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.

Just waiting for the Herceptin drip to be set up. I thought this was 10/18 sessions but apparently it is only 7/10. Wishing the sessions away!

And that will teach me to be complacent about how easy it is with a portacath. The flipping thing isn't working properly and they are going to have to dynarod it

What a pain meercat! Always something lurking to trip us up! Hope they've sorted it out.

Yes, veins have been a bit touch and go, what with the hardening on the back of my hand and then i had delayed 'flash' reaction to one of my back of hand veins which came on about day 7 after chemo and looked like a burn over the cannula site, so they couldn't use that next time.
Last 2 cycles have been in my wrist which sounds ouchy but was fine. The nurses are so skilled
Just one more vein to find for chemo 7 next time...🤞🤞
I think the injections can be uncomfortable but quick at least and no vein issues.....we'll see.

Not bad news just no news . Results have been delayed . Lots of muttering about receptors and things but the fact is I now need to wait until next Wednesday for results .
They did ring to tell me and I hid in the clothes racks in M&S and had a little sob .
I had to go in anyway to see physio who says there is some minor cording but doesn’t want me to do too much as arm pit is still leaking .
And then onto breast clinic to see boss man about armpit and he agreed thar dressings were no good and that keeping the area wet was not helping so cleaned it and swabbed it and affixed a rather fetching bag to it to collect the seroma . I need to empty the bag as and when and go back on Friday .
Oh the glamour !

Yes as you say always some little extra excitement. This was ok in the end though. Just a bit of fibrin build up but they sorted it by flushing it with some drug. Cillit Bang according to my lovely chemo nurse.

Oh Trumpton that is a pain. Waiting is bad enough without an unexpected delay. What with the seroma and some cording you are really going through the mill

Have they taken the dressing off completely now? If so at least the reaction to the plaster can clear but I am guessing the bag needs to be fixed somehow too though

Oh flipping heck meercat that is rubbish! Hope it is working by now (no idea how long Herceptin takes to go through).

WTF DP has suggested every possible ruse for getting Movicol into me . .

ah didn't see your later posts meercat, glad all done and dusted. Wonderful stuff, Cillit Bang!

Trumpton Oh no. A whole week to wait, I'm so sorry. On top of leaky armpit.
Bloodybridget If you can't get movicol down could you try lactulose? I have to take it for constipation caused by Diltiazem. It's a 15 - 20ml dose of syruppy liquid which is about a large tablespoon so probably less than movicol. It works well as long as you drink loads.

meercat shame you got the numbers wrong, counting down but glad you got flushed in the end.

WTF did you have a choice about the port thing? Your poor veins.

trumpton what a pain! More waiting for you....it shreds the nerves this stuff...I'm not surprised you had a cry.

skap I've never been offered anything but the cannula and line. To be honest, I was happy to go with that....didn't want anything more invasive, or something I would have to look after, if I could get away with it. Hopefully I've just about made it. Doc said my veins should recover....nurses seemed less sure..

I've had a really good day today...minimal side effects and lots of lovely pottering in the house and garden. Dreading day 7 if I'm honest. Maybe I'll get off lightly this time..

Oh shit Trumpton I am sorry. I hope the bag works OK for collecting fluid and is more comfortable.

WTF congrats on your good day, it's lovely to hear that someone has had a happy time! Good luck for the next few days.

Skap I was given Lactulose last time I was in hospital, which led to a distressing diarrhoea incident . . it was disgusting too . . I know, I know . .

An acronym for diarrhoea

Diarrhoea
Is
Always
Really
Really
Horrible
Over
Each
Ankle.

Huge sympathies for our poor bowels .

And it’s not an acronym is a mnemonic !

Hi all
I have been feeling unwell for several months now and have been found to be quite anaemic with a low blood count suggestive of internal bleeding.

In the last few weeks I have had test after test to try to find out what’s going on with me.

Today I was at the hospital again, this time for an iron IV and the doctor told me they think I may have bowel cancer and that they want to do a colonoscopy ASAP. Two hours after getting home they called me with an appointment for this Friday.

I hadn’t expected it to be so quick. I’m really frightened about what is happening to me. It all feels so out of my control.

DH is brilliant at looking after me, lifts to appointments etc but he doesn’t like talking about how frightened I am. I know that’s because he is scared too but I would just like him to listen to me without trying to fix everything.

Hi you wonderful ladies.sorry ihaven’t Been active. I feel slightly unworthy and a bit of a fraud as all i’ve had is a bilateral tonsillectomy and now about 2 weeks through 6 weeks of radiotherapy.

I’m still going to work, doing housework and looking after things, as the side effects of the radio haven’t really kicked in yet.

I’ve also had issues at work (to do with my diagnosis) as an individual who should know better basically wants to cherry pick from my job in the event of me going sick. I’m fighting tooth and nail to try and stop some of my responsibilities being handed over to them and have so far been protected by a senior member of the dept.

It’s all rather vile and energy sapping :(

@AEJS

Sorry to hear about your worries. It is a scary time and things do go rather quickly. It can be difficult to process what’s going on as everything jumps around so much. Much love x

AEJS so sorry you are at this horrible stage when you have reason to worry but no diagnosis. It's good that you're having the colonoscopy soon - at least then you'll know what the situation is. You can always talk and get support here.

Fatandlumpy for heaven's sake, you're not a fraud! You're having treatment like most of us here. What a nasty person your colleague must be, you shouldn't be having to deal with their machinations on top of the illness.

Thanks for all your supportive replies. I'm sorry to read about the various issues everyone is going through and wish you all enormous luck and peace 💐

Still no results as yet so I will call tomorrow and try get an ETA as suggested. I did think about it before but didn't want to nag as I am sure they are busy!

When I had the scan, the lady doing it didn't really say much. My DH and I just saw the dark area on the screen. She zoomed in on it and highlighted it an orange colour then a blue colour. DH asked her what it was and she said don't worry its only a small lump. I remember her saying numbers to her assistant who wrote them down (4 and 1.6 I think). Didn't think to ask what they were. When we were leaving she said GP would be in touch after looking at the scan and blood result together. That was it really

@AhJaysusHowaya

My ‘bad news’ was delivered by a consultant and not a GP. I’m not sure how it is with other cancers (mine is tonsil - I know, how pathetic). All my care is through the MDT assigned to me. I still see my GP for HRT and to keep them up to date with things though, as well as my dentist.

I hope the news is not as bad as you fear. X

@Bloodybridget

The person in question is not evil per se, rather she’s desperately trying to make herself indispensable by hoovering up all the responsibilities that are generally non-productive (she sits on ALL the committees and chairs most of them too). She’s been trying to cherry pick from my role for years, so ‘this’ has given her an opportunity. She lacks any self awareness and so is utterly bereft of any self control. She’s known for having hissy fits (not my description!) if things don’t go her way and is generally loathed by a lot of the people in the dept that have daily contact with her.

But saying that, she can be rather nice. She’s extremely capable (although completely unprofessional at times). Unfortunately people like her are not uncommon in academia. Senior academics are never called to account when their behaviour is unreasonable, so many basically go off the rails and become just awful, self entitled parodies.

It’s really quite sad, but her focus is on her career and what she needs to do consolidate her position in the dept. I can understand her opportunistic behaviour as we are both main bread winners of our respective families, but there are better ways to conduct yourself.

She’s also a neglected a lot of the roles she’s assimilated along the way - which is rather frustrating.

To be honest,part of the reason why i’m still going to work is to piss her off.

Ha fatandlumpy, I hear some shocking tales of academic misbehaviour and backstabbing from a friend! Not surprising there are a lot of murder mysteries set in universities!
My news this morning, without going into unnecessary detail, "Mafeking relieved "

Very happy to hear your good news bridget

fatandlumpy I wouldn't describe any cancer experience as pathetic....it's all blimmin scary! Your colleague sounds a right pain. Don't let her desperation compromise your best recovery plan....if you need to be off work, and you can afford to be, then do it. There'll be plenty to do when you get back if academia is anything like the NHS.

ahjaysus sound a like a call to the gp is in order. I never know whether to ask anything at scans....the replies can be so cryptic and unhelpful!

I've got a face like a tomato today thanks to the steroids I think....such a great look!
My renewed passport has just arrived. Wig photo looks ok and at least it wasn't taken tomato face day lol.
Just listening to John Humphreys last Today programme broadcast on radio 4....end of an era! Oh dear....I'm so ancient....though think I always have been....have listened to it since I was a toddler!

Have a good day everyone xx

Thinking of TQ today with respect and gratitude (her funeral is taking place now I believe). Hope it brings comfort to all her loved ones.

Afternoon all. Thank you for the reminder about TQ’s funeral, Bridget. A beautiful day for it.

I’m pleased to hear your situation is ‘more comfortable’ now and hope that’s it for sieges... I haven’t got up at all today, except to move to the spare bedroom when the cleaner came to do our room. I’m absolutely flat out exhausted and weary, and also seem to have swung round to dire rear rather than constipation now. I’m meant to be having another chemo tomorrow so that’ll be interesting.

Welcome back fatand. How have you found the treatment? Has it impacted on your ability to eat? That’s not intended to be rude, my cousin has had tonsil cancer this year and had enormous trouble getting food down after radiotherapy. He has Crohn’s too which complicated things anyway, but head and neck cancers aren’t small things so please don’t minimise what you’ve been through - and with your arsehole colleague I’d be inclined to play it up a bit frankly! Why should you be worrying about someone pilfering your role when you’re ill!

Meercat I’m probably being thick but is being on the 7/10th herceptin not better than 10/18? Either way I’m glad you had your dose ok in the end yesterday.

So sorry your results weren’t ready for you Trumpton, it’s extra anguish really isn’t it when you are keyed up. I’m hoping there will be some relief for your armpit in the meantime at least.

Welcome to the thread, AEJS though I wish you didn’t have to be here. I’m sure it’s a very scary time for you and it sounds as if you’ve been suffering for a while. We will all think of you tomorrow for the scope and hope it goes smoothly. How old are you? Is there any family history of BC? Your husband sounds as if he is in full protective mode at the moment, it is definitely easier for them initially to retreat into roles where they can do something practical or concrete. If it needs to I’m sure that will evolve into more emotional support. Do you have friends or family who will be better at that for now? If not, talk to us.

WTF were you a fan of John Humphreys? I haven’t listened to Today while I’ve been off work but he used to make me cringe a lot with his ‘style’ of interviewing, either over excited or aggressive. Bad for my blood pressure! Hope you’ve had a good day again today and no squits yet...

fatandlumpy Reading about your colleague made me feel really hot under the collar! Well it was probably a hot flush from the meds but her behaviour doesn't sound at all nice. Talk about looking for the advantage for yourself in someone else's difficult situation.

Brassica you weren't being thick. It was my clumsy typing. I am die to have 18 sessions of Herceptin and this week was session 7. I had somehow got it into my head that the previous session was the half way point but in fact it was only the one third point!! I do like to be able to count down but it is not actually much help if you can't manage to count.

Yes, good thst TQs nearest and dearest have hopefully had a bright day for it. Not that it makes it any easier but gotta be better than standing about in the rain.

Not really a fan of JH brassica but I always found him entertaining to listen to, if irritating at times. I love a bit of hurly burly. And I guess has just been around for so long. I'm glad I caught it anyway.
Sorry to hear you've had a rough day. I've had first sign of squits today so upped the Imodium pronto! Is your next chemo your final one? Have you had your blood results? As we know, feeling rubbish doesn't necessarily mean it'll be no go. Crossing fingers you xx