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.

Bloodybridget you poor thing. All that on top of the chemo. Nausea is just as awful as vomiting in a way as there is no relief. Thinking about you.

Trumpton Fingers and toes crossed for you at 2pm for clear margins.

alphaechokiwi welcome to the thread though sorry you have to be here. It's a shock and took me a few weeks to process it and calm down. Thank goodness you were called up for that trial though. The wait for surgery seems endless. I had a WLE and sentinal node biopsy last Thursday. The pain has been perfectly manageable with paracetamol. The breast wound is fine but the armpit is more sore where the lymph nodes were removed. I'm hugely relieved to get the lump out and start treatment but well aware that this was probably the easiest bit. Your DD is 4 so should be able to understand that you are going to be sore for a while and won't be able to pick her up. When people ask if there is anything they can do, say yes and say what you need. Do you have siblings? Telling my mother was a big worry. She's 84 and very dramatic. My sister broke the news for me which was the biggest help, she also explained to mum how I felt and what I wanted.

Well now I am cross !
Appt should have been for tomorrow after planning meeting this eve but I was put in wrong day.
So had a hellish journey through race traffic only to be apologised to and sent away .
The part of the journey that should have taken 5 mins took nearly an hour and the same joy tomorrow. Well now I am cross !
Appt should have been for tomorrow after planning meeting this eve but I was put in wrong day.
So had a hellish journey through race traffic only to be apologised to and sent away .
Journey that should take 5 mins took nearly an hour and the same joy tomorrow.
I might have cried a little . DH was lovely and supportive and kept calm which helped enormously

Oh Trumpton that must have been infuriating. Having to struggle through traffic in such hot weather is bad enough at the best of time but to do it for nothing and then have to do it again tomorrow is too bad.

Trumpton, that is infuriating, I am sorry. How very frustrating for you. Hope the weather is a bit cooler where you are tomorrow, it's meant to be in London which all my visitors are informing me is hotter than hell.

Skap glad you are through that surgery, hope the pain continues manageable and that the lymph node discomfort eases.

I'm being threatened with enemas now . . and my cannula leaked twice and then fell out. But I've eaten half a Marmite sandwich.

And I am trying not too read anything into the fact that I couldn’t be told if the news was good there and then but have to wait until after the meeting .
I feel quite sick and I have coped well up to last night .

Gah !

How annoying for you trumpton. I can understand why you were cross and upset.
Aside from the awful journey, we really get ourselves geared up for these results appointments so you must have been gutted to have to wait another day. Crossing everything that it's good news when you finally get there.
alpha sorry to see you here but thank goodness for that trial! The timing's a bit rubbish for you though isn't it....not that it's ever great to be honest. Good that your new employer is being supportive. Hope your surgery date comes through quickly and that you get diagnosis and plan confirmed swiftly after that. Great news already that ultrasound doesn't suggest anything in your lymph nodes. You may not even need chemo, but if you do, it's not wonderful but it is entirely doable so try not to fret about it. Easy for me to say at this point I know! Great also that you've got DH to deliver the message. Telling people can be hard....dealing with their upset when you're just about dealing with your own.....so use him lots!
Hopefully you'll get over the surgery quite quickly. Every experience is different, but I definitely found the sentinel lymph node bit to be the most uncomfortable. Important to do your exercises which are pretty much graduated stretching to keep everything long and supple. And maybe some strategically placed cushions to defend against over enthusiastic cuddles from your little one! Hope you're ok anyway. It's a lot to take in, but you've already done some of the hardest parts.
skap ellen have you got results/planning appointments coming up? Apols if I've missed it. Hope youre both ok.
bridget i hope you're more comfortable now and that a plan of escape is being hatched.

I'm home now after chemo 5 of 7....woop! It was a long but very uneventful day I'm delighted to say and i had my lovely friend Mr Tunnocks Teacakes to keep me company. Gonna have a long shower in a minute to wash the gunk from what's left of my hair,. and to replace the hospital smell with something nicer, then some tasty dinner before chemo hits my taste buds again, and with any luck a restful night.

Waving at all, especially meercat and brassica and borntobeamum if she's out there.

Hard, if not impossible, not to over think it trumpto but ime everything goes to the MDT meeting before being discussed with the patient....it's just what they do. Really crap for you though in the circs.

Yay for marmite sarnie bridgrt Not so yay for enema....but double yay if it gets you home!

I haven't caught up on the thread but I will soon.

Saw the oncologist, hr2 positive, no chemotherapy needed, been put on Anastrosole for the foreseeable and calcium tablets for arthritis, I already need a hip replacement so hoping the hormone therapy won't make it worse.

Will see radiologist next week and will know what the radiation plan will be then.

No leaking for the past few days so think that's over thank goodness.

I'll be back when I've caught up with everyone.

How are you feeling about that plan ellen?
It sounds pretty good to me. And great that the leaking is improving!

Hope you escape from hospital soon Bridget, what a pain!

So sorry to hear your daughter's news meercat. It is so hard when you just want to make everything ok for your kids, no matter how old, but can't. I am also finding it exhausting to try and give everyone the emotional support they need at the moment.

My favourite chemo cap is the same as yours WTF - the black one 😊

The only way I can respond to everyone individually is to read, make a list of what has happened to whom (not sure I can still claim Chemo brain but I sure as hell am not functioning as normal) then post and I don't have time right now but lots of hugs to newcomers and those who had surgery recently.

DH and I had a lovely chilled few days wine tasting and I am now on day 3 of radiotherapy so getting through it one day at a time xx

Bridget. I hope things are settling down and you can avoid the enemas and get to go home.

Snows you have hit the nail on the head exactly. I just want to take the pain away from her and my DGS and of course I cant. We will give whatever practical help we can but I just can't bear that she is hurting so much. Someone I know said recently that it must be nice when your kids grow up and you can stop worrying about them. Yes, well I will let you know when I get there.

I need to do the list thing too and I cant blame chemo brain any more!

WTF. Five down and only 2 more to go! You are getting there.

Trumpton. I wouldn't worry that they didn't tell you anything until after the MDT meeting. They may have been waiting for some last bit of info or just waiting for the whole team to have input on the way forward. I think that is pretty normal. I hope it all goes smoothly today and that you get a clear plan for the way ahead.

I am off to Herceptin 7/18 this afternoon. I will be interested to see what the after effects are as this will be the first time that I will have it without chemo or with the effects of Rads still in effect. Also coping OK so far with the Anastrazole. but 4 weeks in and so far the only effects have been a few relatively mild hot flushes a day. In this weather I have hardly noticed! If it doesn't get any worse than this I will be able to cope with that.

Ellen I am interested to hear about the calcium tablets. Is that to avoid the bone thinning thsat Anastrazole can cause? If so I must ask about that. Great news that the leaking has stopped that must have been very unpleasant

Wishing everyone a good day today.

WTF glad to hear you had a nice break away, we all need one, yep I'm happy with that plan, it's so unnerving when you don't know what they are going to tell, need to make a few lifestyle changes as well, my diet is atrocious so have to get a handle on that.

meercat I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter, how awful for her, it doesn't matter how old our kids are we still want to let them cry on our shoulders, I hope she's as well as can be expected.
Yep thats why I've to take the calcium, apparently it's quite an issue with anastrozole, probably with all hormone tablets I would think, I'm being booked in for a dexa scan, not sure if that's how you spell it to measure bone density, my hip is deteriorating for a long time now and I was waiting for replacement when cancer reared it's ugly head so that's all on hold now

Trumpton what a bloody pain about your appointment, how are feeling after surgery.

Skap how are you feeling, have you had any more appointments.

Bloodybridget, I'm so sorry to hear you are in hospital, are you feeling any better (not mentioning the horror that is marmite)

Snows I started smiling when I read your post, I have a list of names beside me as I type as I'd never remember everyone either, glad you had some lovely wine tasting days.

Alpha, how are you doing today, so sorry to read of your diagnosis, I had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal a few weeks ago, I'm much better now and have full movement back in my arm.

I really hope I haven't left anyone out, apologies if I have, as usual you are all in my thoughts.

Thank you all for your kind words and excellent tips. I’m on the ward now, I have an afternoon slot so just waiting for pre-op etc.

Haven’t caught up on the thread yet, but I hope everyone is ok as they can be and will catch up properly once I’m on the other side.

Waving at everyone but quite incapable of responding to you all individually - seems like some of us are doing ok! Thanks again for lovely messages. I'm now quite hopeful of going home later today, enemas and other ghastly sounding procedures won't be happening. I just need to eat some proper food, which may be a challenge. Take care everyone!

That's good news Bridget.

Best wishes for this afternoon Mustard

All good wishes for your surgery this afternoon mustard I'm so sorry I completely missed you and for a minute thought you were alpha with a name change! I need a list! Shamelessly blaming chemo brain
Fingers crossed for your appointment this afternoon trumpton
Bridget are you on standard hospital fare of white toast and butter? You need jacket spud and baked beans girl! Hope you get out soon.
skap hope you're post surgery comfortable now.
snows I'm wearing my black cap this morning! Have you got yours on too?

I'm feeling unnervingly ok this morning but fully expecting not to be in a day or two so making the most of it while it lasts. And yes meercat definitely seeing the end of the chemo tunnel now, which I'm hopeful will get me through any remaining yucky bits for this cycle and the next 2....I was feeling somewhat stuck and low last cycle. Trip to the seaside helped.
Hope your dd and dgcs are ok. I think that saying that you're only as happy as your least happy child is very true, whatever their age.

Wishing everyone a good day xx

Mustard Good luck for this afternoon.
Trumpton hope the appointment goes ahead today and you get the proverbial clear margins.
Bloodybridget Get that tea and toast down you.

Best wishes to everyone else.
After only a few weeks on here I am starting to feel I know you all but I am going to copy snow and draw up a spreadsheet.

I'm doing well after my surgery I think. The armpit is still tight but the breast feels fine. I walked round the block today though and it wiped me out so I have a bit to go yet to get my stamina back. Hospital tomorrow for wound inspection and dressing removal then two more weeks until I get the histology results.

Best of luck this afternoon Mustard, thinking of you.

Skap my list is an old envelope with names on it, I need to up my game
The armpit takes a while, try and take it easy.

WTF Thank you for the shout out - it made me feel special!
Alls good with me. DH has been gives a promotion which considering what I’ve (we’ve) been through Is bloody fantastic. I’m extremely proud of him.
While I’m between investigations, we are off to Florida next week. Insurance has been notified of all my medical needs and were happy to cover me, just pay extra as I was well when we took the policy out.
Only one problem I can see - there’s talk of a hurricane/tropical storm on Monday and we are due to fly Tuesday. It won’t worry me, ‘everything for a reason’ is my motto.
I even managed to look after 2 of our grandchildren last night - they had a sleepover with nana! The 9 year old was as good as gold , his 18month old sister is such a pickle!
Before my cancer, I was a Childminder and during school holidays I could have 6 little ones to care for. We did day trips, picnics and played out all day, but after yesterday, I’m absolutely done in! I may go for a lie down in a while.
Love to you all 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

Not the news I wanted .
Back in next week for a further excision to gain a clear margin as it had spread and was bigger than anticipated.
Also need some lymph nodes taken out . Won’t know how many until after dye .
That puts radiotherapy firmly over our annual visit to Cornwall for a festival .
Does anyone have any idea if they might agree to radiotherapy after a 5 week gap or am I deluding myself ?

Great update born!
So good to see your life getting back to some kind of normality, albeit a slightly more tiring one
I love your attitude towards the minor inconvenience of the hurricane This cancer lark certainly puts the rest of life into perspective.

Trumpton Sorry that the news was not as good as you hoped.. I am surprised that they didn't do the dye with the first excision. It seems there is no usual, it happens differently for different people.

When I saw the surgeon just before my surgery he told me that they liked Radiotherapy to start about 4 weeks after surgery to allow for healing. In the event following surgery it was decided that I also needed chemo so Radiotherapy was to be 2 -3 weeks after that. For a variety of reasons I wanted the Radiotherapy to start as soon as possible after chemo finished and the oncologist was very flexible about that and I started the following week. That's a long winded way of saying that I think timings depends on a lot of factors and they can sometimes be flexible so it is worth asking.

X posts with your update trumpton So sorry it wasn't the definitive news you were hoping for. Hope you're ok.
I would have thought a week or two slippage on the post surgery radiotherapy timetable could well be doable but I guess it depends on what your final results say.
Are you in touch with a breast care nurse? They're attached to teams and are great for this kind of practical discussion....and lots if other things. Definitely make a friend of your BCN.

Trumpton sorry to hear that you must feel rotten. You originally said it was DCIS. Does this mean it's now changed category? I presume you will have sentinal lymph node biopsy?
It's true that everywhere seems to do things in slightly different ways, and of course we are all different and treatments are tailored to diagnoses.
What a blow to have to go back in for a repeat though.

Oh well that sounds doable then . Will have a little discussion with the nurse .
In the grand scale of things it’s more important to get onto the other side of this but I really want to go away .