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.

Yes its strange to think although life is great again now mostly it could all change with one visit to hospital - with lobular it can be any body part it comes back in. But it doesn't bother me that much, just think will enjoy life now, have had a good life and done what I wanted and will deal with that if it ever happens. No point worrying about that and letting cancer take away today. I am happy with how the house / garden / finances are, what I've done with my life, what DD is doing and what DH is doing but wish DS was better.

Heard from hospital today and they said in theory can't come back in reconstructed breast but occasionally comes from under that so best to go in and check. Not sure when that will be, I may try and push back to mid January so can enjoy Christmas and New Year and Dss birthday first and DD will go back to uni then. Not really worried atm.

Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. The ‘probably nothing but best to check’ situation is so tiring! I’m glad you’re not too worried and hope you can put it in a box for now.

I have a horrible cold/cough and lots of tricky online meetings today. I really messed one up yesterday as I was trying so hard not to have a coughing fit I couldn’t concentrate. And DD1 is home and grumpy and I’m still worried about the cat. Bah humbug!

Sorry about your cough / cold @dotty2 hope you feel better soon.

I am not sure that nurse thinks its nothing as she used the phrase we will do an ultrasound then take it from there what we do. Though she said from a photo it may or may not be cancer back, she said you can't tell. It is a big hard lump and big dent around where the previous cancer was but it's a reconstructed breast. There was a lump there (smaller) pre DIEP which they scanned and said was scar tissue and the lady said nicely I had anxiety for getting it checked but I wasn't especially anxious just think it should be checked. From looking online it looks like there's about a 1.5% to 2% reoccurrence rate in DIEP breasts but there's also a condition called necrosis which has similar symptoms but isn't cancer - it looks like for that its best to have more surgery but don't know if the NHS will offer that. The breast surgeon saw me in September for a look at the breast from a surgical point of view and everything was there then and she passed everything though asked me why I had a blister and did I know I had a dent underneath. Normally surgeons are experts on cancer so I would have thought she would have said something if she suspected cancer, at least I am hoping that but tbf it was a surgery check. At that stage I said blister due to bra but its still there 4 months later and bra doesn't really touch there much. On photos it does look greyish which looking up veres towards necrosis but have no idea as nobody has mentioned that so not sure its a possibility. I am assuming its nothing (or necrosis) until/if I hear otherwise. DS won't notice I am going for tests but not sure whether to put it off until DD back at university as she is quite observant. She'll claim she doesn't care but she does. Will see what they offer re dates. I feel like I pulled a muscle there about in spring with gardening and wonder if it cut blood supply. I have had mild pain on and off since then.

Oh that sound s more complicated and anxiety making than your previous post suggested @MrsSPenguins Thinking of you.

In more minor grumbles, my cold is still really bad and my chest hurts from coughing and I am going to miss my swimming target for the year unless things improve quickly. And the cat is back to the vet tomorrow 😢

How is everyone else doing? We have 30 plus people coming over on Saturday which is a rarity for us and I am at the regretting ever inviting them stage right now!

@MrsSPenguins that sounds a bit stressful 😳 let’s hope they don’t make you wait too long for a check up, and you can avoid dwelling on it.

@dotty2 you must be crazy! 30 people! I hope you have delegated everything and can just conduct the orchestra. It does sound fun though.

I have been descended on by my lovely DC who are “ working from home” here which is quite relaxing. I produce meals then they all vanish back to work until the next meal time. I have delivered all my cards and just have a token present to buy for my ExH who is feeding them all tomorrow and at Christmas.
I did a gym class with DDIL-to-be yesterday which was fun but I was trying to keep up with her and am feeling it today. Serves me right!
I was thinking as I bounced around on the Swiss Ball “ This is a lot to ask of a pensioner with a hip replacement!” and cackling with enjoyment that I was even attempting the class. We are off now till January so I can recover.
I shall try to avoid eating too much over the holidays but we all know how hard it is to avoid scoffing the chocolates!

Thanks @dotty2 that's kind of you. It could well be nothing, the symptoms for cancer reoccurrence and for trauma / necrosis / similar to breast are basically the same so its impossible to know though am not worrying about it. I can at least think of a plausible explanation for trauma (gardening / bras) or necrosis /scar tissue but don't know what the odds are.

I really hope your cat is OK and you have a nice time with 30 people over. You've done really well on the swimming anyway, think you can give yourself rest of year off.

Thanks @TopOfTheCliff Not worrying atm. No appointment through and we ourselves can't really do before January and I would prefer later Jan so DD is back. Ignorance is bliss. 😆Sounds like you have a lovely Christmas planned. I did look up hospital and seems they have a fire, a 5 day doctors strike as well as Christmas and high flu levels.

I am also hoping not to eat too much over the holidays - I did hope to reduce BMI down again and lose another stone but its been at 24 all year and that's good enough for me. I'll have the same target next year but I am very half hearted about it. This time of year we have lots of cakes, puddings and biscuits which I love but isn't conducive to losing weight. I have a flat stomach after DIEP but am wider than I would like around hips / thighs. I thought today rather than eat gingerbread men I will eat a pear and we had 9 last night but DS must have eaten them all overnight. I did get the rest of the farm apple juice. We have new fruit and veg coming tomorrow.

Have a spa trip on Saturday with DH. Car is being valeted inside and out tomorrow.

Ah sorry @MsPengiunsfot the it’s probably nothing but best to get it checked out experience, it does sound like it’s plausibly something else, been there too….

I have been coughing and occasionally sneezing for about six weeks now @dotty2- there’s a lot going around, lots of people in the office are the same. I’ve been failing on the exercising, as I started to exercising it made me feel worse again, but I did go to a yin yoga class last night, and I’m about to go to Bodypump this morning, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m feeling fatter than I’d like to be!

I can’t say I feel massively Christmassy though, we’re going out for lunch so I don’t have to cook, and I’ve only really got DD to buy for so it’s all been pretty easy. I’m working up to Christmas Eve too, though suspect I won’t be very productive next week, I’m very tired. And I’m going to a party tonight, which might take a few days to recover from!

Hope you all enjoy your weekends.

Christmas is in full swing here with school fairs, scout Christmas play performances, Xmas discos, parties & work dos. Tonight was my choir performance in the local church - a club I joined earlier this year because my friend who runs it said it’s really for a bit of mindfulness and it’s definitely helped with my mental health. I’ve made some new friends and it’s so nice to be around live music again (I played violin in an orchestra for many years but it had got a bit stale). The choir was the support act for a local semi professional folk band of which has actual real life ex pop stars/professional musicians in it - this just lifted the whole experience. The local craft brewery ran a bar & there was a ukulele group too.

Going ice skating tomorrow with the extended family - the kids & cousins are so excited. DP not so…..it’s so not his thing! Doing Xmas lunch with DB et al afterwards.

Yeaterday was my first post cancer mammogram and I have an oncology catch up appointment on Monday - of which I’m going to on my own because DP is working (he has a new job and no leave accrued yet) and DM is having the kids. Gotta put my big girl pants on and go on my tod. I’m not expecting much, just a chat about zoledronic acid (starting in Jan) and hormone therapy. It’s just useful to have someone go with you.

Thanks @SierraSapphire Hope you had a good party and you are feeling better soon.

Hope oncology goes fine @Littlecaf Glad you are enjoying Christmas run up.

I've not had an appointment through so not sure if they've forgotten or just overun but no rush for it. I saw when its scar tissue sometimes people are advised to massage and I was supposed to do that before and never bothered.

Had a lovely time at the spa yesterday with DH, traffic was bad to get there though but luckily had left early so only 5 mins after start time. Went to Nirvana and did their pools including dead sea one and hydromassage chairs. We had hot chocolate and mince pies there then on the way back had festive KFC burger meals - they no longer have tropicana so the guy suggested to me a mango and coconut shake which I had then looked up calories later 555😱oops. The festive burger was much nicer than I expected.

Hope everyone has a good Christmas. We are just having a quiet Christmas here with the 4 of us, cat and chickens. Collect the farm shop order, bakers cinnamon buns and brownies and other farm shop veg on 24th - DH has all of that day off.

@Littlecaf I almost wondered if I was at your church event! I went to a wonderful folk concert in a church near us. The singers are very famous in folk circles but live locally so the tickets were only £15 and the church ladies had done baking and mulled cider. It was a lovely Christmas occasion. Then I cooked an early Christmas meal for my DC and their partners as we won’t be together on Thursday. It was a very chilled and loving occasion especially as the DGS was there and smiling at everybody happily. I clocked up 19000 steps yesterday so today have taken it easy and had the house to myself which has been lovely. I’m having a quiet week this week to avoid flu, and am enjoying myself reading and cooking mostly. I will see my extended family on Friday.
@MrsSPenguins your Christmas sounds nice too, just the important people!

@SierraSapphire I hope you have rested today. Pacing is everything!

@TopOfTheCliff very similar events! Nice to know folk gigs in churches are very popular around Christmas! Semi famous locals is always a vote winner here!

I think I’ve got this cold lurgy that’s been going around but I had my catch up oncology appointment this morning and seem to have been passed onto one regular standard but still super clever oncologist, rather than the main professor (who I find rather intimidating - I probably associate him with being diagnosed & chemo appointments) so I’m happy with that. He said I only had to do hormone therapy for 2 years, which surprised me, but I also have zoledronic acid infusions starting in Jan. Back to the chemo ward then! I’ve also got bilateral pain in my hips which he wasn’t worried about but will order a CT scan for January anyway. I don’t like the idea of going looking for things via a scan but at the same time it is worrying me so best to get it sorted.

That sounds lovely and Christmassy 🙂 I sing in a choir too - singing makes me happy.

I hope is well with your follow up appointment 🙏🏻

@Littlecaf we have to remember Knowledge is Power. Best to get all the niggles and middle of the night worries dealt with. But it does take courage.
I woke up at 6am with awful pain in my ribs at the back. After a bit of writhing around I got up and decided it was probably oesophageal reflux so I took some Gaviscon and went and made a cup of tea. It’s still lurking around but I’m eating and drinking okay so will see what develops. I don’t have a gall bladder any more so it can’t be a gallstone.
I’ve been eating dairy free/ vegan this week as my DSIL is lactose intolerant so it’s unlikely to be excess fat intake. Just a malfunctioning body as usual.

@TopOfTheCliff its so hard not to let all those minor aches & pains worry you. Hopefully it’s just something normal like acid reflux & it’ll settle down.

Well here we are at Christmas once again. I hope you are all having a lovely family time enjoying your favourite food and drink.
DH and I, despite our best efforts, have got Covid again. I think it was probably the church carol concert last week as that was the only place I went apart from Sainsbury’s. I am expecting to spend the next few days at home pigging out on all the food I bought for family whom I won’t now be seeing. The young aren’t too bothered about infection but none of us want to risk giving C19 to DM91.
So Christmas 2020 post op lumpectomy and broken leg, 2021 lockdown, 2022 Covid, 2023 Happy Christmas! 2024 kids all away and 2025 Covid…I am beginning to dislike Christmas. Luckily we are both okay just sniffly and aching a bit.
At least I can blame Covid for the weird chest and rib pains I had.
Tonight I cooked a full roast beef dinner with yorkshires and everything to keep me entertained. It was delicious. Tomorrow we plan to lie in bed all morning. Not too bad a plan!
Happy Christmas to all of you resilient lot x

Merry Christmas everyone.

Sorry about the covid @TopOfTheCliff but at least you have nice food in and innocent explanation to the pains. Are you still off to Edinburgh?

We have collected everything re food today from farm shops etc and also got bake in the oven cinnamon buns and chocolate brownies from the bakers. The cinnamon buns were lovely and whole house smelt of cinnamon and they were in a Christmas tree shape. Never had them before but DS and we loved them - DS ate 6 of them! We had 2 each as they were so nice but then DH and I did almost 3 hours cleaning so got the calories back and house looks really good until DS goes in garden again

Just having a quiet Christmas here with DD, DS, DH and 1 cat and the silkies wandering the garden. Lots of nice food. DH will go to France to see MIL/BIL/SIL and niece for 4 days after that and I will stay with the children and pets as DS won't go but I saw them all in the summer so its fine and we are all together again for NYE and I have ordered some nice food in.

Not heard from hospital but I got some better bras and the pain has gone.

Merry Christmas everyone. Sorry about COVID @TopOfTheCliff

I'll be able to eat this Christmas 🎉🎉

Happy Christmas everyone and thanks for all the companionship over the year(s)!

DD had a bit of a meltdown coming back from the pub last night, she’s still in bed but hopefully she’ll get up soon and we will open the presents.

Sorry about your Covid @TopOfTheCliff- we had two Christmases in a row where DD had Covid, I got it the second time. Just a mild hangover here today (hardly drank anything, but that’s all it takes to get a mild hangover these days!) Off to see the relatives for lunch. I still don’t feel very Christmassy to be honest, but that’s fine!

What a wonderful gift to stumble across this on Christmas morning. Just diagnosed on Friday so have all the treatment to go through in the coming year but will enjoy reading back over your collective wisdom and inspiration on these threads to be in the best place for recovery when through all that.

Good luck @Joyclyn - the just diagnosed stage is one of the worst in our collective experience - but the Mumsnet cancer threads, have been a huge source of information and support and friendship and even laughs. We are at varying stages of our recovery, but it is possible to have a good life after cancer, although it does off course change us. See you back here in a few months!

Merry Christmas, all x

sending good Christmas wishes to everyone here. Thank you for your support and company.
@TopOfTheCliff I’m so sorry you’ve both got covid. That’s so tough. Quiet Christmas here with dd and then gatherings in the next few days.

Great you can enjoy Christmas food this year @BatshitCrazyWoman

Welcome @Joyclyn So sorry about your diagnosis, we look forward to you and your team kicking the cancer out and seeing you in recovery. I was diagnosed Nov 21 with first op on 21 December but now life is great again though a new normal.

Hope everyone is having a nice day and thanks for all on this thread for being so lovely and kind and hope we all have great 2026s.

Its just a quiet Christmas here. The cat had its first breakfast tuna just past midnight then was campaigning for a second from 12.05am to 3am then again at 5.30am, 7.30am and 9am when I gave in. I walked to the upstairs bathroom to wash the tuna off my hands and saw DS had been upstairs in the night and must have taken a bath whilst we slept. We took his presents down around 2am as he was still awake then. He seems to love the cakes I got from the bakers - has had 6 cinnamon buns and 10 brownies. He also left the boiler on so we had hot water and radiators, normally he turns it off so we need to use electric heater and hot water from shower. DD didn't wake up until 12.30pm but that worked OK and then we all swapped presents. She got me a candle, prosecco, chocolates and bath bombs which was lovely of her. Just about to have the Christmas meal. DD and DH may go out for a run together as they are doing a half marathon in theory together next year. DD bought DH a running outfit for Christmas and they have matching trainers at her request.

Thanks for your good wishes folks. DH is aching and chesty but on the mend. I haven’t really been ill at all apart from a mild headache and a sniffle. We went for a nice gentle bike ride down to the harbour with hot chocolate in a flask and watched the waves crashing then came home to a nice chicken dinner.
More low key drama has been building up. We had a plumber in on Christmas Eve to fix some leaky valves in the heating system. Unfortunately the system is now air locked so none of the radiators upstairs are working. Then I broke a tooth while cooking today, and the ancient lights on the Christmas tree have fused. It keeps me busy solving problems, running round with a radiator key bleeding air from the rads.

My DC are up the road with their DF but some are popping in shortly to check we are alive. They swam in the sea before the awful news about the men lost in East Devon got out. I am glad they are all safe!

Welcome @Joyclyn to Cancerland. None of us wanted to be here but having friends in the computer at all times of day and night really helps. The active Cancer treatment thread is now on no 97 which is a testimony to its power in helping folks get through from diagnosis to the end of treatment and beyond.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/cancer/5352602-cancer-support-thread-97-support-for-those-diagnosed-and-going-through-treatment?page=18

I notice that our Recovery thread is now around 930 so perhaps we will reach thread 5 in the New Year.