Cancer support thread #76 - newbies welcome!

[Bloodybridget]

Here's the next thread for anyone at any stage of cancer, from noticing a possibly warning sign, through tests and scans, diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Come on in for advice, sympathy and support.
The last thread is here.

If you've been on a previous thread, please come and say hello and introduce yourself!

If you are a relative or friend of someone with cancer and looking for support, please look for other threads; there is one in Life-limiting illness for partners - link to latest. This one is for cancer patients ourselves.

Glad you are feeling the neighbourly love, @Bloodybridget!

I called my breast nurse this morning to talk through going private. She told me to hang fire because she has been pushing to get my appt moved. Sure enough, a couple of hours later she called to tell me the CT has been brought forward to 20th! With any luck, they can discuss results at MDT on 23rd and then I have a provisional oncologist appointment on 25th. She really is fantastic - I've never had a medical professional fight my corner so hard.

@AlbertCampion I'm so pleased to hear this and how nice of the nurse to organise that for you, you must be feeling so much better.

@AlbertCampion that's much better news re the CT scan, I'm glad you have such a good CNS.
@InOtterNews a mile sounds like quite a distance to me, especially including hills! But obviously you have reason to expect this to be easier. I'm getting breathless these days for no apparent reason, going upstairs (which is about 20 times a day now!) and even just walking.
Had a Terrible Thought this morning, chemo through December, suppose I can't fancy a mince pie??

Bloodybridget - the horror of not being able to enjoy a mince pie at xmas! Your only solution is to have them now!!! 😂😂 you and your DP deserve an early festive treat - maybe with some mulled wine?

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

@Hippiechick162 @Skap and all you fabulous people.
Hello !
Long time no speak .Hippie, I hope your bone scan gives you results we all hope for .
I spoke to Wythenshawe a few weeks ago and told them in view of time span I would not be going ahead with DIEP. It’s been too long ( 8 months ) for me to consider such a big operation that is now purely plastics .
I have spoken to team here and have had a video consultation with psychologist so will have the skin saver implant taken out and a prophylactic bi- lateral mastectomy ASAP on island .
Huge sense of relief as it will also lessen ( but not remove completely) the chance of the HER2+ cancer returning .
I see the breast team here on Monday and hope for early January .
I have my last Herceptin on 18th December so should be good for my birthday ( Christmas Day ! )
Hoping to get nice candles for all the wonderful oncology staff .
I send huge good wishes and vibes to you all . This thread has been wonderful in a scary world .

@Bloodybridget you can keep your mince pies. I'm all over the lebkucken. But I feel it's acceptable to start eating Christmas food now especially as people seem to be putting trees up already

I've just had my first bath in 9 months. 45 minutes of delicious soaking and scrubbing.

@InOtterNews how glorious! Another one tomorrow?
@Trumpton that's a very good prospect for the surgery, I hope it does happen soon. A Christmas birthday! Do you have a seasonal name?
@Zorgothslugofdoom I always make my own mince pies, and I don't have any mincemeat - also we have been given, in the last few days, a whole cake, a packet of cookies, a carton of Italian biscuits, homemade cake from next door, and an apple crumble! DP is trying to lose weight!

Ooh @InOtterNews a bath! I just had my first shower in three weeks so I share a little of your joy. I need a good pumice stone on my feet but the nurses have made me promise not to scrub yet.

@Bloodybridget I am concerned I have lost the joy of alcohol since chemo as it makes me feel so unwell. I don’t want to give it up but it seems to have given me up!

@Trumpton it’s good to have some clarity and know what you want. What a relief!

I agree @AlbertCampion it’s astounding how devoted my BCN can be. I’ve never experienced this before. She really cares!

It’s grey and miserable outside but I’m quite enjoying knitting and listening to radio 4 while the filgrastim bees buzz around in my chest. One more week! Then I can look forward to feeling a little better again.

Regards to all. Have a pleasant weekend

@TopOfTheCliff I actually stopped drinking before I was diagnosed last year, just to see if I could (I was having a couple of glasses of wine pretty much every night), and after I started chemo it did taste awful. But let me reassure you that I regained my taste for it quite quickly post treatment!

DP has just made it down to the basement and back to the ground floor with almost no help from me, she's so determined! She afraid was afraid she might starve otherwise if I'm laid low!

Afternoon ladies,

@gillmoregirl thinking of you and hoping you are resting well and getting some good sleep.

@Bloodybridget it sounds as though DP is moving around really well, that is good to hear!

I am wondering at what point it is possible to think about other things apart from the C word? It's the first thing I think of when I wake up and it is with me all day long, every moment it is there and it is really getting me down. I am finding it hard to concentrate on even my favourite television programmes and had planned to do some crafting today but just can't get any enthusiasm for anything. I have spoken to the GP but he wants me to have a formal diagnosis before offering me any more tablets. I really don't like being such a moaner and before all this I was a cheerful upbeat sort of person.

@FizzyOrange, I think for me it just came with time. At first I woke every morning, checked my stoma was there (in case it had miraculously disappeared overnight, like some bad dream!) and repeated my "statistics" of cure / recurrence in my head. I used to spend more time on websites too and forums - including looking at this far more than I ever posted - and going through risk factors and stats etc. Now I feel that it will either come back or it won't, and that endlessly reading the stats doesn't help. And I think less about it too. I get on with my treatment and feel I'll deal with the next stage of scans / scopes / further surgery when it happens. But it did take a while and - from memory, sorry! - you're still in the difficult early stages of waiting to find out what's next, whereas I have a plan in place. It is so hard, but hopefully you'll get some relief soon.

Hope you're doing ok @gillmoregirl. I've PM-ed you, as a fellow stoma putter-upper.

Good news re. your DP @Bloodybridget. And your scan @AlbertCampion. Jealous of your bath @InOtterNews! I love a bath - cures everything (possibly not cancer!) in my opinion, and just not the same with a bag attached to your side! And I love my wine in between chemo weeks!

@Starmer thank you, that is very reassuring. I have spent far too long over the last few weeks on the Cancer Research and Macmillan sites, reading about everything and I think it is making me feel worse, so have decided to stay away from those for the time being. You have given me hope that I won't always feel like this so thank you.

Hi. Haven't been around since the Summer but still often lurk. After a 1.7mm tumour was found in my right breast in February, I had a therapeutic reduction, followed by RT in May. Everything has healed very well, luckily and now I'm just waiting to have my left boob operated on so it matches, but God knows when that will be.

But, I still get pains in my right breast around the scar area and the nipple often feels tender and bruised. Aesthetically, my new boob looks amazing but I didn't expect it to still be painful over 8 months later. I mentioned it to my consultant a few weeks ago but he wasn't concerned about it at all. Just wondering if anyone on here has been left with residual pain after surgery?

peaceanddove - I have exactly the same! I'm 7 months post reduction mammoplasty and subsequent radiotherapy. I got a broken rib due to the RT, which also still hasn't healed. The boob and rib pain mean I still can't bear to sleep on my right side - have been told it's normal and the result of RT and that it can last for a significant period of time. They told me 1 year at least is absolutely normal. It's manageable with painkillers, but I have constant low level pain all of the time, which ramps up to extremely painful if I reach or move the wrong way. I've had so many doctors look at my boob, as I was concerned about the level of pain, but have had to accept that it's normal and I have to put up with it! In some ways, knowing that someone else has the exact same symptoms is actually reassuring!!

I feel really reassured that you're in the same boat, too! The RT didn't break a rib for me, but the rib right underneath my right boob still feels uncomfortable, like it's bruised? I'm guessing the RT has caused this?

Do you have any sensation left in your nipple? Mine is completely numb, except it isn't, because it feels bruised and tender most of the time - how is this even possible? I'm wondering whether to go back to sleeping in a soft bra, to see if this might help?

peaceanddove - I've got full feeling in my boob (including nipple), but am numb in my armpit and down the top of my arm, due to nerve damage when I had the lymph nodes removed. Like you, I'm waiting for surgery to even me up, as I'm c cup on the post-surgery side, and ff on the other. I wear a soft bra 24/7 for support.

I'm getting released!!! Surgeon said my bloods are like someone who hadn't gone through op so I guess that's good. My discharge letter makes scarier reading on the table for over 8 hrs in what was quite complex and for me lifechanging. Now in menopause. Vaginal walll shortened so future sex life may be impacted. Stoma bag so learning what to eat and drink. (Thank you @Starmer for your support. I'm interested in enjoying a wine at Christmas period but thought i might not but good to hear you still enjoy it).

With all of that said I'm blessed that op went ahead durin covid. I'm blessed my surgeon pushed for private room to keep me from exposure as the hospital has covid cases. Surgeon thinks he got what was needed results should be back in two weeks. I blessed to be going home to a lovely hubby and beautiful daughter. I do t want to sound like a hallmark card but in some ways I think why did this happen to me I also know I am lucky to have received the care I have after the long delays which you all had to carry me through.

Sending a big hello to everyone and hope you are doing ok. Xxxx

zorgothslugofdoom Sounds like I'm the opposite to you? No pain or anything in my right armpit or arm (but then I didn't have any lymph node involvement, so nothing was removed). I'm worried that I'll never regain sensation in the nipple?

Can't wait to be evened up - my new boob is an E cup and now located 3 inches higher up my torso than the other which is a droopy G cup!

Oh and huge congratulations gilmoregirl I bet you feel like your feet aren't even touching the ground. What a lovely early Xmas present for you and your family x

@gillmoregirl, I'm so delighted to hear that! Home is the best place to be .

I'm too tired to explain it in detail, but I'm very unwell at the moment, and I just want to sleep until I'm better. All this is such a rollercoaster!

Sending sympathy and best wishes to @BitOfFun and congratulations to @gillmoregirl. Haven't got much oomph for checking in with everyone today, had my first chemo yesterday and am a bit nauseous and floppy. Some tastes affected too. Hey ho. Take care all

You take it easy, Bridget, and get as much rest as you can.

@gillmoregirl hope you're home and relaxing now, so pleased to hear this. Your DH and DD will be delighted to have you home!

@BitOfFun sorry you're feeling so rough, really hope it eases off soon. @Bloodybridget hope the nausea and floppiness ease soon. Sending you both a hug, feeling ill is horrible xxx

@gillmoregirl that's brilliant news enjoy home and the love of the family.

@BitOfFun and @Bloodybridget take care and get well soon.

@Bloodybridget and @BitOfFun. Sending love your way. ❤️❤️