Cancer Support Thread 83 - Here comes the sun (hopefully)

[Silkierabbit]

Welcome to a supportive thread for anyone with cancer to discuss how things are going, ask for advice etc or discuss life in general.

Please feel free to join if you are going through tests as well, hopefully they will come back all clear but if not we are here to hold your hand through the journey.

Named the thread in honour of the lovely LeslieKnope who did thread 62 in the same title who is sadly no longer with us but inspired me with how she was so lovely and kind with stage 4 cancer in her 20s and also the lovely PurpleUnicorns. Thinking of you both. Hopefully there will be some sun inbetween the difficult days.

May be useful to do introductions at start of thread. I am 49, lobular breast cancer, diagnosed Nov 21, after sent for tests then after being dismissed as nothing by GP in June. 46mm and 17mm tumours with 1 lymph node involved. Had 2 surgeries, currently doing chemotherapy, radio next then hormone tablets. 1 husband and 2 kids 16 doing gcses and 15 with SN and mute. 1 Maine Coone kitten, 3 silkie chickens and 1 indoor rabbit.

🌺@Podgedodge congratulations for getting through it all. It’s a weird time- mine was a few weeks ago. My lovely pt says that it feels strange “ when the circus leaves town” which is a bit how i felt. Be very kinfpd to yourself 🌺🌺

It's good to hear you've finished active treatment @Podgedodge If you have a Macmillan Next Steps programme near you it might be an idea to try it as you've a lot to deal with & it might offer a bit of support. If not I think there is at least one online group I've come across.

I'm going to an equine therapy session tomorrow which is part of a study by Macmillan to see if it's of benefit to cancer patients. You get four sessions but it's only in certain areas. It's 45mins drive from me but it appealed to me as I've done so much talking therapy for other stuff in the past I've had enough of it & I've never had much to do with horses before. I'm not expecting much beyond it being an interesting & pleasant diversion but I'll see!

Congratulations @Podgedodge on completing active treatment. Please let us know how you find Letrozole, I think this is what I will be put on after chemo.

I had a call from the CNS at the cancer hospital this morning to go through what happens for chemo etc, she was lovely, I’ll get a call to book in the first appointment in the next few weeks. I was going to steal my sons Nintendo Switch to play games as it’ll be a 7 hour day on chemo day but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to use both hands?

My 16 year old signed up for Brave The Shave for Macmillan this weekend, he’s raised over £500 already via it and I am so proud of him.

Thanks @Silkierabbit for the steroids information, that sounds similar to how my friend approached it.

@Podgedodge well done getting through all that

I went to get a wig today from Macmillan, DD came with me for advice, which was really helpful and it was a quick and easy process and I feel better having it sorted.

Well done Podge Hope you can have a good rest now. I will be there on 11th August when radio will be finished and then just Tamoxifen for me and reconstruction later. Hope you can do something nice / get on holiday for a well deserved break.

Great Well done to your DS. When I did chemo I always had a cannula in the one hand / arm low down so they did not like you using that hand too much. You can use it if you are careful. If you have a picc fitted you I presume you have more movement, I got through on cannulas. People take all kinds of things, a few go to sleep. I used to take a coolbox with my frozen peas for hair, frozen gloves for feet and hands and ice lollies, 4 of them - ice lollies were great as it was boiling in chemo room. And used to take pen and paper as well just to note anything. Some people take lots of food and drink, and anything you like to do really. Though pirition used to knock me out a lot.

Hi ladies,

I really hope nobody minds me positing here,

Im currently going through tests for breast cancer, I found a little indent in my left breast which prompted me to visit my gp who said she could feel a lump. Had my first visit to the breast clinic and the consultant told me she could feel an 'island' of dense tissue in one spot but nowhere else. I have an ultrasound in 2 days to see what it could be but I'm starting to panic a little.

Has anybody else had this and it turn out to be nothing or more than nothing?

Thank you x

I haven’t been through similar @hocuspocus666 but we’re all happy to offer a hand hold while you go through tests.

@hocuspocus666 Sorry you're going through this, I think we all remember the horrible early days of uncertainty. Most breast lumps aren't cancer, but as most of us on this thread are here because we do have cancer, you'll get a skewed answer, you might want to start a separate thread that will be answered by a wider range of women. Fingers crossed that it's not cancer but there are plenty of knowledgeable and supportive women on this thread if it is

Welcome Hocus and sorry you found an indent. Currently on this thread everyone has or has had cancer so I would agree with Sienna you will get a very skewed answer. 90% of breast cancer referrals roughly are not cancer. Its encouraging that the consultant has just referred to it as dense tissue, that implies she thinks it not cancerous and the breast clinic consultants normally have an excellent idea.

I did have an indent and did have lobular breast cancer but a much more noticeable lump, 5cm cubed rock hard which suddenly appeared pretty much overnight. The consultant immediately knew it was cancer. I would get full checks but would be encouraged by consultant saying its dense tissue rather than saying its cancer. Mine if you lifted arms the breasts looked very different. The one with cancer was quite distorted with arm lifted though looked normal with arms in normal position.

Yep @S@SierraSapphire what Silkie said. I don’t take the steroids they give me as don’t want the side effects of being crazed, and anyway they just give them out routinely with no thought to individual patient. I get nausea for example on days 4 & 5 (Mondays and Tuesdays after chemo on a Friday). And they’re supposed to be for day 2 & 3 … also no anti nausea drug works on me although I did take one ( Aprepitant ) today but I don’t bother mainly. The tablet
didn’t stop my nausea today for example but probably gave me some other lovely side effect … my advice would be to experiment, do what’s right for you, and don’t blindly take the drugs they give you if they don’t help or give you side effects you don’t want. There’s lots of anti nausea drugs to try so if what they give you doesn’t work tell them and try another one. Good luck x

Got my chemo start date through the post this morning, 11 august. Means my last one will be 24 November with any luck, hopefully I’ll feel okay for Christmas.

Had my hair cut into a short bob yesterday and my headscarf/turban thingy arrived today too. Feeling horribly real again. It’s 6 sessions, come on K, you can do this, just 6. Yelp.

@AGreatUsername It’s never ‘just’ any number. Chemo can be tough, however many sessions, but yes you can do this . And you will.
I have been on the Letrozole since May, hot flushes but not much else so far. They are not pleasant but copable with. I do wonder if things will change when I leave the cocoon that is my house and face the outside world on a regular basis again.

You're a week behind me then @AGreatUsername - I got some headwear though the post today and tried it and thought it just said "cancer patient". I like my wig but I know lots of people say they're uncomfortable. I think I want to try and find a cap, though I do have a Seasalt handy band that I can try various different styles with. I'm going to try cold capping, though the nurse I spoke to today tried to dissuade me.

Thanks @mowly77 for the medication advice, that's what I'll do.

Oh and I'm getting my hair cut into a short bob too on Friday. Not happy as I really like my hair longer after growing it during Covid, I've never had it long before.

Bad days. I was filling up with fluid -ascites and pleural effusion- and came in for draining. I’ve ended up in for two nights note to self: bring pants to any subsequent outpatient apps and finding out that the peritoneal cancer is now in my lung too. Got clinic next week so will find out if another op is possible but I’m not optimistic.
And there was me thinking the part where my lung drain accidentally fell out and poured all over the ward floor was the low point of the day.

Oh @MrsWooster i am sorry to hear that. I’m crossing my fingers another op is a possibility for you.

MrsWooster, this is just to say that I’ve read your post and that I’m thinking of you. ❤️

@MrsWooster you are really being put through it. All thoughts of mine, scattered as they are, are with you.x

So sorry to hear that MrsWooster and sending love and hugs.

@MrsWooster can I chime in with the sympathy. That is utterly shit. Hope someone has brought you some pants; book; earplugs; snacks: whatever you need to see you through. I’ve had a few lung drains and have mets in pleura. No fun! There are def options though; three were mentioned to me. ❤️

@SierraSapphire how is bob feeling? I’ve always liked a chic bob. But understand hair loss is so aghhhh & personal. If you liked your hair long it’s a fucker. I’ve finally accepted so much of mine is gone it’s game over basically. I might try a wig never found one that suited me ever before but hey ho god loves a trier apparently.

👋 I'm back here again. I posted on a few threads last year when I was first diagnosed, probably under another user name.

In brief, diagnosed Aug 21 with indolent blood cancer, had chemo 6 rounds on a three weekly cycle, but as a suprise gift on my last one my consultant put me in for another two - yay.
Did the trick though as was given the news in March, full metabolic remission.

But as cancer is the gift that keeps in giving (🖕) when I had my first staging CT scan they found another type, another incredibly rare type - a liposarcoma.

So we are now facing Phase 2, I've seen the surgeon at my local hospital, in short he wants a second opinion as it is in my pelvis, large bastard thing too, but indolent so not active. However I was a PITA in my appointment and asked how big exactly was it? He told me some measurements from my last PET scan as I saw him measure it on screen. He wrote a letter to the referral hospital in London and this included all my scan results, I received my copy today.

The fucker has grown between scans of last year and March this year, by about 10mm.

So fun and games now whilst I wait for the results of the referral, from reading on Macmillan only options are surgery and radiotherapy therapy but I'm not a small person so not sure how this will work.

Oh and hope that the blood cancer stays the fuck away at the same time.

Sorry for swears but I know this is a safe space.

Much love to you all xx

Thanks for asking @mowly77 - the bob is fine, it was how I used to wear it before Covid, though I had liked having longer hair, so not too much of a change. I do have a wig similar to my hair and I actually feel fine in it, I'm just nervous that so many women say they are too uncomfortable to wear, and there are things I won't be able to do in it, like exercise so I will still be on the hunt for alternative head coverings. I have quite a square jaw and I think I look bad with a tight head covering. I'm going to try cold capping, I've been looking at some of the Facebook groups, and some women do have reasonable results with the regime I'm on so even if I keep a bit of hair there will be something poking out from underneath a headscarf or hat. Losing my hair does seem to be a big focus at the moment, that and avoiding neuropathy.

 to @MayMoveMayNot and @MrsWooster facing it again. Hope you are both getting good support. Cancer is shit.

@MayMoveMayNot I am sorry to hear the beast has struck again in new and original ways. It really is a bloody drag isn’t it. I hope they come back to you soon and tell you there’s a good option to remove.

I briefly lost my mind yesterday and bought myself the kitten I wanted. I decided against a Maine Coon (partly because the wait lists were soooo long and I’m very impatient) and opted for a Ragdoll instead. He’s already brought us so much fun and joy.

@MayMoveMayNot this is a major complaint of mine. Like just SHOW ME THE SCANS. I want to know the truth - has it grown? not grown? Is it somewhere else? What are you concerned about? They just gloss over these details like its something I dont need to worry my pretty little head about. Uh, no, its my body, I want to know whats going on in there. Im a big girl, I can take it. And then you get the letter bomb and thats a nice little trust destroyer as well.

I hope you get some positive(ish) news from the second consult though.