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.

about to give myself my first filgrastim injection - very nervous. Any advice?

Deep breath. Have you had it out of the fridge for a bit to get to room temp? Pinch an inch( I had plenty) you’ll be fine.

room temp, right, I'll give it a bit of time, thanks

try and relax. Soon over🌺

thank you. I'll give it 10 to get to room temp, then I'll go for it

I'm also too angry for a group, perhaps at the start of things I might have felt it useful but now, three years on, I think I'm just too pissed off to join in. I had this confirmed a few months ago when I was waiting for my seventh CT scan and had to endure a woman opposite me talking at me for ages. She had asked me why I needed a scan and then went on to say, 'you'd never know you're so ill just looking at you, you look really well'. I just snapped back at her, 'it's not my face that's ill' and that shut her up. I've stopped mentioning my mental state at my chemo reviews now as they just push the group or individual therapy but to be fair, what else can they offer me? I've had CBT in the past and found some parts helpful but much of it seemed to be filling in silly worksheets and making posters about visualising my worries floating down a river. I'm lucky to have good friends to offload to, although I try to limit my moaning. This group is great and I ring Macmillan when I want to let it all out.

I've done it! thank you xx

The filgastrim definitely gets easier with practice, I am completely trigger happy now and the kids know it’s stabby needle time while they load the dishwasher on those days. I’ve started to have a small amount of minor joint pain but that could be the chemo, the immuno, the magnesium deficiency, the filgastrim or life.

so much going on in our bodies, isnt there, impossible to keep an overall view. Tell me about the magnesium deficiency - is that a common problem? that sound like something we can take action on, is it? Bananas??

I’m sick of not sleeping properly. I wonder if I should ask for some antidepressants that would knock me out? I just don’t think it can be helping I’m up 6/7 times a night. I’ve never been any good at meditating. I used to have a glass of wine but since this started I’m not interested in having a drink something just switched off. Cigarettes are another matter aim ashamed to say I cannot stop thinking about them despite giving them up years ago. Infact I know two women that restarted smoking after their bc diagnosis both in the medical field!!! And they are still doing it after recovery so it must really be a thing.

@EachandEveryone i’m on Sertraline which has helped enormously with sleep. I still wake up in the night but get back to sleep much more easily. My consultant said most of her patients are on it.

@EachandEveryone I’m on amitryptaline which I think is considered old fashioned but really helps me sleep.

After keeping hold of my hair for three sessions it’s started to fall out this morning. Any tips it’s mid length and curly unfortunately I don’t have a lovely button nose so I’m not going to look like Mia farrow

@EachandEveryone you have my sympathies…my hair is coming out fast now and I’m left with really large patches. I had already had it cut into a short bob but I’m now accepting that I’m going to have to clipper it. I’m going to let my two little girls cut it first and then let my husband do the shave. I will cry at that bit. No advice sorry…just empathy. X

I am shaved already, but still dreading finding bristles dropping all over the place. Almost wish it would start so I know when its happening

sympathy xx

I did well everyone was shocked. I think i will have to go to the weird barber who believes in witches as he is three doors down from me. Should i go short to begin with I wonder?

@EachandEveryone it might help to do it stages. Mine was originally below my shoulders. Slightly less of a shock.
I quite like the idea of a witch believing barber…you might get a blessing it grows back quicker and thicker!

Sorry to hear that @EachandEveryone

I've not started treatment yet but going for the short bob first as per @Whattodotomorrow suggestion.

Was just googling about what to do with eyebrows. Decided microblading looks terrifying and I've got enough scary things in my life 😱..... eyebrow pencil it is then!

You h I was desperate to microblade I wanted to
go to a celebrity microblader 😂 could never get a proper chemo start date though so couldn’t do it.

@thesandwich I love my amitriptyline. I take 10mg at bedtime for nerve pain from op no. 1 and sleep beautifully. I think it makes me calmer and more easygoing too, which is a bonus for my family. The downside is a dry mouth at night and foul breath in the morning but I have mouthwash.

I want an ASW badge. My pet hate is a chirpy old man on Cancer Twitter who posts annoying videos of himself out in the wild being cheerful despite a stage IV diagnosis. I want to post mean things but sit on my hands. It’s my issues not his. All this being positive and cheery gets on my wick. Having said that I have had a lovely day with DD and her in laws complete with cute baby and puppy.

I’m quite good at drawing eyebrows now. I’ve got a Look Good Feel Better course coming up soon as well, and my new hair is almost passable. So I should be grateful and not grumpy! But I’m entitled to a moan if I want one.

Sending strength to all xx

@EachandEveryone you have my sympathies too. I only have two more to go, 7th one is on Thursday and final one is on March 2 and I’ve suffered that bloody cold cap all the way through…only for it to start properly falling out NOW. It feels cruel, all that time I froze my head and added hours to my treatment time and it was all for nothing.

I cant draw for toffee and didn’t fancy trying to carry off a bald head as well as scrawled on brows, so went with the (local) celebrity microblader who kindly bumped me up the wait list due to my diagnosis, every cloud… Only had one session so they weren’t too scary looking. My hair isn’t coming out in clumps, but, my kids are now finding strands in most of their meals, they are being lovely but yuck. I’m thinking about buzzing it off now. Will still cold cap as hoping this will protect the follicles a little. @thereisonlyoneofme just a wee note again to say I’m thinking of you and hope you’ve had an update from darling doggy ❤️

Ps visited a wig shop last week and don’t want to be sweating under one of those acrylics numbers (I’m not spending daft money on a real hair wig) come spring / summer, has anyone a really good YouTube recommendation to learn how to wrap head scarves for dummies ?

I’ve lost most of my hair but the brows and eyelashes are hanging on in there. I have a great wig which I wear when I’m out socially, it’s so different from how I would normally have my hair but makes me feel more confident. Cold cap wasn’t an option for me which oddly makes it easier to cope with - you give up hope and embrace the situation quicker.

@bringonyourwreckingball I knew right away that I didn’t want to cold cap. First time round it wasn’t an option during early Covid and second time I didn’t want to drag out the visits to the chemo Unit any longer than they are already. I got my hair clipped short (no 2) 2 weeks after the first dose of EC as it was falling out and painful then. I quite liked my new hair last year. I hope it is going to grow back the same. It was darker blonde and curly. Most of my friends have gone grey so I am a bit smug I haven’t yet at 62. One has to have some positives with a wrecked body.
Incidentally today I cycled a flat 8km without a motor. Go me! I thought of Rage Cycling and channelled my anger 😂