Cancer Support Thread #71 - here to help if you’re dealing with cancer in any shape or form, come in and say hello.

[Brassica]

Hi again everyone and welcome to the 71st new thread for cancer support.

All those who are currently being treated, have been treated in the past, have worries and concerns and/or are having tests are very welcome to pull up a chair and chat, vent, rant, pour hearts out, share milestones and anything else! We are a very friendly and all-too experienced bunch on here and there are no questions too small or silly to ask.

Our previous thread is here .

Anyone with any type of cancer (female or male) 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've got a loved one with cancer then your best place for support is probably on the Life-Limiting Illness board.

Please can I invite current members to reintroduce yourselves below for latest situations and stories so far.

Can I just come on and rant about now shit Taxol is. I know this is the last time (hopefully) I have to deal with the after effects but I am moving like an old lady today and am SO achey and my legs keep twitching and I keep wanting to cry 😐

Ah snows hang in there darling...nearly there. Does taking painkillers help? Sorry if that's a naive question. I have the delights of taxotere still to come after one more sick-inducing FEC.

Today I have a mouth ulcer which is making me a bit miserable. I am probably doomed to be ill now as I went to the pub with a friend last night and had a great time with some laughs and a bit of dancing then back to hers for a take away. I have 2 insect bites on my leg which are itching like buggery (being good and not scratching) and i was probably breathed on by all manner of bug-ridden people. And I lost my sunglasses! But I had a fab time and felt like me again for the first time in ages....well me with a headscarf. There will be a price to pay won"t there
Im going to be a good girl today....

notcool keeping fingers crossed that concerned face is just his natural look....or maybe he was trying to suppress a burp fart Thinking of you in the waiting phase....we all know how pants that is.

Have a good Saturday everyone x

Thanks Notscool. I am also in Scotland, so everything has been in middle of school holidays. I even managed to have my FNA at the February half term.
I have found the Macmillan thyroid cancer forum quite suppportive. Family and friends have been great.
I am going on holiday to the north west of
Scotland where we have very poor WiFi. I’m sure it will do me good to be away from Dr Google.
Hope everyone has a great Saturday

snows. Commiserations on the joys of Taxol. Two and a bit weeks after my last dose and I am just beginning to realise how far reaching its effects were as they begin to recede. My brain is starting to clear and the fatigue is lifting a bit. The photosensitivity is much much better now. Still cant taste anything much and my fingers are still like dopey sausages making posting anything take at least twice as long. I know these will clear but it will take longer

At least you have finished with it and can move on to start losing the side effects

WTF99. Your evening out sounds fabulous and I hope all the bugs will have stayed away. I recognise the feeling that during this rubbish any nice moments will have to be paid for but I think you deserved that lovely evening.

I am three days into Radiotherapy and so far so good. The daily travelling back ands forth coupled with the early start times is tiring but on the plus side no brain fog, no light sensitivity, (I don't walk around with my boobs out so no problem there) and no new side effects. Best of all the end to this intensive phase of treatment is in sight and we have planned a short break for after it is over. I cant wait!!

meercat that is so wonderful to hear...I'm really pleased for you to have the end in sight. And a break away planned...how fab!

're the taxol, sorry to be dim but which bit of you is photosensitive?
It does all sound lile a big pile of poo to have to endure, but please tell me there's less nausea.....?

For me the photosensitive bits were the backs of my hands and lower arms. Worst in the car even if it wasn't sunny. My face looks a bot tanned but that wasn't sore or itchy and I just used Facor 50 on it. My hands and arms were really sore and itchy and I had to wear long black mittens. Thankfully not needed any more.

Photosensitivity must be grim at this time of year. My first drug was notorious for triggering it, so I was warned to use factor 50 even though it was sodding November.

Sorry to see new posters here, but welcome

And TQ (or TQDDs ) - I hope your weekend is going well, the drugs are finally working and you’re getting the odd break from the ward, even if for now that means a push round the grounds. Change of scenery always does me a power of good - maybe you too?

Thanks guys, I'm feeling less sorry for myself today! Luckily it is Winter here in Sydney as I have found I need to stay well out of even the Winter sun. My younger son is in Brighton (where he was born) at the moment and is sending me photos of a sunny Brighton beach 😁 It is reassuring to think the Chemo fog will lift soon, it is embarrassing not to be able to keep people's stories in my head for longer than thirty seconds xx

Managed to lock myself in the loo today. Couldn't get up. took a bit of time to get me out. [Grin]

Hello all. Just a big moan, I was supposed to be joining my DP and other family members on holiday yesterday; instead after a day of severe abdominal pain and then vomiting, on Friday, I had to go to A&E and was in two days. It was utterly grim, and yesterday I got a migraine on top of everything (although the abdominal pain was better by then). Other patients in the ward were vile. Huge relief to be discharged this afternoon. DP came home last night, very good to be reunited with her after more than a week apart. Doctors thought probably caused by constipation along with side effects of chemo. Sincerely hope the next 5 sessions won't end like this.

Bridget that sounds grim. Even worse that you missed joining your DP on holiday. If you tell your chemo team what happened they may be able to give you something or recommend something to stop it happening again

Thanks meercat, I will definitely talk to the oncologist about it and I thought I would try and talk to someone at the Maggie's Centre too - I felt so ill and was frightened.

Crikey TQ ... that must have been
...er fun. Hope you're now safely tucked up in bed. Next adventure sliding down the bannister?!!

Sorry to hear that Bridget. Are you doing the injection 24 hours after Chemo to boost your immune system (can't think of the name)? How disappointing to miss your holiday on top of everything else.

Glad you got out TQ. I went to collect DS from a party once at a Church hall (age 5) only to find he had been locked in the toilet since soon after the start of the party and nobody had even noticed he was missing!

How is radiation going meercat?

DD is having her hair cut this afternoon and I feel well enough for us to go for lunch beforehand so it is a good day here. Hugs to everyone having not such a good day xx

No further action on my blood test Thank you for the hand hold everyone.

I'll have to get used to having had cancer turning any niggle into further investigations.

Hi all, I’m newish to the site 👋
I had a mammogram a few weeks ago just because of my age. I’m 47 and in our area they’d picked a percentage of under 50’s to be tested.
Following that I was called to an out of town hospital for another mammogram. I was told at that appointment that I’d have the mammogram concentrating on a certain area. If that didn’t answer the questions an ultrasound, an physical exam and worse case scenario a needle biopsy. I had all of them. I was told they were removing calcifications.
I went for the results of that on Thursday. And told the results were “abnormal” and that an area 13mm needs further investigation and that I’ll be called in for a vacuum biopsy in 7-10 days.
I was in such a panicked state that I couldn’t really understand what the doctor was saying and left as soon as I could. I remember her saying IF it is cancer we’ll talk about it then.
Obviously now the panic has really set in.
Anyone had a similar experience? What could it be other than cancer? If it’s a 13mm area/ lump why can’t I feel it? (I only have little ones! )
Thanks everyone

Hi Pennypringles. I don't have any breast cancer experience, but I'm sure someone will be along soon who does.

---- for you.

Still tootling along ok here. The rituximab made me feel a bit woozy for a few days, but I seem to be ok now.

Hope everyone's doing ok today. TQ hope they haven't given you a gazunder!

Hi Penny. I followed a very similar path to the one that you have. In my case they managed my expectations when they took the biopsy that they thought it was more likely to be cancer than a benign cause. My 'lump' was 12mm and I couldn't feel it either.

They did, however, also give me a name of something benign that it could have been, so there are definitely still things other than cancer that it could be, especially if they have already mentioned calcifications.

In my case it did turn out to be cancer, for which I have subsequently had treatment.

The one thing that I can definitely say though (and I know that others feel the same) is that the waiting and not knowing stage was definitely the worst. Your diagnosis may yet be a benign one, but if not there will soon be a plan of treatment, and a lovely group of people on here also for support. Please do keep posting if it helps X

Yay! Minnie V pleased to hear your news.

Hi Miles and everyone else on this brilliant thread. I am in a similar boat to you, waiting on biopsy results (this Wednesday). I can second pea that the wait is awful. I got very little info from my consultant- just that it wasn't a cyst. I think it would be easier to handle if they were a bit more open, but my consultant wouldn't say a word. I understand why but your brain fills in the gaps (worst case scenario etc).
I can't offer any help except a mutual hand hold x

Hi Penny . I was in the same position last year first mammogram age 47 under that trial. My lump was 15mm most of it pre cancer but 4mm was cancer- eostrogen positive. I am only a B cup but hadn't felt a thing.

I had a lumpectomy and radiotherapy and am on tamoxifen for 5 years. Just had my first mammogram since and it was clear.

Happy to answer any questions

Day 5 of Radiotherapy today and the fatigue is already building up significantly. Today was an early appointment, 8.45 and we left for the centre an hour earlier than that so maybe the relatively early starts are part of it. Today I was back home by 9.30 and went straight back to bed!

Evening all

Poor you Bridget, does that mean you were all alone in the hospital for those days? Must have been triply rotten to be in with rough types when you should have been away on holiday. Maybe you can plan for another break before too long and I’m glad you’re out again and feeling better now but sorry it was such a scary time.

Penny I have breast cancer and can’t add much to what the others have said. In my case I had a whirlwind mammogram, ultrasound and punch biopsy in one appointment and my consultant said very clearly that they were dubious about it, but I had to wait 6 days for confirmation. In a strange way I used that time to get myself ready for the news and it wasn’t really a shock nor upsetting because I had already run through my feelings about it in advance. That might well not be how you’re made though so distraction and doing something nice to keep your mind busy might be better for you. Obviously I hope you get good news in the end and it certainly sounds as if they’re being thorough.

One thing I can share today is that I had an MRI yesterday and bumped into my oncologist on the chemo ward today and he said the results were excellent - tumour no longer visible on a scan! I’m 7 cycles into a total of 16 and obviously that sounds really positive for my eventual outcome.

One odd thing as well was I had vertigo immediately after my scan and it has kept up until today. At some points the room has been spinning quite violently, luckily while I’ve been sitting or lying down. My oncologist didn’t think it was anything to do with treatment so hopefully it will go off.

I also went along to a Look Good, Feel Better session today and it was great. If anyone hasn’t done it but has the chance, grab it with both hands. I couldn’t believe how generous the goody bags were. Highly recommended!

Hope everyone else I haven’t namechecked is doing well

Brassica

(Butting in again) You live in London? Both my dil and my dd's manager, totally unconnected, have had a weird viral vertigo thing this week. It came on suddenly when they got up after lying down. Dil was given anti-motion sickness meds by her GP. Manager's GP said he had a middle ear infection and prescribed anti-b's. Both in SE London.

So pleased about your scan result!

That is fantastic news about the MRI Brassica. Does that change your treatment plan?

Hope you got some rest and feel better today meercat. I have a very selfish reason for following your fatigue levels closely as I am still anticipating two radiation sessions every day which is going to be a real challenge if I can't drive myself.

Hand hold for those waiting for diagnoses/test results.