Cancer support thread #72 - come in, we're here for you

[Bloodybridget]

Welcome to the new support thread for anyone who has cancer, at whatever stage of treatment, is worried about symptoms, or is waiting for tests or results.

This is the place to worry, moan, ask questions, share experiences and good and bad news, and celebrate milestones!

If you've got a loved one with cancer then your best place for support is probably on the Life-Limiting Illness board.

Our previous thread is here

Current members, please do introduce yourselves

Skap great news that you have the go ahead to have Herceptin. It is hard to believe how recently women had to fight hard to be allowed to have this life saving treatment. I am so grateful to them for fighting and for the treatment.

As for imagining what we all look like, just to help, I am absolutely stunning despite my badger like hair. (Well I might as well, you are not likely to find me out)

WTF I managed to work throughout chemo. I was lucky in that I had the weekly Paclitaxel which is milder than the thre weekly dose. I did feel rubbish for a few days afterwards but nothing like as bad as for those of you having the stronger dose. I didn't work on those days. Also I only work a couple of days a weeks and for no more than a few hours. As I am freelance I can also turn work down whenever I want to. I didn't work at all through the rads though. I think the important thing is to do what feels right for you.

Pops in, grabs a comfy chair, a ham and cheese toastie and a cup of black tea

I know snows that I would feel exactly the same as you. I simply don't trust my body at the moment to behave itself!
I'm so relieved for you that it turned out to be an infected spot and I'm glad you got the appropriate reassurance.

Hope the herceptin session went well meercat You made it sound very jaunty, popping into work and then out for a herceptin!

wtf, hope you are feeling a little less unwell. Sounds like you're having a rubbish time at the moment. Let me tuck a 'take your worries away' blanket round you in your chair at The Patience.

I can join you with the dire rear, thanks to antibiotics and I also have a sore bum due to bruising.
Mind you so soon after surgery I should be grateful not to be constipated. Small mercies...

I have got nowhere with my knitted bunny, your jumper sounds great. Looking forward to seeing it.

skap I remember the mumsnet haircut! No way would mine have turned out looking the way the one they used to show did.

I use my phone all the time as my password is saved. I have no idea what it is and am too lazy to get it reset.

I can understand the stress around the heart, we have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the family. Kids have regular check ups. Hope your condition copes well with treatment.

I can't visualise what anyone looks like either! You'd have to wear your knitted jumper to a meet up wft. skapwould have a carnation. I'd be carrying the still unknitted bunny in a box!

Today I did some online Xmas shopping. Also went out for a 15 minute walk with dh and the dog. Feeling victorious.

WTF I don't know my drug regime yet, but things are speeding up now. Having clip in tomorrow, MRI on Friday, then they've moved my oncologist appointment up to Monday (plus bloods). Really freaking out now as it all seems to be happening - trying to keep calm in front of my 6 year old (who is a great distraction). He's excited that he's going to a play date on Monday while we go to the hospital!
Best wishes to everyone - gentle hugs and cream cakes at The Patience for us all!

Bridget I was reading a thread the other day about Aphantasia Is that what you’re describing in terms of not being able to imagine what we look like? I find that stuff quite fascinating. I can visualise things in my mind’s eye but suspect other people have far more bells and whistles than I do.

Meercat it sounds as if you should take part in the “What’s it like to be beautiful?” thread in Style & Beauty! That’s another fascinating discussion...

Catnidge I call your 15 minute walk pretty damn impressive after your surgery - well done!

WTF more sympathy from me for your side effects. Surely they are on their way out soon and you can wave them off into the distance 🤞🏻

Thanks for good wishes everyone. I got a GP appt this afternoon after the helpline told me to buy some mouthwash when I said I thought I might be getting a throat infection. To be fair my temp was normal at that point but I wasnt overly impressed with that as a plan and didn't fancy an anxious night watching my temp followed ny another nightmare trip to A&E.
I'm quite happy to own up to being a little over anxious about it at the moment.
Anyway lovely GP gave me some antibiotics and various creams for my sore bits.....so all good here. I'm gonna monitor my temp and start swigging the meds if any sign of it going up....got the liquid form after our recent discussion here.
GP was lovely I have to say and completely got that I didn't want to trip at this final hurdle. And also that my sore bits are minor issues but they're flippin sore and frankly I've had enough now.
Anyway all good. I'm exhausted though.

I'm gonna have a chat with the head bar person and check that the Patience has lots of fizz chilling cos the drinks are on me when I get safely to day 21!
Wishing everyone a peaceful evening.

starts polishing glasses ready for fwt* day 21

wtf day 21, I mean.
Must proof read

Hi all, I have had my appointment for my lump in back of neck. Didn't have scan or biopsy, that will be in 2 weeks. They have done some more extensive bloods though.
He had a good feel of my neck and all my other nodes. He said he is pretty certain it is insignificant and probably isn't cancer. He said he is only sending me for scan and biopsy as he feels he should always follow up no matter what, however he is pretty confident its nothing.

I will keep you updated when I have scan and biopsy.

I just want to add, in some of my darkest hours, wondering if I am going to watch my kids grow up to at least a point where my youngest would remember me, it is you lot who kept me sane!
Thank you so much for that!

I wish that all of you stay as amazing as you are! I pray for each of you.

Coming along to say Hi and welcome any kind words.

Am currently waiting for breast clinic appt for ultrasound and biopsy after mammo last week.

Verbal feedback on day of mammo was a small 8mm behind nipple cyst needing u/sound but written report shows some density after CAD , and also some very small 'nodes' low down on each breast which are different to my mammo 2 years ago.

I've also had a bit of recent armpit pain but that could be viral. Can't feel any lumps in armpit.

Feeling terrified .

Am 64 and very healthy otherwise I thought.

Hello nellysephalent and welcome. Hope you won't be staying but we're a good bunch. The breast clinic appointment should be within 2 weeks which sounds like a lifetime I know. The good thing is that they usually do all tests in the day, prepare to be there up to 3/4 hours. You may also find they give you a preliminary opinion on the day. Obviously the biopsy results take longer but you might expect to get them about a week or so later.
I don't know about other cancers but from what I've read early breast cancer has few symptoms and I certainly didn't feel unwell. They will scan your armpit as well as breast.
Feel free to come here to let off steam or ask questions.

nellysephalent welcome, and sorry you find yourself here. However things turn out, you will find lots of support and good advice - lots of women with breast cancer here, at all stages of investigation and treatment. It's very hard waiting for tests and results, of course you are scared. Do you have someone to talk to IRL?

Lots of posts for me to catch up with, I have read through but not taken everything in, so will come back to the Patience tomorrow!

Morning all, well wasn't allowed leave radiotherapy yesterday with seeing the nurse and having the dressings, underarm and under breast, very uncomfortable but necessary, I was just being stubborn I think.

Zorgo good luck today with the clip, I didn't find it too bad, mine was done the morning of the surgery.

nellysephlant, well come to the thread, hope you get your appointment soon, the waiting is a bloody pain.

Iputthescrew, fingers crossed for you that all will be ok.

Skap Bridget WTF trupmton Snows Brassica hope you are all ok this morning.

Apologies if I missed anyone but hope you are all as well as can be.

@bloodybridget @skap Thanks for your kind words. My appt at clinic is tomorrow. I am lucky to have private cover, although it will be 10 days since the mammo and I understand that in the NHS I'd get an appt within 2 weeks (?) anyway.
Slight disadvantage is it's in London which and takes about 1.5 hrs door to door ( get to station, train, across London) and could be exhausting if I need further treatment but the pros are the drs are top rated.

The really crap thing is my DH was diagnosed with cancer 6 months ago- kidney- so he had a major op. He didn't need chemo but is scanned every 4 months so have all that going on and are just getting over it- his was picked up 'accidentally' through another test.

I am very worried I have cancer and it's already in my lymph nodes BUT I suppose it could be a virus.

In RL I have friends but no one on hand for appts - best mates live too far away- so it's just me and DH.

@ellenora5 Thanks- missed your comments!

nelly that is very tough having gone through cancer with your DH so recently. Crossing everything that news isn't too bad for you.

Morning all,
I seem to have made it through the night with a stable temp so that's good. I've applied my various unguents and now chilling in bed with the radio for a bit. This last cycle really does seem to want to keep a grip of me!

I was thinking about the GP saying how run down I am and I've realised the bleeding obvious that, whereas getting through chemo has been my main task, now it's achieving some kind of recovery, physical and emotional. I've got 3 and a half months before I plan to be back at work so that's my initial timeframe. You remember I googled 'what's the point? I think I've found it

I thought I might keep a journal for plans, progress, thoughts etc. I know some of you have done a lot of that. I'd be really interested in hearing how you do it (daily for 15 mins? Just when you remember?) and what it's meant to you. And any thoughts on what recovery means, what I should be focusing on, though that's a unique journey for everyone

I realise that for those of you still on the 'wtf is happening to me' square, the above is probably completely irrelevant so feel free to ignore, other than to remember that you will get to this point, hard though it is to imagine right now.

iputthescrew I was really pleased to read your update. Ime medics do not offer false reassurance.. .they just don't do it....so I think you can take a lot of comfort from what has been said to you. Fingers crossed for your results.
nellysephalent sorry you find yourself here.....welcome in. It is terrifying but one way or another you will be ok. Lots of hands to hold whilst you're waiting to find out what's what. And feel free to ask questions if that's helpful.

See you all later in the bar

Lots of crossed posts whilst I've been very slowly jabbing at my phone

Blimey nellysephalent that's a lot to be dealing with. I do hope your situation turns out to be straightforward. Keeping it all crossed for you.

Off to GP this morning . I have been coughing for 10 days now and can’t take a deep breath without spasming !
Throat was very sore for a couple of days .
I am sure it’s just a grandchild inflicted bug and yet ....and yet ....
Wythenshaw seems to be hospital of choice now . I have an appointment for the 30th to see surgeon .
Social services calling to see MIL this morning at about 11. GP appointment is 10.50 . I am not planning to be at MILs unless called .

Galloping chest infection . Wet lungs ! And resting heart rate of 100 per min . Penicillin and back to her on Monday .
Back to bed ! Drs orders !

@Trumpton. That sounds like a nasty chest infection. I suppose your surgery might be early November? Hopefully you will be fully fit in a couple of weeks. I keep thinking of you as I learned your diarrhoea mnemonic and bizarrely have used it many times in the last few weeks (mum has CDif).

@WTF99 I'm glad your gp has given you lots of stuff to help. Niggling little things feel so much worse when you are also dealing with big things. I don't keep a diary as such, @Bloodybridget is the diary queen. What I have done is a kept a very detailed record of every appointment and phone call (habit of a former civil servant). Also lots of rambling notes about how I felt, some written with a view to compiling a blog. Since starting chemo I have kept a daily record of how I feel, just brief factual notes.

Hurray for bridget's shirt. Nice to treat yourself.

@Zorgothslugofdoom. I do feel for you having to go through this with young children. Breast cancer seems to strike a lot of younger women. I hope the clip insertion isn't too painful. From what I have heard they need this because the chemotherapy often obliterates the tumour it's so effective. They need to know where to operate later.

@nellysephalent travel to appointments seems to be a pain wherever you live. Trumpton probably has the worst of it living on an island. I live up north and have to travel to three different hospitals. Luckily the one I visit twice weekly is only a half hour drive though parking is a nightmare and has to be factored in. (No public transport).

zorg busy two days for you. Hope all goes well.

iputthescrew so pleased for you. Let us know the results.

Welcome nelly, lots of people on here with breast cancer. It's weird how so many of us are healthy 'except cancer'.
So sorry to hear about your husband, so much stress for you all. All the best for the appointment tomorrow.

wtf glad to hear you are feeling a little better. Is your plan to go back to full time working or ease back in over time? Good luck with your journal.

trumpton, hope the antibiotics take effect quickly and you are resting comfortably. Hopefully it won't delay surgery.

Good news re the shirt bridget.

I currently have a hot sore right eye, left is fine.
Dog has a recurrence of vestibular disease and is staggering, swaying and looking utterly bewildered. He is curled up under the blanket in the sofa with me

Definitley need drinks in the bar tonight. Its almost the weekend so we should celebrate.

That sounds a pain @skap.

Does anyone have any tips for trying to stay calm?

I am normally pretty level headed with health stuff but this is freaking me out and feel literally terrified about my appt.

I feel very in the dark at the moment because the verbal feedback on the day was it was only a cyst but they would do a scan some time later. (I did wonder at the time why there seemed a contradiction and assumed scans were always done.)

Then the written report seemed to imply it was possibly more than that, plus two other areas that had changed since previous mammo.

Anyway- any tips for staying calm? Everyone is telling me to assume it's all ok until told otherwise but easier said than done.

@catnidge thank you!

Wow lots of posts to catch up with. Trumpton. Hope the antibiotics work fast for you.

Nellysephalent the confusion and waiting for clarity is hard to cope with. It is hard not to worry while you wait but I hope the waiting time passes quickly

I hope everyone who is recovering from the bug that has affected a number of us is starting to feel a bit better. That so many of us have gone down so hard with it just goes to show what the treatment for this disease does to the immune system.

@meercat23 Thank you! I feel so silly speaking like this when so many women here are going through really crap times with humour and grit. As I said and I'm not trying to sound full of self pity either but this has come hard on the tail of DHs cancer 6 months ago and I thought we were coming out of it and looking forward. Hope we still are!

to all you lovely lot.