The Great Cancer Recovery part 3

[TopOfTheCliff]

You may have finished active treatment for cancer, be in remission or NED. You want to look forward not dwell on the past. You know you ought to be eating well, exercising more and picking up the threads of your old life. Join us and share the ups and downs of recovery. We understand!

Here are some resources we found helpful:

The Mountain Lion
https://www.cancerpal.co.uk/post/what-it-s-really-like-to-receive-a-cancer-diagnosis

Peter Harvey on Psychology of recovery:
https://workingwithcancer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf

Resources from Penny Brohn:
https://pennybrohn.org.uk/our-approach/resources/

Breast Cancer Now Moving Forward:
https://breastcancernow.org/information-support/support-you/moving-forward

Get your Oomph Back with Carolyn Garritt
http://www.oomph.london/home.html

Charity providing treats for cancer patients:
https://somethingtolookforwardto.org.uk/

Exercise is good for you:
https://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/exercise-cancer-patients

Any more suggestions? Post them below

There is also a thread for those suspected to have cancer, or newly diagnosed and facing treatment, and also a thread for those with Stage IV cancer who want to talk to others in the same boat.

@Penguinsa that sounds like a lovely weekend. More Floof pictures please!!!! Such an amazingly long cat!!!!

@thesandwich sounds like a good method for dealing with the situation. I tried helping my mum clear some stuff over the summer. It didn’t end terribly well. But at least I tried.

Fairywren Tina musical sounds great. Sorry about the awful comments surgeon made.

Thanks Sandwich Have a lovely weekend with your daughter, sounds great.

Enjoy London Top

Been so lovely with DD here and here are some Floof pics with his stocking and his Christmas tree. There were fireworks here tonight as well. DD has apparently got a role at Oxford as a student ambassador which pays, not a lot of hours but something she will enjoy.

I’m in the US @FairyWren7 so I’m probably on in the early morning when you are on late at night or vice versa. Hands across the world and all of that!

Some medical professionals have just lost the plot, haven’t they? I have to remind myself they are probably so traumatised by the number of patients they’ve lost over the years that they’ve forgotten how to be sensitive to the person who is actually the one going through it.

Nothing much exciting going on here - spent the day raking & picking up fallen leaves. Such a tedious chore and I’d far rather use my limited energy for something fun. But it was fresh air and sunshine and movement so that’s something!

@Penguinsa I love Floof - he reminds me of my cat Mr Scruff, aka Scruffy aka Scruffalupagus. Minnie says hello! (Also include. He’d monster yawn face.. 🤣)

That should read - previous cat Scruffy. He’s gone to the great tree in the sky. Or sofa.

@Lilgreygoose ah we are all spread out aren’t we. You east coast or west?

That's a terrible thing to say to you @FairyWren7 - I don't think I'd want to see him again, can you swap consultants? I had one that I was reluctant to see because of his attitude to me during chemo, but I've swapped to a lovely woman and it does make a really big difference.

Great pictures of cats, here's one of mine, born as a stray in my friend's garden nine years ago. He's sat next to me on the bed now.

Yesterday turned out to be very successful! I bought a 19th century pine cupboard for my living room from an antiques shop in a different town where I went for a mooch around with my friend, sort of spur of the moment, although I have been half-heartedly looking for one for years! It's inspired me to get on with painting the living room, which is also something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Then I rejoined the local Leisure Centre, which has just been done up, and has new classes starting including the early morning virtual classes should be re-starting soon, which I used to go to a lot, so now I have two gym memberships again, so that will help ramp up my exercise.

There are four viewings for DM's house next week too. I think I am minded to remove everything that we want, there are things like the microwave and the ironing board that will be useful eventually for DD, obviously as well as anything personal that any of us want to keep, then use house clearance for the rest. There are bits and pieces that aren't worth a huge amount but might sell in an antiques centre, so I may see if somebody wants to take some of those things. I also don't want to remove too much until I know a sale is going through in case it needs to go back on the market again, so aware it could end up being a big rush right at the end. Storage isn't great at my house so not quite sure where I would keep stuff I bring here either.

@SierraSapphire I have got very fired up now with decorating. For so long I was too fatigued and too unfit and wobbly to go up a ladder. DH has bought me a little platform thing I can use for ceilings and high walls. It is very satisfying after ten years in Tops Towers that I am finally getting some rooms done that haven’t been touched. I am working up to our bedroom which is huge. It is grey and mustard yellow and very peaceful. It just needs a refresh of the same colours not a makeover. The hardest bit is moving out the furniture to get at the flooring which is acres of cheap green carpet.
I think I might go back to Aquacise at the leisure centre over the winter. It’s a fun class and gentle on my joints. That and yoga and cycling will keep me active.
I am on the train now. Hoping a drinks trolley will appear soon!

I don't mind the painting @TopOfTheCliff - it's all the getting it ready and moving things around that does my head in! It's taken me a while to decide on what colour I wanted as well but now I have decided I feel really motivated to make it happen, particularly before Christmas. Just got back from Tennis, Aldi and Waitrose, so I'm going to head out to Homebase in a minute!

@FairyWren7 I’m so sorry your surgeon treated you badly. All of us deserve the very best treatment. Is there a way to change surgeons?

I’m always in for cat pics. Here’s one of mine cuddling my leg and the other one just being cute.

Can I buck the trend and add a dog pic? This is Crumpet my Ddog, Crumps for short (as shouting Crumpet in the middle of a public place has its downside) and I don't know how I could have got through diagnosis, treatment and now this bit without her. And the bonus is she's never told me to 'be positive' or told me about her sister's husband's great-aunt who died of BC. Though I'm convinced that if she could speak she would have said something along the lines of: 'I'm still going to get as much food, aren't I? (she's half but might as well be full-Lab!). She has a bit of a sheared-sheep look at the moment, as had to be shaved to have a full abdo ultrasound, though seems to have nothing too awful wrong - phew.

Yesterday was a bit of a weird one for me as I went to first funeral (and of someone who'd died of cancer) since my diagnosis. He was a much older man who had lived an incredible life, but it was hard at times. Especially as I had about 10 conversations with people about how I was feeling after my treatment, was I still having treatment etc (all bar one about 30 years older than me). Though to be fair some of the conversations were good ones, it was just the number of them and I know if no one had asked I'd have been pissed off. So, really no one can win with me!

Aww he's gorgeous, looks like our old family cat growing up.

What sweeties!

Is this Minnie or Scruff? Gorgeous either way!

I see Floof has been very spoilt this weekend. Merry Christmas to him!

Loving the pet photos. Here’s one of my big, fluffy cat.

Crumps looks like a sweetheart, @PaperbackWrighter
And you get a pass on being fed up about being asked too little and too much. You’re self-aware that you’re being a little prickly, so that makes you not an asshat, in my opinion.

I was very private about my cancer just so that I didn't get people asking me forever in a day about it, I think more people know but they think that I don't know that they know (!) so they don't ask me, so that's fine! Somebody from another organisation did ask me through work the other day, inappropriately I think given that we are in a work meeting, that he had heard that I'd been ill. I was thinking of Covid et cetera and looked puzzled and said no, it was only much later. I thought oh, he meant cancer!

@PaperbackWrighter that was Minnie. Crumps looks great - I feel the same about Bertie. When I was very unwell he just lay on the bed and kept watch. Walking him kept me alive.

I also gave a dog called Bertie and yesterday we got a little foster dog from the APP called Avril ( Not my choice of name! Same name as one of my friends.) We’re looking after her for a while - they’ve got 30 dogs come from a puppy farm and she’s very traumatised.

Job hunt not going terribly well - three rejections. Lots of people offering teaching work - I can’t do it. It makes me feel horribly anxious.

Got the surgeon today, I might try and speak gently to him re the - breast weight comment. I’ll do it at the end and will be very careful in my phrasing.

I’ve got the counsellor on Friday and a fair bit to discuss.

@SierraSapphire I was also very private about it too. Only close family and friends know really.

@Remaker Ive been redoing my cv, in an attempt to try and make it more suitable for a non-education based job.

Wish me luck today… I feel quite anxious at the moment.

Loving all the pet pictures.

Sunday had DD here which was lovely and we went to the cinema with her and saw Paddington which was nice.

Monday had hospital check up with the surgeon and she has signed me off at just before 8 weeks, she was saying she never normally signs anyone off at this point but as I am going abroad she did. Also had tree surgeons in reducing the size of three of our trees.

Been finishing the mince pies and just opened the F&M Christmas biscuits.

Thanks Paperwrighter Merry Christmas to your lovely dog. Love all pet photos. We also have chickens, also very fluffy, silkie ones.

Hi back from Floof to Minnie Fairywren Hope the surgeon goes OK and you get offered a non teaching job soon.

The surgeon didn't give any dates for doing things other than walking and when I asked she said well if you want to run (I don't) that can start in February. 🤔I am well healed externally at least so I think I will start to do more now but gradually build up.

@FairyWren7 hope the surgeon goes well 🤞

Interesting message from pharmacist, been told to request lots of Tamoxifen as going abroad and its come back can only do 3 months which have done under NHS rules and also says that I am supposed to have an annual gynaecological exam whilst on it and possibly blood tests. I have been on it since August 2022, last gynae exam was maybe 2016 and no-one mentioned anything other than if I bleed get gynae referral. Do people normally have that? And bloods, what bloods, I have had none for Tamoxifen though had lots of bloods in August this year which were pretty normal FBC, about 5 routine tests as well and also they did chemo bloods by accident Nov 23, all normalish. I did have CT abdomen for both initial cancer in Dec 21 and for DIEP in Jan 23 but DIEP was just checking blood vessels. What does a gynae check mean - like a scan?

@SierraSapphire that is a win! You forgot you had cancer! It shows it isn’t at the front of your mind any more.
@FairyWren7 sorry to hear you are anxious and struggling to get a non teaching job. It is hard to be patient but it really sounds as though you shouldn’t rush. I hope the counsellor is helpful.
@Penguinsa I love to hear you are six weeks ahead of the rest of us eating your Christmas goodies! If the family come out to join you later what will you do with the chickens?
I had such a nice weekend in London with DS and DIL-to-be. They have a beautiful house and had planned us lovely treats. We went to Battersea Power Station lift 109 and had cocktails in Control Room B. I had a whole day at the Maritime Museum and then went to see ABBA Voyage which was phenomenal!
The last day I had planned to meet an old friend but he double booked himself so I mooched round DS’s local area, had coffee and sat in the park. I can imagine going to help once they have DC and pushing a pram round the park!
I used to hate London but I can see why DS loves it. His life is pretty good.
On the subject of talking about cancer, I find my experience so extreme and ridiculous I don’t give the full story, just acknowledge that I had cancer twice and I am “better now”. Nobody needs to hear the details, apart from a new friend I made who turned out to be an oncologist and actually wanted to know!
I’m off cycling this morning, so I had better spring into action.

Here are some highlights!

A bit puzzled @Penguinsa - cervical is obvs the smear test or just an HPV test, endometrial tends to be caught early by bleeding though the first line test is ultrasound internal and external for womb lining, ovarian possibly also ultrasound but also CA125. Having had endometrial I get an internal visual check but that's because it's most likely to recur there. I did have a CT scan with contrast but they limit those because of the radiation.

As I understand it, one of the rare but real side effects of Tamoxifen is uterine cancer. You’re supposed to have yearly checks to monitor for signs of thickening. I can’t tell you what this entails as I haven’t hit my one year mark, but I would assume this means a pelvic scan. Or rather, I would hope it means a pelvic scan. Annual Gynae visits with a gynae are the norm here, but they don’t seem to do anything other than a smear. So I’m expecting to have a more thorough examination at my next annual visit.
The other effect is on your liver. Can cause fatty liver disease. They’ll be looking to see if it’s affected your liver function. As far as I understand it’s not a special blood test, just the same bloods as you would have done for eg. An annual physical.
obvs, I’m not a doctor… this is my understanding and this is my first cancer rodeo.