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.

Thank you @MrsPnut. I'll email the specialist nurse tomorrow.

@AGreatUsername thank you so much. I’m glad to hear your debulking is over and I hope you’re up and about soon and that’s all is needed. I have everything crossed for you.

My appointment this afternoon went well. I have been given the all clear from ovarian and womb cancer although I need full hysterectomy/ovaries and the lot out. I’ve got stage 4 endometriosis and so I’m awaiting it to be removed. Apparently it’s on my bowel etc too.

In the meantime they have taken a cervix punch biopsy which I wasn’t expecting or prepared for. They said they want to ensure it’s cervical erosion I have there (think it’s called etropian these days). Then that can be blasted off or if dodgy cut out or something. I feel less worried about this as I had a clear smear about three months ago and the cervical polyp biopsy was clear that they cut out on the way up to the womb biopsy.

Thank you for thinking of me. I’ve been very, very stressed and this thread has been my lifeline where I could be honest and share the fear … fingers crossed this is the final biopsy to go for me. I’m not sure there is a place left to biopsy now!

Hope you are feeling a bit better after surgery. When do you hear results?

Thank you to everyone for their support.

Much love to you all.

I can’t help much but thinking of you and glad you took time out and went to your favourite beach. I didn’t want to read your post and not send you a hug.

Sorry the message about the beach was for @HelpIcantfindaname apologies, am useless at this technical stuff.

@OriginalFloorboards Im so pleased for you. You must feel very relieved. Here’s to all the very best for you and yours 💐

@OriginalFloorboards
Thanks

Glad your news was good.
My friend had a full hysterectomy last week with endometriosis wrapped round her bowel too. The surgeon did a great job of removing it all. Hope your op goes well.

Thanks @MrsPnut and @mowly77.

I have been reading about how lymph node swelling can be an indicator or cancer, because it causes inflammation in general. They were sensible articles, not scaremongering! But think I need to step away from Dr Google... I just wonder if that could explain my lump, because it's big and soft, not a typical BC lump. And I'm worried I should have had a mammogram sooner! Only just over a week to wait. Meanwhile my cat (who definitely has cancer) escaped today and hasn't come back so I am worrying about him Dying in a Ditch. DH says he should be allowed to if he wants to (he loves being outside and we are only keeping him in because he disappears for so long and needs daily meds). I say he (cat) is not sufficiently qualified to make that decision as he doesn't understand consequences!

@OriginalFloorboards I'm glad it was pretty good news. I have endo too and know how much it sucks. My aunt has it as well and went into a full hysterectomy surgery with doctors suspecting ovarian cancer... turned out it was all down to endometriosis. She was very relieved.

@Bloodybridget I'm sorry to hear your news. I remember you as I was on a previous thread under a different name.

And sorry about the liver lesions @HelpIcantfindaname. Hope your upcoming appointments go well.

11th chemo done today, horrendous delays and an emergency patient nowhere at all in hospital for and saying not possible at our hospital. Glad I am on the less extreme chemo even if you don't get the better week. Another GCSE done, four more to go. Told by LA DS in y10 will need to be home educated for at least rest of this term and possibly y11 so very busy trying to sort that out atm.

Love to everyone.

You must be so relieved it’s not cancer @OriginalFloorboards that’s great news although understand such a big surgery is still v daunting. Hope everything goes well for you

@Silkierabbit hope all goes as well as it can for you today. Thinking of you. You have been very kind to me recently. You seem very super sensible and I’m giving you a hand hold back for your crappy chemo day.

@Mademoidame I do hope your cat has returned. They are such a worry. I also hope your lump isn’t anything to worry about, although right now it won’t stop you worrying. Thinking of you.

@HelpIcantfindaname thank you for that. That’s good to know. I will feel lots better with the cervical biopsy done yesterday coming back clear too. The consultant gave me the news then had me in stirrups. I’m assuming because I had the pelvic MRI it won’t be anything untoward, plus clear smear. Hope your day is OK.

@JellyBellyNelly thank you for your hand hold and your understanding in the fear. You were a great help to me in that I wasn’t going crazy. The biopsy yesterday was a bit of a shock on the cervix. It was ‘hey great news on the ovary and womb’ now let’s just check the cervix. I could hear him training the new dr saying 9 o’clock white patch. He seemed pretty confident though and said if anything comes back it will be burned or cut out. I felt like saying take absolutely the lot out. Hope you have a good day.

Thinking of you all today. Hope I’m OK to hang around in the background until the final biopsy is cleared. I’ll be very quiet.

Thank you all do much.

@mowly77 thank you yes. They did take another biopsy as I had a colcospony there and then which wasn’t expecting but I’ve been waiting for that as non-urgent inbetween the 2ww stuff so it’s good it was done at the same appointment. Hope you’re ok.

I’m not looking forward to tomorrow, I need to be at the hospital at 7:15 and it will take over an hour to get there. I can’t even have any coffee to help as I am due to have a GA.
Hopefully the biopsies will come back clear and then I will have to try hyperbaric oxygen treatment to reduce the swelling caused by last year’s pelvic radiotherapy.

hello all - I had a haematology appointment this morning; saw the head honcho who was v nice, if inclined to get a bit technical now and then! He is obviously expecting a diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and didn't mention any other possibilities. I had a blood test for genetic markers a while ago, results due within a week which will pretty much confirm one way or another, and am booked for a bone marrow sample in two weeks.

If this is the case, it's not good news, but not a surprise either. My hope is that it can be managed very conservatively and that I will still have a fair run of feeling OK and enjoying life.

Much love Bridget xxx

@Bloodybridget so sorry to read your update, thinking of you and sending love Xxx

@Bloodybridget thats very unfortunate to hear. Its a potential side effect of the PARP inhibitors, no? What a kick in the gut to have come so far and end up with the rare side effect. I dont know what else to say other than that sucks because it really really does.

Thanks OriginalFloorboards Glad its not cancer but sorry a big op and another biopsy needed. Of course its fine to stay on here as long as you want.

Sorry to hear your results Bridget

Last chemo next Monday and last gcse on 24th.

@HelpIcantfindaname
So sorry it wasn't better news. Thinking of you and DP. Stay away from Google. Totally out of date since lots of v effective drugs for colon cancer have come on stream in last few years.

@Bloodybridget
The gift that gives on giving... I know it depends which sort of MDS you have but

I know 3 people who have/had it. 2 who had it for decades before dying at 82 and 89. The 89 year old was thought to have developed it as a result of experimental treatment for RA, ages ago, now discontinued. Regular monitoring with the occasional tranfusion. Out and about till final few weeks.

Hope you don't have to wait too long before starting treatment.

Hello all,

I posted on the GCSE thread today ( my son is sitting his GCSES). A mom directed me to this group. I'm 49 married with one child.

My battle with ovarian cancer is nearing it's end and for me it's now about making the best of the time left. My son will be 16 in July and will get his GCSE results in August. Those dates are my goals. It's been a very tough five years and my body has finally given up.

Oh, @Chicagocubs what a tough time you must be facing. I hope you make your goals. All my thoughts are with you.❤️

@Chicagocubs Welcome to the thread no-one wants to join. Please use the thread as a space to say what you really need to say and I’m sure some of our ovarian cancer experts will be along soon.

@Bloodybridget It’s just a complete bag of shite isn’t it, I often feel like I’m in one of those nightmares where you are running and keep opening doors only to find another room with a door at the end. You never seem to find your way outside.

I was in and out of theatre quickly this morning and could have sent DD2 a text to let her know before her exam but it took nearly 3 hours to be reunited with my bags. They just really didn’t care how upset it was making me.

@Chicagocubs I'm glad you found us.I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2020 .This has been a supportive lifeline for many and were always here when needed xx

Welcome ChicagoCubs but so sorry to hear your news. I hope you can defy the odds and live to see your son for as long as possible. Glad he has got through GCSEs with you around. There are sadly a few on here at stage 4 and some with ovarian cancer.

I am also a GCSE Mum, last two tomorrow and another with SN currently out of school and breast cancer and just finishing my chemo, last one on Monday. Sending you love and hugs and please post anything would help, no fake positivity needed here. Glad MrsPNut directed you over.

@MrsPnut I saw a card in a shop window today that said 'Whenever one door closes, another one opens.' Picture of woman standing in front of two doors, one labelled 'Same old shit', the other 'New shit'. It did make me smile. Sorry about all the shit you're going through - and to everyone else here. Thanks for messages. I'm only just starting to get to grips with the new situation, trying to learn something about blood cancers etc., a whole new vocabulary. Love to all.

@Chicagocubs welcome to our thread, so sorry you find yourself here. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer stage 3c in December 2020. I do hope you're able to make your goals Xxx.

@MrsPnut oh yes, I've often thought the same - right at the beginning it became clear that this cancer lark was like the queuing system at Disney. You're in a massive queue, get to what you think is the end, turn the corner and there's another one and so on. I find that my resilience gets weaker with time and now I'm just so mentally tired of it all.

You poor thing and poor DD, how distressing for you both to not be able to contact her before her exam. Before my surgery, they had reassured me they would ring DD when I woke up, which was around 1pm, but my bags didn't appear until about 5.30pm. She had dropped me at the hospital at 7am so was in a dreadful state by then and I'll never forget that call.

@Bloodybridget 'same old shit' and 'new shit' sums it all up really. Thinking of you .

@Silkierabbit you must be relieved to have the GCSEs finally over today, they seem to have been going on for ever this year. My neighbour's DD is still doing hers, I keep seeing her getting into the car in her uniform and thinking 'what, another one?'. With all your worries, you must be truly exhausted.