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.

WTF I'm so glad you are feeling better today. I wonder why you got the spots, that seems a bit weird. Hope you got a photo you're happy with.

My spreadsheet is pretty good I think! My bar for "fun" is pretty low . . mostly all I'm managing is going out for coffee with DP or a friend. I think I just want a proper holiday really, which obviously won't happen for quite a while.

I've just been advised, from an oncologist via her SIL who is an acquaintance, that doing "almost nothing" for at least 14 hours the day before blood tests means neutrophils will be at the necessary level. The SIL did it when she was having chemo and says it works. Sounds weird, but I'm going to try it next week, it would be great to have a treatment on schedule.

Hope good days are being had by as many of us as possible!

Glad to hear you’re on the up again WTF, long may it last. Annoying that your passport runs out while you might feel you don’t really look like your very best - I keep getting told I look good but personally I don’t feel like me really and wouldn’t want a 10-year reminder! Mind you, who likes their passport pics anyway .

Trumpton, good wishes for clear margins from your op today and I hope you feel less sore than you expect.

How are you feeling Bridget, sorry that I missed you had been in hospital last week. It sounded grim for you but fingers crossed the ‘do nothing’ strategy will keep you on track for the next chemo.

Good luck for your results appt tomorrow ellen. Don’t worry about holding yourself up to others, we are definitely all entitled to be cheesed off or worried or impatient or relieved or whatever else we feel, we don’t operate a ranking system here.

Skap and snows, the cording sounds very uncomfortable to say the least. I hope some gentle exercises or stretches will make a noticeable difference for you.

How are your nails and hair doing meercat?

I’ve perked up a bit since the other day, thanks for all the sympathy. The complete shitshow in Westminster is quite distracting, albeit it doesn’t make you feel the world is in anything like safe hands! I got good news yesterday too from an ultrasound- tumour invisible on that as well as on previous MRI, both in boob and lymph nodes. So although I still have much treatment ahead of me I am fortunate that I know it’s working really well. Just need to keep my resilience going for the duration.

Hello to anyone I missed. For all those with chemo brain, I hear ya! My ability to grasp the right word for any given thing is very variable at the moment.

So I walked to the high street and got my passport photo done.....it's not the best but at least I have a very good excuse for having a crap photo this time, unlike other times when I've had no good reason to look like someone escaping justice
I then drove to Tesco as I had a petrol voucher expiring today . It was so nice being out, though i had to make a dash into the house bathroom on my return, but yes that's s lot of progress for today and was enjoyable if not actual fun.

bridget that is indeed a top tip and one I shall be trying out for next cycle. My usual Monday chemo day got bumped to Tuesday last time owing to the bank hol. I've requested that it revert to Monday next time as it just suits my week better, but it means I have one less day to recover this time and I'll be gutted if i end up getting delayed because of that. Feet up for me next Thursday.

Brassica that's fantastic news about your scans. We do have to remember that were enduring all of this because it works. Easy to lose sight of that sometimes and for it all to feel like some pointless and evil punishment.

I'm on the bed now and just deciding if I should pretend to read a book or just give in to the tv. I watched the American version of married at first sight yesterday which is an interesting concept. It's perfect for chemo brain is it repeats itself loads where all the ad breaks have been taken out so even I could follow it in my addled state.....this is what I am reduced to!

Hi all 👋🏻
Me again looking for another hand hold! I posted about a year ago about a breast lump and dented area near my nipple. Luckily it all turned out to be fine. Just a fibroadenoma and the dent was put down to age/density in breast.

So, today I had an appt at my GPs because I noticed a little swollen area under my collarbone about 3 weeks ago, which has doubled in size since then. I've also been experiencing awful fatigue but my sleeping pattern has not changed at all. The GP had me book an appt to check blood count and she is referring me for an ultrasound on it.
Just wondering if anyone might have any experience with this?

Thanks for reading and 💐 for all on the thread

AhJaysus didn't want to read and run, but I don't have any experience of lumps and bumps in that area. Hopefully someone will be along soon who does.
Did your gp give you any indication what she was thinking? How are you feeling with the waiting?

Thanks WTF, she said either an enlarged lymph gland or swollen tissue but she couldn't be sure on either hence the further tests I guess.

I feel ok about the waiting, I'm not getting too stressed about it as I had the waiting last year with the breast and I totally stressed myself out and then it all ended up being fine

@trumpton, I hope your op went ok and you're not too sore.

@brassica I'm so happy to hear the chemo has worked for you. Do you have TNBC too? Sorry, my memory is pants!

Glad everyone seems to be doing ok. I saw the surgeon last Thursday and will be having a mastectomy in a few weeks time. I'm finding the waiting hard. I just want it over and done with now and to get better, at least in the short term. Hoping a miracle cure is found in the next few years! Well, don't we all though?

Op was ok . I am home . Feeling foul and been sleeping. But wide awake and in pain now. I have pain killers so will take some and go back to sleep hopefully .
Back on Tuesday for dressing change . The wait for results will be about 2 weeks .
The waiting is so hard , thinking of everyone going through this how every far along the journey they are.

Just popped in to see if you had posted Trumpton. A second sleepless night for you. Still better in your own bed than in hospital where if you do drift off to sleep someone will be along to wake you up a d take your blood pressure. Hope the painkillers did the trick.
Will catch up with everyone later.

Trumpton. Sleeplessness when you feel rotten anyway it the worst. Hope you feel better today. My BCN told me to take the painkillers before I needed them. Not sure how you are supposed to know but I think I know what she meant.

Hope the post op yuckiness passes soon trumpton Don't skimp on the pain relief. Waiting is the pits, but one way or another it will be ok and you will do whatever it is you have to do.

WTF99
Waiting is the armPITS ...
DD coming home from London again this evening I have asked her to pick me up a cushtie from airport

It is indeed
I have to admit I had to Google cushtie to find out what it is.....but sounds perfect for getting comfy when you've got sore bits .

Hello all
Trumpton, hope you are asleep again by now and can keep the pain under control.
Diaryofalways, I hope you get a date for your mastectomy soon, I do think it helps to know when things will happen.
VictoriaBun also hope you get an appointment at the breast clinic soon, and of course that it will be nothing to worry about. Also AhJaysus, hello - hope your ultrasound happens soon.
Brassica, that is great news re ultrasound results. As WTF said, it's easy to lose sight of exactly why we have chemo and other treatments!
Ellen have you had your appointment yet? Hope you are OK.
Greetings to WTF - has the bone pain died down? I had quite bad back pain after last chemo due to WBC-boosting injections. And meercat, hope some things are going well for you despite hair and nail issues.

I've realised that this time, I didn't bounce back as high after chemo. Not feeling poorly now, but just very flat and tired. What a bore this is - DP and I agreed last night that we're quite ready for normal life to resume

Hi bridget
Yep all good re pain at the mo and the fatigue seems to have eased. Im having the odd dash to the loo (at 3am this morning) but worst thing right now is feeling hungry but can't find ANYTHING I want to eat ...it all tastes and feels so awful in my mouth...it's like being thirsty but surrounded by an ocean that you can't drink. Today, I have forced down a banana and some scrambled egg...
But...it will pass won't it.....and let's face it, I do have a pound or two to spare so not gonna fade to nothing....

Oh and teenage spots on my chest and thighs....I'm 60 ffs!

God I can moan for England

Trumpton I hope that she finds you a cushtie, they are so lovely and squishy and will be really helpful when trying to get into a comfortable position.

WTF sorry that you are suffering with the taste problems. I did find that a bit of a silver lining with that was that my weight stayed stable through chemo even though they were adding steroids. The taste buds are almost back to normal now though and so is my appetite. That is great but I am having to watch out that I do not go too mad and put weight on!!

The spots are a pain. I have some of those too, especially where the dressing had irritated my skin. Everything seems to be so much more sensitive.

Bridget My oncologist told me that some of the side effects of chemo are cumulative so that might be why you are not bouncing back so quickly this time.

My hair is holding up OK. My worry is that if it keeps shedding at this rate it will soon start to show. I will ask the oncologist about that when I see him in a few weeks.

The nails don't look very nice but most of them seem firmly attached. There is just one that is loose for the top third. The nails are growing but I am just worried about catching the loosest one and ripping the top off. I am using the finger stalls when I am using my hands and I think that will work.

On the plus side I have had the first bit of good news for while today. My lovely grandson passed his driving test

Diaryofalways87 Hi there. Do you know why you have such a long wait for your surgery?

meercat congrats to the grandson, something to celebrate.

Bridget Do you and DP have anything planned for The End of treatment? I had planned (but fortunately not booked) a couple of nice holidays this winter. Last year I did the same and they had to be postponed because of another health issue. One day!

WTF the loss of taste and appetite sounds vile, just when you could do with some serious comfort eating.

Trumpton Nice to have your DD home. I've only just stopped using my cushion as seatbelt padder in the car.

I drove my car today! I was told not to drive for two weeks and I was still unsure as it's my left side and my car has very stiff gears. We live in the sticks so a car is required for everything. There isn't so much as a village shop I could walk to. I feel liberated.

@Skap There will be 6 weeks between my last chemo and surgery. That seems to be the done thing at my hospital. Not sure why. I'm getting very anxious now that it's going to spread in that time as my cancer seems to be very aggressive. I'm hoping the doctors know what they are doing and all will be fine.

Sod it I'm gonna have a gin and tonic tonight. They taste pretty disgusting anyway don't they so I'll hardly notice the difference!
Yay for liberation skap!

Oh and meercat fab 're your gs....so lovely when they have successes

WTF how horrible to not have anything you can enjoy eating. That hasn't happened to me yet, apart from when I'm very nauseous of course. Do hope this bit passes soon, and that G&T gives you a boost anyway.
meercat congratulations to your grandson! And Skap it is great when you can drive again, after a period of having to lay off it. The first time I drove, six weeks after surgery, I was thrilled.
As for end of treatment celebrations, we are booked to spend Christmas in a nice hotel in Rye, by which time I really should be feeling very well. Before that, we'll have to see how I'm doing. Hoping we can both get to Glasgow for a grandchild's birthday in early December.
Must go and get supper on! I made one of my favourite cakes this afternoon, Delia's wholewheat apple cake. To be sampled later!

@WTF99 I found ice lollies the best when my taste buds were like that, and lashings of Marmite (not on the lollies!)

Just back from ooh dr to get stronger painkillers . Naproxen has sorted me . We have a wedding that I really really want to get to today . It’s very local and now very doable !
Lovely sunny day here for an outdoor wedding in a leafy glen .
Hope you all are doing as well as can be expected . Must get a spread sheet up and going x

Afternoon everyone, hope everyones aches pains appetites tastes and waste are a bit better today.

Saw the radiologist, lovely chap, very pleasant and down to earth, I have to have a cat scan to mark out the area for radiation, then he and his team will draw up the plan for it, I'll be starting in a couple of weeks and then everyday for a few weeks, I explained the situation with ds2 and he said it's not a problem and I can pick what time suits me and his needs best, so I'm feeling a lot better about that.

Just wondering for anyone on Anastrozole did you notice a change in your skin, I keep developing spots on the side of my face, I've never had spots really not even as a teenager.

SCD is back tonight so might see some of you on the boards if you are watching.

Take care everyone