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

Not too bad here, I was very smug about my bowels on day one, not so much now.

I have slept most of the morning, I have the next dreaded injection at 6.00.

I really resent the fact that I couldn't taste my wine, last night it tasted like I had just drunk something creamy, still the alcohol hit is there to induce sleepiness. It is only half a glass of wine, I want to just enjoy it and sleep.

#moaning Minnie.

On the basis that my hair appears to be coming out anyway I washed it yesterday with the gentle shampoo, it hadn't been washed for a week, it felt bloody good.

Little things.

Hi all. Just wondering if I can join the thread?
I found a breast lump last week and have been put on the 2ww . I have my appointment next Friday (13th). I have stayed away from doctor google, my problem is I'm a HCP so know too much some times and others know not enough. I have a history of breast cancer in the family and my mum has a benign lump. I have lumpy boobs anyway but this bad boy stood out. It's like a hard marble that doesn't move. Doesn't hurt.
I don't know why I'm posting but now I'm getting worried and keep crying. I've got a lovely partner and 3 cracking kids. I've just completed the 1st year of my nursing associate training and now this.
Ladies, I'm shitting it and need a handhold and virtual hug. I'm crying as I type.
I feel a fraud as you are all so long the path and I may be a none starter . I'm sorry I don't know what else to add , I'm just confused and feel so lost.

Hi eggnog - so sorry you find yourself here. This waiting for an appointment and answers is so hard, particularly if you’re trying to shield other people from your worries. How old are your kids?

We hope we can wave you off in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime have as many hugs as you need!

drink8ngeggnog sorry you find yourself here. I'm a relative newbie and the people on here are fantastic with support, knowledge and kindness.

I found a lump in my breast at the end of Sept 2019, went to the gp the day after I found it. Referred on 2 week pathway, but so mentally overwhelmed, paid to see consultant 3 days later. Had mammogram and told it looked very suspicious (definitely not a cyst). Had ultrasound and biopsies 2 days later, and was told they would be amazed if it wasn't cancer. Had 1 week hellish wait for results. Found out I had one 2.5cm tumour which is herceptin positive, hormone negative, plus a pre-cancerous .4cm lump which is hormone positive. Treatment plan of 6 rounds of chemo, 3 x EC, then 3 rounds of docetaxel plus herceptin and perjita., each on 3 week cycle. Will then have surgery, radiotherapy, then continue herceptin and perjita for a year. It's all very daunting, as there are a lot of scans, tests,etc. I also had a port fitted, as my veins are poor and it will save them. Unfortunately, as you can see from above, I've been in hospital and have a suspected blood clot on the port. Having a scan on Monday and will take it from there. As long as it doesn't delay my 3rd chemo, which is planned for 20h dec, I don't care.

It's astonishing how quickly things move once the process gets started! The waiting is the worst, and the people on here made it so much easier! Post here with any questions, etc as someone always seems to know the answer!

Hi, I wanted to join this thread because there is so much good sense being written here and you are all so supportive.

I had whipple surgery for a tumor in my bile duct back in September - i know I had part of my pancreas removed and my bile duct and, I think part of my duodenum where the bile duct enters the small intestine. I was quite ill after the surgery and my recovery was very slow and fraught - I was in hospital for 2 months.

I'm recovering slowly and still have lots of pain (healing inside, the oncologist told me). I was so fortunate - it was stage 1 with clear margins and no lymph nodes affected. I haven't had to have chemo or radiotherapy. So why have I started to feel so emotional about it? I was fine when I was in hospital but for the last couple of weeks I can't stop crying because I feel like I've lost something, that there was a "before" and "after" and I'll never go back to being the person I was before. I feel like I'm grieving the loss of that person.

Eggnog

The waiting is the worst part, when you have your new normal, what ever that may be you just get on with it, I took the cold cap and it hasn't really worked for me, I was heartbroken, now I just want my hair to go, so I can deal with the new normal. IYKWIM

Waiting is horrible but we are here to listen.

@Skap, no I know she wasn't making a diagnosis, she was muttering to herself (she's well known for it this GP) and I heard her say 'hmm yes 5cm' so I guess it freaked me out. I guess I'll wait for my apt and hope for the best 👍

toofar thank you. My kids are all adults now and starting their own lives. I don't know how to speak to my partner about my fears as I've always been the stronger level headed one.

Yes it's this waiting. I'm trying to keep busy by studying and as stupid as it sounds I'm trying to plan in my head how to deal with work , uni and family.

Yes I'm probably panicking about nothing but until I found this thread felt so alone. I started my own thread about it , lots of posters saying it will be ok but I'm starting to question a lot off niggly things that at the time I had put down to life in general like tiredness and weight loss and now I think what if it s all connected .

Oh Rosie, you sound like you’ve had a very hard few months. Finishing treatment can be oddly difficult. People in real life also seem quite keen for you to be “over it”, while you’re still feeling pretty raw. There’s a few people in here who’ve had counselling post treatment who might be along later x

Well the day started well and we went to retail village but I felt progressively worse and came home and slept for four hours .I had some dinner then DH said I was looking awful flushed . Temp showing at 38.0 then after 10 mins 38.1 .
I rang the help line and they sent me straight to A&E we got there 9pm feeling worse than ever. . Side room straight away and iv fluids, antibiotics and paracetamol ,chest xray and ecg( lovely staff) . Home by 3am with more antibiotics .
Just woken up with headache so it looks as if I have picked up the bug going round . We haven’t been near the dgc for 10 days so it could have come from anywhere .
Temp this morning is hovering around 38 so have had some paracetamol and will keep an eye on it .
Hey ho .

I feel a fraud compared to what you ladies are going through 😕
Trumpton get well soon, a lot of lurgy going round at the moment

I am amazed about how everyone seems to cope with their diagnoses and treatment. I have stage 3C ovarian cancer which I have been told is not operable, not sure why as I thought Id had a good response to chemo, waiting for next appointment to see if they are going to offer me any further treatment. I cant see the point in anything as the only way is down from here on. How do you manage to turn your thoughts to positive ones ? Probably more down as I have the everlasting cold that seems to be going round, 2 weeks and counting now. Dont really want to go on an anti depressant, apart from the fact it will take me at least 3 weeks to get a GP appointment !

elspeth is there a specialist nurse team at your hospital that you could talk to? The gynae-oncology unit I’ve been treated at said they are happy for me to call and talk things through anytime. There’s could also be a specialist cancer nurse at the GPs or Macmillan support. It might really help to talk it all through with somebody while you’re waiting for the next appointment?

Can I join? Just diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump a few weeks ago and I'm 6.5 months pregnant. Don't understand all the terminology etc but could do with a hand-hold!

Tumour is 2cm which I think is small? And hormone responsive including HER2 which I think is also good but again, don't really understand anything yet. Plan is for chemo while pregnant, then surgery and radiotherapy after baby is delivered. I had a mammogram last week and waiting for an MRI, I assume to get a better picture of what they're dealing with.

I'm the sole earner so most of my concerns right now are practical, although also quite scared about treatment and the future, not to mention doing all this while heavily pregnant and then with a newborn (also have a preschooler). Feels very surreal to think I have cancer!

Just to add eggnog I was where you were a couple of weeks ago. My mum is currently being treated for BC as are tree cousins so I suspected mine wasn't benign but was holding out hope! I'm 35 and thought it might just be due to lactation as I was still bf my child and pregnant too but sadly not. However, the odds are still in your favour for it being something non-sinister so hold on to that if you can! I hope I've taken the odds on this occasion so you don't have to

@whatagoodideahesaid thank you for your words of comfort. What a shock for you. I'm sending a virtual hug for you xx

@Trumpton sorry to hear about the bug - how are you today?

whatagoodideahesaid What a shock for you. Lots of us here with breast cancer but none that I know of who went through treatment while pregnant. I am sure you will be very well looked after by the oncology team. If there are 4 members of your family with BC do they suspect a genetic mutation? Hormone and HER2 positive means there are other drugs in addition to chemo that they know work against these types of breast cancer, that's why these are "good".

@drinkingeggnogoutofamug welcome to the thread. Lets hope you won't be here after Friday but meanwhile you are certainly not a fraud. The wait for tests and diagnosis is psychologically the hardest part for many. Do you know the process at the breast clinic on Friday? (See my post to Mini above). Do you have someone to go and keep you company?

For breast cancer sufferers there is a facebook group called UK Breast Cancer Support Group

I'm not normally a FB user but this is a private closed group and I have found it useful to some extent. There are a lot of knowledgeable posters and whatever your problem there will be someone who has had it before. There are some fluffy hun type posts but it's still worth a look.

@Skap
Bit better today but still flat in my bed . Already had a nap today .
I was just a bit stunned at how fast I went down as generally have a good immune system... obviously not at the moment .
I should look at the face book group when I feel a bit stronger .
I put my “Oh fuck !” bag in the car when we went to A&E but as they pointed out the last place I should be on is a hospital ward if avoidable .
We came home and ate toast and marmite !

@Skap thank you for the welcome. I'm a trainee nursing associate and only did a placement with the breast clinic team 3 months ago so unfortunately in a twisted way it will be interesting from the other side. The staff there are lovely and were so gentle with the lady patients.
I've told work today , not sure why, my line manager offered to come with me god bless her.
I've got a new placement next week on cardiology so will take my study books in with me while I wait. The letter said the appointment will be about 3 hours long.
I hope those of you having a bad day feel better soon

Hi all, hope everyone is as comfortable as possible today and that those of you who are dealing with bugs are starting to feel better.

I've had most of my scans now, tomorrow is the last hurdle, colonoscopy and endoscopy on the same day. I'm supposed to be starting my bowel prep fluid in an hour or so but I'm currently having panic attacks about it and generally a bit of a weep, I have no idea why! Not sure it's actually needed to be honest as I've had a really upset tummy all day....
Ultrasound showed that the growth in the gallbladder hasn't increased much making it still borderline the "yes this is definitely nasty" size so that will be a "watch and wait" approach as I'm adamant I won't have surgery unless it's absolutely necessary. Ultrasounds will be repeated every 6 months I think.
MRCP went ok but won't have any results until I meet the consultant again after tomorrow so I don't know anything about the pancreas etc yet.
Will pop back once I've got over tomorrow, apparently they will tell me there and then if they find anything in the bowel.
Partner is too busy at work apparently to pick me up tomorrow, I'm assuming that I can get a taxi though.

wotonearthisthis. I hope the prep is not too horrible. I did find the colonoscopy not too bad but them prep wasn't pleasant

Trumpton. I hope you are starting to feel much better

I had my echo today and the cardiologist is happy for me to continue with Herceptin but wants an echo every 8-9 weeks instead of every 12 weeks. I am just happy that I can continue for now

Hello to the newbies, although very sorry that you find yourselves here.

I have my CT Scan and "Pre Treatment Briefing" in the Radiotherapy department tomorrow afternoon to kick everything off, then the RT itself is scheduled to start 2nd January. I expect I won't be the only one starting straight after the holidays. Looking forward to my first tattoo.

Meanwhile I had my first day back at work today, Day 25 after the hysterectomy. I felt absolutely fine, and it was nice to catch up on things, particularly as it looks as thought January will be a bit of a wash-out.

meercat23
I am 3 years older than you and have 4 different heart problems - Valvular, coronary, LVH and pericardial Effusion, but had to wait 6 weeks for results of my last echo to OK my GA. I am envious that you got the results on the day of the echo. .

After a year of cancelled ops then 2 ops, latter had a more advanced stage discovered, then 33 daily Rads which finished 4.5 moths ago, I have a date for my other cancer discovered last June, next week.
Pre assessment tomorrow.

Was in A&E Saturday with head injuries after passing out and falling unconscious onto a marble hearth. They did a CT on my head and was pleased that I was deemed to have a good brain Also a blood test to see if it had been a heart attack which was negative.
*@CointreauVersial Good luck for your scan tomorrow.

Hmm- don't know about my brain being deemed good but my 2nd cancer was discovered in March not June.