Cancer Support Thread 89 - the best thread that no one wants to be on.

[LemonDrizzle10]

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I’ve just been to see the oncologist. Mri clear nothing in liver. The mass is smaller than it was when I started chemo. Ten doses or radiotherapy prescribed to start in the next two weeks. In both groins at the same time. Immunotherapy applied for.

That sounds positive Each

Name I would ask your chemo teams advice. Sorry for what you are going through esp with SN kids. I have one SN. I bathed during chemo just using regular products fine, never any infections but don't know what difference picc makes. My guess would be its fine once out but best to check. I would be careful on any open cuts.

Yes back to school here as well Lucy

Just enjoying last day of holiday, been to Ile aux Aigrettes, saw tortoise, ebony trees and pink pigeon.

It does sound positive @EachandEveryone . How do you feel about it?

@Silkierabbit pink pigeon is cool. We get bog standard (ginormous!) wood pigeons in our tree.

My boots have arrived. Oh, they are a thing of beauty! And I am shedding glitter everywhere 🤣 The girls were like 😱 "you can walk in them?" They're maybe 4" heels...apparently I can still walk in them. My thighs are not thanking me for prancing about in them though 🤷‍♀️

Oh! I remembered why I was coming to post 🙈 I've discovered an interesting side effect today that I hadn't noticed before. My finger nails have ever so slightly discoloured. I only noticed because I was looking at nail polishes & the newer growth is normal looking compared to further up!

@namechange0998776554799000 welcome. What a tough time you have had.
If your skin is intact there is no reason why you can’t use products in the bath. Have a lovely soak! I used my hot tub all through chemo even with the PIC line but only DH was allowed to share it.

I used a chestnut hair colour today on my bog brush mousie hair and it does look better. I’ve never done it before and I am quite pleased. I think the conditioner was the best bit.

Thank you all for the advice on baths, you've given me a bit more confidence and I'll double check with my team first just in case

Ooh just seen your post @EachandEveryone . What do you think about it? It sounds like good news.

@lucysmam those boots are fab. We need to take our fun where we can!
My nails are all brittle and flaky and my left big toe seems to be ingrowing. Ow!

Are your finger nails brittle & flaky @TopOfTheCliff ? I thought mine were headed that way the other week but they seem to have recovered.

I might also have denim cowboy boots - just need to decide whether to bejewel those for the TS concert or actually buy lower sparkly ones 🤔

Just off to practise my lashes - I bought duo adhesive today on dd1's recommendation. Suspect I'll stick with the liner one though for ease.

Its funny you are all asking how I feel about it as I really dont know! Stupid question is groin radiotherapy the same as pelvic? As I really cant find anything about it.

if my left groin is where it is and theres none in the right side why is he giving me radio in both sides? And why am I having ten sessions when he said if it was smaller he'd give me 25?

i think Im ok. Relieved its still in the same place.

@lucysmam how funny, I've literally noticed this today too. I've been wearing dark red nail varnish for the past few months whilst having chemo on my oncologist's advice to protect the nails from uv light. Took it all off today and also noticed discolouration, although the nails themselves seem pretty strong. I religiously used Polybalm throughout which hopefully helped. Think I'll re-paint them tomorrow though. (And apologies for slightly grim nails, I've been grubbing around in the garden this afternoon!)

@Atreus that's exactly what mine are like! The pinker looking re-growth almost matches in length too. Definitely not from polish either - I generally use stickers on my fingers and polish on my toes, although I do have a polish I might use on my fingers now. How strange!

@EachandEveryone I'd assume groinal was the same as pelvic. I know when I had it for my cervix they called it pelvic. Might be both sides to get all the lymph nodes too in case there's anything microscopic in there? When they did mine that's what they did, although it only had two nodes light up on the pet scan.

No idea why ten rather than twenty five. But glad your liver MRI came back clear, still waiting on mine back - they were pretty confident it was academic only but I know they don't do these scans for shits and giggles.

@lucysmum they are truly epic boots. I don't think I could walk more than three steps in them though so kudos to you!

@TopOfTheCliff belated birthday wishes! Glad you've had a nice break and are feeling ready to face the next lot. The finishing line is getting closer!

With my first course of IV chemo I had FEC and docetaxel with Herceptin and pertuzamab. I got six stripes on my nails which grew slowly out. I decided polybalm was an expensive con at £37 and used almond oil instead. Second time on EC and paclitaxel I just got discolouration like yours @Atreus. Now on Cape my nails have weakened and come loose, my big toe nails fell off but are slowly regrowing. The hand nails are weak and flaky and loose from the nail bed but intact. It reassures me that it means those cancer cells are really suffering! It goes away quickly when you finish treatment.
Off to town with DMIL90 for our weekly jaunt now. Oh the excitement!

@lucysmam those are truly enviable boots.

Thanks LucysMam Great boots and well done for being able to walk in them. I used to always wear heels and could run in them but after chemo had to be in flats. In fact at the coastal forest trip DD told me I had perfect shoes for coastal rainforest, my £10 green pump from George. 😂Though they did do very well tbf. I was lucky with the nails and came out as strong as before chemo and didn't put anything on them, just put ice bags on them at chemo sessions though I did have the world's strongest nails to start with. Back home today and back to kitchen works. I got addicted to the song Trustfall from Pink on the plane, it really sums up the last 2 years, though now things really feel like that are pretty much back for me, DH and DD and DS is getting there slowly. I can now watch Below Deck Australia, Below Deck was my go to during chemo but said wrong region in Mauritius. Probably good so I didn't waste time but I love that show.

I loved watching Below Deck - perfect for chilling. An ex of DS's was on the Aussie series - I don't think she covered herself with glory!

Is it the one who looks like Rosie Huntington-Whitely? Ive only just found Down Under and I think its the best one.

Hi all sorry struggling to keep up with everything!

@lucysmam fab boots I don’t think I could walk in those! Maybe when I was at uni and thought nothing of a massive heel every day…

@TopOfTheCliff hope you had a lovely birthday.

@EachandEveryone i havent had radiotherapy as had surgery instead but I was due to have pelvic radio for anal cancer and originally that included a suspicious lymph node in my groin so I presume they target the whole area? Although I am not 100% sure.

I am feeling a bit fed up today. Sorry to be a summer Scrooge but I have been happy about the crap weather we have had while I recover from surgery as I have a wound on my bum which means I can only lie or stand up! So no sitting in the sun for me. Today everyone seemed to be sitting out in their gardens and I just stayed inside feeling very sorry for myself. Need to drag myself out of my self pity!

Aw @Brunonononooo could you get someone to cart a lie-down-able item outside for you so you can lay in the sun for a bit?

@lucysmam we didnt really have anything that fits the bill today. Luckily my mum is coming to the rescue and lending me her sun lounger so I can hopefully lie in the sun a few days this week and not be a miserable grumpy trout staring at everyone out of the window like I did today haha!

Oh good, that's brill of your mum 😊 I'd have been grumpy being stuck in too, it's been lovely today.

I don't like the sunshine on my skin - and I make the DC grumpy slathering them in cream. We went abroad earlier this year and when we came back everyone kept saying "but none of you have a tan!" and I was pleased 😅

Although, there's a food festival in our local park today, it's on every month but we've never been partly due to the weather. And I've bought tickets today cos it's sunny but hopefully not too hot! And I'll slather everyone in cream 😅

@Brunonononooo I hope you can lie out and enjoy the sun!

Wondering what to wear to chemo Wednesday. The chemo bays can be cold, one especially is freezing and the past couple of times I've lain there shivering with cold, horrible feeling. They give you heated blankets but they're more like coarse flannelette sheets and the warmth wears off quickly. It's been very warm out but I'll have to dress as for the Arctic I think!

@LuciaPillson could you wear a few layers then you can add/remove as required? I have a huge blanket scarf I'd take with me too maybe if you have something of your own that might be nicer than their blankets?

Thank you for the suggestion! A friend gave me a lovely wearable blanket, which I've worn to chemo before, but it isn't thick so I don't know if it's any warmer than their rather nasty blankets. It is definitely nicer though! 😁 She also gave me a (surprisingly pretty) poncho which is another possibility.

I think it will have to be layers but last time I had trousers, cami, top, down vest, maybe something over that, two of their "orphanage chic" blankets and was still teeth-chatteringly freezing. Nurse did say it was one of the colder bays, but no-one else was visibly suffering. I'm very underweight and that must be contributing to being so cold, I feel much colder at home than I used to as well.

@LuciaPillson my friend got me some thick Wonder Woman socks and I took my slippers to the chemo unit. I also took the thick fleece ‘Frozen’ Anna and Elsa blanket: I was freezing! The unit had those heat bags (chemical reaction ones) - I had about 4 when the EC was going in. Brrrrr
I looked like I was moving in with all my bags of stuff!