I haven't left the house much. It's been too hot to be outside plus am paranoid about making the rads burns worse and there is one on my clavicle/ neck which is really angry and red so have been keeping it out of the sun.

@Flippyneck - I meant to post this the other day. I know you probably have a lot of other things to consider but if you want to talk to a solicitor about a potential claim, I can recommend good people. I am a solicitor and when I was a trainee I did a six-month stint in a clinical negligence team. They are really excellent. There's nothing in it for me - I don't practice that area of law and I don;t even work at that firm any more. You have three years from the date of the negligent act OR the date of discovery of the negligent act (which would apply to you, as you didn't know at the time). Anyhow, if you are interested, drop me a PM.

To those embarking on cold capping - I did say some stuff about it further up this thread. I am glad I did it although my hair is now much thinner and weaker, but that could also be down to the endocrine therapy I am now on.

Hope everyone is ok. Sending love and

Had cervical cancer and now a recurrence in lymph nodes.

I have wonderful friends and family but I just don't want to talk about it. I want to pretend it's just not happening....not healthy I know!

SheStood nowt wrong with a bit of healthy denial. If you choose to tell the world and his dog it'll be in your own time. In the meantime strangers on the internet are here.

Do you have a treatment plan now?

@TwitterQueen1 I'm so sorry xx

LargeGlassOfRed - love your username, even though i’ve utterly lost my tolerance to red since starting on cancer meds. Sorry you find yourself here, but welcome

SheStood sometimes it’s right to just shut up about it and act like an ostrich. Do you have further investigations ahead?

I’m afraid I was just out enjoying the sun today - not a thought to those with after effects of rads (sorry about that!)

Hope everyone had a good Easter

I’m back on the cancer treadmill now the hols are drawing to a close. 2x outpatients this week. One is post-colonoscopy, other is haem team. Pretty sure nothing is wrong for the haematology- they’d have called me in if anything was wrong.

But they will weigh me - and post-Easter that won’t be pretty

@OldSpeclkledHen
That's OK. I hope your mum is OK.

Evening Lacies

I haven't been on for months (ostriching) and came back to hear the news. I've stopped crying now, but bloody hell.

Anyway, in the spirit of not clogging up the thread (and respecting her wishes), I was diagnosed with Marginal Zone Lymphoma just over a year ago.

I had eight rounds of chemo, & am now having rituximab every eight weeks, which makes me neutropenic. Hooray!

I've had a lovely Easter break with the kids, only slightly soured by one of them puking just before bed tonight.

Look forward to catching up with you all

What actually happens when you go neutropenic?

Do you stay at home with your own family germs only? Or do they force you in and keep you in isolation until your blood behaves itself again?

(This is the sort of thing I really ought to know!)

ivampire When I'm neutropenic and an outpatient, they just let me stay home and give the usual advice - stay away from lots of people, no salads/thin skinned fruit etc. And I have to take my temp regularly and go to a&e if it hits 38°C or if I feel particularly unwell without a temp. But if I'm neutropenic and already in hospital, they won't let me home until bloods behave, and they don't let you off the ward (hospitals are full of sick people you could catch things from!). Miles experience might be different to mine obvs, every hospital does things differently!

I hope everyone was able to enjoy chocolate day Easter, though sorry to hear about those with rads burns. I'm still in chemo so have had to avoid the sunshine (also hot flushes in hot weather isn't fun!) But it does cheer me a bit to see it through the window! Next chemo cycle starts Thursday... No rest for the wicked!

The first time they said I was neutrophenic I threw a strip and went to Nando's! But yes I was given all the usual advice before doh c that...

Doing that even

Honestly, my doctor hasn't given me any advice at all, so I've just carried on as normal.

My doctor is obviously more laissez-faire than tahiti's!

In fact, my whole family are off school and work today with a bug, and I'm fine. Which is very annoying.

My blood levels have levelled a bit in the last few weeks, so that's probably why.

How's the running going iVampire? I was thinking of you the other day, as I've (re)-started the couch to 5k, to try and regain some semblance of control over my blancmange body. It feels so fantastic to be out jogging in the woods, when this time last year I was bracing myself for chemo!

Hope everybody is feeling chipper today.

Hi Miles! I don't know whether to say good to hear from you again or not!
I nominate people to do my running for me . You're on my list now, along with iVampire

Hi TQ

If I run for two people, does that mean that, in effect, I'm running twice as far? Because that would really help my stats.

Ooh that sounds fab Gib, it's good to have something to look forward to

Keepcalm is there nothing the doctors can give you for the burns? They look sooo sore

I hope today goes as ok as it can Largeglass. Let us know how you get on

Welcome back Miles. How are you finding the rituximab? Does it give you any other side effects other than making you neutropenic? You can run for me too so that means you're running 3 times as far

I could make my Pilates classes vicarious group sessions. As I am in Sydney, due to the time difference you would all have the added benefit of exercising your sleep 😊

Hi purple ** Well, the rituximab isn't as bad as the chemo, but it makes me very tired for a few days afterwards. How are you holding up?

I've just been for a 3k stagger, so I'm tripling that to 9k, which means TQ & purple have run 3k each.

Add in the sleep-Pilates that snow has kindly contributed, & we'll all be svelte & fit in no time!

Apologies for embarrassing bold fail.

I aml loving the idea of how much exercise I could be having while not actually having to move a muscle

Just had the port installed. Uncomfortable but not too bad. How long does it take for the discomfort to settle down?

I have just been exercise shamed by someone from the hospital! Just had a phone call from someone in the radiotherapy team at Guy’s. I didn’t catch her name. She just talked AT me about eh importance of exercise and how I should be getting out very day for at least 45 minutes of walking and blah blah blah and I just said ‘I do know all of that. I’m not stupid. But my rads burns currently make it impossible to wear a bra or any clothing which doesn’t rub and make them more sore’ and she just continued on and on and on about the importance of exercise in combatting fatigue!

I know she is probably right but she was so patronising.

She also clearly hadn’t read my notes properly as she didn’t know that I haven’t had a mastectomy because I am stage 4 so there’s really not much fucking point. She also said I should discuss Tamoxifen with the Oncologist when I am already on hormone/ endocrine therapy