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

[LemonDrizzle10]

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@Tilllly you might need a different anti nausea med if that one isn't helping? Or maybe adjust when you take it?

@SewingBees Xmas decorating is definitely my thing too. Hoping my neuropathy will improve enough over the next day or so to allow me to do a bit but have made DH take day off on Monday to go up ladders etc as I don't think I'll manage that. But I suspect it won't end well; there is only so much direction he will take before running out of patience!

Luckily everything is already out of our crawl space loft as he's been doing some wiring in there so st least that bit's done.

I'm limited @TwigTheWonderKid cos I'm allergic to metaclopromide
But I think the cyclizine is working- they gave me 5 days supply to take if needed, so I only took one at 4am when it was bad. Will be taking them every 8 hours and not waiting to see if it comes back
And will take them in the next round before I'm sick

@SewingBees Mine is a hardcore 6-10 hour endoscopic surgery through the nose to excise a tumour from the bone at the base of my skull. It's lurking directly behind my carotid artery, but looks like it's still all in the bone and not touching the brain or brain stem. Small mercies. They might also take a fat graft from my belly to close the hole they're making in my skull. So two surgeries for the price of one!

I also watched Dr Death. Very bad idea!
I'm hesitant to really recommend Virgin River as it's so very very naff. But what can I say, I do like Jack...

Christmas is in full swing here.

@KentishMama your tree is beautiful, very classy. Your surgery sounds absolutely awful, but what choice do we have? How long will you be in hospital for?

@SewingBees I guess it is very difficult, as surgery goes, but recovery should be quite straightforward because it's endoscopic. No big incisions or anything like that. If it goes perfectly to plan, I'll be in hospital for only 3-4 nights. I'm refusing to make plans for anything longer than a week because I have Christmas to celebrate! Have you been given an idea of how long you might have to stay?

@KentishMama not yet no because it has all moved so fast since yesterday lunchtime. I've got a load of questions I'm going to email the nurse this weekend, including recovery times (hospital and home) and how much I'll be capable of by the time I come home. Our toilet is downstairs so at the very least I need to know if I'll need a commode.

@SewingBees Great idea re: list of questions. Definitely the way to go. Also ask about medication after the surgery - what will you be on, who will prescribe it (hospital or GP)... And how often will they want to see you for checks after surgery. They were late additions to my list. Might be useful for you.

@AllotmentTime @TopOfTheCliff Yes, the seroma has stayed away! It is 2 days later. This has given me just enough of a kick up the bum to get exercising regularly again.

Love all puns! My best one was when the seroma on my chest was drained a few weeks back. I made the ultrasonographer let out a giggle when she finished and I said 'Thank you. It was good to get that off my chest'.

My partner came up with a good one too when he came home following colorectal surgery for an abscess: 'My problems are now all behind me'.

Ahh, one has to laugh sometimes!

On another subject, have any of you ever had a thyroidectomy? Any problems or experiences of recovery?

Strength to all.

Hi ladies,

Just to let you know that I'm thinking about you all.

@Tilllly I'm a fellow Brookside fan.

Thought I'd send you a photo of my ridiculous Christmas tree. The photo in the background is of my lovely Dad who passed away in 2022.

Afternoon all. Hope you’re all having an okay weekend. My biopsy results weren’t ready Friday after all, but my CA125 marker had dropped by 17% ish since August so I am hoping that is a positive sign.

I am super annoyed though as I had a bone density scan a month ago, called the GP for results and was told I’d need to get an appointment for them (yeah right, get a GP appointment? We live in Hunger Games times here!) but that my oncologist would have access to them. She did not. I’ve today received a letter from the GP saying make an appointment to discuss “further management “ which to me reads as they found an issue!! Argh. I am just falling apart. Why oh why couldn’t they just bloody call me. Now I must stress all weekend and then play the Cancer Card Monday if I want to get them within the next 3 weeks. Ugh.

@AGreatUsername don't oanic! It's probably just you have normal age related osteopenia and they think you should be taking caalcium and vitamin D tablets. Bone density scans don't look for cancer just how strong your bones are.

@Tilllly that was a capital joke.

Great I wouldn't read too much into gp calling you in for bone scan, think they often show oestopenia after cancer treatment / with age and they just tell you that and to get calcium and vit D, mine just said in diet. Mine was oncologist but it was nothing to worry about, hope you find that too soon.

Very stylish Christmas tree Kent We just gave tiny one atm but do have the customary cat attached. Real one up tomorrow cat permitting. He's eating the robin off the top.

@Silkiefloof Love the cat. Makes a wonderful tree topper. 100 points to you! My geriatric cat barely glances as the Christmas tree this year, but still helps me wrap gifts by sitting on the wrapping paper and tangling up any ribbon she can fine.

@AGreatUsername I would also assume it's a chat about osteopenia and vitamins!

My surgery is in two days and I've woken up with a tickly throat/ beginnings of a cough. DS8 has had one all of last week. I've taken a COVID test, and that's clear. But now I'm worried they'll move the surgery if I can't shake this off very fast! I'm going to drink lots, and DH has been told to make me chicken noodle soup (he loves it, no hardship), and I need to rest. Any other miracle cures?

Thanks Kentish Hope you surgery goes ahead, think normally does unless it's really bad. I have a hot drink with honey and lemon in and also the benylin chesty cough meds which help a little bit though it's mainly as I like the taste of both.

Floof is only 1 so he's very hyper with the Christmas tree and we have nighttime zoomies each night with the decorations and he's 1.2 metres of fluff charging around.

@KentishMama Try First Defence. It changes the pH in your nose and can stop the germs getting hold.

@ClashCityRocker Thanks for sharing your story. I’ve had the CT, MRI scheduled for 13th Dec, MDT meeting 18th Dec and I’m hoping I have a plan pretty soon after that.

Hello all. I'm a latecomers to this thread and haven't read all 25 pages!
Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with radiation dermatitis? I'm having quite a hard time with my breast cancer treatment but particularly following radiotherapy. The itching is driving me mad and the sores are really painful. I have a particularly bad patch towards the top of my breastbone and the only way I can keep the dressing in place is to sleep on my back, which is not natural for me so basically I'm not sleeping. It hurts to stretch at all and this is stopping me from reaching for things and basically any movement which involves stretching or folding the skin in that area is painful.
I would welcome any tips or advice.

@KentishMama I developed a cough two weeks before surgery and which required antibiotics. This meant I had to have my surgery put back by another two weeks. Please get your cough checked out, and ensure that you let your surgical team know if you have an infection and need antibiotics. Much better to have your surgery delayed on purpose than to not have it on the day because you're not well enough.

@DilemmaDelilah I'll call them tomorrow if I'm getting worse! Right now, it's just the beginning of a cold and nothing that requires any actual treatment. Fingers crossed it buggers off....

@DilemmaDelilah I posted too soon. I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with your skin. I'm afraid I have no real advice - my skin didn't react much during radiotherapy. But if the issue is to keep the dressing in place, is there a way to cover it over with e.g. a silk scarf and then a bandage around that to keep it all in place? I imagine you can't have anything scratchy on the skin - I only really liked silk or bamboo fibre during rads. But like I said, I got through without any severe reactions, so this idea might be totally useless. I hope someone with better advice will post soon!

Delilah I would give them a call about that, either the radio team or breast care nurses. I didn't have any issues but they said if I did to call and they could prescribe something.

I'm lucky in that we have an excellent radiotherapy team and I have had good support. I have been given special dressings for the sores and hydrocortisone ointment to help with the itching. I'm also taking antihistamines and regular pain relief, but it's just not enough.
I've had such a horrible time during treatment with all sorts of things going wrong - this just feels like the last straw! I don't think I have even got to the worst of it yet.
I think I'm just having a REALLY bad day 😭

@KentishMama
Drink tons and tons of fluids, preferably water. You clear a virus out of your system by getting it out in the phlegm and you need lots of fluid to do that