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.

Happy Chrimbo all. Just back from the DPs with the cousins et al - Went for a lovely walk, ate loads, kids demolished lots of presents and now enjoying the quiet with the dog on my lap. Tomorrow is another walk (seafront via the skate park for the kids) and DS (aged 8) said “do we have to see everyone again?” !! He’s normally the social one! I said everyone will be gone by Saturday so we can go to the footy just us four and eat all the chocolate ourselves. He liked that idea! it reminded me that even kids get overwhelmed.

We’ve all had this cold/flu. I’ve still got horrible cough and DS10 was very quite today (except for the coughing) but did manage to eat two helpings of Yule log and played Brains (a parlour type game) after dinner so he’s ok really. Calpol to the rescue. We had a chat about cancer at bedtime and he asked if it would ever come back - I said I can’t answer that but I’m doing everything I can to not get it again, and the odds are in my favour so not to worry.

I’m very sorry about your Christmas covid, @TopOfTheCliff Perhaps you should cheat the curse of Christmas by celebrating in November next year.

I was slightly dreading Christmas, with complicated logistics taking lunch over to DMIL who’s an hour and a bit away. Plus my tricky Dsis staying for a few days. But all was negotiated successfully and we had a lovely if muddy Boxing Day walk by the river today and my cousin joined us for the day. One of the things that makes Dsis tricky is that she refuses to be pinned down about her plans and has been dithering about whether to leave tonight or first thing in the morning. She’d settled on tonight and then literally just as my cousin was packing her car at 8pm said ‘oh it’s got a bit late, maybe I’ll stay after all’. I can’t bear not having a clear plan so that drives me mad and I may have rolled my eyes a bit at that point but she did go after all and tbh I did a little happy dance and my DDs and I collapsed on the sofa and watched the Amandaland Xmas special. Perfect!

I hope you all find some space for peace and relaxation over the next few days.

Lovely walk @Littlecaf hope today’s was nice too.
@dotty2 I think it’s allowed to breath a sigh of relief when you get the house back.
I tested negative again for Covid and had no symptoms so I left DH at home alone and drove over to DMs house to join my family. It was a magical day and I loved it. Now home and planning a postponed Christmas for DH with his family on Sunday. It’s quite nice to string it all out.

@dotty2 yes I agree it’s lovely to see everyone but it’s also nice when they leave too! Even my DS8 said “do we have to see grandma again today?” (6th day in a row. He adores his grandma too!)

@TopOfTheCliff pleased that it wasn’t Covid. It’s still rubbish to feel rubbish at Christmas though. Hope you are both on the mend.

Today we cleaned/found places for the presents then took the DCs to the local lower league football match - nice little ground with a bar, tea hatch, small grandstand etc - the kids all play football alongside and the adults enjoy a local craft ale or mulled wine! The whole of the village goes at Christmas or end of season so was nice to catch up with people - gives everyone an outlet to moan about the in laws - plus the kids got to hang out with their friends for a bit. I’m not back at work until the 5th Jan so next week will be National Trust visiting/a London day/catching up with some exercise/nice dog walks etc. We’ve been invited with the kids to friends (also with kids) for NYE so that’s sorted at least!

26th DH and I went gardening and cleared 2 green bins full of leaves, cut up the pallet that had brought the squirrel bench and 4 leaf clover stepping stones, cleaned the silkies coop and then cleaned the downstairs bathroom, rest was already fine from our Christmas Eve clean.

DH has gone to France for a few days to see his Mum, brother, SIL and niece but will be back for us to all be together for NYE. I am here with the children, cat and silkies. DH left at 4.30am and DD and I spent 4am to 5am saying goodbye and entertaining the cat. Having lots of meals with turkey cranberry etc and the cat is very happy with the turkey especially as we had one from the butchers wrapped in bacon which is even better than turkey for the cat. Silkies have been wandering the garden with DS.

Good to hear Christmases are going well and hope they continue to do so.

Thanks we are both on the mend now so tomorrow is Christmas for DH and his boys. I shall cook a feast for them. On Monday we go north to Edinburgh for our Hogmanay 9th Anniversary treat! I am quite excited now, trying to find warm but smart clothes for the Street party! I’ve booked a lovely hotel and a nice restaurant and we are also visiting our Best Man and riding a bike event just for a change! I think full thermals and a balaclava will be needed 😳 At least it will burn off some of the chocolate excess!

Have a lovely time in Edinburgh @TopOfTheCliff that all sounds wonderful.

DH is on day 2 of his France trip so just the children, pets and I at home. DS took another bath in the early hours, well not that early, maybe 7am and has been making things in the kitchen and working his way through the Christmas sweet treats. Silkies are wandering the garden and digging chicken sized holes and sitting in them. DD and I are taking things pretty easy and I am eating the last of the Christmas turkey with the cat very keenly helping (DD is veggie). Been having porridge as well which is nice as its warm. I am vaguely planning redoing the lawn and path, as DSs walking 4 hours a day has created muddy patches. I love him being out there and the exercise but the grass is getting badly damaged in places (about 1/3 of it) and he's bringing mud in the house. Its all clean at the moment but takes several hours each week to clear the mud. Its like we have a pet wild pig.

So glad to hear you’re on mend @TopOfTheCliff and hope you had a great time today, and fun in Scotland.
Your Christmas sounds lovely and chilled @MsPengiuns. With all the rain recently no wonder your lawn is suffering. Having the space must help ds- sorry about the mud.
we had a family gathering of 10 at a mid way pub- v nice and no washing up! 14 tomorrow at sil- will be chilled and relaxed with everyone pitching in.

That sounds a lovely Christmas @thesandwich

DH has been away for 4 days and I've been here with the children and pets. Had a chinese takeaway tonight. DS has been in the kitchen doing cooking, making hot chocolates and using the kitchen bin as well as in the garden and ipadding in the living room. DD has been taking it easy. DH was due back by now but has been caught up in the eurotunnel power outage so was supposed to cross at 6.29pm and its delayed to 3.30am. Though has just been moved to 2am. He said there's nothing in the shops they closed as sold out of everything and some poor people with toddlers.

We have food and cakes arriving for NYE and got a steak pie for NYD. Hope everyone has a great NYE and 2026.

Hope your DH got back okay @MrsSPenguins and you had a happy new year.
I posted an update but it disappeared. On our way up north we had a weird accident in Cheshire hitting a metal lump in the road. The van was destroyed but we walked away, literally to a guesthouse 200 yards up the road. DH was on the phone to the police to arrange recovery while I sourced another hire van so we could continue north for Hogmanay. Strangers helped us with lifts and kindness and we were back on the road next day. We made it to our anniversary dinner with time to spare. Hogmanay was fun but cold. We are now visiting a friend before riding an event on Saturday then coming home in the hire van.

I’m sorry to hear about your accident @TopOfTheCliff but glad it all worked out. People can be lovely.

First swim of 2026 this morning. I didn’t make my 2025 target thanks to my horrible cold but did swim 146000 metres which I feel quite proud of, put like that.

I had a very happy, low key NYE playing scrabble and eating curry with old friends but I have a touch of the new year blues now. Milestones always make me worry about where I might be this time next year. I hope everyone is well and avoiding the gloom!

Glad you are having a nice time in Edinburgh @TopOfTheCliff but sorry you had an accident on the way.

That's brilliant re your swimming @dotty2 Glad you had a good NYE. I also feel slightly apprehensive about 2026 and not even sure why though first 2 days have been fine. I feel cheerful but slightly on edge wandering will the good luck continue.

DH had a lovely time in France with his Mum, brother, SIL and niece but horrific journey back on eurotunnel, was due to be back here at 7.30pm and got back at 5.30am next day on 31st. The time spent queueing at eurotunnel and the shops had closed as they had run out of food and drink. But at least he wasn't there with toddlers and he's home. We had a Chinese takeaway waiting for him. NYE was quiet but nice - had lots of lovely food, champagne and bake in oven cinnamon buns and red velvet cake from the bakers. DD turned down 2 parties to stay with us and was lovely to have her here though I worried about her missing parties and she said Mum I don't feel like going and I am at university, its not like there's only 1 party a year, there's parties everyday.

NYD was nice too, went swimming with DH having recently rejoined. Well DH went deckchairing whilst I went swimming and did 107 lengths so was pleased with that (15m pool but not been for a while except one time in Dec), steam room and jacuzzi and chatted to one of the regular ladies there. We had steak and red wine pie with veg / potatoes having heard about that on MN for NYD in Scotland, it was very popular with DS DH and I, DD is veggie so had different. Was slightly worried we were getting old by not going out but wanted to be with DS and also its good to be getting old and its cold but used to love the parties. Lovely sunny weather though, just freezing. Have been trying to plan the lawn / paths with DH today. DH is back at work on 5th. Hope everyone else had a good NYE / NYD and we all have a good 2026.

Oh @TopOfTheCliff that must have been quite a shock- so glad you got sorted and were able to make the trip.
@MsPengiuns dhs journey sounds grim- glad you had treats to welcome him. Your ny sounds v nice.
we didn’t go to nye party as dh has a cold- one of our friends is only weeks post bc surgery so didn’t want to spread lurgy to her. It was nice just relaxing at home.
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year.

@TopOfTheCliff oh gosh! Hope that it all get sorted. A bit of a shock. Pleased nobody was hurt.

I also went for my first swim of 2026 @dotty2 - actually got into the pool at 7.50am so was quite pleased with myself!

Went to see a friend and her son in the local panto tonight. Lots of fun. The kids thought it was funny to said their friend on stage - they were very impressed! Nice to see others accomplishing things!

Hope the event went well and you had a safe journey back @TopOfTheCliff

Glad you had a good NY @thesandwich

Just been swimming for a second time this year, beautiful sunny day here but freezing so decided to go swimming. Then spent 2.5 hours cleaning downstairs so house is lovely and clean again and free of DSs mud. We have some stepping stones for the garden arriving on Wednesday and have plans to re-lay part of the garden path though its very weather permitting. Have all DSs presents ready for his birthday. He had his cake from the bakers early as they aren't open for his birthday and I asked him and he turned his ipad off to listen as soon as I said the bakeries name so was clear he wanted those cakes. DD is back on Sunday so a week left with her.

Hi to all. Glad you all seem to have had a good time over the break, sorry about your accident though @TopOfTheCliff .

I'm trying to get back into my exercise program, I was a bit washed out a few weeks after radiotherapy finished, and then Christmas didn't help. I swam for an hour at lunchtime and am planning to rejoin the leisure centre so will swim twice a week and do weights in the gym. Maybe a class too, though I have a lovely yoga class I've been doing for years which has been such a support over the last few months.

I need to get fitter as well as reduce recurrence risk, we have a big bike ride planned for May, postponed from last September. I was told by a physio my glutes aren't well developed so need to work on that I guess!

I'm not totally signed off yet, need the dexa scan and a final (I hope) appointment with the surgeon but in my head I'm in the recovery phase now. I'm not sure I've really taken it all in yet but time will tell.

I am pleased to report I am happily home warming up the house. The fire is lit and all the radiators are blasting. It is 11 degrees now 😂 🥶 The washing is on and all the beds are stripped from Christmas.
DHs van is still languishing somewhere in the Midlands but we got home in a hired one. We drove for twelve hours yesterday and this morning found a nail in one of the tyres 😳 lucky escape there.
The bike event was really hard, freezing cold with a wind chill factor of minus 11. It took seven hours and I had to draw deep on my inner strength to get round. I had six layers of thermal gear and two pairs of socks, buff and woolly hat. I was quite miserable for the first half but it got easier as it went along. I am quite pleased with myself now.
@LknCheese in my experience the only way to get fit enough for big bike events is just to ride and ride! At this time of year that might mean spinning or indoor virtual rides like Zwift or Rouvy although my DH always prefers to get outside. I find Pilates and yoga help a lot with core strength too.
@MrsSPenguins does your DS have much speech? He sounds so much happier these days pottering round your house hoovering up cakes and living outdoors. Happy birthday to him!

Glad to hear that you're ok @TopOfTheCliff !
Very snowy here so I've spent the day trying to practise on my new keyboard.
I'm not very good but I figured that learning a new skill would be a good idea.
Didn't need to walk the dogs today as I have a dog walker twice a week but will be bqck on dog walking duty tomorrow despite the snow!
Happy birthday to@MrsSPenguins ds.

Thanks @TopOfTheCliff and well done on that bike ride. Good you are home safely. DS doesn't speak at all. He's enjoyed all the cakes over Christmas and his birthday, the garden / shed and his presents. He's still bringing a lot of mud in the house but today he did wash the door mat and put it back which was good but I hope the washing machine won't be clogged with mud.

Thanks @Zoopet

Hope you can get signed off soon @LknCheese

DD is back to university tomorrow, been lovely to have her home and hear all her news. Its the one holiday she stays round the house a fair amount and isn't out and about all the time. She told me she has some rowing coaching jobs at university which pay her. She'll be away from tomorrow until mid March then immediately has rowing camp.

I chased the hospital re my ultrasound to check the lumps out in the reconstructed breast (which either is scar tissue or stage 4) as it was on 16 December they said they would give an appointment and heard nothing but its very hectic for them now. They have given me an appointment tomorrow, they actually phoned me on Friday and asked if I could go that minute but that wasn't possible as DH needs to take me and also need a bit of time to get ready and get there. Will try and get them to scan other side too as its been a year and a half now but no lumps other side so fairly confident good side is good. I hope they will give me all clear tomorrow but we will see. Other than that some more curtains have gone up and have sorted house. Will be a lot easier to completely sort when DDs university stuff goes tomorrow.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. We had some snow here on DSs birthday.

Hope all goes well tomorrow @MrsSPenguins and you get the all clear.

Thanks @thesandwich Just realised I have my days wrong, its Monday not tomorrow. 😂

Wishing you well for tomorrow @MrsSPenguins

Thanks @MissMarplesNiece Hoping I get result tomorrow. Hope you are fine.

DD has now returned to university along with all her stuff. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Well done @MrsSPenguins for being brave and proactive. It is hideous to consider the possibility of Stage 4 but best to tackle it sooner. By tomorrow night you should know what's what. We will all be thinking of you and sending positive waves of strength.
I have a phone call from a GP booked tomorrow. To my surprise they want to send me for another DEXA scan which is fine by me. Also I have my annual mammogram coming up in two weeks, but my current anxiety level is quite low. My main complaint currently is acid reflux and nausea, but I probably just need to get on and lose a bit more weight once the last of the Christmas treats are out of the way.
I have been dodging ice and rain showers to get out on my bike, having clawed back a basic level of fitness. It slips away so easily if I take my foot off the pedal!
The broken van is still broken but we have a courtesy one while we wait to find out what happens next. We are feeling a bit battered after our eventful New year, and the pensions debacle where my pension scheme have suddenly decided they got my payout wrong five years ago and want me to repay a huge amount to them, and the ice has damaged my boat and lots of systems have frozen up and stopped working. It will all get sorted but it is taking up head space which at least stops me worrying about cancer!
Just when you think life is ticking along nicely stuff happens and throws you off track. At least I have some robust coping mechanisms to rely on these days.
Here's hoping everybody is warm enough and hasn't had power cuts or got snowed up.

Fingers crossed @MrsSPenguins . Hope all goes ok.

I have started standard “must lose weight” program in Jan. Was doing rather well until a trip to the footy today. DS8 & I support West Ham - I try to take him as many times as I can in a season. DB (also a supporter) took him when I was having chemo - so we met him and DNephew at the match and had lunch beforehand. Feeling smug as we actually won! It’s been a weekend of cultural contrasts - was at the theatre on Friday and at a winter wassail with the choir I sing in yesterday. Today’s topic of song was not so high brow!

I’ve been having acupuncture for the pain in my shoulder - I have the second session tomorrow. Hopefully that and the physio will help. I’ve also started a strength class - small weights & exercise - hoping that regular exercise will help wellness and any type of cancer reaccurence issues.