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.

@PaperbackWrighter yes the 74 is my year of birth.
Well, my cancer type so unfashionable, it's what practicallly everyone gets (ductal, hormone positive).

@Vinorosso74 thanks for popping by. It’s great to hear from the folk who went through the ordeal with us back in the day. You had your treatment while I was in between cancer 1 and cancer 2. I remember your posts.
That “fashionable” cancer thread was posted by somebody with stage 4 I think. It is a bit brutal and devoid of awareness on how it might affect others but the discussion is interesting in an academic way. Obviously if we had any choice we would opt not to have cancer at all! Definitely avoid the thread if you are feeling fragile.
I popped in to the Stage 4 thread as lots of posters are friends from past Cancer treatment threads. It is sobering to realise we might join that thread in future. They are a wonderful support to each other and it is a comfort to know it is there. I think the diverse cancer threads are serving a useful purpose now. I hope we can welcome some new Recoverers here this New Year.
I thoroughly enjoyed my Murder Evening. I went dressed as a man in DJ and bow tie. My DH said I looked like my DF 😂 It was a good laugh. I quite enjoyed the whole cross dressing thing too. Today has been much duller. I took down decorations and did a bit of cleaning. No resolutions except I am trying to be a better friend and to be kind. I am still smarting from the playground nonsense before Christmas.

I think in OP's eyes that makes it 'fashionable'. Very unfortunate choice of word I think, similarly the whole thing about ribbon colours.

Well, I look increasingly like my DF @TopOfTheCliff even when I'm dressing as myself 😂

I walked to the gym in the snow, well slush, this morning and went to a BodyBalance class which I was pleased with myself about! Then I did a walk around the park late afternoon to top up my steps. Not sure what exercise I'll do tomorrow, I'm finding it quite hard to balance getting enough exercise with not overdoing it at the moment. While the weather is like this, I don't want to go over to the swimming pool as it's a 30 minute drive down country lanes, but my legs are a bit achy for anything else!

Haha! Yes, the skinny jeans of cancer types.

Didnt see the fashionable cancer thread, thank god. Would probably have ended up banned from the site.

Happy New Year all!

@PaperbackWrighter @SierraSapphire

Love the gigs chat! I love live music - been to Glasto a couple of times - saw David Bowie and Roger Waters (pre nazi stance), loads of others Happy Mondays (they were loaded), Faithless, Pet Shop Boys, Orbital etc. Also Reading Festival - Metallica!
The Killers were good. Going to see Metallica and Oasis I hope this year.

I’m dealing with insurance paperwork and am just boggling at the issues caused by the lack of support with finances and decisions that this whole situation has given me. I’m not the brightest button in the box but I’m not stupid - but a combo of menopause, chemo, surgery and all the other things I’ve had to deal with (infections, dvts, pe etc) have basically taken two years worth of earnings pretty much from me. Just looking back at my Drs original sign off form - She signed me off for four months for the initial chemo in Nov 2022, here I am in Jan 2025 and I’ve got about two more weeks of immunotherapy drugs to go. I really hope my insurance pays out. I’m currently dealing with a mortgage refinance as well! Deep joy - coming off a fixed onto a variable. No 1.99 rates available at the moment…

But my point is that there seems to be very limited financial information available upon a cancer diagnosis and it’s something that should be considered. People need advocates and a guide who can assist with it. It’s labyrinthine - Australia is more complex due to the gap if you have private insurance.

I’m considering writing an article for the Guardian - I don’t think the issue is highlighted enough.

@remaker - I’m sure you are all over this but super in Australia has insurance on it and if you have grounds you can apply for tpd insurance - I thought it was only for total/permanent but I spoke to a lawyer who says you can claim if a health condition has really knocked you around and you can’t go back to what you did before - might be worth a look.

6th Jan is always a funny day. My husband has one weeks more holiday so we will do a few trips this week I think. The beach might not be as crazy this week. We’ve only gone out at sunset over the heatwave - Bertie has loved it but was freaked out at the amount of people. It’s properly raining today which after several days of 36ish degrees is a most welcome relief.

He’s living his best life!

Glastonbury 2000 @FairyWren7 - I was there too! I don't think there's any way I'd camp now though, maybe if it was in some sort of posh glamping thing, but then that's probably the same price as a week in the Med! When we see Pulp at Tramlines in Sheffield, it's just for the day and we're staying in the Premier Inn!

I'm still much more unenthusiastic about going back to work than I was before Christmas. Maybe I'll get back into the swing of things.

Moneywise, it does sound more complicated in Australia, but I found it terrible here too, being self-employed and having some savings but not lots I wasn't entitled to any financial support so I carried on working. And being self-employed, there was the the additional thing about not wanting to disappear and then not get any work for the future, and the benefit system is all a bit all or nothing whereas I wanted to keep things ticking over, and as well as my personal cost I had ongoing business costs as well that wouldn't be met by benefits. I remember thinking at the time it would be good if cancer patients got some financial support that just wasn't dependent on anything else but gave us some options, I'm sure it would help in the longer term because if we were better able to recover, then there might be less risk of recurrence or other ongoing illnesses. Actually it was fine during my treatment because I had ongoing work for existing clients, it was the year after that everything went to shit, I just didn't have it in me to go and find new clients for nearly a year. My DM gave me money during that time. I don't know what I would've done without that as my business reserves had gone during Covid when I got no financial support. In retrospect, I wish I'd been able to take a few months off after my treatment and to just get my life back together again and just rest. Although I was also taking care of DM during that time, so there was no rest there either!

@SierraSapphire you had it very tough from that perspective. I didn’t have another person’s care to worry about. Just me.

I’ve missed out on every single financial support during this situation due to a weird set of situations caused initially by my earlier illness. I tried to claim. Claim was rejected. Like you I have supportive family. I did try to work but teaching and cancer are an impossible mix for me.

I would be tricky writing an article because you want it to be personalised for impact but also the issue of privacy.

Just went for my 6 month check up. Got to the hospital and they said the clinic had been moved to another hospital across the other side of the city - fortunately I had my letter so they could see it wasn't me. The receptionist couldn't contact the clinic, but I called the specialist nurse and she sorted it for me. 30 min drive across the city, huge queue for the car park, so I drove around to find a side street, bit stressful, but when I got there I was seen immediately, my consultant is lovely. Physical exam fine, CA125 blood test done, so slightly nervous wait for that, now sat in a cafe in town having coffee and cake. I've got to go back to work for an evening meeting, not ideal. I have had so many appointments go wrong administratively. And now it's hailing!

That is so frustrating @SierraSapphire ! It seems unbelievable that they couldn't let patients know they had moved. Well done for being adaptable and let's hope you are rewarded with a nice low blood result.
I have been brave and went to the dentist for my painful tooth. It has been niggling since Christmas on and off. Good thing I went in as there was a hole with decay they must have missed in October and it was getting close to the nerve. I am feeling a bit battered now but am lucky as I still have an NHS dentist who saw me immediately.
Off to a cathedral light show shortly, I am looking forward to it.

@SierraSapphire I've had the clinic has moved to a different building scenario - not as bad as having to drive to a different part of town though - I understand your anxiety and frustration. I hope all the tests went well & there's nothing to worry about.

I've got a dentists appointment on Friday. I've had chunks break off two teeth in the last month. I feel that they're crumbling in my head. I can't help but wonder if its related to poor absorption of vitamins/minerals related to my surgery. Its so hard to get answers/opinions to those questions out of people though. My dentist is so young (sign I'm getting old, it's not just policemen who are young, dentists & doctors are too, lol) and I don't feel I have a particularly good rapport with him. I'm lucky though because he's NHS.

I wonder if @Penguinsa has set off on her adventures yet. I tried to message but she has disabled her MN account. If you are reading this you go with our love and best wishes for a wonderful time!
We are slightly cut off here by snow. South Devon had a sudden storm today and the main road got blocked. We heard the warnings and stayed home so are fine but many of our friends got caught out. Stay safe folks!

I think the appointment issue was that in a fit of efficiency it had been booked for me at my last check up six months ago, and it changed to the new venue after that first clinic, so most people knew because their appointments had been booked more recently.

We've had bad floods here Top, we one of the areas that has made the national news. Yesterday morning I spent knocking on people's doors who had been flooded to find out what had happened and to let them know about what help could be provided, some of them had had a foot of water downstairs with all the mud and whatever else that brings, after having been flooded last year as well. It's not just the clear up, people are now worried about being uninsurable and not being able to sell their houses.

DD is having some work issues and is messaging me for support, I do care about her but I fell as though I just can't cope with it at the moment. Having the weight for results hanging over me, is really draining and I'm tired from work myself. I'm worried that overriding my ability to cope is what has ended me up here with cancer, but it's really difficult to say no when it's my own DD.

Yes, I wonder how penguin is doing. Maybe once she's settled in, she might reappear in a covert way! We'll miss her.

That sounds tough @SierraSapphire, do you have any support for you? I hope your results come back swiftly and with good news, the waiting is awful.

It is very cold and icy here, I am not enjoying going outside at all.

I had some investigations done a few weeks ago and it turns out I have inflammatory bowel disease. I'm a bit annoyed at having something else wrong with me, but also in a way pleased that something has been found. I should be starting medication soon.

I hope @Penguinsa 's adventure is going well.

That's aggravating @demivolte and even if it is a relief being diagnosed it still sucks that you have added another serious diagnosis to your list. Were you on any immunotherapy to trigger it?
I have dived over to DM90s house for the weekend as she has a chest infection and DB and SIL are off to Cornwall for the weekend. They have been staying with her since Christmas and she is needing a little more input than she did before. I have brought some healthy food and some tasks to do along with yoga and online workouts and will try to stay active and not slump into teenager mode.
I am making steady progress, just passed another weight loss target which is cheering and motivates me to keep up my efforts. I am now approaching the state of health I reached after recovering from cancer no 1 but I still have too little muscle mass and too much fat. It seems I need to eat more protein and do lots of resistance training to rebuild muscle. It is such a slow business!
How are you all doing with your efforts to be active? It is hard in the cold weather when it is icy outside.

Hopefully, you can get things sorted out now with your diagnosis @demivolte

Answer to your question Top the cold weather is making me feel very not like exercising. I did go to tennis the other night but I can't be bothered to defrost the car to go to the gym, and it's really cold in the hole where the classes are held, I need to get out of bed now cause I was going to do an online bodypump class just at home, but even though I've had the heating on for an hour, it still feels too cold to get out of bed! I know the exercise will warm me up though, so I should really get on with it. It's my birthday today and I'm going to see DD so I also need to pack, but I can't decide what to take. Gosh, I sound very generally pathetic .

Happy birthday @SierraSapphire Surely on your birthday you are allowed to skip class??

I’ve been conscientious about swimming, been 4 times this week, pretty good given I had my 4th zoledronic acid infusion on Weds and felt a bit off. (4 down, only two to go). But I have done nothing else bar a couple of walks. I need to get back into my running and strength work but can’t be bothered and I can’t stop eating sweet treats either. In my defence, it’s been a tricky week with building work, flood disruption and car troubles. I was supposed to drive up north to check in DF’s house and do a bit more sorting out today (6 hour round trip) but my car has a puncture and I’ve managed to lose the locking wheel nut and DH’s windscreen cracked yesterday we think because of the cold. So I have been reading in bed with the cat asleep on my lap. I never have a lie in so feel very decadent.

Happy birthday @SierraSapphire haver a lovely day!
@dotty2 you are officially given a pass too. That is much too much trouble for one week.
Everybody else has to get outside for a walk!

Yeah I agree that's a lot to deal with @dotty2 - I feel like I ought to check on DM's house because of the weather, and that's only five minutes down the road but I haven't got around to it.

I wouldn't normally bother on my birthday, but I haven't exercised much all week, now I'm up north for a couple of days back on Monday and have an evening meeting so realistically it'll be Tuesday before I do anything, so I was hoping to make the effort this morning ,but expect I will be doing a lot of mooching around the shops, et cetera, so that's exercise! Halfway there at services at the moment, it's really foggy outside and was -4 when I left home.

Happy birthday @SierraSapphire

Happy birthday @SierraSapphire.

I have finally joined the gym as I had to wait for a medical induction. I am trying to loose a stone put in during treatment and regain my upper body strength. I went yesterday, but it was full of secondary school children, so I’m going to go at lunch time next time! Hope everyone is keeping warm. Our snow still hadn’t melted here. I unluckily got caught in it. I went to the dentist and it was sleeting. When I came it it was like Armageddon! A five minute drive took me half an hour and was a big scary, I also rescued a young girl in a small car who was crying because the roads were so scary!

@SierraSapphire happy birthday!

A belated happy birthday @SierraSapphire, I hope you had a good day.

I didn't have any immunotherapy @TopOfTheCliff. I think docetaxel can affect the bowel, but maybe it's just coincidental timing and would have happened anyway.

I'm definitely finding it more difficult to be active in winter.

That's interesting @dotty2 when I had docetaxel it gave me an abnormal CT scan and I had to have a colonoscopy a few months later but it was thankfully normal. I hope your guts settle too.
I am back from a warm and sleepy weekend with DM90 who is recovering from a minor chest infection. DB was panicking she had been bedwetting but he hadn't told her, he just bought a new mattress protector and fitted it. We discussed it and she was a bit embarrassed but decided to wear night pads while she is coughing. She ate three meals a day and chatted happily enough about being on her own and missing DF. Her recent memory is shocking but she is on the ball and was able to lock and unlock doors, switch on outside lights and fret about how my DH would get in at midnight. I worry about her being alone so much but it is her preference. I will be into assisted living like a shot when I need it!
Now I need some fresh air and exercise so will join my cycle gang tomorrow for a bracing ride.