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

[LemonDrizzle10]

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@Zoopet Welcome. My hair hurt when it started to come out. I ended up getting my husband to shave it off quite early because it was long and the weight pulling on the hair follicles was very painful.

I also found my skin became very sallow and my face very puffy. I really didn't look like myself, but things did go back to normal after my chemo was finished. Are you on 6 cycles 3 weeks apart?

Oh good ☺️
It helps you take some control and not feel things are been done to you

I've just really enjoyed some toast and raspberry jam

@lucysmam
Nope 5 hours
I don't understand how you can be tired and still not sleep well 🤷‍♀️

@TwigTheWonderKid how're you doing?

@Zoopet welcome to the thread nobody wants to be on. Have you started with chemotherapy or is it post surgery? Losing you hair really makes it real and you can’t easily hide the fact you are a cancer patient. How are you coping?
I am home from my mini break but had a drama as DM89 had a power cut and was without heat light or cooker all day. Her home help stayed with her then a neighbour visited till I arrived with a thermos and ten minutes later the power came back on. She was a bit cold but cheerful. We’ve had a roaring fire all evening and comfort food so I think she is okay. It’s nice to be useful!

Welcome @Zoopet, sorry you find yourself here, but everyone is lovely and we'll help.you get through whatever you need to get through.

@weegiemum , sorry it wasn't better news but it all sounds very positive. For my breast cancer I had 15 sessions of radiotherapy to breast, armpit and collarbone and had no side effects at all. Fingers crossed it will be the same for you and you can finally finish treatment.

@lucysmam, no idea. I've decided not to get worked up about insomnia. I find for most things I can't control, accepting rather than fighting it tends to help. I listen to the most soothing or boring podcasts I can find. I rarely have trouble falling but wake up and often can't sleep again for hours but as soon as I wake up I'm trying to relax and think about something really dull and unengaging so my brain doesn't start doing things that wake me up even more. When it gets really bad I must admit I have a glass of something alcoholic which I know isn't supposed to help but does seem to help me.

If you want to see a ridiculously tall Christmas tree, the attached photo was taken one year when we had a tree delivered rather than choosing it. Photo was taken after we'd chopped several feet off the top!

So blood pressure saga continues. Went to GP as hospital only gave me a few day's tablets plus wanted to ask more about taking readings at home. It's all very well them telling me to do it but no one told me what to do with the information... So now GP involved I have to go and have more bloods and a new ECG done because GPs can't access the results of the tests they did in A&E last night. Obviously that's not a problem as I have nothing better to do than attend medical appointments all week...

Hi y'all. Had first EC yesterday, following the 4 Ds, and reaction to filgrastim. Now on different gcsf jab ( kids one- that's me)! And hoping to avoid anything temperature related.

Just to say.. Keep going everyone.
Seems so many obstacles and fences. The things I normally cope with are so much more tricky, and very silly stuff like thinking may have to return to a queue in a pharmacy shouldn't be at in first place is enough to tip me over the edge ( insert cry like a baby... My frustration sharing go to)
@TwigTheWonderKid not surprised your BP up. Those quieter moments at home, (!!)if you can get or borrow a machine could do readings twice daily and present them, I'm sure you are suggestioned out at this stage.

And I'd really it's very silly like some crackers and pate!! How very first world.

So I'm thinking tinned mackerel, lemon juice and cream or creme fraiche and mock it up! Party.... Day 2 -Dexa( midnight runners hear I come!

It's here not hear grrrr

@nappybrained I think you could make your own chicken liver pate?

@Zoopet - welcome, and solidarity. I was where you are a year ago, and am now mainly focused on recovery and trying to look forward. Just a quick tip on the painful hair loss. A lovely friend buzz cut mine for me, but it still hurt as it was falling out. Someone suggested sleeping on a velvet cushion which sounds weird but it really worked for me - I just used an ordinary one from TK Maxx and it made a big difference. Also like lots of things in the chemo variety shit show, it didn't last long and soon moved on to make way for the next challenge. Sending strength.

Morning all! Had a mammogram and scan yesterday which showed excellent response to chemo, though it doesn’t actually make any difference as they’re still going to whip all my lymph nodes out. Rationally I know it will have been beneficial in terms of recurrence but it feels like a hell of a lot to have gone through for very little tangible outcome.
Am obsessively checking my scalp every morning for signs of regrowth even though I know there’s no realistic chance for another few weeks.
Now on my way to London to see Father Christmas with my step-granddaughter which will be a refreshing change.

@TwigTheWonderKid
Fell asleep!! Never mind the pate!

@Florabritannica
Did you sit on his knee and give him a long list?

@Tilllly 😂
It was possibly the most middle-class occasion I have ever attended. Before the great man arrived, an elf led us in seasonal singing and conducted a festive quiz, which revealed the assembled youth to be impressively knowledgeable.

Mate of mine got me a silk pillow case and a silk eye mask. Just feels like being hugged. It's gentle and cooling.
Only thing is Dog loves it too .. Just thankfully to lie on but it washes very well anyway

@Florabritannica congrats on the good chemo response. I know what you mean about going through all this for no tangible outcome. I feel like I started this process objectively absolutely fine and in great health, there's no evidence of having been improved in any way since then. Quite the opposite!!

@nappybrained hope you are okay post EC. I felt shite on that and spent a weekend doing nothing each time. Rest when you need to x

@lucysmam shhhhh I haven't done any Christmas stuff. DH suggested we sit down and do it all on Amazon this w/e. That should help. Although we have a to-do list as long as @TwigTheWonderKid 's brilliant tree so who knows what we'll manage.

I started goserelin and letrozole this week. And my mouth tastes crap and all my food tastes foul again. I am SO fucked off i could cry. I was so so happy when i finally got rid of the bad taste chemo side effect. Gutted that I'm now potentially not going to enjoy Christmas food and who knows what will happen long term. Any stories of "i had this and then it went away and was fine" would be very very welcome. 😭

@AllotmentTime So true. One of the many many shit things about cancer is the way that getting better involves getting a lot worse first.
I’ve signed off Christmas this year. I arranged for us to go to my sister’s on the day, and sorted presents for my side of the family, but said this year it was DH’s responsibility to do the diary and his children and grandchildren (usually I do everything).
After gentle reminders every couple of weeks since the beginning of November, he started to get his act together yesterday.
Keep reminding myself that it’s not my circus, not my monkeys.

Fuck you lung cancer

I have been out dancing 💃🏼
At an ABBA tribute night. Ok, I didn't go on the dance floor and was rather sedate in my dancing, but I got 3,000 steps worth of boogying
#dancingqueen

And I ate nearly all the 3 course dinner and didn't feel sick

Rock n roll tonic water all night and I'm absolutely knackered now but still
🎉☺️ 💃🏼

Way to go, @Tilllly ! 💃💃💃

How fab @Tilllly !

My friend drove me to pick up DS1 from uni yesterday. So lovely to have him home, although I can remember my first Christmas at home when I went to university and how after a few days I just wanted to get back to my new friends! I'm kind of hoping he feels the same because I want him to be able to be "normal" and not be focusing on whether this might be our last Christmas together.

Off to get our Christmas tree today 🎄

@Fantasmic143 have you had results yet? Sorry if I missed a post. It’s been four weeks now so hopefully you know what’s happening. Sending strength and patience if not x

Today I am off on a loony vintage bike ride. Think butchers bikes and penny farthings and lots of tweed and carolling. I have been distracted from proper exercise by all the gadding this week but that’s what we get fit for, n’est ce pas? Gadding is the fun bit of life. I shall be channelling Emma Peel on my small wheeled 1960s bike

@Tilllly that sounds great fun!

I'm gutted I've missed out on Killers tickets this time around - the girls dad had 3 in his Ticketmaster basket but dithered over buying & text me at work to ask instead. I don't get chance to look at my phone til my break, so they'd sold by dinner time 😢 I really wanted to see them live again too. Can't believe I was gifted Hot Fuss almost 20 years ago (by a fave customer in the pub where I worked) with a "have a listen, I think you'll like them"!

@Tilllly Go you!

@TopOfTheCliff we want pix of you in the catsuit!

@TopOfTheCliff Yes, thank you for asking. They think it is benign but want to take more tissue - so am waiting for an appointment for vacuum assisted biopsy. Trying to push it to the back of my mind!

Ha @Florabritannica it was bitterly cold and windy and I am too fat for most of my clothes so I bundled up like a blueberry in purple to match the bike. I’ll see if DH has captured my fruitiness for you. Home now for hot coffee.

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