Cancer support thread 90 - still the best threads no one wants to be on

[LemonDrizzle10]

Last one filled up quickly!

@TopOfTheCliff Thanks for starting the new thread. See some of you there! It may be a bumpy ride, but ready for it!

@Lisdeflores me too! Informed denial - definitely! Still can’t believe it

I've done 15000 steps today
Fuck you lung cancer 😁

Well done Tilllly

That's great @Tilllly 😃

I'm knackered.... 🤣 halfway up a hill and coughing like an old man but i made it to the top
Am now being rewarded with wine
It's the right thing to do 😊

Brilliant @Tilllly

Wow @Tilllly I did about 800 today. You are a star!

@peppertrees I'm so sorry to hear about your Son. Sending you love.

@Tilly those steps are amazing. Well done you.

@TopOfTheCliff I love your recovery thread. All the best wish everything.

I went away yesterday till today to see an old uni friend who I haven't seen for 20 years. It was great to see her and catch up. I also did a bit of shopping in Brum which included a red leather mini skirt. and a tiger print fleecy top. I'm trying to stick two fingers up to bc.

Dammit can't find who replied to me about thyroxine and tamoxifen; thank you so much. I've a test booked in about 10 days anyway so I'll have to see. I've spotted some symptoms but don't know if that's just tamoxifen. I know it can affect thyroid levels.

It's Gp led and they won't do t4 or t3 if the tsh is ok, but I'm ok with that. I know I want my tsh around 0.8; any less and personally feel awful. Creeping over 1.5 and I also feel awful!

Bloody hell; what a hero!

@Tilllly that's good going!

Beautiful day here, one of those perfect autumn days with a nip in the air and gorgeous blue skies.

And 12,000 today
And a swim

Now going in bath to whimper pathetically 😁

Something about sunshine makes it all a bit less hard, I think

What's everyone else done with the weekend?

@Tilly well done. Took my Son to football this morning, it was very cold. Ended up going for a nap this afternoon. I'm inspired by your steps, planning to try and do more this week.

@Tilllly You're amazing! I agree about the sunshine, it's sort of energising and motivating to see beautiful blue skies and the sun.

@Ikeameatballlunch I think it was @Silkiebunny who replied to you about Tamoxifen and it was me who replied about the thyroid. Each of us is only on one of those meds though, so we couldn't advise about the combination.

My oncologist tested TSH, fT4 and fT3 without me even requesting them. But my fT3 had been below the range so maybe why. I also have and had other endocrinological conditions, so could be why they checked the actual thyroid hormones as opposed to relying on the TSH (which is made by the pituitary - sorry if that's obvious!).

However, it sounds like you have a very reliable TSH and you know the exact range that makes you feel well, so in your case it sounds like enough to just get that tested doesn't it. My GP is only allowed to check the TSH and fT4, not the fT3 which has to be requested by a consultant.

Well we're in Newcastle for the weekend so it's easier but DS said exercise is the gold standard for cancer every time so...
how much are you aiming for tomorrow?

This is probably unrelated to any of my new meds but figured someone here might have had the same so thought I'd ask & I'll ask in this week's phone appointment too...

When I was seven, I trapped my right thumb in the car door & eventually the nail fell off and re-grew. Since then, there's always been a bit that wasn't attached but I noticed this morning that it's more unattached along the left side than it previously has been & wondered if anyone on abemeciclib/letrozole/goserellin might have lost nails? It could also be that I've knocked it & not noticed!

I am not sure LucysMam but chemo effects can peak 3 months after I was told and quite a few people lose nails in chemo. I didn't but my two big tow nails are getting fragile and one appears to be turning black. No idea why that would happen now but on a break from Tamoxifen so don't think that. I may have knocked them swimming and not realised. Or maybe its Floof but don't think so, he is a toe poker.

Interesting Silkie, thanks for replying. The rest are still firmly attached & seem as strong as ever. I'll keep an eye on it over the next few days and see what it does - it's possibly down to it being damaged anyway.

I was going to sit and file/paint them this evening but decided against it until I speak with whoever calls me later in the week. Although shorter might be less annoying maybe 🤔

Floof does sound quite the fun character to have around!

@Tilly I'm aiming for something over 10,000. I normally manage about that many, but haven't done as well over the last week.

Thank you for reminding me summer! I know they don't tend to bother with t3 as it's both variable during the day and also can be down regulated by the body if tsh is too suppressed and t4 is too high. though I did once have it done by an endo. People online get a bit obsessed with t3 and it's really hard to interpret it. Its half life is so short.

I've learnt the hard way that actually I'm better with tsh not completely suppressed though not everyone is like this.

The national trust is trying to kill me

@Ikeameatballlunch yes, it's unendingly complex. Endocrinology seems so complicated I think there must be a lot of guesswork! Nice algorithms just don't work because there are so many exceptions.

I had various tests including one with the TSH, fT3 and fT4 done mid afternoon after having taken my Levothyroxine in the morning. TSH came out around 1.2, fT4 mid range and fT3 way below the range. My fT3 had been below the range in two previous tests done at different times of day too when the TSH was also around 1-2 and fT4 mid range. Endocrinologist put me on Liothyronine in addition to Levothyroxine.

'Suppressed' TSH could (in some people, probably not many) be an incorrect label for the pituitary not producing it as opposed to it being from too much thyroid replacement hormone.

I agree with you about my own body though, I want my TSH in the low to middle part of the normal range, so roughly 0.4- 2 ish. If my pituitary feels in the mood to produce it that is. It has form for doing weird things such as deciding it doesn't feel like making any ACTH at all and I 'failed' the short synacthen test too (which I realise is the pituitary's other friend apart from the thyroid: the adrenals).

I wonder what the forums you mentioned would make of my results, because obviously it wasn't from a suppressed TSH or too much T4. I like to keep my endocrinologist busy; luckily, he's a really nice doctor.

@Tilllly wherever you are looks lovely for a wander 😊

I think the nail thing is a post-chemo thing - 3 other finger nails are lifting too. One as far as the new, normal coloured, growth. I've cut and filed them all right down & will cut my toe nails too later on. I'm not sure whether I should do anything else other than keep an eye out for infection under them 🤷‍♀️

Excuse the randomness behind me, and my amazing selfie but I thought I'd show you all my new eyebrows too 🤣 they're tattoo stickers - like the kids ones you use water to apply! Left is better than right, they needed cutting out closer to the "eyebrow" and, what's left of my own brows will not sit neatly today but I'm quite pleased with them for a pound ish!

@Tilllly What a nice place for a walk .... except all those steps! Is there an alternative walk that's on flatter ground than that? Hope you have a lovely day.

@lucysmam The first thing I thought was where's the famous eyelash? 😂

Those eyebrows look very realistic don't they!

I'm sorry to hear about your nails. My big toe nail on my left foot came off twice, but the rest of my nails stayed put, but were and still are sort of soft and break very easily. It's painful when they break going right up above the finger itself. The only advice I was given was to keep them moisturised with eg Aveeno Dermexa blue, and rub the cream in gently. That may not be the best advice though. I'm sure others here will have some good tips.