Cancer Support Thread #79 Newbies Welcome

[MrsPnut]

Welcome friends old and new, to the most supportive thread on Mumsnet. Everyone is welcome whatever stage you're at (fears, diagnosis, treatment). Introduce yourself and say Hi

Good luck to everyone having treatment this week. Hugs to all - especially if you're feeling rubbish (physically, mentally, or waiting for results - ugh

Hi all,

I'm new on here but on Friday I was diagnosed with breast cancer, its stage 2, grade 3 and I should be starting chemo in the next couple of weeks.

I've no idea what to expect from chemo, but I have an initial appointment on Thurs so I guess I'll find out a bit then?

My head is swimming with it all right now, it actually feels like I'm making it up when I tell people, my life isn't this dramatic!

I have 3dcs, 9, 7 and almost 8 months. I haven't even finished mat leave yet, I'm supposed to go back next month but I've had to email and explain the situation. I have no idea what reply I'll get next week.

I'm just trying to keep going and keep busy and I'm waiting for the reality to hit me. I have an appointment for a haircut this week, I'm going to get a short pixie cut (currently shoulder length hair), just to ease the transition to hair loss/changes from chemo. I think that might make it more real. Maybe?!

Nogbagthebag so sorry that you are going through this too and joining us here. You'll find an awful lot of kind, wise and sympathetic support here.

There are a few here with BC who I'm sure might be able to give you more of an idea of what your chemo might involve. All chemo is different so it really depends what they prescribe you.

In the mean time, a hand to hold while you attempt to get your head round it all. It all feels completely unreal at first I agree.

thanks @Babamamananarama, hopefully Thursday will be enlightening on the chemo front then! I always feel better when I know what to expect, I'm not a fan of being ambushed!

I know I also need to get an MRI at some point in the next couple of weeks and have a clip put in.

It's all a bit of a steep learning curve!

Hi @NogbagTheBag Welcome and sorry you find yourself here. I start chemo for my breast cancer on Tuesday after having vaginal cancer treated and having surgery for breast cancer.
I’m having 8 sessions of FEC-T on a three week interval.

Thanks @MrsPnut, I hope it all goes ok for you this week.

Until recently I naively thought chemo was chemo was chemo, I now know otherwise, and there is a huge range of drug combinations (which seems obvious now, thinking about it).

Hello @NogbagTheBag as other have said welcome and I’m sorry you find yourself here. I have just started weekly chemo (18 sessions in total ) and immunotherapy every 3 weeks. I still need to understand why the type of chemo I’m on was chosen but it’s all happened very quickly. Once you have a treatment plan in place you’ll feel more in control.

Mine was chosen because it’s a big hammer to beat my cancer with. There was cancer in the tissues in my armpit outside the lymph nodes so maximum force.

Hi all. I had a temporary tooth filling just before my first chemo 3 weeks ago. My dentist said it was a really good temporary and would last me for the length of my treatment - 8 to 12 months.
It’s just fallen out and left a a big jagged hole in the tooth. The tooth isn’t sensitive so I could live with it.
Is this something I need dealt with as an emergency? Is it something that needs dealing with at all?
My only concern is that last week my mouth and tongue were quite tender due to the chemo. Next week, the sensitive mouth will return and I’ll also have the jagged tooth rubbing against my tongue.
Any advice gratefully received.

Hi @NogbagTheBag. My breast cancer is also stage 2, grade 3 and I’m doing chemo before surgery with targeted therapies for chemo 4 to 6. I had my first chemo 3 weeks ago and on the whole I’ve been fine. Got the 2nd one on Monday. I was going to have a shout cut about a month ago but my hairdresser couldn’t fit me in because of their post COVID waiting list. It’s been fine though as my hair has only just been falling out in the last few days. Probably will cut it myself tomorrow.
Best wishes to you.

Another hello to @NogbagTheBag from one of the BC gang on this thread I finished 6 x 3wkly FEC-T chemos last week and will be having a mastectomy early June, followed by radiation therapy & eventual reconstruction. It's good they are moving quickly with your treatment but it does leave you feeling like you're in some kind of whirlwind!

@Lunificent I think you should get some advice about your tooth - could it be a potential site of infection? Or if not, if it cut your mouth or tongue, as well as being so sore, it could leave an open cut vulnerable to infection. Are you already using special toothpaste, mouthwash, gels/sprays etc for the sore mouth? It's such a wearing chemo side effect.

thanks for the warm welcome everyone, it's an awful situation for anyone to find yourself in, but reassuring I'm not alone. Thank you.

@Lunificent I would speak to your dentist about this, I'm an ex dental nurse but I do know that a new temporary filling can be placed without further drilling, and would protect from infection. If it's a large hole then I imagine it's down to the dentine which is much softer than enamal and can decay much quicker, you also risk exposing the nerve which will be painful and could lead to infection.

Thanks @HauntedDishcloth. My chemo nurse is getting me some mouthwash for next week. My mouth has settled down but it will flare up again after next week’s chemo.
I was going to ring the hospital helpline about the tooth but worried they’ll give me short shrift. I’ll ring my dentist emergency line in the morning.

That’s really useful @NogbagTheBag. Thanks

Hey @NogbagTheBag welcome to our lovely group. I'm another BC warrior and have had 9 weekly carboplatin/paclitaxel and 2 out of 3 EC which are 3 weekly. My last one is on the 18th May then I should be having surgery followed by radiotherapy. I was diagnosed in December and then had a MRI and a CT then the team decided on my treatment plan. I remember the initial shock the week before Christmas and trying to hold it together for my 3 DC. Once you have your first chemo I think you will feel a bit relieved that your lump is being zapped. I named mine Larry.

HC x

@NogbagTheBag another welcome from me to the nicest thread on MN with the kindest ladies you will meet. Once you know what the treatment will be and find out a bit more what to expect, you will feel a bit better and more in control. I am 6 months on from diagnosis with OC and still feel as though it is all happening to someone else, I am wondering when it will feel real.

Hi @NogbagTheBag I also have BC. Triple negative variety. Started EC chemo on the 16th April. Moving on to weekly sessions after with two drugs I can't spell. I'm sorry you find yourself here.

@HumphreysCorner - I am also in weekly carboplatin/paclitaxel but for 18 weeks mixed with Phesgo. Then surgery and more treatment. Did they say why they regime was chosen for you? I’m only on my second and had an upset / explosive tummy last night and - nosebleed. I have mine on a Tuesday and think Saturday will be my worst day. How have you found it?

@JeanLannes @HumphreysCorner

I'm going to be on weekly paclotaxel and then three weekly carboplatin on top. How are you finding it? Currently on round two of four EC every two weeks

@JeanLannes and @PhannyPharts the paclitaxel was fine on it's own but the 3 weekly carboplatin/paclitaxel was not so good but thankfully I had good sickness meds which got me through it. I really don't like EC and am thankful I only have one more. I'm not sick with it but feel nauseous and lethargic all the time.

@JeanLannes they chose this regime as they said it was the best for my survival. They did consider a mastectomy first as the lump swelled to just over 6cm so nearly the size of an orange but thankfully they chose chemo before the operation. One nurse said quick growing rumours often shrink quick and mine did. It's shrunk to just a few cells. It used to stick out my boob so I used to draw round it and measure it but it soon disappeared so I couldn't do that.

Anyone know approximately how long it will be after my last chemo before my hair starts growing. Am a bit fed up of being bald and I'm eager to see hair growing.

Have a good Sunday. My FIL is 80 tomorrow so we are having a socially distanced bbq at my SIL's house to celebrate.

HC x

Hi H C mine started coming through about 4/5 weeks after the end of treatment. I still wear hats but more out of choice. I used to have long thick hair and hats would never sit well on my unruly barnet. Now I have the perfect platform for hats . I favour a beret(leopard print!) I'm experimenting with a Trilby although a sou'wester might be more appropriate! X

Hi everyone,
Another newbie here. (Waves at @NogbagTheBag). Have been getting a lot of utis, so had an ultrasound scan a couple of weeks ago. GP rang on Thursday to say that a) I have some kidney scarring (where I know I have an adrenal adenoma that they said was fine) and b) there's a mass in my bladder - it could be sediment, or it could be a lesion, so I'd get a phone call from the hospital within the next two weeks with an appointment. They rang 3 hours later with an appointment for Monday 8.30.

Bricking it a bit, but what can you do but go with the flow? 4 dcs, 22, 18, 12 and 10, younger two have ASD/ADHD/other SEND, so I'm more worried about the effect it's going to have on poor DH more than anything - DD(22) is finishing uni, struggling with her MH, so has just got an extention for her dissertation until August, but her lease runs out at the end of July, so she'll be coming home then. DS (18) is finishing his A-levels then off to uni in September, and of course, the thought of DH having to cope with DS3, DS4 and me is just horrible. And I've spent several years getting a BA, a MA, and I've just optioned my first script, so there's that, too. Fuuck.

But we've all got these things, haven't we? Fingers crossed tomorrow morning I go in and they say 'Oh, MrsDanglySpider, it's just bladderstones, here's some medicine, you'll be fine in a week.'! :D Anyone else here with bladder cancer or suspected bladder/kidney cancer?

Welcome @DanglySpider I'm sorry you find yourself here but we are a lovely bunch and understand that the waiting is the very worst part.

Don't google and hopefully it will be good news tomorrow.

I've had a weekend of my favourite things, take aways Friday and Saturday and I cooked Sunday Lunch today so I don't feel deprived if I go off all of them when having chemo. The last lot of chemo left a horrible taste in my mouth and I could only really taste sour things.

Thanks @MrsPnut - I have to say that reading through the thread has made me realise how little I know about cancer and it's treatments. It's very hard to not google, though, isn't it? I've managed to keep myself busy - thankfully, I had a table read to direct last night, and today my colleagues are filming a short over the road, and I've just had a family zoom, so I've managed to resist so far! (All sounds very glam, but I promise you it's really not!)

Hope your takeaways and Sunday lunch have been lovely!

@HumphreysCorner re hair growth. I had my last chemo late November. I had the first fuzzy covering of hair by just after Christmas. The rate of growth seemed to speed up after that and I had enough to pass as a short hair cut by mid February.

I found eyelashes took a while which really frustrated me but they suddenly appeared almost overnight.

Weirdly, my arm pit hair hasn't really recovered, which suits me fine.