Cancer Support thread 88 - virtual rage room currently empty, virtual collective afternoon tea - all welcome!

[LemonDrizzle10]

New thread

Thanks for the well wishes, surgery is done!

That’s great news @CoachBeardsJane

Virtual tea is eaten here.

I've had my appt it turns out it was routine and they were expecting just to do a phonecall but appts had got it wrong and sent out a f2f appt. My oncologist did say it was good to see me and that when he just makes phonecalls he ends up feeling like a telephone operator.
Anyway I had a nice time shopping in Bristol. Over the summer there's a unicorn trail and there are painted unicorns all over the city. I've posted some pictures for all of us that could do with a bit of magic in our lives x

@Lisdeflores they look so cool!

@LemonDrizzle10 not gonna lie that cream tea looks way better than the slop I've just been offered, the cake wasn't too bad, the curry was vile

@Silkierabbit the worst that'll happen is someone sees a repeat of a fb pic 🤷‍♀️ if they don't like it then meh! I've shared my address here & other places & nothing bad's ever come of it - people are, for the most part, good eggs.

We've not long been in from my chemo and post prom lunch out at the pub over the road from the hospital. Food was quite disappointing this time - chicken was dry, onion rings frozen in the middle & nothing piping hot. Dd2's plain chicken burger was good though she says, which is good - she's usually fussy.

The wig lady had my wigs to try on today, too. I discounted two instantly - one was just wrong, the other waaaay too scraggy looking for me to pull off. Third was pretty much my own hair but in wig form, but not as easy to clip up. Fourth was the best of them - once I straightened the parting a bit. Dd1 said the side part was giving me 90s emo vibes (nowt wrong with that). I'm just not sure I'll use it enough to warrant the £46 and odd pence top up needed - I had so many compliments on my head last night, from so many people I don't know as well 🤷‍♀️ What I'd like is a decision making fairy, please 🧚‍♂️

@TopOfTheCliff could I pick your brains too, please? I forgot to ask something on my way out, relating to bloods.

One of my favourite pics of dd is attached, I just wish I'd had two of the random door curtains I pulled out of the birthday decs box, but never mind. My editing skills are not good enough to extend it 🤷‍♀️

Oh really @Silkierabbit i hope that is the case here, why did t any of the docs tell me that, really annoys me that they omit information 🥺

How are you feeling @CoachBeardsJane ?

I'm here just raging, and a bit scared. Just had a stage 1 melanoma removed and another two 'precancers' ie moles with changes.

Just been for smear and I bled and Nurse said cervix definitely doesn't look normal so have GP appt Monday. Already waiting for ablation and biopsy due to gravity l heavy bleeding, now this. I just feel a bit whack a mole, clear one area and a different one pops up.

They tried to give me an appt for 3.5 weeks time but I'd be a wreck so I appealed to their better nature abed they kindly obliged.

Thank you for this space, DH is scared and I don't want to worry my parents so I'm letting it out here

Ask away @lucysmam or DM me if you prefer. Enjoying tea and a raspberry white chocolate muffin by the river today

I felt shocking earlier I was first on the list but now I don't feel too bad, im on the oxy and that's sorted the pain out, I had lung surgery and it was all done key hole apart form the bit where they took the tumour out. How're you feeling?

Scooching in with my tea.

I made a big lasagne last night so it's just in the oven now cooking. Not very afternoon tea-ish but there's plenty to go around so everyone dig in!

Waiting on a call back from the doc re my tumour markers before 6pm.

How's everyone doing?

Thanks @TopOfTheCliff . Nice view for enjoying your cake. My cake's going to be my tea later on. I'm still full from lunch! I bought three massive cakes on our way out of the garden centre after breakfast with my dad yesterday, to split four ways. Very much looking forward to them 😋

Anyway - it's a question about potassium. They phoned Sheffield to get the ok to proceed this morning as my blood clotted when they tried to test that (or that's how I took what the nurse said). In reality, what would that mean, do you know? In terms of having/not having the chemo? I meant to ask her to elaborate but clearly my brain didn't actually want to 🙄

If you don't know then I might ring them tomorrow morning before we head into town for interview clothes for dd1. Thank you!

@CoachBeardsJane I'm glad to see you're safely out of surgery & don't feel too well!

@beatingtheodds that looks fabulous! I haven't made lasagne in a good few years, maybe I ought to one day this week coming 😋

@CoachBeardsJane *unwell 🙈 I am shaking my head at myself...imagine being happy to see you weren't doing well! I'm sorry for that unfortunate brain fart.

😂 don't worry I knew what you meant, on my first post here I said it can not be resected instead of now so it looked like I'd just killed my self off

@Remaker , very sorry to hear about your admission. Sending calm and temporary deafness (surely the best gift for anyone stuck in a shared ward).

@lucysmam Your DD looks fabulous. I’m at my sewing machine working on my hemming for Dd2’s dress, so I’m saving my cake for later.

@GayPareeee vent away. That does sound scary but as we say on here, don’t borrow tomorrow’s sorrows. Easy to say, though, hard to do.

@dotty2 I'm sending well behaved sewing machine vibes your way...mine would pick a day of extra important alterarations to play up & jam, or skip stitches, or something equally as eye rolley 🙄

Do you sew much? Mine's been a bit neglected for a while although, I was reading a thread in S&B last night (maybe Weds), that has me thinking about getting it out & making a top I have the pattern, fabric etc for.

Thank you.

And nice to find you @CoachBeardsJane , glad you’re feeling slightly more comfy

That’s an easy one @lucysmam. When the phlebotomist takes a sample they often use a cuff to trap the blood in your arm. If they leave it on too long or are a bit slow putting the sample into the right bottle the cells can burst and release potassium ( called haemolysis). The abnormally high level is usually due to this. They may retest to be sure or just ignore it but if you are well and not diabetic or on heart drugs it’s almost certainly due to haemolysis. Hope all goes ahead okay.

@GayPareeee welcome! Sorry you have so much to cope with. The knack is to stay in the present and stay off Google. Do yoga or meditation or use the Calm app. Keep busy and try not to catastrophise and start planning your funeral. It will all be fine!

Aah @TopOfTheCliff now I've read that - it does maybe make sense - it took her a loooong old time to get any blood out of me yesterday & was an exceptionally slow flow when she got some. And, I've been taking ramipril for my bp, which (incidentally) is still high & not causing me troubles, so maybe it's just one of those things. They have specified to look out for it on next week's bloods anyway, so we shall see.

Thank you for the explanation - it's much appreciated & put my mind at ease that it's not likely anything sinister.

Hello new thread & everyone here!

Just wondering if @eachandeveryone has found the new thread so I can find out if she got on ok at Glastonbury?

Oh yes I saw Each on the Pulp thread, we're going to see Pulp at Latitude so I was going to check in with her!

Thanks @SierraSapphire DP & I went to see Pulp on the first date of this Encore tour in Bridlington - it was brilliant!