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.

Oh, just a little lift….. I wrote to my MP (lib Dem) about delays to my radiotherapy treatment. I’ve been waiting since January. I had a meeting with her a few weeks ago and she asked if she got the opportunity if she could ask a question on my behalf in the House of Commons - and today she was called to ask her question! The minister answering gave some fudge about increasing investment and new machines but I’m so pleased that she got the opportunity to highlight the issue. It’s made my day.

Well done LittleCaf Yes it would be good to get radio done first.

Just about to do some gardening with DH lovely day. This weekend we have a May Bumps garden party on Saturday. Then following Saturday DD is back. New shower fitted yesterday just an over the bath one.

That’s really heartening @Littlecaf and goes some way towards giving you back control. Well done you!

The ladies on the Cancer Thread have got in a tangle. With some of you graduating onto this thread no 96 went quiet so they panicked and started no 97 but it is still quiet. If any of you have time to pop over it would be kind to lend some support to them.

I am having a recovery week after overdoing things a bit last week. DH is going away and I am going to have some self indulgent days. The allotment is groaning with strawberries, the courgette harvest is starting too, and the garden needs watering. But I am probably going to slip away on my boat for a few days. Watch this space!

Hope radio goes as well as it can @Littlecaf. I found it so easy after chemo. though its even better when its finished as well.

Boating sounds fun @TopOfTheCliff

DH and I just gardened yesterday evening though I was just sweeping up leaves etc and amazing how many had come down since Saturday. There are so many trees around us. Had the silkies and the robin with us. The silkies asked me to let them out. I said to DH about removing an old metal pole from our garden the previous people left, not sure what it is maybe for a clothes drier, but it turns out it concreted in. DH was determined to carry on but could not dig it out. I think its best to give up and just saw the pole.

Garden party on Saturday and 31C! DD back on 28th. Hospital phoned re results which I already had and said to go to GP if I want anything done about osteoarthritis in shoulders but I have no pain so don't think I'll bother at the moment.

I’m loving the hot weather, I’ve been straight to the outdoor pool every night after work pretending I’m on holiday! On Saturday night, I am going with a friend to a solstice swim at the lido, it’s still going to be 25° in the evening. Looks like the temperature will drop slightly on Sunday, though.

I’m just going to head out to bodybalance now, then later, it’s tennis, and tomorrow a day off, yay!

Really great to see that the few of you who were awaiting scan results have all had the all clear. I'm 10 days away from my first-year mammogram and terrified. I'd say I can't wait for it to be over but, provided I get the all clear, I'll then be paying for an MRI to make doubly sure (as I had lobular, and it didn't show up on a mammogram). That I think is adding to my scanxiety. Just seems weeks ahead of hospital and waiting again for results.

To take my mind off, I took myself away to a shepherd's hut, with only the dog for company, for some time out. It was wonderful. Not far from the sea (15-minute drive), so went to the beach two of the days, and ambled around nearby market town the other. The rest of the time, I lay and watched the sun set from the hut with nice food and some treat wine. Isn't it cute?

Ooh @PaperbackWrighter that looks fabulous! Let’s hope the waiting passes quickly and your results are reassuring.
I had a fun day out with my DD looking at baby stuff. We went to John Lewis and saw all the top price lovely things then went to a children’s charity shop and saw the same stuff at 10 percent of the price. We had a lovely time deciding what is necessary and what is just marketing. I am learning how modern parents raise babies too. Back when I started chemotherapy DD told me to be brave and get through it for the sake of my future grandchildren. Now we are actually there! It is very exciting.
I have been reading about muscle mass and how to increase it. I am going to try some supplements along with resistance training and see if that helps. Does anybody else take creatine or HMB?

5th anniversary of first diagnosis tomorrow. I will have a quiet celebration.
Have a good weekend folks x

That sounds lovely @SierraSapphire I loved the outdoor pool when I was a member, ours has bunnies running around and felt like being on holiday too.

That looks wonderful @PaperbackWrighter and good luck for the mammogram and MRI.

That's nice to be baby shopping @TopOfTheCliff Don't take those.

Just been gardening with DH and 3 silkies for a couple of hours. Lovely sunny day here. Off to garden party for May Bumps tomorrow. DS did overrun the bath again though thankfully very minor compared to last time. 31C here tomorrow will help dry it out. We found he had taken 2 big cushions in the garden shed, seems to love our garden at the moment. Sunday will be a roast dinner and getting a few things done for DDs return next Saturday. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

I’m feeling a bit blurrrr - the pins & needles in my hands and feet and carpal tunnel that I experienced during chemo is back and I’m in the middle of radiotherapy. What I have learnt from radiotherapy is that it either takes 20 mins or 2 hours. So I’m not really recovering currently, some days I still feel like I’m going through it. I’m trying to keep busy with work and doing things like cooking & gardening & clearing out cupboards but I’m exhausted. I have to remind myself to take it easy - we were out at our local watching Al Murray do his Pub Landlord act on Friday and at the beach with the kids yesterday. Today has just been watching the youngest at his cricket match in the park while the eldest messed around at the adjacent skate park with his mates. Now I’m reading my book while DP is doing a BBQ. I have to remind myself that the 25 year old me who spent her summers on the beach or in a pub beer garden would have thought that was loads for a weekend but once you have children it seems every waking hour is filled with either an activity or a household chore.

@TopOfTheCliff well done for the 5 year anniversary. Do give yourself a pat on the back, you’re doing marvellously. I think my SILs five year anniversary is this week too. My one year was last week.

Its quite common to feel very tired with radio LittleCaf I escaped but only had 5 days of radio which took maybe 10 mins a day.

Had a lovely day yesterday going to garden party to watch May Bumps then we drove to a restaurant for dinner and as we were driving we saw Red Arrows doing loop the loops. Then came back and spent an hour in a sunny garden with the silkies wandering around. Came back and could hear DS listening to a programme about how to prepare for climbing Everest. I'm up for an adventure but that would be well beyond me. 😂

Today has been Sunday roast and have managed to get my phone contract sorted and some windows cleaned.

Tomorrow have someone round for DS and in the evening have fireworks punting for one of the May Balls so am looking forward to that.

That sounds a lovely day, @MsPengiuns I miss having chickens but after the last one died we decided to convert their garden area back to veg and flowers. Loved keeping them but we are at a different stage of life now.

We’ve been planning a summer trip to see friends who moved to the south coast and popped to town earlier for a couple of t shirts for our upcoming trip to Spain. After a year of being closely tied to the house apart from hospital visits, it’s good to be thinking of going further afield (although a bit nerve wracking!).

@dancingwhilstfacingthemusic I understand your ambivalence about going away. I have been at home since December apart from our week in Majorca and DH is itching to do more travelling. He has several cycle trips planned and is away now. I feel strangely safer staying at home and trying to get things tidy. I will never succeed (thanks Oliver Burkeman) but it feels as though I shouldn’t go away until I’ve achieved some order. I’m not sure why I am reluctant as I love going on adventures. Maybe it was because after our big trip round the UK I got my second cancer and it feels like it’s tempting fate!

Sounds like lots of good weekends going on. @MsPengiuns I can't believe you came back to another bath flooding the other day, but the weather yesterday will have dried everything out from the sounds of it. Thanks for good wishes for the scans to you and @TopOfTheCliff. Baby stuff shopping sounded fun @Top, and I know what you mean about feeling safer staying home - for my recent break I went 1.5 hours away! But the getting away was the important bit, and it felt like a little holiday. I also enjoyed going to Paris back in April, but want to be a bit more adventurous and book something further afield. Congratulations on the 5 year anniversary.

Spain will be lovely @dancingwhilstfacingthemusic - enjoy!

@Littlecaf your weekend sounds like it was really packed. I found with the radio that I felt really tired about a week after I finished the 5 days I had. It can really take it out of you. I made the mistake of having a garden office built during and just after it! But was preferable to having it built straight after surgery, which was the original plan.

In the south of England, the temps have dropped a bit from the craziness of early 30s yesterday, for which I'm grateful. Aforementioned garden office has been a no-go area in the extreme heat!

@PaperbackWrighter @MsPengiuns thanks for the info - DP is off to Las Vegas with friends (I’m not even going to ask them what they are up to!) the week after I finish radiotherapy so I might be taking that week off work and just take to my bed!

@Littlecaf Indeed, as the saying goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Yes, I reckon, plan some nice downtime that week. I just binge watched I seem to remember! Speaking of which, have just motored my way through Dept Q on Netflix which was brilliant. Scandi noir set in Scotland starring the lovely Matthew Goode (tho he's playing a v grumpy, unlovely detective). Can also recommend The Leopard if anyone's a fan of a stirring period drama with sumptuous costumes and scenery (also happens to be set on Sicily which helps).

South Coast and Spain sounds lovely @dancingwhilstfacingthemusic Its so nice to get life back on track.

Just had a lovely evening out on one of the punts in the Trinity May Ball for the fireworks. Most amazing fireworks I've ever seen. Made me wish I was 19 again.

That looks lovely @MsPengiuns!

I’m off up to Manchester this weekend to help DD move into her new flat with her boyfriend. They actually moved last weekend, but there are still things in our old student house that apparently she needs me to bring home (though sounds like they would be better off being taken to the tip!) - Their flat is in fashionable Ancoats so I do know the area reasonably well but looking forward to getting to know it more!

I had a letter yesterday postponing my six month checkup, which has been in my diary for five months now, and moving it two weeks on to when DD is graduating, so I’ll have to call up and change it again. On the one hand relieved that I don’t have to think about it for a little bit longer, on the other annoyed that I can’t just get it over with. I still have various digestive issues that I don’t think are cancer related (other than possibly resulting from chemo), but who knows?

Talking about holidays @dancingwhilstfacingthemusicduring and immediately after my treatment, I found it difficult to plan anything other than right at the last minute, because I wasn’t sure whether I was going to be able to go and I felt like it was tempting fate. I’ve gone back to normal now and planning things in advance without thinking about it much.

Ooh @MsPengiuns what a spectacular evening! Back in the day I had an offer from Trinity College for a place to read medicine but they took it away when I flunked the seventh term Physics paper. Life could have been very different, but I think it was for the best. Things happen for a reason.

@SierraSapphire that’s an interesting observation about your digestion. I have similar, in that I frequently feel sick, bloated or have colicky pains after eating. I wonder if chemotherapy aggravates IBS or food intolerances. I have an excellent gut biome ( I did the Zoe project) so I don’t think it’s lack of healthy bacteria. On the plus side, it’s been easy to lose weight as a result. I don’t think it’s anything sinister as all my bloods are fine.

I have had issues ever since chemo @TopOfTheCliff- my theory is that It’s affected the nerves in my bowel, so things are not moving as they should. I have a really good diet and my microbiome was good, though things can change quite rapidly. The GP has offered those fibre drinks but I have a lot of fibre anyway and that just exacerbates things. She’s also given me peppermint capsules although with my post chemo brain and I actually forgot she’d given them to me until recently so I’m just trying them now!

Hope the move goes well @SierraSapphire I have not had digestive issues from chemo but have had nerve damage in face and hands so sounds quite plausible and always find it reassuring when you can trace things back to surgery or chemo.

Lovely to have a Trinity offer Top I was in one of the punts last night for the Trinity May Ball fireworks. Tonight we went swimming then brought food home for DS then went to Magdalene Bridge to see the St Johns May Ball fireworks and went back via McDonalds for a McFlurry and brought one back for DS. Couldn't see DS on return and decided to quickly check he wasn't behind door and he was and I screamed then he screamed. 😂Did not expect him there. But before he couldn't scream.

Hey y’all

I discovered yesterday that my “bad” boob has gone red. Like sunburn but it isn’t. It’s not itchy. Not hurting (muscular pain from the gym on Monday but nothing unexpected)

have contacted breast care team and have asked for an apt.

Gorgeous photos @MsPengiuns

I'm still feeling a bit 'ploddy'. Two months after active treatment finished, and I still get randomly tired, and sometimes sleep during the day (I don't plan it, just fall asleep when I sit down to read or something!). I also can feel a bit sick after eating, and I'm still having nosebleeds after paclitaxel. My sleep has improved since I had a course of acupuncture, and all my muscle building physio and work outs are paying off finally. I feel a lot stronger (I lost a lot of weight and muscle, and I had nothing to lose going in).

More positively, I've been seeing friends, planning theatre and exhibition trips, and I've joined a choir. I'm also chipping away at the 'to do' list that built up while I was having treatment!

@ememem84 I wonder if that's a radiotherapy effect? I hope you hear from your team soon.

@ememem84 and @BatshitCrazyWoman I was going to say the same. Mine was pretty red following radiotherapy. Have a friend whose was much redder. Hopefully you'll see the team soon.