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

[LemonDrizzle10]

Last one filled up quickly!

@EachandEveryone sorry you had a bad night. I get one every now and then and can’t decide if it’s medication or just worry. Last night was nightmares about my controlling ex husband triggered by The Archers Rob Tichenor.
It’s great news about the lump going down. I guess you have to take things a day at a time with such an unknown future. Do you want to go back to work? Are your colleagues supportive?

@Sortmylifeout52 Sorry to hear that, the waiting is torture. Welcome, even though of course you'd rather not be on this thread. Fingers tightly crossed you won't be here long because it turns out not to be cancer. Let us know how you get on.

@EachandEveryone Bad nights are horrible; I'm sorry to hear last night was so tough. Mine seem to vary too, between sleeping quite well (although not as deeply as I used to) and being awake a lot worrying or feeling down. The nighttime can very often be harder than the day I think.

I'm having acupuncture for the CIPN. Worth a try I thought.

@EachandEveryone sorry to hear you've had a dark night; they're the pits. Yup radio takes a good while to finish working. I'm just awaiting my three month scan to see how I've responded and the wait has been awful...I've also been told that even if there's still stuff there at three months, there may not be at six months so it will probably be another three months of waiting.

@Sortmylifeout52 sorry you're looking at joining the club no-one wants to be in for the second time. Keeping everything crossed that it's something benign or easily sortable.

Thanks all.
Maybe they got it all wrong and it's just a benign fibroid, as I thought most were meant to be?

All this waiting is the pits.

Sending virtual empathy and thoughts with all of you who are facing or living with a diagnosis. 🌺🌺

@EachandEveryone hopefully you will get a great night tonight to make up for it

Why do people keep telling me to eat turmeric? When did that become a cure for cancer?!

@Tilllly it is one of our Cancer Bingo squares. Along with Turkey tail mushrooms and apricot kernels it’s the secret cure “ your doctor doesn’t want you to know about” because fakes and charlatans can flog it to the gullible (or the uninsured in the USA) which is actually very sad. There is no evidence that it helps and if there was your oncologist would recommend it. Actually it interferes with some chemo so keep off it unless the oncologist agrees it’s okay.

Yes, it's a wonder with all this cancer curing tumeric that there's any cancer in the Asian part of the world at all...

See also turkey tail mushrooms.

And kale. Endless endless kale.

(That's not to say that I don't think some supplements can't be helpful - and I do think a healthy diet does wonders. But I do think the benefits with regards to cancer treatment of certain things are grossly over extolled)

So rubbing myself in basil, eating cat food and standing on my head... no good either?
Sad that things take hold

I'm trying to eat healthier and having lots more fruit and veg, but I wasn't going to start with a spoon of turmeric in my smoothie

Tho a glass of wine...? Definitely worth trying, yes?

@Tilllly definitely try the wine!

I was advised last week by - of all people - the manager of a cleaning agency, whom I’d contacted because I thought she might, like, find me a cleaner, that I needed to take milk thistle and also elderflower tea.
I decided I’d rather lick my own floors clean than use her agency, but my resolve is beginning to crack.
I spend so much time lying on the sofa that I’d prefer to spend the time when I’m upright doing something that isn’t sorting laundry.

@lucysmam agree that the wine is worth a try.

@Sortmylifeout52 so sorry that you are here for a second time and that you are having to face a wait.

@EachandEveryone sorry to hear about the bad nights you have been having. Things seem so much worse in the night, hope you are able to find something that helps.

I had my MRI today, so have an appointment next Wednesday (25th) to discuss surgery. One of my friends sent me a video from a doctor about cancer preventative foods. Haven't dared or had the time to watch it fully.

Yes, the unsolicited advice always seems to be some random food item that they believe can "cure cancer" (all trillion zillion versions of it in all infinitely variable individual bodies).

Weirdly, they don't seem bothered if we smoke 5 packs a day, or drink 2L vodka before breakfast etc.

I think people feel helpless so they come up with things to help?

I've had a rotten day today, I feel so tired and it's pissing me off. My breathing is bad today, sodding cough

@Florabritannica go for the cleaner! You have more fun things to do with the limited energy you have. I have a good friend who has been with us for years coming in on a Monday to hoover, swab the floors and clean two bathrooms (we have seven!) It means I can spend my spoons of energy on more exciting things. I have kept on top of the laundry though, it’s just bunging stuff in the washer and drier really.
Today I have mostly done family history research. It’s a bit wild outside with a storm Bettina raging already. Tomorrow I have three things booked including a skittles match so I am hoping I can carry over a spoon from today. I am the team Captain and last year I didn’t play and they lost every game! They need me to gee them up! Go the Optimists!

@Tilly you are so right, people are trying to say or do what they can to help. I was just dreading hearing that it is something that I eat or don't eat that may have caused this, a bit irrational I know. Hope you feel better tomorrow

There are so many things associated with cancer that I think you just have to own your life choices and put it down to fate.
Apart from smoking.

Changing the subject a bit, why do consultants sometimes use adjectives to describe a patient's character instead of sticking to signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment? I mean things like "charming" "pleasant" etc.

It seems inappropriate to me and rather judgemental, although I suppose they think the patient will be happy to read it? I'd rather the NHS cut out the waffle and stuck to the info that matters. That'd reduce 3 paragraphs to 1 in an average NHS letter 😂

@TopOfTheCliff You've got 7 bathrooms? That's amazing. It sounds like a stately home 😃

@Florabritannica I agree. Someone could live on the most optimal diet ever and still get cancer.

I know I was impressed when Ricky Gervais said he had seven bathrooms. And thats in a Hampstead mansion so out of London equates to a castle 😃

@SummerCycling
When I had BC, my DS told the oncologist I was a nightmare patient!!! The letter started with "I met this lovely lady with her DS..." so I'm happy with them doing that 🤣

I got my own back - I asked the BCN, in front of DS, if I'd lose any sensation in the nipple. She cottoned on and went into great detail whilst he shrivelled up like cellophane in front of a fire 😁

I believe these kind of adjectives are used mostly for other clinicians so they know what kind of patient they're dealing with, and how to handle/tackle communicating with you.

Mostly though, being described as pleasant. charming etc means not a belligerent arsehole!

Am wide awake and indulging in my new hobby - Swedish death cleaning. Not that I'm Swedish or dying. Instead, maybe cancer & chemo cleaning is more apt.

Speaking of which, my chemo pre-assessment is later today and first infusion tomorrow. Am still not entirely sure how I feel about all this is. Relief maybe that I'm finally starting potentially the hardest part of all this. I don't know, this all feels strangely abstract and like it's not really happening at all. I just hope I don't come crashing into reality with a thud.

Good luck @doublec - I remember the feeling just before my chemo started, I was absolutely dreading it (and then I turned up and it hadn't been signed off so I had to go through the whole thing again in a week). Once you start though you just get into a routine and plod through.

There is some evidence around turmeric @Tilllly www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/curcumin-pdq - I take it - it works via reducing inflammation I think, which is also generally good. I look at it like exercise, it's not going to cure cancer in itself or completely prevent recurrence, but it does help to create a body that is healthier and is more likely to be able to fight things off.