The Great Recovery part 4

[TopOfTheCliff]

Time for a new thread. Welcome aboard!

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.

Following you over to the new thread

Nice to see you @MissMarplesNiece
We live in Agatha Christie land so I am highly amused by your name.

I have been huddled by the fire this afternoon as my house was freezing today. I was feeling gloomy but I have devised a list of jobs that will tidy up and improve my house if DH agrees with it. I plan to spend most of February sorting things out before the spring comes and I want to get outside cycling and sailing.
It is now nearly five years since I found my Triple Positive Breast Cancer and 2.5 years since I found my Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I am back to my slightly overweight starting point but have lost some fitness. By the end of this thread I hope that will have improved. I live, as we all do, with the lurking fear of cancer recurrence but managing that is part of the challenge of recovery.

Thanks for the new thread top, I am nearly 3 years on from my original diagnosis of endometrial cancer, and I finished chemo 2 1/4 years ago. I had an additional tiny bit of ovarian cancer added on to the diagnosis that my hospital had missed when I went for a second opinion.

I was just about to start a new job at the beginning of the last thread, which has been great, and also my DM died, which I am sad about has lifted a massive weight off me.

I've always been an exerciser so that hasn't been an issue, although having said that I'm not really very keen to go and play tennis this morning in the cold and damp! I lost quite a lot of weight when I had my diagnosis, I'd stopped eating a lot of things, but I have put a bit of weight on again, I think partly because I'm working full-time and I just snack, so I could do with getting it off again to keep my oestrogen low. I could probably do with sleeping a bit more as well, I did actually have a lie in this morning which is pretty unheard of for me. My mum had regular emergency hospital admissions over the last five years, and I think I was just living on adrenalin, plus things were difficult with my business, whereas now stuff is much more stable.

So maybe those are my two aims for this thread, lose a few pounds and sleep better!

Thank you for the new thread @TopOfTheCliff . 3ish years since diagnosis, finished treatment 2ish years ago- but have struggled with ais/ tamoxifen since.
like so many on this thread, I lost dm(who I had been supporting for over 15 years) two years ago, and dealt with all the probate/ house sale.
Im still navigating the newish landscape… I’m retired, need to get fitter, and find meaningful things where I can use my skills- on my terms😉.
My aims are to increase fitness and to spend less time doomscrolling and have more adventures!

Hello all and thanks @TopOfTheCliff for the new thread. I’m just over two years on from diagnosis of bilateral triple negative breast cancer (BRAC1) - I’ve just finished a year’s worth of immunotherapy drugs.

Finding it tricky to find the right job as I’m trying to leave education. So I’ve set up my own little tutoring business to tide me over! It’s the bits I miss about the job without the rest of it!

We had a lovely weekend it was my birthday on Friday and we stayed in a yurt in the north of the state. The whole valley was just ours and the birds! I’ll attach a couple of pics.

My goals are - get a date for my reconstructive surgery and continue to work on fitness and weight. Small gains have been destroyed by too many almond croissants and orange cake over the weekend! Oh and cheese, wine, fancy bread, tapenade - all the local produce! Delicious!

I’m also struggling with clutter! I’ve put loads of clothes on Facebook market place. But the spare room and the room that my husband uses as a dressing room are a nightmare as is the bag pile by the front door!

Happy birthday @FairyWren7 you are allowed to eat cake when it is your birthday.
I decided to spend the day moving rubbish to the recycling centre. I also planted some gooseberries on the allotment. I went to see DD who is revising hard for exams and a bit stressed. It was a day of being useful and kind, but the amount of rubbish to clear is daunting. Lots of it is from garden waste as our helpful young gardener has been clearing bushes. I shall spend February trying to achieve some order here.
I wonder how @penguinsa is getting on in her new job. I hope she has a lovely swimming pool to enjoy on her island!

Thank you for the new thread

I'm coming up to 18 months post diagnosis of hormone negative Her2 positive breast cancer, treatment finished about 4 months ago.

I've been trying to be as active as possible although this is sometimes made difficult by work and young DC. The weather at the moment is not helping either.

I have also never been very assertive/confident and would like to be less of a people pleaser. Any tips on that one gratefully received!

Happy birthday @FairyWren7 your trip sounds a lot of fun.

I'm hoping that as the spring comes - longer day length, warmer weather - I'm more enthusiastic about doing some exercise. I also find that I eat more carbs in cold weather so as it warms up I might be able to lose a few kilos. It's been very cold here today though, minus two degrees according to the Met office. I did go out for a walk around the local park and found some Hazel trees with male and female catkins, so spring is on the way even if it was difficult to believe today.

I am now back in the UK. It was an amazing experience but I missed my family and the cat as well as loving the experience. Cat has not left my side since returning. It was quite the adventure.

They do have a brilliant outdoor pool over there which I swam in a few times though got sunburnt as was c31C, now back to my UK pool and swam 114 lengths (x15m) at my local one yesterday. Had some early Valentine's cakes from the bakers at the weekend and Valentine's food, for DS and DH and I. DS has certainly appreciated the cakes, he ate 4 out of 6 valentines cupcakes and the whole of the 16 square sharing brownie. Next weekend we are off to Kew Orchids and having afternoon tea there.

DD still happy at university and doing a lot of rowing. Happy birthday Fairywren

I think my plan for this year was adventure and done a lot of that already, I plan on keeping up the exercise and am well on target with that, appearance wise I am back to pre cancer now with normal bmi and hair fully back and missing parts back just a couple of scars. I am also eating a fair amount at the moment, I lost 1kg on my trip as a lot of exercise and a lot of fresh fish salads and since I've been back its been homemade cottage pie, roast dinners, pancakes, Chinese, Indian takeaway tonight, nice cheeses and cakes from bakers. So I am doing a lot of swimming!

@TopOfTheCliff
@demivolte

He can still plant them himself. He still has that ability. It's his mental decline that's most noticeable.

@TopOfTheCliff

I remember getting little bits of money for picking gooseberries. The prickles!

My dad grew some redish ones as well . I can remember the taste of them -eating them from the garden while they were still warm.

Lovely to see you back here @MsPenguins. Sounds an amazing adventure.
Just had a lovely day visiting a very good friend in the lakes. Cake was had.

Thanks TheSandwich That sounds like a lovely day out and nice to spend it with a very good friend.

Great to hear from you @MsPenguins
I am exhausted! First I did a hard bike ride this morning trying to keep up with the speedy men. I had to lie down afterwards. Then I watched my football team play a gripping FA cup game that they finally lost in a penalty shoot out. I can’t cope with that level of stress any more 😳 It was unbearably tense!
Tomorrow needs to be calm.

Welcome back @MsPenguins and thanks for the new thread @TopOfTheCliff

I am 2 years out from breast cancer and only have 4 months to go on abemaciclib, which hasn’t been too bad for me. That will be the end of regular oncology appointments.

My resolution for this thread is to find more positivity and fun. My energy levels are ok, my new job is challenging but also a fantastic opportunity and I’m exercising consistently if not losing any weight. But it all feels a bit ploddy somehow. A new colleague asked me what I do for fun yesterday and I couldn’t think of anything to say. I do plenty of nice things but I feel like there’s room for more joy in my life.

Thanks Top and Dotty Well done on bike ride Top.

Hope you can find fun things Dotty

I have just been swimming again with DH, steam room and jacuzzi, enjoyed it and nice to see the regulars there. Though getting tired working full time and activities but at least home based now and enjoying it all. One on the regulars said to another one that I was the one who was always quiet but I do talk to the other lady there who is also a mouse and a lady who is a nurse. If I spoke to that guy I would never get any swimming done, he seems to use the pool for socialising and non stop chatting, well jacuzzi actually.

Now have a cat looking for a game. 😂

What sort of thongs would bring you joy, @dotty2

Great to see folk getting out and being active- just planted 100 snowdrops!
@dotty2 have you come across this course https://www.drlauriesantos.com it’s a free very well known Harvard course I discovered during lockdown and I return to its principles from time to time. Some ideas which might be useful.

Snowdrops will be lovely Sandwich well done on planting those. We have more bulbs to be planted, planted quite a lot end of last year to, but its very cold though need to get them out soon. Am going to Kew Orchids this weekend so hopefully that will inspire me. The garden is at least very tidy from the work we did before and also have our nice new table and chairs in it for when the weather improves.

Sounds like a great trip @MsPenguins !

I’ve been doing loads of exercise and I think the side nerve thing is starting to shift. I’ve got a massage booked this morning so I’m hoping that will help too.

Was thinking about joining a walking group but my physio has said 3/4k and build it so - do going to leave it until next year.

The job hunt has stagnated - I now have 7 or 8 students to tutor weekly so that is keeping me reasonably busy and I might try and add a day’s supply to that as well. Volunteering is on pause.

A friend and I are off to the hot springs on Monday - they had a special offer and she’s treating me for my birthday.

Husband’s birthday is today and he is suffering from hemeroids (spelling) and being grumpy - which I suppose is fair enough.

We went to an outdoor jazz concert yesterday and I made us a lovely picnic - he doesn’t love live music the way I do. He was on his phone and didn’t really get into it :( Oh well you can’t win them all!

I giggled at the joyful thongs @MissMarplesNiece

I am fed up of the cold and grey. It’s time for some sunshine. Today was an indoor day but ended up very sociable. A new friend came round to meet us and was very entertaining, then two more came later, and all very positive about wanting to see more of DH and me. I shopped for food for a bike event, made some vegan gluten-free brownies, and distributed some books I bulk ordered for my sports club. All in all a better day than expected.
Yesterday I realised I have weak triceps and arm muscles generally so am working harder on strengthening them up. I think I have lost a lot of strength compared with precancer. It’s such a slow business recovering!

I started to play tennis @dotty2, which has brought me joy, although I would like to do more of it. But I was in that place as well just thinking I never did anything that I enjoyed and I didn't even know what that might be. Not quite sure how I landed on tennis, but when I did, it was fairly obvious because it was something I liked doing as a kid.

My arm muscles are pretty strong from yoga and swimming, particularly front crawl. I've got a bit of a dodgy shoulder though, probably also from yoga and swimming!

I'm meeting a friend and going into town today, although the weather is dull and rainy. Then I should probably get across to the gym, and this evening I'm helping out at an event. I also seem to have quite a lot of holiday and life admin to sort out!

Gah!
Here i am again.
Posted about my neuropathy in my hands and feet before and how uncomfortable it is but over the last 2 weeks it's been unbearable.
I get terrible cramp in my feet and my fingers "buzz" constantly.
I started on 20mg of Duloxetine plus I also take 20mg citalopram( for anxiety) which is a reduced dose since the Duloxetine.
I also have 60mg of arvostatins daily.
4 weeks ago my Duloxetine was increased to 60mg but tbh it's not made any difference.
Added to this my surgery asked me to take blood pressure reading twice daily for the week and I know my readings are high.
I'm now having dark thoughts about neuropathy never improving which sends my anxiety sky high.
Getting a drs appointment is impossible but I have managed to get a nurse appointment on Monday to see if she can help me access the doctor for stronger meds.
Worried that I'm heading for a heart attack or stroke and am swamped in a doomfest of negativity.
I am a worrier and there has been some emotional ups and downs with my adult kids( not to do with me but with their respective partners) which is also impacting on my well being.
Please help- even if it's a kick up the backside.

Sorry you're feeling so crappy @Zoopet - I sometimes get the buzzing. Think my phone is going off in my pocket but it's just my legs! I think it's just general nervous system over-activation. It comes and goes, I got really anxious about it at one point, thought I was dying of some sort of neurological disease. Now I just ignore it. I'm not in pain though, so it's easier to ignore. Life after cancer can be hard