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.
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General health
Cancer Support Thread #71 - here to help if you’re dealing with cancer in any shape or form, come in and say hello.
Brassica · 13/06/2019 20:05
Hello all. Sending very good wishes to TQ for a good recovery from pneumonia. Notsuch, sorry you are here, but welcome, anyway. Walnutwhipster, I can quite understand you hoping you mum has a swift and peaceful death now, I am so sorry.
Brassica, thanks for thinking of me. I am still going on holiday, unless results from the kidney function test are too bad . . I'm starting chemo next Tuesday (getting same drugs as you), talked to a nurse in the chemo unit today about risk of infection while I'm away, she was very helpful. My DP (female) is being absolutely wonderful. She's been very upset at times, understandably.
Good luck to those awaiting results and other communications. Love and strength to all 
No happy ending here, too dependent on mass oxygen saturation. Love thanks and 
TQ Sorry you are not escaping yet. I hope that you perk up overnight and can come off the oxygen.
wtf did you cold cap yesterday. My hair fell out around week 3 (after 2 x EC's) I woke up with a mouthful of hair and shaved my head the next day. It was very liberating actually and I had been incredibly down about it prior to shaving my head.
The other plus side was that my chemo time at hospital was alot less.
notsuch sorry you find yourself here. Wrt wprking & chemo, I haven't worked as I wpuld probably be high risk for getting an infection in my work. I am fortunate to have a good sickness policy in my job so am lucky my finanes haven't altered too much. I am a single Mum with 2 children (5&8) and alot of issues with my ex, so not working has really helped as it is something less for me to worry about. But echoing the others, see your Macmillan nurse. They have leaflets and a fair bit of advice for this subject. Hopefully your BCN can help/advise you.
TQ I am very sad to read your update. I hope I am reading more into it than you intend, but if you are telling us that the end is near then I wish you peace and comfort and that your girls are at hand for you. You are really inspiring (I doubt you will accept any accolades but it doesn’t stop us thinking it you know) and I am just so very sorry that after all the treatment and stuff you have been through, the news seems to be the worst. Lots of love to you 
Hi all,
Thinking of TQ today ....
I'm on day 3 of 2nd FEC and feeling quite nauseous despite extra meds during treatment and to take home. I'm holding on to the hope that I'll be feeling better by the weekend as that was the pattern last time so fingers crossed. My treatment got delayed a few hours for a repeat blood test as my Friday bloods were showing my neutrofils as slightly too low to go ahead, which would have meant a week delay. Luckily they had recovered over the weekend. The nurse said FEC is strong stuff sk not uncommon but i was a bit disappointed to be having this ussue so early on.
I did cold cap and was sitting next to a woman nearing the end of her treatment and with a full head of hair....lucky thing! I dont think im going to be so lucky. Like you noodles44 ive been shedding since week 3. I'm on a 21 day cycle. Haven't washed my hair yet since Monday but need to do that today and not looking forward to it 
Im seeing my hairdresser tomorrow afterrnoon so will get him to shave it then if I've had enough. I've worn a hair net since Monday.....looking very glam! You have to laugh don't you really....or sob uncontrollably....probably both. I did get semi permanent eyebrow tattoos done though before starting chemo and very pleased with those now they have faded a bit....they were scarily dark at first. And I have various headwear and a wig at the ready.....would just like my own hair though....oh well.
On the work issue, I get generous sick pay but not enough to cover the whole of surgery, chemo and rads without falling into half pay so im trying to hold off on going sick for as long as I can, especially as I live alone and responsible for all outgoings. I had 3 weeks off post lumpectomy in May and a few days when I was not really coping during the diagnosis and planning phase, so probably a month in total so far. My employer is being great. I'm working from home on some project work that she needs doing and just popping into a nearby office when I can. No expectation that I will work on my worst days...like today.
Hope everyone else is going along ok. Sorry for not namechecking more. Phone makes that difficult and I just feel too rubbish today.
Love to all
WTF99 If you can’t moan here, where can you?! It’s never “just” hair loss and nausea
Thinking of you TQ & hoping you are comfortable & improving.
snow I drove myself to radiation, but only had 1 appt each day - usually on the morning. By week 3 tiredness started to kick in for me and I napped most afternoons (I had 20 sessions/ 4 weeks)
wtf this is definitely a place to rant Btw, don't apologise. Losing your hair feels like a massive deal too I found until after I had shaved my head & was totally fine! I think I was more upset when it looked dodgy with a comb over that people would think it was in that style by choice! Hopefully if you get it shaved they will waive the fee. A few people found that happened on here...
For me the nose hair has been the worst to lose, you don't realise until you get the tiniest sniffle or have a cry and liquid just streams/drips out. Mine went crusty as I had a couple of infections when new hair grew back (which if this happens to you, go straight to the gp's for antibiotic cream to clear it up)
Waves & to all xx
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