Cancer support thread #73 - come in, we're here for you.

[Trumpton]

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 smile

Happy new year my lovelies. So glad I found this thread.
I spent New Year’s Eve getting bloods done and seeing oncologist and then in bed from 1pm cause I felt sick. Feeing better this morning though so fingers crossed nothing comes of it.

I wish everyone this year all the strength they need to get through xx

Queasy this morning after the most amazing feel good day yesterday .
Will find anti nausea pill and take . I just spent an hour gently tidying my bedroom ,clearing surfaces and throwing old creams and make up away .
Wishing and hoping and hoping and wishing for a good start of the year for the patrons of The Patience Inn.

Well it's a beautiful day of watery winter sunshine and I've been for a walk down the lane and I feel good. It's steroid day so I'm well aware I won't feel so perky tomorrow when chemo / herceptin effects set in. The steroids kept me awake long past the new year - a first for me I have stayed up for NYE in years. Actually I wasn't up I was in bed on Twitter for hours.

positive, battle and journey are the three words I loathe with a passion when related to cancer, though so many cancer patients do seem to use them.
My aim for the next three weeks or so before radiation is to start getting some physical fitness back. I have always hated exercise and never had a weight problem so no obvious motivation. In the last few years I have developed rheumatoid arthritis and a heart problem, both of which are benefited by exercise. Before cancer I had done a reasonable job of it - pilates, walking and gentle gym. It's all gone to pot.
Better things for 2020 to all at The Patience. See you all there for a New Year coffee.

Hello.

I'm awaiting an emergency appt at the eye clinic on saturday after "unusual" findings on an oct scan last week.

2 raised lesions.

My mood has not been helped by the optometrist telling me it was routine when the referral is clearly marked urgent :(

I'm googling and worrying myself sick.

Anyone been through similar?

Thank you x

I'm feeling so sick and checking my life insurance...
I have 2 kids.
Fuck.

Stinkyeddie Hi there. My experience is of Breast cancer so I do not have any direct practical advice to offer. I do know though that where you are at the moment, waiting for appointments and answers is the nastiest place of all to be in.

Whatever they find out in your next appointments they will also be able to give you clearer answers and a plan. I am not going to say that it all become easy then because that is not true but it does become easier to cope with when you know what will happen.

If there is anyone here with similar or more relevant experience then I am sure they will be along as soon as they read your post. Meanwhile please do come and talk to us. We do know that worry and sick feeling.

It is probably too late now to say that it is probably best to stay away from Google if you can. We have all done it and it usually doesn't help but I do understand that it is at least something to do.

Thank you for replying x
I'm cross with myself but I can't seem to stay away from google! :(
I'm trying not to say too much to dh. He knows I'm worried.
If it is cancer the prognosis is very poor.
Not helped that it's holiday time and I have nothing but time to brood.

@Stinkyeddie I'm with you on the waiting. I feel like I will cope better when I know. I won't say stay positive because that is driving me insane. I'm staying mechanically busy and waiting for Monday then I'll know something either way. Hope for a positive result for you and everyone else.
@meercat23 @Skap @Trumpton and everyone else who has answered me. Thank you so much, you gave me something to focus on and moving forward that's all I need for now.

New year blessings to all whatever 2020 throws at you xxx

I'm sorry you are waiting too hippie
Good luck for monday x
I feel like I'm going mad...

@stinkyeddie it makes 2! Definitely going mad here. Good luck for your appointment, hope all goes well

Got to put a happy face on tomorrow as its mums b day....

Waves to all! Onc and consultant radiologist are fighting it out between them on whether I need an MRI scan for my liver blob. Radiologist says not as CT scan showed the same blob as was there in 2018 when I had the ultrasound under contrast ( and they all told me that it deffo wasn't cancer). Hey ho. Tamoxifen is going ok and now don't get debilitating fatigue which was happening with letrazole.

@Hippiechick162 . My nipple disappeared. I had a 2cm lump behind it. The most common type of breast cancer is invasive ductal and that was mine. Was seen end of march and had a biopsy then and there. It sounds painful but really wasn't. Had results two weeks later in April. Had lumpectomy in May. Did have a faff of some margin clearance but hey ho. Didn't need chemo. Had radio ( fine if you manage the fatigue). Now on hormone suppressant ( it's caused by oestrogen). Essentially, the waiting for results is the worst bit. If you have a mammogram take paracetamol a couple of hours earlier.. mammos are the worst bit. You get used to waving your norks at various random people in small rooms. Try not to worry. Lots of exercise and displacement activities - I recommend decluttering!

stinkyeddie - the advice to ‘never google’ must be the most widely ignored bit going. Do try to stick to reputable sites (CRUK, Macmillan and any leading charities for specific types of cancer) because there is also an awful lot of out-of-date and downright scary info lurking on the web and that really won’t help you at all.

In other news, the dire only reared up once today, and I had considerably more energy and no cramps.

Glad to hear it IV and thank you x

Another nighf of no sleep....

I'm so scared

So sorry to hear that - lack of sleep is a killer and it makes everything else so much worse.

Who have you got with you in RL? Any plans for today?

Not really.
Mums b day but I've cried off.
Don't want worry dh any more.
I'm sat at opticians now....I've decided to come and ask exactly what's going on...

Hello strep throat my old friend.

Oh no naomi
Horrid :(

I have hidden away in bed since the 28th and I still get one.

Thankfully someone totally messed up my medication order at the pharmacy just before Christmas and they gave me ABs that were on the list but hadn't been re prescribed, so I am going to take them. I brought up some blood this morning, but that could have been lurking from last nights nose bleed.

Either way I am taking charge of this, I am not going to sit in hospitals possibly picking up more than I already have to be told here is a script for ABs.

Grumpy today.

@Stinkyeddie I lurk here occasionally as my little girl has cancer so not really the right thread for me but it’s useful to hear how other people cope with things.
Anyway, I popped on to say that she had an opthalmology appt with OCT scans the other week and they came back saying she had bilateral papilloedema (no reason for her to have this from original malignancy) This generated an urgent MRI. I was terrified but scan was fine. No one seems quite sure why the OCT appearance was weird and of course may be different for you but just wanted to say that we have had some experience of weird OCT appearances which have turned out fine.
Also agree with others that for us the waiting and not knowing pre diagnosis was the worst part. I hope optician can be helpful and give you some more info, sending you gentle hugs and thoughts for Saturday.
And - to all the rest of you - hope you don’t mind me lurking in the wrong place, it’s been really helpful to read your experiences of what’s helped you and I am in awe of your lovely community.
all round

china
Thank you so much for posting. I'm very sorry about your little girl. Very kind of you to post with everything you are going through

@Stinkyeddie so sorry you have this horrible anxiety; as others have said, waiting for tests and diagnosis is just awful. Sending much sympathy and a handhold.
Also thinking of @Hippiechick162 and anyone else who is playing the waiting game.
@Skap, will you be having surgery after rads? I thought you were going to, at some point.
Hope everyone struggling with side effects of treatment has a reasonable day today.
I've been a bit under the weather since NYE, so unfair that my worst dire rear episodes have been in other people's houses! Feeling nauseous on and off too. Don't know if it's a bug, or something I ate, but DP unaffected.

@Stinkyeddie thank you - should have said my little girl is doing really well - plus we’re just sitting around in hospital today getting over the tail end of chemo so it’s nice to have something to do!
Will be thinking of you on Saturday x