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.

Sorry @Remaker to hear you are having an unsettling time with the tests. I hope it resolves quickly and benignly.
@SierraSapphire glad to hear you are taking it easy. The probate house sale thing is weird. DH is being asked questions about his DPs house he has no way of knowing the answers to. Fingers crossed for your results.
@dotty2 good luck with the job hunt.

We had a fab weekend away on my boat. After all the breakdowns and injuries I am pleased to report we got away, the sun shone, and nothing broke down or alarmed. We played with our paddleboards (and I managed to stand up and paddle for the first time!) DH steered us home and seemed happy to do so. It was a lovely way to celebrate the end of summer as the weather is changing next week. I am gently sunburned and salty and feel good! I have made a lot of progress since last year.

Have a great bank holiday everyone 🤩

Your weekend away sounds loverly @TopOfTheCliff , a mixture of relaxing and active. It's good to stop, take stock and see how far we've come on our journeys.

@Remaker I hope that the tests get to the bottom of why you've been feeling poorly and there's an quick and easy way of putting it right.

Hope one of the interviews works out @Dotty2 and you get to go back to IoS soon.

Hope everyone had a good Bank Holiday weekend.

Hope you had a lovely holiday @Littlecaf

We have had a lovely break in Isles of Scilly. Went via RHS Rosemoor and had afternoon tea, then overnight in a tank, like a glamping one, helicopter to St Mary’s, horse riding round island and in sea, 2 lobster lunches at Star Castle, boat trip and walk round St Agnes and to Turks Head, Tresco Gardens with red squirrels and helicopter back from Tresco. Tintagel Beautiful sunny weather.

So it really was a tank!!! Your trip looks amazing, I am determined to go again next year.

Thank you for the job good wishes, everyone. No news yet but we are off on holiday tonight so I am going to put it out of my mind.

Have a wonderful holiday @dotty2

Yes here is the tank.

Brilliant! I love your glamping tank @MsPengiuns You look like you had a sophisticated lovely time while I was grubbing about getting sandy and damp 😂 But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Today I am back on my bike and was surprised by my cycling buddies who brought a birthday lunch to my house and gave me a lovely new top. We had mocktails and a hot tub together. I am feeling loved which is great. The actual birthday is on Saturday when my party is happening. We all need to celebrate every little thing after the gruesome time we have endured.

What a lovely treat from your cycling buddies @TopOfTheCliff and a very happy birthday for Saturday. Will you have the party at your house (the literal top of the cliff I'm guessing!)?
@FairyWren7 I'm pleased to hear the job is going well and sorry for causing the concern on the covid/flu study. Liz O'Riordan did an instagram story on it and thoroughly underplayed it: mouse study, minute chances, just keep getting your jabs.
@BG2015 great news on your results and hoping @SierraSapphire you hear soon. Sorry to hear about having tests @Remaker and also your DS's exam struggles - he did really well sitting 5/6 at the scheduled time.
@Littlecaf sounds like you were smashing the holiday exercise - I felt tired just reading everything you were doing.
@MsPengiuns your IOS stay looked wonderful - that tank trumps my shepherd's hut stay!
I had a nice BH weekend in Oxford - my DSis and I took DM there for her 85th. DM isn't very mobile so we weren't able to walk around too much - but the open-top bus was a good way of seeing the sights!
Went to the doc this morning for something else and had what I'd been told before was a wart on my scalp checked out. Now being referred to see if it's a basal cell carcinoma - not as an urgent referral and she's reassured me that it doesn't metastasise but I'm not feeling that reassured!

Thanks @PaperbackWrighter today’s lunch was at the top of the cliff looking down over the town. Saturday it is happening at my sports club, with a live band and a cold buffet and the bar open. There may be Karaoke but not me singing! I don’t really enjoy being the centre of attention but I like to enable my friends to have a good time. I am just a catalyst!

It’s been a minute. Slowly catching up. Had a few off days on the meds.

but again more ok ones. Seemingly side effects happen at night or at least while I’m home. So that’s ok.

it’s early days for me and the abemaciclib. Only week 6. So we move forwards.

Oh @frostyfingers im so so sorry. Sending you lots of love light and kindness at this sad time xxx

Met with surgeon last week. Everything is looking good. Hoorah. He’s open to discussing having my right boob done to match the left next year.

hooray.

happy news. Dm reminded me my body boards were in her loft. Went up there and got them for the dc. We’ve spent all weekend in and out of the surf. Taught the dc how to spot and catch a wave. Got battered by waves. Forgot how fun body boarding was. Am 95% sea water and sand now. basically a mermaid.

aching like anything though. All the fun took it out of me

(in other news DH has covid).

Have a wonderful birthday Top

Thanks @PaperbackWrighter Hope the skin thing turns out to be nothing.

Glad you all enjoyed body boarding @ememem84 sounds fun. I am also worn out from activities but it’s a good feeling, well apart from the blister on my foot.

Off to Bath Thermae Spa tomorrow.

Enjoy the thermae spa @PenguinCo. @TopOfTheCliff your birthday get-together sounded lovely and the party sounds terrific. Have a fab time.

Well, I'm feeling pretty low if I'm honest. The Dermatology appointment for my non-urgent, three-month wait basal cell carcinoma referral dropped into my nhs app this morning - for 14 Aug 2026. What a joke!! All suspected skin cancers are supposed to be seen within 18 weeks anyway, and what kind of impact do they think a 12-month wait will have on people's mental health?

I rang the GP surgery and they recommended I ring back tomorrow at 8am to try and get an appt with a GP, hopefully the same one but not necessarily, to see if they will change it to an urgent referral. I don't know if they'll agree though. Am hoping so,

Thanks @PaperbackWrighter Gosh that's shocking how bad that is. Its getting to having to go private to get basic care now if deemed non-urgent, hope you can get it sorted.

Lovely day at Bath Spa and now back home. Very happy cat.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

DD has gone back to university, a month early to do rowing trials. She did sort her room a bit before she left though and half our plates and cutlery have reappeared and the floor is now visible again from her floordrobe.

Just been tidying / sorting the house. In theory bathroom is being done this week now but that was the theory last week so will believe the builder when I see him here. Beautiful weather at the moment, not sure how long will last but may get out to the garden if it does.

I contacted the hospital re stage 2 of diep, it'll be ages yet but am getting an appointment to go in and discuss. I am not too bothered either way, already got great results and feeling back but they are so talented maybe they could improve things further. I also have endo tests outstanding which I keep putting off though they seem pretty chilled about them too and said a lot of countries ignore. I've done the tests once before and they include fun tests such as collecting all your urine for 48 hours, steroid blood test in hospital and saliva tests to co-ordinate with urine test. Every so often I think about them and then think back to all the tests I've had and think nah I'll leave that for now. They started testing in 2022!

I’m at the gym, I’ve had a beautiful outdoor swim, been to the spa, eaten breakfast and now I’m waiting for yoga to start. I haven’t been on a Saturday morning for ages but it’s a really nice time to come as the young people are in bed still so it’s not like Love Island in the spa!

i’ve heard nothing about my test results, my CA125 test was 3 1/2 weeks ago my scan just over a week, I don’t feel entirely in the clear, but hopefully no news is good news. I seem to remember the last time I had a test the first I knew everything was alright was getting a six-month checkup letter in the post.

I know what you mean about more tests @MsPenguins- I think the medical trauma we go through is under-recognised in what we feel able to cope with in the aftermath.

Happy weekend everyone, hope those of us dealing with ongoing issues can get some respite from thinking about them!

Some lovely activities ongoing - sorry, my chemo brain hasn’t really sorted and, although I replied to you all in my head as I read, I can’t retain the information when responding on my phone.

we’re having a week by the sea. We’ve rented a place with a view as it often rains. It’s great just to relax together and we’ll get out for walks between the showers. This time last year it was a pre-surgery holiday before my 3rd op / mastectomy.

Good to hear your surgeon is onside about matching the other side @ememem84 I’ve put that op on ice for now as I can’t face any more medical stuff, although I really don’t like wearing the partial insert to even up my tits.

@tophope you had an amazing time

Thanks @thesandwich I had a lovely weekend. It started with a ribbon cutting ceremony for some sports equipment our club had donated to a local park. Lots of smiles and cake and photographs.Then DD came and kidnapped me and we escaped. We collected the party food and DH and I decorated the venue and set up the sound and light systems for the party. It was fab! All my favourite people with a great band and some hilarious karaoke. We raised £365 for a local charity. Yesterday we spent lying around then cleaning up the venue and had a nice meal out last night. I have a lovely warm feeling of being loved and appreciated. It has healed the hurt of missing out on my 60th during Covid lockdown and chemotherapy.
The strangest part of the night was when my odd frenemy (whom I had graciously invited) decided it was time for cake and took a knife and cut herself a wedge from the front of the intact birthday cake. We were all gob-smacked. She is so strange, like a five year old with no social restraint. I really can’t decide what mental health condition she is suffering from but we have collectively decided to be kind and look after her.
Now I am bracing myself to go out for a bike ride in the showers. All that cake needs burning off! Soon it will be back to the regular routine of autumn soup and stews and exercise classes. It feels quite comforting to get back to the routine..

Glad you had a great birthday @TopOfTheCliff

Hope you have a nice holiday @dancingwhilstfacingthemusic

Hope no news is good news @SierraSapphire

DH and I did some gardening yesterday just for a couple of hours and was good to have the exercise and be out whilst its still sunny. Also been sorting / cleaning house. Today the 2 builders are in doing our upstairs bathroom. Very happy to have them in though I do hope they will finish things this week especially as they are on holiday from 7th and then have another big project. The cat is hiding with me as they have big crates. DS has gone to the garden shed, its another lovely sunny day, and DH has just gone to work for 1.5 hours.

I've been looking up DIEP2, one I saw it was just a home same day surgery but will see what they say when I get an appointment. Its nearly perfect already. There's probably a wait of several years anyway and I'm 50/50 on doing it anyway.

@Remaker have you had any results yet? Thinking of you.

I am enjoying my first ever AIBU. It’s a discussion of my strange friend cutting herself a piece of my birthday cake. Most people are fun but there are some very upset at me serving food at 8pm at an evening party 😂
It’s been very helpful actually. Friend is clearly not well and I need to be kinder and look after her not challenge her.

Annoyingly out on my bike this morning with my mates ( including the cake thief!) I broke a tooth on a florentine at coffee time. Now l will have to get it fixed before we go to France next week. Boo!

Happily all the excitement recently has driven all cancer related thoughts out of my head. Long may that be the case.

Oooh @topdabbling in AIBU… won’t end well…. So glad you had an amazing time and v curious re the cake..
sorry about your tooth- mine seem so much more fragile post chemo.
@mrspenguinsyour holiday and garden sound lovely- builders chaos less appealing!
Definitely feels like autumn, new school shoes and cooler weather( which I prefer). I’m busy trying new things… photography workshops, talks, painting etc…. Trying to find new things to do with mates other than just eating cake. That does feature as well though…

Thanks @thesandwich Photography and painting sounds lovely as does cake. I am also trying to reduce cake but rather half-heartedly and had chocolate cake today. DS is very good at helping with any cake issues, he might also have snaffled @TopOfTheCliffs cake had he seen it unguarded.

Builders left and only bath / shower is useable upstairs but been told toilet will be installed by end of tomorrow. Hope so. We were just planning on getting floor done but we seem somehow to have ended up getting almost whole bathroom done. I just hope they finish it this week. We seem to just be adding things. First it was just the floor then they said one wall needed to be changed then we added a second wall and as they have removed tiles on second wall its gone into tiles on 3rd wall so I think we will now need all the tiles off. As they took 1 day to take tiles off 2 walls I suspect it may be another day without the toilet but hope not. It will look a lot better all done but not planned for that. 7.30am tomorrow it starts again.

And DSs keyworker came in in middle of it, she's nice but a bit like a bull in a china shop with DS, and she was saying she was going to go out to the garden where DS was and tell him he needs to start speaking otherwise people will speak for him. I did point out to her he was pacing up and down and stressed already with builders in and maybe we could leave this unhelpful comment until next week and luckily she agreed. The builder was really sweet and said it was his fault as he had said hello to DS and he didn't like it so I reassured him it wasn't his fault. The young builder is a bit similar to DS and was very impressed by DS garden shed to hide from the world in. Now have to choose tiles and sinks etc and get them tomorrow.

@TopOfTheCliff I read your AIBU - a warning, AIBU is BRUTAL! You got mauled for serving food late! In AIBU they’ll take the littlest thing and blow it into a volcano, stay away! I do love it though for a giggle though. The one about neighbours nicknames is currently making me chuckle. I also used to read the classics board for a giggle while on the train to work if I’d forgotten my book. Those threads are killers too. I’m glad you’ve decided to look after your friend with the cake incident - I was going to reply and say to just laugh at it. Everyone gets so offended on AIBU. Life is too short, as we all know! Stick with us on the cancer threads. We’ll eat all the cake!

We are back from hols (had a fab time) and it’s means back to work, school and medical
appointments. Today I have a blood test and Zoladex, next week all in one day I have the dentist, Max Fax appointment for tongue lump (which has now gone) and MRI, then week after post radiotherapy catch up and MRI results. With any luck that’s the end of actual treatment/scary appointments. Just a bit worried about this MRI - it’s a brachial complex one because I have arm pain (which I’ve had the whole way through since chemo) Oncologist is certain it’s perpherial neuropathy- which I’m pretty sure it is, but he just wanted to check, which is making me anxious. I do need to know what it is though so we can treat it or stop worrying. Just read that Jessie J had arm pain too. So not alone.
Oddly the MRI (paid for by NHS) is at a private clinic - at my local premier league football stadium! Should be at least an interesting trip!