The Great Recovery part 2 - After Cancer treatment what next?

[TopOfTheCliff]

You may have finished treatment for cancer, be NED or in remission, or it’s just a lull between storms. You don’t want to dwell on the past but look forward to the future. You know you need to eat well, get fitter and pick up the strands of life again. This is the thread for you with fellow travellers. Join us!

There is the General Cancer thread for those in active treatment:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/general_health/4969445-cancer-support-thread-92-christmas-happy-hour-at-the-patience-inn-7pm-tonight?page=10&reply=132553156

And there is the Stage IV thread for those whose treatment is ongoing:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/life_limiting_illness/stage-iv-cancer-incurable-roll-up-roll-up-this-thread-is-for-you?reply=132555664

[TopOfTheCliff]

Welcome to our shiny new thread. I am a grizzled veteran of the Cancer threads having had Breast cancer twice since 2020. No 1 was Triple positive no 2 was triple negative. This qualified me for the full cancer triathlon twice round, apparently successfully. Then there was the dislocated ankle and the hip replacement and the loss of DF and MIL. But I am the Queen of Resilience, a champion of Optimistic denial and insane positivity. Now dragging my battered remains towards a better future, with my lovely DH pushing me up the steep bits.
Things that help: Yoga, kindness and lots of cake!
Things that don’t help: Well meaning advice on miracle cures, whacky diets and exhortations to be Positive.

[sorrynotathome]

How lovely! Can I join? Did my breast cancer triathlon in 2017 now counting the days until I can stop those horrible little hormone blocking pills :)

[dotty2]

Thank you for the new thread. Welcome @sorrynotathome. It will be lovely to have someone further out from the triathlon with us. I finished mine in May 2023 but am still on abemaciclib, which is a new drug to reduce recurrence risk, and have lymphoedema to boot, so it all feels far from over, but I am trying hard to rebuild my strength, emotional and physical.

[Penguinsa]

Thanks for new thread Top and welcome sorrynotathome very welcome to join us, good to hear about people much further on without more cancer. I had 2 lobular breast cancers and 1 LCIS all in same breast in Nov 21 and then 2 surgeries, chemo, radio, Tamoxifen and awaiting NHS reconstruction.

[sorrynotathome]

Thank you for the welcome! I can hardly believe it's 7 years since my single mastectomy. I had LD reconstruction in 2019 which worked well but is probably the thing that gives me the most reminders of what I went through. That and these damn pills! My cancer was oestrogen positive, HER2 negative. @Penguinsa fingers crossed you get your reconstruction soon - I heard terrible stories about some health authority areas just not doing them any more.

[Penguinsa]

Thanks sorry I think will still be another year before my reconstruction, horrendous waits.

[TopOfTheCliff]

Welcome @sorrynotathome which nasty little pill are you on? I am on exemestane which is a bit easier than anastrozole which I took for a year until joint pains got too bad. I try to follow an anti- inflammatory diet but the cake ruins that 🙄

[SierraSapphire]

Thanks for the new thread Top - I'm nearly a year and a half after chemo for endometrial cancer plus a tiny spot of ovarian only found after a second opinion. I'm not on any treatment now, none recommended in my situation. Physically I feel pretty lucky, I am thinner and fitter than I was before cancer (though I've always been a regular exerciser). Psychologically up-and-down, a lot of scanxiety, and my business is in a state of disarray, not helped because I had another minor operation last year not connected with the cancer and also I'm a reluctant carer for my 90 year-old mum (because she refuses to get any other help and appears not to care about the effect on me and whether my cancer comes back or not). I had a routine scan three weeks ago, I've not heard anything so I'm hoping that means it's negative, though my next appointment isn't until mid March. It will be good to hear for certain, then I will probably have a period of optimism and better mental health until closer to the next one! Top asked us to set our intentions for the end of this thread on the last one, and mine is to get my business back on track so I can actually pay myself enough to live on!

[thesandwich]

Thanks for the new thread @TopOfTheCliff - good to see old and new faces.
Diagnosed august 2021, er+ve, her- lumpectomy and node clearance, chemo and radio- finished treatment june 2022, tried to get life back on track but then spent most of 18 months supporting my v frail dm who died last year- plus all that leads to. Now trying to regroup and improve fitness and seek more joy.
Sadly recognise familiar faces from the elderlies board here. Much sympathy to @SierraSapphire . I was lucky I didn’t have work to juggle as well.
Struggling with the nasty pills- letrozole in my case.

[sorrynotathome]

@TopOfTheCliff I had 2 years of tamoxifen then switched over to 5 years of anastrozole finishing in October this year wooooooo!

[ClashCityRocker]

Thanks for the new thread @TopOfTheCliff

I finished treatment (chemorads and brachytherapy) for stage three cervical in July, complicated by a DVT halfway through treatment.

I was going great guns with getting back to my previous active self, but in a burst of over enthusiasm on the padel front, have done myself a mischief as my grandma would say.

Apparently, the muscles in the areas I have radiotherapy on take a lot longer to heal from strains and pulls now, as confirmed by my oncologist...I'm slowly improving and have a session booked in with a physiotherapist on Wednesday.

[TopOfTheCliff]

That figures @ClashCityRocker . I feel as though the muscles in my armpits have been microwaved and have no elasticity in them, like cooked chops!

All good here for me. I walked 3km round the hill on my crutches today with some flights of steps too. It’s fun chatting to the dog walkers.
DH seems a little better despite his shingles rash. He has gone to his primary schoolfriend’s dad’s funeral which while it sounds grim will give him some solidarity with folks who know and love him. MIL now has a cause of death (heart) so we can get things moving soon. SIL has said she can manage 6-8 weeks living with FIL which is helpful too. The fog is clearing a little!

[Remaker]

Thanks for the new thread Top. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer stage 3A almost a year ago. Caused by Lynch Syndrome, a genetic mutation. I had 80% of my colon removed then 4 rounds of chemo.

Marking myself present on the roll calls for:

• Injury set back during rehab (tennis elbow)
• Caring for elderly parent (DM 88)
• Career in disarray (job hunting after resigning due to stress)
• Awaiting surgery (hysterectomy due to genetic cancer risk)

I’m Australian, DH is English and we live in Sydney with 2 teenagers and 2 cats.

[myrosehasleftme]

Getting my place on the new thread!

Quick summary- Lobular BC, Er + Her -, in Aug 22, 2 lumpectomies, chemo, radio and now Letrozole and Abemaciclib. Put into menopause by zoladex and then ovary removal.

I now have short dark brown curly hair which needs a lot of taming and no eyebrows still, my skin has gone from being very oily to much drier. Been back at work mostly full time since after chemo but my job is winding down and I will need to plan for the future (and I'm bored).

My intentions now are to keep up with my exercise routine- weights x3, and yoga weekly, 10000 steps per day as well as a big outdoor hike weekly. Reduce sugar again, keep up with the good gut stuff- bad habits are creeping in. Keep an an eye out for jobs and have my eyebrows micro bladed - pure vanity but they never came back properly and I look like a boiled egg in the mornings with crazy hair!

[dotty2]

@myrosehasleftme , I was also diagnosed in Aug 2022 so guess our treatment had similar timings and also have very sparse eye brows. As in a few hairs with lots of bare skin between them. All my other hair is pretty much back to normal. So I’m wondering if this is it for re growth now. I have bought big statement glasses as my face looked so bare in my previous minimalist ones. Can you have microblading on abemaciclib? I had assumed not but might be wrong.

[myrosehasleftme]

@dotty2 yes a funny couple of years right!

You have made me think to check with my oncology team re the eyebrows. I know you can't when undergoing chemo or radiotherapy. I had to stop abemaciclib for my oopharectomy but when I smashed my nose open and had stitches they weren't so worried since I'm hoping as this is just a skin thing they'll say go ahead! Otherwise I will continue with my eyebrow pencil- I'm pretty good and speedy now!

[myrosehasleftme]

@dotty2 do you think the abemaciclib is affecting your head hair growth? I think mine may be growing more slowly and that is the reason it's now so dark? The curly bit I know is common post chemo. I'm just thankful it's back so not overly bothered but no one recognises me anymore from having long blonde hair previously!

[Ikeameatballlunch]

Hello all, long time no see! Hope you're all well.

I've been lurking a little on the last thread last week and just placemarking here now.

[Ikeameatballlunch]

I had a breastcancer diagnosis last summer, 9mm, grade 2, hormone positive her neg. Off the hrt, double lumpectomy (for symmetry) clear margins and a clear lymph node. Tamoxifen and 5 days of high dose radiotherapy last November. Also have hypothyroidism, asthma and hypermobility which have all in turn been knocked a bit recently so I'm still pacing myself slowly to get back into where I was at physically before radio.

I'm very emotional today. I think periods may be returning. Am also not 100% sure if I'll stay on tamoxifen. Going to give it a good year and reassess.

[dotty2]

@myrosehasleftme I also have the people not recognising me thing, but my hair used to be long and brown and now it's short and bleached blond. I bleached it when it was growing back as it looked so harsh in my natural salt and pepper colour and I thought why not have some fun. I've had so many compliments about how I look, I'm going to keep it cropped, but might try dying it silver instead. So I've no idea whether it's growing slower or sparser, as it's so different to how it was before. I do think my nails are growing more slowly though. They look pretty healthy, maybe a little ridged but not too bad. But I definitely have to cut them much less often.

@Ikeameatballlunch - sorry to hear today is a tough day.

[RedRosesPinkLilies]

Hi
Thank you for new thread. I don’t post much, but lurk a lot. Diagnosed with Stage 4 Ovarian cancer April 2023. That’s when I started that process- actual confirmation with surgery about Aug 2023.
Have completed chemo, and surgery. Surgery actually showed there was a lesion on the fallopian tube - so that’s probably what I should be saying. But people have heard of ovarian cancer - so that will do.

Currently on an oral drug called Nipararib- which I think stops the cancer cells healing themselves- presumably after they divide. It’s very new, and not all Drs can even pronounce it yet. One GP kept calling it ‘the drug’

Anyway, currently well. Just back from a fab holiday in Dubai.
Hopefully walking some of the Camino de Santiago middle of April with two friends.
Check CT next Tuesday, with results two weeks later. Joy! Hope the result is at least stable.
Love to everyone x

[MissMarplesNiece]

Hurray, I'm at home again. I feel as though my middle has been cut open, my innards taken out and rummaged through, and then sewn back up - which is more or less what's happened. Dr told me my body was having the same reaction - in terms of trauma etc - as if I'd been hit by a 2 tonne truck.

But, we're warriors, so upwards and onwards.

[thesandwich]

So glad you’re home, @MissMarplesNiece .

[MissyB1]

Hi everyone. I’m nearly 8 years post breast cancer, oestrogen positive her negative. had a mastectomy and then 5 years of tamoxifen and now in third year of Anastrazole. I’m due to finish the anastrazole this year - thank goodness! I’m wondering if I will feel any better, I get terrible joint pains and low moods.

[sorrynotathome]

Hey @MissyB1 like you I'm finishing anastrozole this year - like you I can't wait to see whether I get some energy back and lose the aches & pains! It's also played havoc with my cholesterol which has gone through the roof... Fingers crossed :)