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

971 replies

Trumpton · 04/12/2019 16:54

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
yoikes · 14/02/2020 18:36

hippie oh, I see. That's tough about your dc visiting but you will need to rest. I bet today was very emotional for you x

Strength?? Ha! Don't know about that. It's been a rough few weeks for sure. I've been trying to keep myself to myself really.
Ds1 (16) now knows I'm having "eye problems" as it was hard to hide the yellow tinge of my skin and canula mark on Wednesday.
Ds2 (11) doesn't know anything is wrong yet.

I just don't want to worry people until I have to iyswim?
That being said, mum told my sister about my issues and hospital appts etc and....nothing! Not even a text. Meh. It's ok.

I've been inspired by all the wonderful posters (inc you!) On this thread.

Going through SO much and yet keeping a sense of humour and kindness xxxx

BitOfFun · 14/02/2020 23:07

"My news is that yesterday I rowed again for the first time since I don't know when - maybe last March? Just a short row, but I also coxed the boat for a much longer time, I do like coxing. It was just amazing and made me feel quite emotional - a real landmark of recovery."

This made me well up with happy tears- best news I've heard all week!

Love to everyone- I'm too tired to namecheck! X

BitOfFun · 15/02/2020 02:46

After a bit of googling, I've found that really interesting podcast with Michael Baum here, and although I couldn't find the particular book that @peaceanddove mentioned at an affordable price, there are a few of his others available cheaply on the WorldOfBooks site for secondhand books. I've ordered a few, and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in! Thanks for the heads-up Flowers.

AnotherTroyforHertoBurn · 15/02/2020 09:43

@Skap

Now isn't the human mind amazing, I had forgotten about neuropathy in my hands, it comes and goes, today they feel like they have been transplanted on, and a size too small, tomorrow they could very well be fine.

CointreauVersial · 15/02/2020 10:06

Morning all. I've just slept for ten hours, which feels marvellous. I had a business trip on Thursday which involved six hours of driving, and a 5.30am start, so I spent all of yesterday feeling like I'd been run over.

@Hippiechick162 - good to hear things are moving, at least. It's all very daunting having to leave your family at home without you; hope you are getting plenty of support.

@yoikes - I'm totally with you on "telling the children". I kept it to myself throughout all the uncertainty and diagnosis, because I really wanted to present them with a positive story and a clear plan of what was going to happen. Mine are a little older (20, 18 and 16) so it was harder to justify, but they understood. I didn't want them to deal with a load of "what ifs" and worse case scenarios, particularly because it coincided with a whole heap of uncertainty and change in their own lives (new job, starting uni, starting college).

@Nonotmenori - hope your appointment went well, and you are feeling a bit more comfortable. And sorry your BF has revealed his true colours just when you need the most support.

@DaisyBD - yay, halfway! Hope you don't get too many more side effects, and the rest of the sessions pass quickly. I found taking Normacol really held the dire rear at bay, but the tiredness is unavoidable.

As for me, last session (2nd brachytherapy) took place on Tuesday, after a last-minute delay. It's done! It was strangely anti-climatic, walking out for the last time. I sat in my car for ten minutes and had a long think. I wouldn't go so far as to say the last five months have been "good", but they have had quite a profound effect on me. With all my focus on cancer treatment the smaller irritations in life seemed insignificant; I became very "zen", I laughed a lot more, and was kinder and more relaxed with those around me. And I really did see how much those around me (family, friends and children) cared about me. I'd quite like to continue being that person, and am making a conscious effort to do so. Of course, MAJOR caveat here - I had an early-stage, easily operable cancer (endometrial, grade 1, stage 1B), and tolerated the op and treatment really well - I'm sure it would have been a different story had I been battling with some of the side effects and daily discomfort many of you have experienced. Or facing an uncertain future. But cancer has been a weirdly positive experience for me.

Apologies for the waffle....now I'm going to give myself a shake and run a bath. Love to you all. You've given me so much kindness and support.

peaceanddove · 15/02/2020 10:34

Hello BitofFun I'm so pleased you're looking forward to the reading. Have you ordered Oestrogen Matters by Dr Avrum Bluming too? It turned everything I thought I knew totally on its head x

yoikes · 15/02/2020 11:14

cointreau
Thank you. I think it's the right decision.
I've slowly realised I've kept myself away from people/situations since this all started and I think its because I'm finding the "how are you?" Questions hard to answer atm. Being honest would mean telling people about the issue and as I don't know what the issue is yet, it's hard :(

Huge congrats on your last treatment! 💐 You must have so many emotions whizzing around your head...hope any side effects aren't too troubling x

CointreauVersial · 15/02/2020 12:32

One side effect which is more amusing than troubling.....I had a good look at my pubic hair in the bath this morning, and I have a lovely bald patch, right in the middle. It looks like I've had some sort of weird inverse Brazilian wax. Grin

yoikes · 15/02/2020 12:36
Grin I've got that too! I assumed it was a peri menopause thing in my case. I blame everything on that tbh Smile
Skap · 15/02/2020 12:47

@CointreauVersial what a lovely post. I'm so pleased that you have finished the long haul of radiotherapy.
Not everyone realises that the hair on your head isn't the only hair to go. I have never shaved my pubic hair, older generation I guess and for me being hairless there feels horrible Blush. I went for a gynae appointment and had to stop myself from saying "I didn't do that!"

@Bloodybridget Stopping and appreciating the moment is something I want to try and do. Your rowing achievement would have seemed impossible last year. I want to thank you for all the kindness, support and encouragement you have given me in the last few months. Flowers

CointreauVersial · 15/02/2020 12:54

I wouldn't have minded, but it's just the middle which has gone. My bikini line is still as unkempt as ever. Grin

meercat23 · 15/02/2020 12:57

CointreauVersial There is something just fundamentally unfair about that! Congratulations on finishing the treatment.Flowers

yoikes · 15/02/2020 13:06

bridget fantastic uplifting news. How wonderful :)

cointreau me too! Very odd. Peri menopause is grim. I think the hairs lost from my pubic region have migrated to my neck (??) and chin 😵🙄

CointreauVersial · 15/02/2020 13:54
Grin
CointreauVersial · 15/02/2020 13:55

@yoikes - I can't blame the menopause, as that was seven years ago - it's the external radiotherapy beam pointed right at my nethers whch is the culprit.

yoikes · 15/02/2020 16:03

Ouch! 😮
That made me cross and uncross my legs rather rapidly!

BitOfFun · 15/02/2020 18:13

@peaceanddove, no, but I will definitely look that up!

@yoikes When people ask me if I am ok, I always feel like this picture...

Cancer support thread #73 - come in, we're here for you.
yoikes · 15/02/2020 18:17

bitoffun
Love that!!! It's exactly how I feel atm. Dh really annoying me and it's not his fault but grrrrr..
Your biopsy sounds utterly horrid. I'm sorry you had to endure that. Hoping for better news for you x

Bloodybridget · 15/02/2020 18:35

Just want to say thanks so much for all the kind responses to my rowing news. Honestly you are such a lovely crowd. And if I've been a help to anyone else here, that's a privilege for me.
Interesting what you said, @CointreauVersial, about feeling that having cancer has made you kinder and more relaxed. I remember one thing I was worried about before I got my diagnosis was that I would be horribly grumpy with my DP, as generally I don't tolerate pain or discomfort well. But actually I wasn't that bad, and all the love and care I got from her, and amazing support and kindness from others, did give me a lot of happiness.
@AnotherTroyforHertoBurn sorry you are having skin problems, that sounds quite unpleasant. Is the neuropathy in your hands bad enough to make you clumsy? Mine is more in my feet, but it's not too bad.
@yoikes I so hope you get a proper diagnosis and treatment soon, you have had to wait far too long.
Good to hear that some of you who are working have sympathetic employers/bosses.
@Skap What do you think will happen with the oncologist next week? I'm inching towards my 3 month check up in early March, but I'm not worried about it, well, not now, anyway!
Hope everyone is warm and safe this stormy weekend.
BTW I just saw the film Emma, v enjoyable!

redspook · 15/02/2020 20:56

Another here with the pubic bald patch.
DP offered to draw a face in it, but I declined for now.

AnotherTroyforHertoBurn · 16/02/2020 02:08

@BloodyBridget

I was soo clumsy a few weeks ago, it is improving but today was hard vis a vis general discomfort.

Yesterday I knocked my new fingers off something in the kitchen and the pain in the finger tip pads almost sent me off the scale.

Delighted to still be here, but to be quite frank............... fucking bored with it now. Hmm

BitOfFun · 16/02/2020 02:22

That sounds agonising, Troy Sad, I hope it improves.

I definitely identify with what Cointreauversial said. I felt very "zen" in the first several weeks after diagnosis, like I could finally really understand what was important and what was trivial...

It has worn off though Grin.

Nonotmenori · 16/02/2020 17:18

Hi all so sorry fir the delay. How are you all doing?

I went in Friday and had the bandages removed finally. I nearly cried with happiness just for that. My test results were the five lymph nodes removed were all clear. The tumour was 18mm but upon being looked into at pathology they found another two tumours inside and one invasive in my milk duct. They believe they've re,over everything, but because if the test findings they want me back in surgery to remove a bit more tissue. So I'm booked back in this Tuesday so they can reopen me up. My her2 results are still inconclusive they're saying it's rare, but I'm in the grey area and they can't diagnose it still. Chemo is still not off the table for me and they want me to have 3 solid weeks of radiotherapy.

I feel very lucky that I found the lump when I did as this could have been so much worse. I'm not bothered if I'm going to have chemo as even though my hair is down to my waist it'll grow back. I've got serious wounds and an allergic reaction to the dressings and a rash across my stomach that itches like crazy 😜 but I'm ok.

My BF did actually come and hold my hand. He's coming again with me on Tuesday and staying with me. I'm scared of being reopened again, but needs must. I'm back home now from my cousins. My underarm and breast still have that stabbing pain and I've managed to actually drive my car which does hurt as the seatbelt is across where they did the removal. I'm never allowed to have the pill of implant ever again. My only option is copper coil which I'm not keen on.

Anyways that's me and my rambling over with. Hoping you're all well xxx

BitOfFun · 16/02/2020 17:34

Don't you be driving, you noodle- you'll do yourself a mischief!

I am on a two-week course of those really nasty antibiotics which mean you absolutely cannot drink a single drop of alcohol. Funnily, last night I said that it must be coming up to a week and a half. DP looked me dead in the eye and said "It's been three days".

Unfortunately, he's right Grin.

peaceanddove · 16/02/2020 18:04

nonotmenori lovely to hear from you and it's fantastic news that your nodes are all nice and clear. I know it's really annoying they have to do a further op but it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm actually looking forward to my op on Tuesday, I want these bastard cells gone. My diet is still going well and have now lost 7lbs and have cut out sugar. Wearing some jeans today that were too tight last month.

Still really wrestling with my horrible HRT dilemma though and just wish I had a crystal ball. I keep reading more and more research papers all saying there is NO association between taking HRT after breast cancer and an increased risk of reoccurance.

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