Thread #5 for those living with incurable cancer, supporting each other and remembering the lovely friends we've lost along the way

[SewingBees]

New thread, an open invite to anyone living with Stage 4 cancer to share your worries and joys and just generally chit chat about whatever you're going through today x

It’s hard to know what to say - except don’t panic. Very much one step at a time
Do sensible things - as you are doing
When is the next appointment with the hospital?

My SIL’s mother has pancreatic cancer - but one with a better prognosis and is still doing ok, two years after diagnosis

Tomorrow at 3.30. I am currently schroder’s cat.
Goodnight everyone. Thanks for your company, you have definitely uplifted me x

@Okitsme It's easier said than done I know, but please try not to worry too much until you have all the facts.
Good luck and best wishes for today x

On a more trivial note, someone asked me a while ago which brow and lash serums I was using.
I think I mentioned at the time I was going to give a cheaper brand a try.
Yesterday I put on a little mascara and noticed for the first time that my lashes looked fuller and longer. They also feel stronger.
I've also had some success with the brow serum too.
My lashes and brows were practically non existent from the chemo and I constantly had sore eyes from my eyelashes falling into them.
My brows are mostly growing through White and my lashes are growing through very light too.
I've used some brow and lash tint and that has also made a difference.
My face looks less naked if that makes sense.
The brand I'm using is called Biovene.
The lash serum I picked up for about £3 in Home bargains and I ordered the brow serum from.....I think Amazon but it could have been from one of those beauty sites.
I know everyone is different but these serums are much much cheaper than other brands so might be worth a try.

I'm off to the dentist this afternoon for a couple of fillings.
The chemo has played havoc with my teeth and I've lost a fair few.
Hopefully these fillings will help to stop me losing any more.

How is everyone else doing?

@Okitsme I hope today goes ok!

@GoldenDog1 it was me who asked about your serum, I think. I'll keep an eye out for them, thank you. Funnily enough, we were in town yesterday, and I avoided Home Bargains because I couldn't be arsed to walk up there 🤷‍♀️

We're half way through half term today, it's going nice & slowly & I'm getting lots done. No Spring cleaning though - that's what I'd planned. We're having a full rewire next weekend so didn't seem much point!

@Okitsme come back and tell us how you get on. Between us we have a lot of experience - might not be the same condition- but we know about the stress, uncertainty and feelings that come along with this situation
xx

We lost out in the pub quiz by one tie breaker question last night.
Without googling- anyone know how many episodes of ‘Friends’ were made?

60?

Higher! X

Mmmm.. now if it was Faulty Towers, I think it was 12! Friends? Maybe 100?

236!
we guessed 120

236? That’s 236 too many! 🤣 ( joking )

Really not dealing with the bare head now, I feel quietly traumatised ☹️

Good morning everyone. I won’t be joining you just yet. I’ve a bile duct drain and biopsy to look forward to before a definitive answer and plan can be made but the specialist nurse didn’t make promises but did provide hope. She also called me young, fit and well and was impressed by my organisation as I brought hankies for me, my DH and my DS who came as our scribe.
Thank you so very much for your support on Thursday night, you are wonderful people💐
I’m 66 but don’t look it obviously!

@Okitsme Good luck x

I've have fallen foul of bad organisation😠

1. The district nurses come out to see me on Friday . Last week I told them the following Friday (yesterday) I had chemo in the afternoon and I would be leaving by 2pm. No problem they said we will be out in the morning 3.30pm they arrived! So I now face a sunny Saturday waiting indoors for them to arrive at god knows what only time☹️

1. My pre chemo bloods showed low magnesium levels and I was prescribed magnesium sachets. Instead of sending them to the unit when I could of picked them when I was in for chemo. Pharmacy have sent them out via DPD for home delivery! So now I'm also waiting for a package to arrive. Pharmacy must of been aware I was in the unit because they made my chemo up The lack of joined up thinking is shocking and frustrating.

@Florsilvestredelcampo well that’s definitely bad organisation on their part. Drives you mad doesn’t it! They don’t seem to think that people have lives to live and can’t spend all day waiting around. Grrhhhh. As for the pharmacy; that’s just plain stupid!

Stupid and must have a bigger cost to them which could be solved by someone just looking at the computer and working out that I would be on the unit.

@lucysmam the problem with Home bargains is, it can be a bit hit and miss with what products they have in at any given time.
I just checked and I ordered the Biovene brow serum from Justmylook.
I've just been on to order more of the brow and lash serum and it's on sale.
£5.40 each.
An absolute bargain compared to similar products.

@batterychickensorry for this tag, I did it by mistake and now it won't let me delete it.

@RedRosesPinkLilies I wouldn't have known the Friends question.
I've only ever watched a few episodes of it, although that seems unusual amongst people I know.

@Okitsme just wanted to wish you good luck and hope for a positive outcome for you x

@Florsilvestredelcampo that sounds like a right bloody shambles, but sadly doesn't surprise me. X

@Enigma53 I'm sorry you are feeling traumatised. Big hugs x

Love to you all xxx

Luckily both the district nurse and DPD turned up early. The district nurse agreed with me that attending the local hospital (10 mind walk) made more sense for me. So no more wasted Friday's for me.

How is everyone?
Exhausted here, done way too much!

Busy week this week; bloods and review Tuesday, chemo Wednesday, CT Saturday. Please let the poison be working! 🤞

Hi @enigma52 - ooft that is a busy week, best make tomorrow a restful day if possible! I've forgotten- are you still working? The wait for the scan results is awful isn't it.

My very close friend is due her baby in a few weeks, I honestly didn't think I would still be here but delighted it looks like I will be.

I've resigned myself to needing to be in my wheelchair if I actually want to leave the house, so need to get practising. The wounds on my leg where the lymphatic fluid is escaping from now total 14 and they all need to be cleaned and dressed morning and night. Takes an hour each time 🙄

Not much changed here really which I suppose is good? ......

And I’m feeling sorry for myself because I have one very deep one! The pain is off the scale it’s running like a tap i can only compare it once to having a catheter that the nurse clamped off by mistake and all the back flow into my bladder which went up into a balloon. Are you having someone in daily for the dressings?

I'm feeling sorry for myself with some sort of coldey fluey thing 🙄. Thought I was coming down with something at the end of last week but it never came to anything so went to Saturday's Alessi Rose gig, then felt dreadful yesterday & slept most of the day.

@Enigma52 I hate that week of the month where we have to squeeze in everything all at once!

@EachandEveryone have you got some sort of pain relief?

@Whatevershallidowithmylife so pleased you'll get to meet your friend's baby!

@Florsilvestredelcampo the piss poor organisation and lack of joined up thinking drives me crackers.

Thanks @GoldenDog1 I'll have a look at Justmylook.

@Whatevershallidowithmylife
sounds like wheelchair training is on your list of things to do 😊 If it gets you out and about, why not! Those wounds sound high maintenance. Do the district nurses see to them daily? I’m off sick at present. I work in a school, so we are on Easter break. I’ve no idea if I’ll make it back this academic year. It will depend on whether this treatment is working.

@EachandEveryone that wound sounds grim. It doesn’t seem to be healing? Will the immunotherapy help?

@lucysmam sounds as though you have a lurghi. Definitely rest is in order.

@sellotapechicken how are you?
@Florsilvestredelcampo glad you didn’t have to waste too much time hanging around for visits and deliveries.
Hows your chemo going?

I hope everyone else is getting on okay.

Yes, one of those weeks this week.
Going to ask for a chemo dose reduction, as I can’t cope with all these side effects . Will see what they say!