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

@Littlestelephant - good luck for surgery tomorrow. I can’t help with dye sorry. Understandable that you feel this way. 2 close family members are pilots. Flight, safety and mechanics have been explained to me on many occasion. Doesn’t stop me getting scared on every flight I go on!

@Bloodybridget - sorry that you have canx Scotland. I too have canx an August holiday by the coast near Edinburgh and am miffed. More so for my DC rather than myself. They’ve have a miserable lockdown year. My oncologist looked at me as if I was mad at the suggestion of going away. Next year!!

@HauntedDishcloth Devon sounds lovely. I too am drawn to the sea. I just find it very calming. @Lizdeflores am envious of your surroundings.

@TopOfTheCliff - good luck sorting the rest of the paperwork and will have my fingers crossed for you on Wednesday.

A question from me about hair loss on EC if anyone can share their experience? I had my first session on Thursday and used a cold cap but have no clue when I’ll know whether the cap has had any impact. Can anyone who had EC without a cap tell me when they noticed hair loss, or for that matter anyone who used one but still lost hair. Also should I expect for eyebrows and lashes to go?

@MadamBuxton I had FEC 2 weeks ago for my first cycle and haven’t cold capped. I haven’t lost any chunks of hair yet and I’m expecting another week or two before it goes. I’m shedding hair but have been for ages due to entering the menopause.

@Littlestelephant I had a magseed inserted the week before my surgery. I didn’t feel a thing, it was just like my biopsy done under ultrasound.

My oncologist is calling me later, probably to tell me off for discharging myself from the hospital. I feel absolutely fine and my temperature has been normal since Friday.

@MrsPnut glad to hear you are feeling ok.

The injection is all done and it was fine. That will teach me for Googling things. No turning back now i suppose

Please allow me to join. I was diagnosed with melanoma 10 days ago. I saw a surgeon on Friday who recommended a wide excision of the tumor and a sentinel lymph node biopsy. I am scheduled to see an oncologist tomorrow.

Most of the time a feel alright. Other times I just cry. I’m so afraid as I have a 13 y.o. at home.

I do have support from family and friends but I still feel afraid.

@ Secret witch. Welcome to the thread.Waiting for investigations and results is awful but you will find support here.

@SecretWitch welcome to our lovely friendly group, you will find lots of help and support here. The waiting and worrying is the worst part, once you know what you're dealing with, you will feel a bit better. It is normal to be afraid, we have all been there.

@Lizdeflores and @FizzyOrange...thank you! My friends and family are wonderful but none of them have been through a cancer experience. Thank you for giving me a place to find support with people who understand ❤️

@Bloodybridget easily confused as we all live in different places so hard to remember.

@SecretWitch welcome lovely and we will hold your hand.

@MadamBuxton I had other chemo first and it took 2 weeks to start losing hair so got DD1 to shave it off and I've kept it all in a freezer bag in my wardrobe. The cold cap seems to work very well from what I've seen.

@JeanLannes I'm planning a trip abroad next year 10 years after the last one but will need to drug myself to get on the plane. Very nervous passenger.

@MrsPnut tut tut 🤣 I'm aiming to be as strong as you.

@Babamamananarama how are you?

@HauntedDishcloth having finished my chemo I feel brighter but I'm still dreading the result of my MRI. Hopefully the MDT meeting is tomorrow so I should hear something soon.

👋 to everyone else.

HC x

@SecretWitch hello and welcome, I'm very sorry you have that diagnosis but I hope we can help you get through whatever is coming. I do think it's especially hard for women with children, there's an extra pressure to keep going and try to avoid making them too anxious.
@Littlestelephant good for you getting through that bit; one step at a time, you'll manage.
@MadamBuxton my hair started falling out within a few days of my first chemo, but I was having different drugs, carboplatin and paclitaxel, so probably different reactions.
@HumphreysCorner crossing everything for good results for you.
@Babamamananarama thinking of you and sending love and good wishes.

I have had such a good day today, gorgeous walk along the coast path and another walk later. What a shame I've got to start niraparib on Friday and feel rubbish again for several weeks!

@HumphreysCorner and @Bloodybridget... so many thanks for making me feel so welcome here. The waiting is the worst part. All I can think is, I don’t want to leave my children, my husband and my cats..

Hi @SecretWitch welcome to the thread, but sorry you find yourself here. I was diagnosed with melanoma in January 2019. I don’t post much on here because I’m trying to move on - I am very closely monitored but my last scans were clear - but I’m very happy to answer any questions as you go along.

The key piece of advice is DO NOT GOOGLE. This is especially true for melanoma because the treatment options have changed so radically over the last couple of years.

@Toofaroutallmylife, thank you so much. Of course, the first thing I did when I got the biopsy results was to run to google! My dermatologist also advised me to stay off the computer and let her coordinate everything. She is so very kind..

I’m so thrilled your scans have been clear. It gives me so much hope.

It will take me a while to catch up with the posts on this thread but wanted to join.

I had a biopsy last Friday for potential subungal melanoma. I had a dark line on one fingernail. I had a biopsy last year and was told it was clear but just found out when getting this biopsy sorted that the second opinion was inconclusive. The line grew back with more suspicious features including Hutchinsons sign so more concerned this time.

The biopsies aren't pleasant as involves removing the whole nail and part of the nail bed and hurts! Hoping for results on Friday when I see the surgeon again.

@SecretWitch I hope the future tests shows it has not spread and easily treatable.

@Toofaroutallmylife the fact treatment has come on a lot recently is reassuring.

@backformore and @Acinonyx2 thanks for your replies regarding possible change in tumour size following EC. I find out on Wednesday.
@MadamBuxton my hair started falling out on about day 14 after chemo 1. I’m about 5 weeks in and just have a bit of fuzzy felt left on my head!

Keeping everything crossed for you, @Lunificent!

@SecretWitch I am sorry about your diagnosis. Offering you a handhold throughout these scary times.

@sunflowerdaisies the waiting is the worst bit I think. Wishing you luck for Friday.

@Bloodybridget thank you. I had built it up to be something much bigger than it was in my head.

Surgery tomorrow and I'm falling apart. Everyone here has gone to bed and I'm in floods of tears. I'm just really scared and I know nothing will cure it other than going through with it now.

@Littlestelephant I'm up worrying too. Wishing you all the best for tomorrow. I'm still catching up but went back to find your posts. Let us know how it goes. I hope you manage to get some rest.

Thank you @sunflowerdaisies. I hope you also manage to get some sleep. This thread is a brilliant place for support and for sharing your worries. It helps you feel less alone in it all. I'm thinking of you.

@Littlestelephant I hope surgery goes well and you can get some answers.
@sunflowerdaisies welcome to this supportive thread and I hope you got some rest. I love your user name .

@Littlestelephant Good luck for today, you’re probably already there waiting.

@Littlestelephant good luck for surgery today. {hugs}

Thanks all. I'm in hospital now. First on the list so hopefully won't be too long to wait.

@Littlestelephant that's good that you won't be waiting all day. Then are you going home later or staying overnight?