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.

Thank you everyone for all your kind support. It's especially kind because you are all going through difficult debilitating treatment right now and are taking time out to support others. It's just so nice of you all.
I am feeling exhausted. I'm waiting for a date for surgery and can't really plan anything until then. After the initial diagnosis, I just carried on as normal for a week or so, full of positive attitude. But today I am so tired, I just want to sleep all day. I've been abrupt with people at work, and am struggling to cope with regular evening time routine at home. I feel like I'm trying to walk through treacle... I am going to conk out as soon as dd is asleep.
I'm sure this is probably a normal delayed shock type reaction.
Thank you all again for your advice and support xxx

@Skap
Yes gone from grade 0 to grade 2 . Not got a clear margin and possibility that lymph nodes are involved . So dye injected and all lymph nodes checked for take up but first two taken out for biopsy anyway .
It’s all a bit blurred .
I don’t feel I have healed from last op and here we go again !

Alpha. Your reaction sounds very normal. It is a shock and it takes a while to sink in and carrying on as normal when you are in shock takes a load of energy so no wonder you are so tired. It does get a bit easier once you get a clear plan of treatment and as you start to move through that you feel as if progress is being made

I have found this thread and the lovely people here have helped me enormously. The support here is amazing.

trumpton as I understand it the dye is just to identify the location of the lymph nodes so isn't indicative of anything other than the presence of a lymph node. Any invasive cancer which is travelling outside your breast will go the the lymph nodes in a ladder like direction, so if under the microscope there's no cancer in the first couple of nodes, there won't be any in the others. They do the sampling to minimise unnecessary armpit surgery.
Do you know if they found any invasive cancer in amongst the DCIS that they removed? In my case, despite me having high grade and extensive DCIS which required a mastectomy, there was no invasive cancer anywhere in my breast or lymph nodes, so unless you've already been told that they've found some, its not a foregone conclusion.
Even if there is some, you could potentially have a similar treatment plan to the one you were expecting, especially if your sentinel lymph nodes come back clear.
Crap that you're having to go through more surgery so soon though.
A chat with your BCN could be really helpful. She will be able to go through the if, buts and maybes with you, if that's what you want, and clear up the blurry bits. Apologies if im telling you things you already know.

alpha spot on comments from meercat The emotional load of all this is exhausting, esoecially when you're not sure what you're dealing with. It will get better.

I've been feeling pretty good today but fully expect to be moaning to you all from the location of my loo at some point in the next few days, where I anticipate I'll be spending quite a bit of time ....oh joy!

@WTF99
That’s a brilliant summing up of what I think I was told .
Ah , the dye is just to show where the lymph nodes are ,I thought it was to highlight any dodgy cells ! That all makes sense now .
The DCIS they removed showed some movement of cells (?) and was bigger than expected .
Yes . I need to talk to my BCN . I will give it a day to sink in and then ring her.
Yes the emotional load is exhausting , I told both DDs tonight and need to tell DS but will pick my time as he is not very well balanced at the moment . My DC are all in their 30s so not children or even young adults now !

Thank goodness for this thread .

Trumpton, I'm so sorry you have to have more surgery and radiotherapy.

WTF it would be great if you got through this post chemo without spending days on the loo! Crossing fingers for you.

I was discharged from hospital yesterday (Wednesday) late afternoon, such a relief. I'd eaten all my lunch, pasta with tomato sauce, peas and carrots, can't say it was exactly enjoyable, but it went down and stayed down! Because of having chemo last Friday, lots of things taste weird or I just can't face them.

I was exhausted when I got home but can't sleep now.

Sending warm wishes to everyone here. I'm going to make a spreadsheet too - when my brain wakes up!

Trumpton sorry to hear you need more surgery, I'm sure that was a shock to you, I'm six weeks post surgery and still haven't started radiotherapy, expecting to in the next couple of weeks, so you never know, but like the others said we all seem to have different ways of being treated even when the surgeries are similar.

How are you today mustard

Glad to hear the grub stayed where it should Bloodybridget and you are home.

alpha, hope you are ok today.

Have a nice day everyone.

Trumpton - I'm in a slightly similar position as you, but ovarian, not bc. I think 'some movement of cells' means that some cells look as if they may be in transition to a higher grade.

I had a Borderline ovarian tumour, where the cells aren't normal but aren't invasive. There's a clear difference between them and malignant cells. (Hence totally different treatment, just surgery and monitoring.) But most patients with Low Grade ovarian cancer also have Borderline cells, so the theory is that some Borderlines are different from the usual 'clinically benign' Borderline and in the process of turning malignant. In my case it's a small % that recur and only a small % of them that recur as malignant. So I've been holding on to that for the last 5 yers.

I shouldn't really be making comparisons because bc, ovarian and cervical are different cancers but they all have cell-changes in common.

So sorry you're facing more surgery so soon. I think there's at least one other lacie who had the same. You might be able to track her down if you look at the summaries at the beginning of earlier threads.

Morning all. How is everyone today?

Skap thank you for your advice, I hunted out my really soft nursing bras and I think they’ll be perfect when I’ve got the dressings off. Definitely not small enough of boob to go free. How are you feeling now? Is there still any residual pain?

WTF hope you’re still feeling ok. How long have you got left of this cycle?

bloodybridget glad you are home! It’s always lovely getting back and feeling more yourself. How are you feeling today?

trumpton it really sucks when things don’t turn out as planned, and even more frustrating that you’ve got more surgery to contend with. Cancer is such a dick! How are you holding up today?

alpha how are you today?

Sorry if I’ve missed anyone, need to also start a spreadsheet.

Feeling surprisingly ok this morning, I think it’s the lovely drugs they have given me! Everything went smoothly and I was home last night which was lovely. 2 weeks for results now. I just bloody hate the waiting, everything is ok when I’m actually doing something. Dd is at my parents for the next week on a ‘holiday’ so I can recover a bit before being toddlered. Dad is bringing her over tomorrow for lunch though which will be nice. In some respects I’m finding it easier that’s she’s so young because she has no idea what’s happening, just that I have a sore ‘booboo’. Not sure how well I’d hold it together if she started worrying too.

Hi all,
Well, I think the taxotere truck might have pulled up outside my front door today and preparing to hit me when I go outside as I'm feeling very sluggish this afternoon and have that head detached from body sensation but that's all for side effects at the mo.
I took a walk up to the local supermarket this morning for a few things and came back with 2 bagsful....the most energy I've expended since walking along the beach last weekend. Feeling pretty ok though really.

mustard good to hear your surgery went well and hope you're still feeling comfortable. Don't forget your exercises! You should be given a leaflet about them.

bridget so glad you've escaped the ward and fingers crossed innards return to normal double quick. I'm not sure which way mine are gonna go as yet as very little action in that dept so far....it's such an adventure lol.

Back in real life, my shower was leaking through a downstairs light fitting last night so plumber was here this morning....not convinced its fixed....we shall see.

Hope everyone is going along ok.

Oh mustard I'm on day 3 of 21 day cycle, and cycle 5 of 7, but only 2nd time of this particular combination of drugs, as it was different for cycles 1, 2 and 3, so still working out what to expect really, though last cycle was quite a learning curve.
That's a lot of numbers....sorry!

Hi all.

Bridget Glad you escaped and I hope you got some sleep eventually.
WTF A walk to the shop in the sun, small pleasure. I hope you escape the dreaded trots this time.
Trumpton how are you today?
ellenanora5 Are you escaping chemo altogether? Is that because you are hormone positive?
Mustard Those drugs are nice . The holiday at grandma's sounds like a great idea. I do still have pain, I'm still taking paracetamol round the clock, mainly for the armpit. Got plenty of movement in my arm and shoulder but couldn't lift with my left arm yet. My results are 3 weeks - I get them on 11th Sept.

My surgery was a week ago today and I had appointment today for dressing /wound inspection. It's healing very well I'm told and the nurse hasn't replaced the dressing, just steri strips. Feel a bit vulnerable without the padding. The weird thing is the nerves in my arm. Some are numb and some are hyper sensitive. I've realised that's what's causing the pain more than the incision site. Hopefully it will wear off.

Flat as a pancake today despite a lovely day . It’s our anniversary tomorrow and I have red roses from DH and I forgot to get him a card although I was out today and could have got one , now I feel grumpy with myself .
Phone call from hospital today asking me go in for pre-assement next Tuesday although yesterday I was told I wouldn’t need one as last surgery was only two weeks ago .
She is going to find out for me and get back to me tomorrow.
Never mind tomorrow will be brighter .
@Skap our journeys are similar I think .
@Flyingarcher golly 4 ops to clear margins that’s a beast to get through .i must admit I am not looking forward to next Thursday .

@Trumpton If I can do it then you can too. The margin thingy is a bore but half of initial lumpectomies then have to have another margin clearance but they don't tell you that too much at first. Essentially, the microscopes are sooooo good now that they can pick out teeny weeny things that would have been missed in the past. In a way, you know you are being belt and braced.

I had lumpectomy and lymph node in the May, margin in June, Margin 2 in July, margin 3 in August. The worst bit was after the July margin. I knew it hadn't worked, just knew and researched thoroughly mastectomy because I felt I just wanted it over and done with. The cell was found 0.7mm away from the margin and as my husband said 'you'd be gutted if you found out you had a mastectomy for less than a mm. my radio didn't start until late September so I'm sure you might be able to defer. That's all fine - just keep on with the aveno cream.

The dye meand you get the most beautiful coloured wee for a couple of days. Tis really pretty! Oh and a slightly blue nork!

It's the waiting and getting these results which is so awful. I got some Weleda Stress spray because one day I thought I had scorpions in my mind (as Macbeth says). It did help.

Good luck. You will come through this. Be kind to yourself and don't try and be superwoman.

Yes you are right . Chin up , chest out and just get on with it !

Smallest gd has snotty nose so no cuddles for her !

On the plus side I got the last of the steristrips off and DH admired the very neat scar !

I also found a card in my stash that I can use for an anniversary card so that made me happier .

Thanks for the encouragement .

Skap the nerve numbness and nerve pain does clear but it does take a while. The underside of my upper arm is still slightly numb if I touch it and that is five months plus. But the sensitivity and soreness went much more quickly. I would say by six weeks I wasn't noticing it much at all and it wasn't too troublesome before that.

I had forgotten about the glorious blue wee!! I still have a rather lovely shade of blue on my boob though although it is slowly fading.

Hi all, hope the quietness on the thread is because everyone is having a nice weekend!
I'm day 5 now and doing ok but definitely feeling some side effects, mostly low energy and as if i'm covered by a lead blanket. Bathroom trips will be starting around now if they're going to, so I'm crossing fingers for a easier time with that.
Hope everyone is doing ok.

Fingers crossed for you WTF

Hello WTF (waves in everyone's general direction). Really hope you escape the dire rear this time, you don't need to be traipsing to and fro with that lead blanket on top of you.

I have been extraordinarily tired since coming out of hospital on Wednesday, sleep however very patchy and I haven't been napping. Think the steroids are playing a part in that. So I've been quiet on this thread because I haven't been able to keep track of who's where with what - but am still thinking of you all.

I felt a bit stronger this morning, made a rather unsuccessful tray bake and had a short walk to the shops, now on the sofa listening to Murray Perahia playing Chopin, so beautiful.

Sending warm thoughts and good wishes all round. I will do that spreadsheet soon, honest!

@Flyingarcher another one shuddering at 4 ops. However it's reassuring that they can identify such small cells.
@WTF99 how are you today?
@Bloodybridget thinking of you eating unsuccessful traybake with Chopin wafting in the background. Don't try and push yourself.

Waves to everyone else.

Hi to all.
My story, many years ago (20+) had a lump in my breast which when removed was just a fatty lump, it was quite large and has left a scar at least 3 inches long.
Over the years the scar tissue has built up so I have been left with another lump /ridge.
I always attend my mammograms and have even been referred a few times of those two week breast clinics when things have felt different.
For the past few weeks I have had a warm, burning sensation in the same breast and think I can feel something in a different area to usual. Also get pain from seat belts or if I knock it etc .I went to see a nurse practitioner on Friday and am awaiting the breast clinic to contact. Shitting a brick is an understatement.

@VictoriaBun
The waiting is awful but once you are on track it all seems to flow easier .
We had a lovely day out yesterday. Taking the dc on steam train and out to lunch tomorrow.
I will be glad (?) when Thursday is here and I get to the next stage .

Thanks , I'm just worried as boob feels very different from other times. Hey ho.

As you say .. hey ho !
But you have done the right thing in trusting your body instincts .
Wishing you the very best .

Evening all - just had an absolutely beautiful day celebrating the christening of our youngest granddaughter. The day was shared by many, including my 87 year old parents, and the christening was at the same church they married at over 60 years ago.
I wore a new dress, and could finally see my 46.5lbs weight loss, so that made me smile too!
I’m still optimistic that our holiday will commence Tuesday, but still following Hurricane Dorian closely
Love to you all x x