Cancer Support Thread 96: It’s nearly Christmas - get the sprouts on.

[LemonDrizzle10]

New thread - old one nearly full!

Thanks for this everyone. I have my last paclitaxel next Weds and am feeling the build up - this will be #12. I then have four dose dense EC (fortnightly). I’m hoping for the best but must be realistic!

I hit a bit of a wall with it all today but have had a good word with myself. Keep going, everyone.

Chemo is really hard - wishing you all the best - please take it easy and look after yourselves. This too will pass.

I’m just not sleeping then I’m knackered all day.

The truth is that EC or AC chemo is pretty harsh. The Red Devil stuff makes you feel grim for about three days, the bone marrow injections make everything ache and the steroids keep you awake and a bit mad too. It was like a massive hangover without the fun drinking part. I found by around day 9 I was perking up a bit and could do some normal things until the next dose. I wasn’t working luckily so could take things at my own pace. “Tough but doable” is the usual description. Just keep ticking off the days and counting down the doses and it will all be over! My tumour disappeared after just 2 doses of EC so it’s amazing stuff at nuking cancer.

@TopOfTheCliff I’ll be holding on to that last sentence of yours as I do the last 5 chemos of my treatment. I’ve had my op already, this is now about nuking any freeloaders.

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic I enjoyed the delight of EC too. I felt ok for 48 hours, then flopped onto the sofa for a few days, then started to rally a bit. I remember shuffling along the seafront getting some fresh air and feeling like I’d run a marathon. The injections were ok for me. Agree that it’s tough but doable. 💪💪💪

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic having chemo first is a mixed blessing. On the one hand you know whether it has worked when they operate and my first cancer had a complete response to chemo which was reassuring. On the other hand if it hasn’t gone you either worry there might be strays elsewhere or you get offered extra treatment like Capecitabine for another six months which really messed up my plans after cancer no two. Thankfully so far I am clear of recurrence. I am coming up to my annual mammogram now so anxiety levels are starting to creep up.
Five treatments to go! That’s down to the fingers on one hand 😂

@TopOfTheCliff 5 to go!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I'm coming up to my next annual check - stress levels are ramping up now.
I'm hoping online yoga is back on this week - I need some guided deep breathing!

Is AC the Red Devil stuff?

Sorry posted too soon. I also had chemo first and could feel my tumour shrinking after 2 rounds. It was gone on the post chemo MRI (TCHP). Chemo is just awful, I admire people who work through it. I’d get 2 days grace after an infusion, then 7 days of awfulness, I just took to bed - then it was as if I could feel my white and red blood cells charging up the hill waving flags shouting “we’re back” and everything was ok again.

Except for rounds 4, 5 & 6. They were dreadful. I was gone for about 6 weeks. Chemo hell I called it. Too many infections inc chest, utis etc. your body just gets ground down by it all. It will pass though. Do anything you can to get through it.

You are a blooming legend @Littlecaf. I feel
like I’m staring into a maelstrom I have to traverse to get free. One day at a time as St Dolly says!

I’ve been reading up about how my different drugs work (well, asking copilot to summarise it). Fascinating. The Paclitaxel stops the cells dividing, which I knew due to the need for cold capping and cold mitts. The EC disrupts the dna of the faster growing cells, thus targeting cancers, again stopping them from multiplying. It’s not pleasant but it’s blooming brilliant science.

Those who’ve had EC, what’s a reasonable timeline for easing back into life and work, even if on a part time phased return? I want to be realistic with clients about timescales as I work for myself. I could do with knowing I can earn some money again this year.

Sending you a hug, @LemonDrizzle10 I’ve sat here groping my remaining bosom today, checking. I don’t know that I could go through all this again but if it comes to it I’ll take a day at a time. @TopOfTheCliff I hope you also get good news. Bloomin heck you’ve been through it.

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic thanks for the hug!!!
Recovery times are all different - just go really slowly. For a long time I had days where I couldn’t get off the sofa, accepting the new routine has been the most helpful thing for my mental health: accepting I just can’t do what I used to….yet.

I’m not even thinking about work until I’m done with chemo. I’m lucky in that I have this option.

agree with others. EC was brutal. It’s not known as the Red Devil for nothing. However. Stay on top of the meds and rest and listen to your body and you’ll be ok.

im glad I did EC first. Then pacli. not that I had a choice in it.

have just had a conversation with my kids about my surgery. Spurred on by an episode of Bluey. Have explained it as best I can (like bingo had on Bluey except I won’t be bonked on the head to wake up!) and I’ll get a new booby. Stay in hospital likely to be one night.

DH is back to his usual awesome. He’s roasting a chicken for dinner. I made bread yesterday. He’s home made chips. Hot chicken sandwiches for Sunday dinner! With gravy for dipping. Yum.

@ememem84 that sounds awesome.
Your DH is a keeper! My one was an absolute horror - mumsnet has helped me deal with all that too. I’m eternally grateful for the mumsnet community but especially for this troop of absolute angels.

Thanks everyone. I guess I’ve been patient since diagnosis and a string of operations. The other side can wait and it’s helpful to know I probably won’t bounce back two weeks after the end of EC. I can be more realistic when starting to rebook work (very slowly). That won’t be until chemo is over and also with an allowance of further recovery time.

I’m going on holiday!😀😀 I have my consultant appt 22nd and on the 24th my friend has persuaded me to go to Tenerife. I’m just worried I won’t beable to swim really with the picc lane.

@eachandeveryone I'm sure people are colder but it was minus 7 here overnight and Tenerife sounds amazing. Lots of wading and paddling if you have a beach or shallow end! I am very jealous!!

Brilliant news @EachandEveryone ! Relaxing on the loungers and having a paddle sounds like bliss!

Remind me, is this a break during chemo? (Hoping to discuss this with my consultant as I had booked a very special short break with ds for his 25th but chemo won’t quite have finished). Realistically I don’t think it will happen as it is EC and I’m likely to need recovery time too.

Last paclitaxel today. Thanks for being my friends in my pocket through this. Hopefully I’ll find out when the EC will start 😬

It’s not exactly a break more that the second lot of chemo finished at Xmas and I have a scan to check if it’s progressed on not next week. Then the consultant will decide if I should have a third lot of chemo or whether
to g for immunotherapy which is what he wanted two years ago but no one will sign off for it as I have an unknown primary. It’s just horrible really. I have my first counselling session today.

it’s in my groin and I can physically feel it has grown towards my woman’s bits I don’t know what the word is for the front 😀 you know the by you would get waxed if you were going on holiday?

my friend who I’m going with is very posh I hope Tenerifee won’t be too much of an eye opener and I hope we can have some cocktails amd watch a cheesy band some nights. I’m worried about my leg blowing up it’s bad enough now but it will be worth it. It’s a very fussy expensive hotel and I’m looking forward to the food!

Sounds like just what you need @EachandEveryone (can the rest of us sneak in your suitcase?). I hope you get the cheesiness you need. 😀

Can I ask, how do you find travel insurance when you're going through treatment?
My DM is elderly and lives in Spain and I'm finding it so difficult to think I might not see her until my treatment has finished (it's barely started 😜!)
But now I'm thinking I really need to go and see her even if for a few days.
The thought of paying a king's ransom is putting me off.

Is it possible to find reasonable travel insurance?

Tbh do u need it for Spain? I’ve talked with my oncologist and I guess it depends but we came to the conclusion that anything medical that could go wrong for me will not be cancer related so I’m taking my chances I have the medical card that gives reduced rates and I’m going to ask for antibiotics to take with me. I dunno if it makes a difference that I’m a nurse and so is my friend so hopefully if anything occurs we can knock it on the heat, it’s only six nights. And it’s not America. Tbh I’m not sure about during chemo it depends on your side effects and whether you could drive over? I wouldn’t fancy been n a plane with the air circulating that’s how we all caught Covid last time I went abroad.

@EachandEveryone I don’t think anyone strictly needs travel insurance but when I asked my oncologist about going to Italy over last summer he said “unless you can explain in Italian what treatment you are having to an a&e doctor while you are having a chemo induced heart attack and you are insured for medivac then maybe wait until next year” !

Put a bit of a dampener on our summer!

i have heard of others a being insured with insurancewith.com

Gosh I don’t want to sound like a spoil sport - just check it out before you go. I do hope you can go!

The charity Preloved Reloved may have waterproof picc line covers so maybe you can swim?

Hope you have a good time.