Cancer Support Thread 85 - Hoping for a positive 2023

[AGreatUsername]

Starting a new thread as the old one is almost full.

Welcome one and all, this is a thread for those with cancer and those who are awaiting tests for cancer. We offer support, a place to rant/vent/cry and ask questions without judgement. As always maybe we can do a quick who’s who at the start of this thread for newbies.

Heres hoping for a positive 2023 for us all.

I dont have any family at all, so Im having to deal with everything myself
*TopOfTheCliff *Im trying to get my dog rehomed and sort all my affairs out

Very sorry to hear this @thereisonlyoneofme and sending whatever love and comfort a stranger can across the internet.

I am so very sorry to hear your news, @thereisonlyoneofme. It is shit. Utterly fucked up and bloody awful and I'm mad as hell at the universe, on your behalf. But while swearing (will Mumsnet ban me for this?), I also hope a straightforward treatment or palliative care plan materialises quickly for you, so that you don't carry this completely on your own.

@thereisonlyoneofme , sorry to read your update. 💐

@thereisonlyoneofme I am so sorry to read your news. It must be so very difficult for you. I do hope you get some answers soon.

@thereisonlyoneofme really sorry to here you utterly shit news, hope you get some more information ASAP.

I’m sorry to hear this. Xxx

I don’t want to distract attention from @thereisonlyoneofme but I have a quick question.
I’m due to start radiotherapy on Wednesday for 5 days but I’m full of this cold / flu bug. I feel as if I’m past the worst now but am not sure really how RT will affect me or even if they’ll want to go ahead or postpone for a week or so until I’m over it completely.
I’ll give them a ring tomorrow morning but was wondering if anyone here had any advice.

I'm really sorry to hear your news @thereisonlyoneofme, much love to you. xxx

@Toughie I had a bad cough and tracheitis whilst having radiotherapy and I just had to carry on. The slots are so booked up in advance that it's like runway take off slots, you miss it and you'll be waiting forever.

So sorry to hear your news Thereisonlyoneofme

Toughie I had radiotherapy for breast cancer and mine was just 5 minutes each time for 5 days and very easy, I did feel a bit sick so the anti-nausea tablets helped but otherwise had no effects. I think the effects often hit later, I never really got any, well my arm went more numb. But I did find chemo, radio and hormone tablets combined effects were a bit annoying.

I would go ahead unless you are really ill though can ask them. It just involved lying down for 5 minutes. My husband took me and brought me back (don't drive). I think 5 days after I swam a mile.

@MrsPnut and@Silkierabbit thank you both, I think I sound and look worse than I feel so I reckon you’re right, just get on with it.
I have lots of anti-sickness tablets left over from chemo. Wondering whether to pre-empt and take in advance or see how it goes first … they didn’t tell
me much at the planning meeting.

I'ld wait, they told me I would not feel sick but someone had warned me and I did though it was largely when they were doing it. It might have been psychological but it seemed to be the movement made me dizzy and sick but only for a few minutes. You might well be fine and not need anything.

Good point. I’ll wait and see how it goes.

@ShouldIknowthisalready

Sorry for some reason I I cant PM you,Im not on premium dont know if this is why.
Thanks for your message of support.

When I reported mild nausea and constipation to the radiotherapy nurse she was very aggressive and told me it was nothing to do with the treatment! I don’t know why she was so defensive. Otherwise the treatment was trouble free and having a cold wouldn’t matter as long as you are not having spasms of coughing.

My nurse was lovely but also had the you are first person in world history to have nausea reaction and it’s not on my list. 😂

I was given stematil a couple of weeks ago because I had nausea and dizziness three weeks after Radiotherapy. It’s on the list the hospital gave me.

I had my 3 month post treatment scan on 3rd of Kan and my follow up appointment next week has been cancelled and re-scheduled mid-March. Is this good news or am I reading into things that are not there and they are just massively overwhelmed?

I'm to scared to check the NHS app or to call. Ignorance is bliss and all that.

Having finally forced myself to get my new skin cancers seen, I was so pleased to get a really fast appointment to have them assessed. I've been nervous for my appointment tomorrow. Now I've had a text cancelling it. Apparently they'll be in touch sometime with another appointment. I'm so down. So many of us seem to be getting important medical appointments cancelled.

JIL2013 have you got a specialist nurse you can pester to find out what is going on? If the result is normal and they have downgraded you that’s lovely but it’s not safe to assume that! It’s so frustrating that they don’t just let you know what’s going on. I waited on hot bricks for six weeks for a mammogram result last Christmas and eventually I cracked and rang them and of course it was normal but nobody had bothered to let me know.

@Novemberhater that is awful! My sister in law sends out these appointments at our local hospital and she gets lots of calls from people asking what is going on. Usually it’s because a doctor is unavailable at short notice. Is it worth ringing the appointments team and asking?

I took my wig out to the funeral of a 90 year old friend who was actually a rocket scientist back in the day. It was a lovely occasion. DM kept telling everybody about my wig (random strangers) until I cracked and snapped at her to stop it. I feel bad now. She means well but has no filter sometimes.

Peace and love to all
Top

If the hospital ring to make an appointment after scan and bloods in 6 days time does that mean bad news?
Sorry if it sounds like I am over reacting just so worried that my cancer is back.

No one can definitively tell you @user36372811 but it’s totally normal to be given an appointment to be given scan and blood results in person and discuss them. Everyone on this thread has had it all, in all flavours: in person appointment; phone appointment; no appointment & chase your results for weeks … none of which has any bearing whatsoever on what the results actually are in my experience.

@mowly77 Im more worried how quickly he wants to see me and why it needs to be in person. I have requested a phone appointment as the hospital is over 2 hours away.

Anyway I had an in-person appointment for my scan results today. I was absolutely bricking it … assuming drugs weren’t working & I was close to death. Well well well — they are working. So some good news in the scheme of things, but I feel a bit numb, I don’t know how to process it after all the stress of the scan and the wait. And I honestly can’t believe I have to go through this every three months until the cancer wins and I die. But I’m sure the news will sink in slowly & I feel relief & happiness for a few months!

love to all

@thereisonlyoneofme I will DM you; it’s not a premium thing, anyone can get a DM. On my mobile where my little notification head is on top right, if I click on that it shows me alerts for mentions and DMs etc. If you get stuck let us know in the thread? But totally understand if you don’t. You must be feeling utterly overwhelmed

@user36372811 Totally understand the anxiety. And when things are randomly different from what you were expecting it makes the anxiety much worse. Is there a nurse or anyone you are in contact with who you can call and ask in the interim to shed any light?