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

Re: working through treatment, I am no martyr, but for as long as I feel fine I will continue to work. I have only just started rads, so no side effects yet, but I'm not expecting to get off scot free. My company have been super-lovely; I had 3 weeks off for the hysterectomy, and was under no pressure to rush back. I did recover very quickly, though.

Joggers sound like good rads attire, but I'm always in my work clobber, so it's easier to whip off skirt/trousers and put a robe on.

Called back into unit . Need to see dr . UTI . Will need antibiotics . They said no chemo again so I wept over poor DH . On our way back now .
7th lot of antibiotics since august !

So sorry trumpton utis are awful and you must be so fed up xxx

Will it be a 3 day course? X

Waiting in unit to see dr . Could be a long wait . But hey ho .

Trumpton So sorry to hear that. I hope they can clear it up quickly.

@Trumpton I'm so sorry, I would have wept as well.
7th lot of ABs since August, oh dear. I don't know about you but they play havoc with my digestive system.
I was threatened with having this week's chemo put off a week because I'm currently on a two week course of amoxycillin and I was so upset. They relented as bloods were ok.

I have just ordered some bio yoghurts and keffir on the Tesco order to try and help my bowels recover afterwards.

That's so crap. I'm sorry x

Aww that's rubbish! So sorry. Xx

@NaomiFromMilkShake thank you. Very outing (don't think I've been controversial with this name!) Diagnosed with a sellotape size brain tumour nearly 3 years ago. Prob had it all my life but slow growing so symptoms crept up on me so didn't realise. Also my symptoms were diagnoses in their own right (migraines, work related stress, anxiety, depression etc) Work in middle management.

Initial hospital A&E visit - sent away - overdosed and got myself addicted to codeine apparently. 24 hrs later, new visit and given steroids. When I able to sit up with the lights on etc within 20 min, admitted and scanned. Promptly air-ambulanced to Walton Centre for 14 hr op. Brilliant. Year later, scans showed no growth, good healing and second tumour hadn't grown. HOLD ON, SECOND TUMOUR?? Yep, they'd forgotten to mention that one! Returned to work after 12 months then changed jobs as felt unsupported.

New job, brilliant. There for 4 months before new scan and told I needed radiotherapy. 30 sessions over 6 weeks, having to spend that time living away for home. Oh well. Ready to return to work, told I needed radiosurgery - single big dose. New mask. Oops, changed our minds - need 6 weeks radiotherapy again! So not back to current job also for 1 year!

Luckily, it's been an adventure and I've just been curious and happy every step of the way. Why? Cos I'm not at deaths door, not in pain, able to return to work and look and act pretty normal.

BUT I'M PIG SICK THAT IT'S STILL ONGOING. Really pissed off but can't voice that too much as it scares elderly parents. ARGH

Ah well I am home now and slightly more philosophical about it . Dr said that if I had chemo and infection raged it would be much worse .

Sorry that was so long, I didn't realise how much I needed to get that out there!

It is good to get it all out.

I think you have confused me with another poster.

@LittleMissnotLittleMrs it was me saying tell us more - blimey you have been through it, and of course you must be longing to have treatment over and done with.

@NaomiFromMilkShake you seem to have a slight name change in your last post ?? Sorry you are feeling so rough again.
@Trumpton oh bad luck re UTI. It is so disappointing when chemo is delayed. How long before they will try again?

I had diarrhoea again in the night, but have been ok today. Hope that's the end of it. On the plus side, DP and I went to the gym at our rowing club to do short spells on exercise bikes and rowing machines, walked there and back (40 mins each way) - I was pleased as I wasn't sure I could walk that far. It was so nice to hang out with other rowers in the cafe afterwards. Aiming to go weekly and get back on the water eventually.

Sorry about all these miserable infection set-backs, Trumpton and Skap - hope you are back on track soon.

Second rads fraction today - all sorts of bladder tomfoolery. Had to jump off the table, whizz to the loo and reduce my bladder contents from 600ml to 250ml, which took some skill, I can tell you.

Sorry Bloodybridget - I blame fatigue cubed! Op fatigue, radio fatigue then more radio fatigue.

I just want to get back to work. I love it there and feel such a blob and waste of space vegging on the settee all day cos I do something for a couple of hours and then need to sleep for an hour.

@CointreauVersial
I am terrifically impressed !

@LittleMissnotLittleMrs absolutely no need to apologise! None of us manage to keep track of the thread all the time!
@CointreauVersial you just qualified for the pee Olympics!

@Bloodybridget

I name changed for a silly thread and then picked the wrong one from the list.

Hello!
I've newly discovered this thread, what a wonderful and supportive bunch you all are
I have stage 4 breast cancer with liver mets (well hopefully just the one liver met ... scan results should confirm next week)
I was diagnosed with both primary and secondary cancers at the same time in April last year.
I've had six cycles of chemo (THCP) followed by a mastectomy, 15 cycles of radiotherapy, and now continuing on Herceptin and Pertuzamab for as long as possible.
I had a liver MRI and full body PET CT just before Xmas and am seeing Onc. next week for results, depending on stability in my liver, I may then be referred for liver resection or ablation.
On a personal note - I'm 34, a single parent to 10 year old DS (and 4 month old puppy!)
I've just returned home from 2 weeks at my parent's for Xmas and I'm shattered!
Thanks for reading, and wishing you all a positive start to the new year!

Doreen hello and welcome, are you often up/awake at this time of night? I was asleep but always have some time awake in the night. You've been through a lot already with diagnosis and treatment, it must have been hard managing that as a single parent. Was it just you and your DS at your parents, or other family too? Wishing you and DS good things in 2020.
I have finished treatment - surgery and chemo - for ovarian cancer which was diagnosed in May, so atm I'm very well and in a good place. I have a close friend who had bowel cancer with liver and lung metastases, treatment was successful and she has had a year of clear scans. Don't know if hearing about other people's good luck stories is helpful or not but I was encouraged by being told of women who had no recurrence of ovarian cancer. Forgive me if I'm being Pollyanna-ish.

Hi @DoreensEatingHerSoreen - what an awful few months you've had. Here's hoping for better news next week.

I'm still in bed . Trying to muster the energy to get up and tackle the house - it's the big "de-Christmassing" day - ugh. I cannot blame cancer treatment for my lack of vim, just laziness, pure and simple.

Hello Doreen and welcome to the thread. You have been through the mill and on your own with DC as well. Do your parents help out?

@LittleMissnotLittleMrs welcome also. Something you said strikes a chord not at deaths door, not in pain, able to return to work and look and act pretty normal. I think this has been mentioned on here before. Certainly I never felt ill when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It has been the treatment that has made me unwell, not the cancer.

Countreau Champion of precision bladder control.

@Bloodybridget I hope you've seen the end of the diarrhoea. I'm seriously impressed with the rowing. DC joined a rowing club about 6/7 years ago and I joined myself to have ago instead of just hanging around for them. I could manage a gentle row up the canal but it was the requirement to hoick boats up and down that finished me off.

I was in bed much of yesterday but woke up today after 10 hours sleep feeling better and went to my first Pilates class in nearly 3 months. I went easy but it was hard going. I wore a hat instead of wig and it kept slipping. My hair is growing and has reached fluffy chick stage. I think it will be a while before I can go bare headed in public. Greeted the Tesco man sans hat and he was extra helpful .

Cointreau you can blame cancer/treatment for every failure for the next five years at least, it's the law!
Skap you actually wouldn't be impressed if you saw me rowing, I am not good at all, but I do enjoy it. My hair is very fluffy too, I always whip my hat off if I need sympathy, heh heh. Might as well milk it, eh?
Naomi ah I get it re namechange
How's everyone else today? I'm contemplating booking a short break in Devon on my own at the end of July, when I think DP will be away with her DSis. Coach holiday with directions for solo walks, might be nice?