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

Ouch Top that sounds like a sore one! Hope you're soon on the mend.

Still mulling Norway over, let's see how Barca goes first.

Packing today and sorting bits. It seems like a long time since I've had my slightly better weather clothes! It's looking like 18-20 degrees so pleasant enough for exploring the city.

Gardening sounds bliss, I love a magnolia tree. We don't have a garden as such at the minute (well, we do but it's used as an off road car park....). One day....

Oh @top I’m so sorry. Hope you’re feeling a bit better today.

Welcome @LucyWarlowRidesAgain

It does get better, sometimes painstakingly slowly, but it really does. I'd been fortunate enough to not suffer which much physical malady before cancer and any minor illness I could measure recovery in terms of days, rather than weeks or months...and it was always very linear, I could reliably know that I'd feel better the day after and the day after that.

With recovery from cancer treatment - nah. It was very frustrating as it made it hard to plan things - fortunately my dp embraces spontaneity and if you looked at our diaries for last year, you wouldn't know I spent most of it either having it recovering from cancer treatment, we've just had to approach things a bit differently. But it has been very up and down indeed.

I’m having a ridiculous time here. I keep getting stuck in one position due to rib pain. I was half on/off the bed for about 20 minutes. Then I found a bag of frozen peas and stuck them on my sore ribs until the bag split and I had a bed full of peas. It hurts to laugh! Come home DH I’m not safe here alone.

Oh no Top! I've been stuck with back pain before like that, it's rubbish. I've never slept with frozen peas though! When is your DH back?

He is back on Monday. He thinks I should be bubble wrapped when he goes away to stop me getting into scrapes. He’s probably right but I have avoided ladders and standing on top of things at home. Having poor balance and numb feet after chemotherapy doesn’t help. I’m fine just appalled at my own stupidity.

Oh god Top that's taking the princess and the pea to new levels 😂😂

Seriously though hoping you heal up quickly. I remember falling down the stairs once and bruising my ribs which was great fun as I was also coming down with a hacking cough at the time...so sympathise with it hurting to laugh.

We were thinking of buying DD as sumo suit and crash helmet when she was a toddler as she seemed so accident prone, maybe that could be a possibility Top.

Beautiful sunny day here, but I have to work 😭. I am going to book into a body pump class later and might manage a walk around the park and a coffee with a friend. I went back to my old David Lloyd yesterday on the way back from somewhere (I joined a newer and closer one when I rejoined) and had an amazing outdoor swim, I always reflect when I go there that there was a time after I was diagnosed that I never thought I would be back again. Obviously just hope that doesn't change!

I don’t deserve any sympathy as I am entirely to blame for my latest predicament. I have worked out a way of getting in and out of bed that minimises stranded beetle time. I have also ordered some nice easy meals and more painkillers to be delivered tomorrow. DH will be home by Tuesday and by then I hope I will be a bit more comfortable.
@SierraSapphire I am so envious of your improving fitness. Let us all remember not to take it for granted in future. It is a precious thing and should be guarded carefully.

Hope your DH is home soon Top and the neuropathy gets better so you can feel your feet better. Mine pretty much went, I have a minimal amount but nothing much at all, peaked 3 months after chemo then improved.

Went to a lovely historic house with DH today - had a lunch in their beautiful gardens (smoked salmon, dill, spinach and cream cheese bagel, tea and a slice of lemon cake for me) and then an hour walk around the gardens and lake and saw lots of lovely baby lambs. Gardening only got half completed as the magnolia needs a big hole but might get done tonight though not sure as DH is napping atm.

@Penguinsa That sounds like a perfect day.

Thanks MissMarples It was lovely, think you appreciate these days more after cancer. DH has just planted the magnolia and a little robin immediately went on it.

@Penguinsa the house looks beautiful, and some nice weather too.

I hope work wasn't too bad @SierraSapphire and you were able to get out.

@TopOfTheCliff hope you are on the mend soon (and no longer surrounded by peas).

My feet have been painful for the last couple of weeks, particularly in the evening, which I assume is chemo related. It would be nice if that went away soon.

Yes demi I was told chemo effects peak 3 months after chemo and then improve though think it varies person to person and may vary by chemo. But pain like that maybe neuropathy and for me it did peak around 3 months after before getting much better and its minimal now - I kept it most in the face, a tiny bit in hands and nothing really in feet. I think by 6 months it was much better.

I also found walking hard immediately post chemo and did swimming as exercise then after a year started building up walking and can walk fine now, well fine for a middle aged person, like 2 hours walking non-stop would be OK.

@Penguinsa that sounds lovely. I find that whilst I always had an appreciation of beautiful places I've certainly come to appreciate them even more post treatment!

Hola all from Barcelona! Walked miles yesterday and had a lovely seafood supper overlooking the harbour. Fab city!

Thanks Clash Have a wonderful time in Barcelona, sounds lovely. I love seafood though so does Floof.

Thanks @Penguinsa it's good to hear it might settle down a bit. I'm probably being impatient, it is still early days really.

Enjoy your trip @ClashCityRocker, it sounds fab.

@ClashCityRocker I hope you are having a lovely time. I think you should still try to get to the Lofoten Islands.

@Penguinsa you have inspired me to see if there are magnolias that cope with facing north. I love the stellata with little white flowers.

I had a friend visit, a sensible retired nurse. She insisted I ring 111 and now I am heading for A and E for reasons I can’t understand. Still I am trying to be sensible and do as I am told. My ribs are crunching nicely when I breathe but I’m fine otherwise. Just don’t expect me to move fast! More news later from the Disaster Zone. DH has ordered 100m of bubble wrap.

Hope it goes OK at A&E Top and its not sillily long waits, probably best to get scanned to check nothing broken.

Our magnolia is from RHS and they are very good for plants, I looked and they have quite a few for north facing. There was a short wait on delivery.

Just had bone scan at hospital which was fine though very busy in car park had to follow people 5 levels up and 20 mins walk away to get a space and when we left it was even worse. Had to move endo appointment as can no longer make date in June and there was nothing until Sept so gone for that but hope that's not overlapping with diep. Still chasing MRI letter. They took my height and weight and weight was down 10kgs so that was great to see their scales show it but she made me 5cms shorter too. 🤔Though there's quite a range for height on there about 5cms variation, always used to amuse me in chemo they took it every week and got quite different readings and its hardly going to change in a week. I think I'm somewhere in the middle. DH has day off, took me to hospital, going to opticians for him and his piano lesson and unblocking DSs toilet. DD is also here as she's not that well but just a cough thing. Quite windy here today.

@SierraSapphire Thank you for this! x

@thesandwich Thanks for your reply. Great to hear your nails are growing better now. x

@TopOfTheCliff Thanks for your helpful reply and info. I think I need to book a pedicure.

I was offered reflexology at the Marsden (my hospital hasn't got anything like that). The practitioner saw my nail and said it was classic chemo nail. I imagine she sees several every day, so I think it's probably that, going on all your responses and hers.

I can't get my medications out of the packs with my finger nails like this: they split immediately. I wish they put tablets in jars instead of those foil packs you have to press. I'm talking about my non-cancer related daily meds like BP, thyroid etc.

@TopOfTheCliff Thanks for the TV programme recommendation.

My nails are back to normal but it took about a year and a quarter after chemo. I do think the white one is fungal though, I think I probably had that already. Tried loads of things on it and nothing's worked so far.

How are you doing Top?

@SierraSapphire I finished chemo in Nov 2022, but the two targeted therapies (monoclonal antibodies) carried on till Sept 2023, so they might have kept my nails from improving I suppose. They were very harsh on my intestines for sure.

When I had a fungal nail in the past, soaking a cotton wool ball in vinegar eg apple cider or white vinegar, then leaving it on the nail for 5 mins a day successfully killed off the fungus. It takes weeks not days, but is at least easy to do at home and doesn't involve anything toxic.

@Penguinsa I love hearing about your wonderful day trips

@TopOfTheCliff I hope you got help quickly today and are in less pain? So sorry that happened.

We had a stressful week last week with a DC in A&E. It was shocking to see A&E full of people on beds in corridors for days, in a wealthy London suburb - it looked more like something you'd expect more in a very impoverished country or war zone. DC is fine now, great staff in A&E but something really HAS to be done about the state of it.