Cancer support thread 91 - don’t borrow tomorrow’s worries

[LemonDrizzle10]

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@tam23 welcome! I found having a shower in the morning and not using any moisturiser before treatment but taking the tub with me worked well. I then slathered on cream when I was getting dressed afterwards and again at home. I never had any problems with burns or redness. I treated myself to some Liz Earle organic 72 hour moisturiser but honestly I think anything would do. They often give out Aveeno at our unit.

@TopOfTheCliff Thanks for the welcome and good advice.

@tam23 yes I'm doing ok thanks, have my post op check tomorrow.

@Tilllly I'll be thinking about you tomorrow as well. Take care

@Octopus45 hope it all goes well tomorrow. Will be thinking of you too.

Thanks for all your kind messages.
@SierraSapphire they told me that if I have a hysterectomy then it will be open abdo surgery, not done laparoscopically. I’m not sure why but I’ll double check if I go down that route.
@JlL2013 How was your CC treated?
@Octopus45 Thanks for the hugs, much needed!
@isaxx definitely good advice re asking questions. I did go armed with a notepad and have started scribbling things down already ahead of my next appointment.
@Tilllly I hope George Clooney turned up in the end!

@Tilllly @tam23
Hope your treatment goes well this week

Big woolly bloomers should do it

Extra points if you keep a straight face

@Yorkshiregold
He did not
Totally robbed

@Yorkshiregold I was stage 2 so Chemo/Radiation and brachytherapy. I'm just over a year out and all is well.

Wishing you all the best for chemo Tillly Ours was tropical in heat (though the hospital seems to only be able to do 0C or 30C🤔). Hope dentist goes OK, mine gave me high fluoride toothpaste on prescription which was great and meant teeth survived.

Tam I found radio really easy after chemo, just lying on a bed for 5 minutes. They do expect you to take top off quickly and walk over so best to take something easy. Ours don't give out cream unless skin gets damaged. I got burns cream to put on from France, biafine, put on before at home and after and no issues. Ours was got by a French colleague but its this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Biafine-Emulsion-93g/dp/B00L3RRXKY/ref=asc_df_B00L3RRXKY&mcid=6889f30cae9d3efdb5d3f48030f91a48?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80264405731044&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583863980729777&psc=1

@tam23 Another one here who found rads a walk in the park after chemo. Take your top off, lay down for a bit, get up, go home, treat yourself to a nap as a reward.... Done.
I used something called Flamigel, I think. And pure aloe vera. No skin problems beyond a slight reddening. And I think I had to wear very light, smooth fabric on the skin for a while as it was sensitive. Someone told me that a silk scarf stuffed in the bra or wrapped around the upper body is great, and I think I tried that... Honestly can't remember much else!

Good luck, you've got this!

I'm quite upset about Mowly. I've been sitting here trying to think of a very dark humoured thing to say about it, but I'm really just pissed off at cancer right now.

Hug for you @KentishMama
It's just 💩

Question
Can I take the oramorph this morning, with chemo?

@Yorkshiregold Thank you for the good wishes. My notebook is my best friend - everything goes in there, notes from appointments, question and all my thoughts and feelings. Hopefully, I never leave it laying around anywhere!
@Tilllly I have an amazing visual image of me in bloomers on the treatment bed! With a poker face! 🤣
@Silkiefloof @KentishMama Thanks for the recommendations and support. Very much appreciated.
@KentishMama @Tilllly Agree - it’s a pile of 💩. Big hugs from me.

Agree, pile of worm-infested 💩.

Massive cock up in reviewing my tumour ridden crumbled vertebra by the spinal oncology team. Feels like they've just decided I'm a non surgical case so it's oncology's problem, while oncology are waiting for spinal assessment. From what I've read I'm in a rare position of having only one metastasis which is limited to one bone, and therefore a strong candidate for surgical intervention. Meanwhile I'm lying in bed/on sofa unable to sit or stand for more than 2 minutes at a time. Feels as though a 51 year old highly skilled professional woman with a 7 year old child and a family dependant on her income, with the potential for a good outcome, is very low down the priority list right now. I find it utterly unacceptable to be relegated to 'surgically untreatable' without any explanation as to what the options might be and why they've been discounted. I'm absolutely raging.

This sounds and feels very frivolous but my lovely friends want to have a whip round for my birthday and buy me some vouchers for treatments. I think I'm going to ask for one for a blow dry, I'd also like to get my nails done (just a shape and normal polish). What else is safe re cancer and chemo? Reflexology? Facials?

That's rubbish. How about contacting PALS?

I need to give them a chance to put it right first, it could just be messed up communication between departments that they get sorted. However I intend to be a very squeaky wheel from now on.

That's lovely. I found chemo wrecked my nails but if yours are ok then a shape and polish would be lovely I'm sure. For a facial you might need to be careful about what oils they use and also how sensitive your skin becomes. I'm not sure of your chemo regime though, could be totally different to what I went through.

I received some absolutely wonderful heartfelt cards from colleagues today. I cried buckets. I miss them and I miss work and I'm bored. I've ordered some embroidery kits as that's something I should be able to do lying down, just waiting for them to arrive now. Everyone will be getting embroidery for Christmas from me this year!

@SewingBees You must be scared/ raging/ despairing all at once. Go She-ra on them and channel that professional competence! You need to know if it’s technically possible to operate or not, and what the risks are. A second opinion might be possible too. There is too much at stake to leave it as it is. Sending strength xx

@KentishMama I'm so sorry to hear about Mowly, sending you a hug. Agree its a pile of 💩.

@tam23 and @Tilllly hope you both got on as well as you could today.

@SewingBees they deserve to be given hell, hope someone is able to help you properly soon.

My appointment went well today, my margins were clear and my lymph nodes (they took 2) were classed as positive, even though there was one dodgy cell in one of them. I've been referred for radio and put on Tamoxifen, because I'm not quite menopausal, I had a very light bleed a few weeks ago.

@Octopus45 That sounds like brilliant results! Clear margins and nodes, woo-hoo! Very happy to hear.

I had a good day today. It's my second-to-last day at work before surgery. Three wins: (1) HR seem to have found a path to making an exception to their overly strict sick leave policy - not confirmed in writing, but a very senior person indicated that they have a plan that they'll put into action when I run out of paid sick days. (2) If that HR plan fails, my manager has indicated that she'll look the other way if I'm back at work, but taking it very very very easy (working from home, so quite easy to do this...). (3) And some kind person told the big boss about my diagnosis, and she sent me the nicest email, with her personal mobile number, and a promise to step in if there are any issues.

So with all that, my panic about dropping down to SSP and not being able to pay my mortgage while recovering from surgery is mostly gone now. (I work for a very big company, and they can really afford to pay my full salary for a few weeks while I recover!)

Other than that... I'm getting very nervous. Five days to go until surgery.

@Octopus45 I’m glad your margins were clear and you have a clear plan. Hope the waiting’s not too long for you for radio. I’ll be full of good advice for radio soon! I’m on Letrozole as had menopause quite young, but can have tamoxifen if I can’t put up with it any more. Going to give it a bit longer…….

@KentishMama the sick leave news you had today must be a huge relief. The last thing any of us need is additional financial worries on top of everything else. I'm very lucky to have a generous sick leave policy, and when I slightly exceeded the allowance during my last lot of treatment they didn't drop me down to half pay as they could have. Glad you have some good news in that bit of your life anyway.

@SewingBees
Write to your MO
They'll light a fire under someone