The Great Recovery! After cancer what next?

[TopOfTheCliff]

This thread was suggested on the general Cancer Thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/general_health/4895824-cancer-support-thread-90-still-the-best-threads-no-one-wants-to-be-on?page=15&reply=129923637 as a place to come when you are recovering.

You may feel your treatment is over and you are cured or at least NED, or it may just be a lull between storms, but you want to step away from the daily grind of chemo and radiotherapy and look to the future.
Most of us come out the far side of a cancer diagnosis battered and unfit and probably overweight from the steroids and the comfort eating. Where do you start? How long will it take ? Should you diet to lose weight or try to exercise more? Then there is the huge mental hurdle of putting Cancer behind you and not worrying about recurrence with every twinge.
I am a veteran of the Cancer Thread having had breast cancer twice in two years and I managed the recovery after cancer no 1. Now I have to do it all again but in good company I hope.

@FairyWren7 Panama is fabulous and often overlooked. It’s somewhere I could easily live. Enjoy😊

That would be a wonderful trip and novel Fairywren

Yes we've had DSs birthday that's why its sugar central here. But DS is very good at eating all the cake and sweet things despite being really thin so today is last day of it. I've not got over the day's calories at all and still losing despite the sugar, tried on a skirt which is a size lower today and fits.

Went swimming again today - not as much as usual as there was an invasion of boys who were hyper with their Dads who just went in the jacuzzi etc ignoring the kids. Did 68 lengths and jacuzzi before giving up then went home and cleaned the bathroom and a nice bath. Floof is on the bed. Will restart the lower sugar thing tomorrow, sigh but great to be losing cancer weight.

@Silkiebunny thats great news on the dress fitting! We’re still dashing about the Blue Mountains eating far too much danish pastry - we’ve got to the bit of the holiday where cake is an acceptable breakfast item. Although I have enjoyed some great salads and smoked salmon out here - love smoked salmon, might have to hit up Aldi for some when we get back!

We’re staying just by the Three Sisters - very beautiful place. But I am just exhausted. I keep sleeping in the car. Pic of three sisters below!

Lovely picture Fairywren glad you are having an amazing trip, love holiday photos. We went there when we came to Australia in August 2018 (mainly in Great Barrier Reef / Daintree / Atherton Tablelands) but flew in and out of Sydney so did a quick overnight stay in Blue Mountains, loved that holiday. I love smoked salmon. I will also have to wean myself off sugary treats again, argh, but birthdays are over now for a few months.

I love smoked salmon too, but DH doesn't like it so we never buy it 🙁

Hello all, can I join in? You all sound so friendly. I tried the other thread, but found reading it quite difficult. I found a lump just into lockdown 1, in GP's surgery in 2.5 hours! Turned out Hormone positive, HER2 negative, was 46 years old, and six weeks later I had a mastectomy. 18 weeks chemo (EC then paclitaxel), followed by 15 sessions of radiotherapy. Then 4 weekly implant of zoladex and 6 monthly infusion of zometra. Still taking anastrazole. I have been SO lucky. I have some joint stiffness, have had the odd bit of nausea and a tiny burn on my clavicle from the radio. Oh, and temporary very painful finger tingling, sorted with amitriptyline. I am also having Lazer treatment to get rid of the radio tattoos. I tried to get them to use a Sharpie and a sticking plaster, but nope, I had to have tattoos. I had a delayed diep reconstruction in February this year. once I'd lost 10% of my too heavy weight! I'm due another surgery to try and level me up. So boob lift (had to reduce my cancer free G cup which was ok), tummy tuck (to replace the cancer boob) and now about to have liposuction on the NHS - gotta see the positives...

I got involved with a research project which assigned me a lovely PT online, who I saw three times a week for a month, then weekly, then monthly. This bloke was brill - he had official qualification for cancer recovery training, as he'd done it for his dad. If anyone wants his details, please PM me. I then got back to the one exercise I had (reluctantly) been doing, and received such support I started to enjoy it. After my 10 hour operation in February last year, it was supposed be 12 weeks before I exercised again, I lasted 8 weeks and 2 days before I went back. I then worked. Hard. I'm saying this as if I can do it, potentially so can others. I am quite bloody minded. This is probably quite identifying, I had to do a horrific fitness test a couple of weeks before the three hour grading. But I did it. If I can do this, so can others. I then rang the bell on 11 December 2023, surrounded by immediate family and owners, trainer and fellow members from the exercise. It was amazing.

Still on anastrazole for around another 7 years. Some hot flushes, but clonidine hydrochloride helps.

I'm not sure where to go with this. I've considered some counselling, but quite frankly have so much else going on, I'm not sure I can currently find the time. Maybe some time in the future. I have officially been discharged by oncology, but that's not something I'd ever considered would happen. I'm not sure how I feel about that - I know I should feel good and grateful, but I'm still not convinced it's real and appropriate.

Welcome Icant I was a bit similar breast cancer x 2 in lockdown but mine was 2021 and 2 surgeries, chemo, radio, 10 years Tamoxifen, awaiting DIEP but maybe 2025.

I am not sure re counselling. I've been on some NHS list for 6 months or so now and maybe close to top now but don't really need it re cancer and I think when something awful has happened am not sure going through it over and over helps. These things are always so short and you spend half of them explaining. Though maybe worth trying. I have found exercise, travel and just getting on with things far more useful. I much preferred the charity that gave days out than the counselling.

Welcome @Icantfindanewname you will fit in fine to our lovely gang. Anybody who has been through the breast cancer pentathlon and still thinks they are lucky is among equally deluded friends here. I think I was on that same study back in 2021 with Macmillan. I had a lovely PT from Loch Lomond who I saw on Zoom three times a week. She got me started with weight training and yoga both of which I now love. I then had another different breast cancer and had to go through the whole thing again but here I am still standing with stiff joints from exemestane and slightly numb feet. 2024 is going to be the year we put the cancer behind us and move forward. Have you got goals? Work related or sport or travel? I think it helps to structure life a bit.

DH is in a grump today, which is very rare. He had a cold and isn’t feeling right and it was too icy to go out cycling with his gang. We have been at opposite ends of the house while he mutters and moans. I’ve been putting away decorations and doing recycling and washing out bins which has made me feel useful. I am trying not to think about my Year 3/ year 1 mammogram which has been rescheduled for Wednesday. I shall cook him a nice supper and try to cheer him up.

Hello and a belated happy new year to all!

I've been having a bit of a social media detox and then just got busy with life and stuff so catching up on the thread and some of the lovely times you've been having.

Hugs to anyone who is struggling.

In exciting news - I have muscles! Only little ones and nowhere near what they used to be but I struggled quite a lot with muscle wastage from treatment. My legs were my one point of vanity and slowly but surely they're coming back.

I'm starting to see and feel 'me' again which is a joy. I'm also eating a lot better - it's really changed my relationship with my body and I feel far more of a duty to nurture it than I did in the pre-cancer world. It's stood up to a bloody hard job very well so could use some looking after.

I'm getting to the gym regularly and seeing real progress there too - for the first time the other day I managed to do what I would have classed as a decent workout for me before cancer. And it hasn't wiped me out!

Sorry for all the exclamation marks 😂 I feel like a snowdrop ready to burst through the ground.

Got an appointment with haemotology this week to see if I can come off blood thinners. If not I hope they can bloody switch me to oral ones as self injecting every day is the pits and my poor stomach looks a right state because of it.

Also got an oncology checkup the week after, so am anticipating the usual feelings of dread and doom before that.

Sounds like you are doing really well Clash Hope you can come off the blood thinners. I hate those injections, first op didn't get given any, second op which was a much smaller op got 7 days of them, I didn't actually do them but think will get them again after diep.

Hope you DH becomes cheerful again soon Top

Well my diet hasn't restarted today as DH made a lovely roast dinner then baked a galette and I had 2 slices. So now it's restarting tomorrow. At least DS can be relied on to eat all sweet things in sight. Very nice though.

Gosh you are all amazing with your levels of fitness! My great recovery stalled due to a very nasty pneumonia in October which saw me in hospital for 10 days on 10l of oxygen and industrial strength antibiotics. Anywsy I have taken it slowly as my body was willing but the lungs were not happy. However today I managed a 45 min walk with no stops and hardly any breathlessness. I can now also manage a flight of stairs which I couldn't even 4 weeks ago.
We are off for some winter sun in a couple of weeks, the hotel has a heated pool so hopefully get swimming a bit.
The journey post stem cell transplant has been bumpy at times but I am so very grateful to be here and enjoying life as much as I can. Trying to focus on what I can do rather than things I can't manage yet. It's a marathon for sure!

Welcome @Icantfindanewname I’m sorry you had to have tattoos. I said I wasn’t happy with them and they used marker pen and tegaderm. It was really straightforward, so I don’t know why they don’t offer that to everyone - they wouldn’t even have mentioned it, if I hadn’t have said. I wonder how many women don’t even know there’s another option.

I am getting stronger. 😊Had a great yoga class this morning but then spent the afternoon asleep! But hopefully I’m getting there.

I started NHS psychotherapy after surgery and it has been really helpful, but I had specific PTSD symptoms that it really helped with. I’m starting a HOPE course this week that my psych referred me to . It’s for people who’ve finished active treatment and she thinks it will be good for me.

@TopOfTheCliff Sorry your husband is being a grump. Mine is usually lovely but can get like that sometimes. Food usually helps so hopefully a nice meal will make things better.

@FairyWren7 great pictures - it looks beautiful there. I can emphasise with the sleeping!

@Silkiebunny@tam
@TopOfTheCliff thank you all for the welcome

Aims this year, to stay in a job which is ok but not testing. My immediate manager is lovely. I won't comment on anyone else. To not join my immediate relation, who I had to arrange an emergency capacity assessment for last week, and to get somewhere towards my second Dan. It's at least 2 years of fitness work, being tested every 6 months (gotta love those three hours of hell). I may not get far this year, as it depends on when my next surgery falls (day after grading would be great!) and I have to book in for a nipple tattoo about 6 months after aforementioned surgery. I'm still not a tattoo fan, but hopefully this will be worth it🤞

Hello everyone! I was going well with my exercise program but then I hurt my elbow putting the bloody 7kg Christmas ham in the oven - gah!!! Have had tennis elbow on the other arm and took ages to heal. This one’s not as bad and also a bit easier to rest as it’s my left arm and I’m right handed. But I’ve had to stop all my weights until it’s fixed - bugger! Was meant to see the exercise physiologist this week but seems like no point when I can’t do the exercises so will postpone.

I have been doing some nice walks with DH while he was on Christmas leave but he’s back at work today so will have to motivate myself. Have been spending a lot of time in the passenger seat while my 17yo DD gets her driving hours up. Not sure what the process is in UK but in the part of Australia where I live you need to do spend 12 months doing 120 hours of supervised driving while on your learners permit. My illness and recovery put me out of action as a driving instructor for half of last year so we are on a mission to get the hours done by the end of Feb so she can do her driving test. Only 30 to go haha! Oh and 20 hours have to be after dark and it’s daylight savings here so we are doing long pointless drives at 9 or 10pm. It has been quite nice to chat to DD now she’s a competent driver and I can relax and not issue instructions constantly.

Welcome @Icantfindanewname 👋.
I caught a nasty bug in the plane home and have been in bed most of last week with a cold, not the 2024 start I’d hoped for. On a positive note however its given my coffee detox a kick start, I drink far to much of the stuff and am switching to herbal teas. Does anyone have any coffee substitutes they would recommend ? H&B do mushroom coffee which sounds interesting. I have my first PT session this Wednesday to look forward to and a visit to my beauty therapist on Thursday so the week is looking up.

Can I rejoin? I do quite often read the thread, and you all sound so positive (in the context that we all know it’s crap).
I have ovarian cancer (slightly differently to initial diagnosis), high grade stage 4. That doesn’t sound great, but on a drug called nipararib to keep it at bay - and that does work well for some people.
Was all set to resume PT and do more at the gym, then started the year by getting Covid. Had to stop nipararib and take anti virals. (Which are very expensive and I’m grateful for).
(Actually doing that took a few phone calls. I wouldn’t like to be old and frail with cancer - the NHS is far too compartmentalised these days. I ended up pretty grumpy).

Anyway - hoping I’m now to be able to start the fight back to recovery. Even if it just gets me well enough for when the cancer comes back - I daren’t wish for actual recovery.

Apart from exercise also want to introduce other changes - boring one’s like reading my millions of books/ trying to do a bit more art etc. Booked to do the Camino di Santiago later in the year - lots of walking ahead!

I could go on, just thought I should actually try and engage in the conversation as I love reading it.

Love to all x

@Icantfindanewname all the best with gaining your second Dan. I was halfway through training to be a yoga teacher when I was diagnosed. Managed to qualify, although a couple of the sessions I had to adapt quite a lot. I really didn’t think I’d make it. Not well enough to teach yet and still not back at my day job but hoping to get there this year. I’m able to practice now but it would wipe me out for 24 hours really after an hour of physical activity! Onwards and upwards - every day a little bit more!

@ClashCityRocker well done with your muscles! I’m a bit jealous although my legs are getting stronger but I’ve still got a pot belly.
@Remaker sorry about your elbow. My shoulder seems to be 90 percent better now so I will use some heavier weights this week and see what happens.
@RedRosesPinkLilies it is so frustrating being knocked back by a virus! I’ve dodged several over the holiday by being a hermit. Happily DH is better from his cold today and not as grumpy.
I wrapped up warm in my thermal gear and went for a cycle club ladies bike ride along the sea front this morning. It was freezing! We went for a cheerful coffee together and it was lovely. My hands and feet were numb by the time I got home though.

Welcome/hello everybody. It is officially the end of the holidays here, with everyone back to work/study, so I am getting myself into my new year mindset. I am giving up sugar for a while after a lot of chocolate related indulgence over the holidays, and am just about to make myself go for a run in the dark and cold. I used to like running in the dark (it feels safe here - always plenty of dog walkers etc around) but have got totally out of the habit. Top you asked about goals for the year. Ideally, I'd like to get up to being able to run 10k and swim a mile. I can currently run 5k (at a push) and swim 1k fairly comfortably. And I'd like to get my BMI down to 24.9 (!). But I'm not really goal oriented, I prefer to focus on the process/input/small steps. I read this article ten years ago now, and I have taken it to heart:

@ClashCityRocker that's excellent news on the muscles and workouts! I was on Tinzaparin njections twice a day-they bloody well sting and the bruising was horrible. I switched to Apixaban, originally 5mg twice then down to 2.5mg twice a day since December 2022. The haematologist (who I never met but found she was great on phone appointments) wanted to err on the side of caution due to me being on Letrozole, which has a slightly increased risk of DVTs, so will stop both together. However, if I'm flying longer than 4 or 5 hours, I'm to have something, this is all in very detailed letter to my GP!
I'm another one with an injury, albeit minor. I have a sore wrist, no idea what caused it. I have reduced my weights for upper body exercises so I don't aggravate it. So frustrating as I could feel my strength improving.

@dotty2 that is an interesting article but following the advice seems rather mundane. “Doing some activity every day” doesn’t fill me with as much enthusiasm or motivation as “Getting fit for the bike tour of Normandy I have rashly booked for April”. Also if the writer spends his time contemplating his failures then he has picked the wrong unachievable goals. But each to their own. I like setting a goal and working towards it over a long period doing something every day to make it more likely to happen, like my round UK sailing and cycling trip. I haven’t had any major failures yet.

Are you calling me boring?😄Actually, ‘be less boring’ is probably an excellent goal in itself!

I’m in awe of all your goals and activity. Bc treatment finished June 2022, but I’ve been struggling to stay on letrozole since and losing dm in may has flattened me. Trying to find a new normal- and I’ve chosen my word for 2024- joy.

Lovely to meet the newbies!

I’m about to do the last bit of the journey home, potentially dealing with a bit of a flood on the way! It’s been wonderful but I’ve had enough! I want my own bed and not to be in the car all day!

Yesterday we drove 500km! Amazing skies and country.

Sorry to hear of the colds and injuries. I’m ok at the moment just sore from the car and have run out of Olaparib.

@dotty2 not at all boring! But I am easily bored which is why going to the gym regularly isn’t for me. I have to mix up lots of different activities to keep me interested. “Be less boring” is a good goal, but so is “have a year without any drama in it” which I think is mine for 2024.
@thesandwich that seems a very welcome goal for the year. And you don’t have to get sweaty either. Sorry about your DM.
@FairyWren7 wow! What an amazing trip! Your folks must be impressed with Oz after that.