Effing cancer is an effing effer, frankly

[Jonmx]

bd disease took my brother in law last Monday, he was 33 and only got the diagnosis about 20 months ago, shortly after marrying my sister. He was a proper petrol head, marshalled at Silverstone fairly regularly and all round top bloke.
This thread makes for sad reading and I couldn't agree more with the thread title. Only came into the health section to peruse and thought I'd post having seen the thread.

[p1stonhead]

PostHeads123 said:

My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in December, my mother in law breast cancer last week and my 10 month old son leukaemia today , head is spinning.

fking hell mate!

Cant really say anything apart from I am devastated for you and really hope things work out ok

[PomBstard]

My mum's review with the consultant was a couple of weeks ago and all went well. Apart from one very small shadow showing, which is thought at this time to be a missed stitch or similar from the hysterectomy, she's all good. Its been a up-and-down kinda year, but this seems like a good time to pause. Physical and mental recovery is going full-bore.

Relief is still palpable both sides of the planet. Next check up is in 3 months.

Its worth noting that the three friends my Mum has that are closest all lost their husbands to cancer. I knew all of them well, and wish all were still around.

Thanks to all on here for the thoughts and wishes, and to others for their tales. It not easy, but, as with other things in life, sometimes just knowing you're not the only one or the first is a help in itself. I wish everyone well with what their going through, either directly or indirectly. I'm aware I may be back...

[motco]

Good News - glad for you and her.

[bexVN]

p1stonhead said:

PostHeads123 said:

My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in December, my mother in law breast cancer last week and my 10 month old son leukaemia today , head is spinning.

fking hell mate!

Cant really say anything apart from I am devastated for you and really hope things work out ok

This is just stomach churning. Learning our parents are sick is hard but your 10 month old that is the really devastating blow. My thoughts are with you, your boy will be in good hands I'm sure and recovery is so much higher these days, sending positive thoughts.

[Biggles111]

p1stonhead said:

Step dad has been referred to the Marsden for high dose therapy and stem cell treatment now. Im told this is a huge positive and means he responded well to the initial chemo.

I believe he will be an in-patient for a month though. Gonna be fairly hellish apparently but long term picture is apparently better.

I had a Chemo and a Stem Cell Transplant for AML in late 2015. It is a tough ride but can offer a cure. For most of us over 40 a slightly reduced intensity chemo is given, then the transplanted cells are used to mop up any remaining bad cells. Lots of information available on www.anthonynolan.org and Bloodwise.org.uk . It will be a month in hospital but then a long recovery period; you end up really weak, fatigued, and unable to do a lot, but it does improve. PM me if I can help at all.

[Bill]

It is. And a swift moving fker at that.

My mum's survived breast cancer twice (3 years ago was close due to post op issues) but a check CT in December for a shadow on her kidney found a couple of new spots. A liver biopsy in January said melanoma. Not good.

Further tests found mets in her lungs and brain. Ho hum.

Immunotherapy started 8 weeks ago and she was doing ok if about vague. It's clear the brain mets are causing issues as he has lost some vision on the left side.

Three weeks ago she is playing bridge well, three times a week.

Two weeks ago she's making mistakes. Her friends are humouring her. Middle of that week she has a fall, the ambulance picks her up but she fobs them off. She speaks to my brother on that Friday and is a bit short but nothing particularly odd.

Saturday (8 days ago) her neighbour guides her home after finding her holding onto her fence. He then gets her shopping, and says she was complaining about her son's fussing over her. He sees her Sunday and she seems fine.

None of the neighbours know what's going on and don't have our contact details. We all think we have some time. I've installed a careline fob and keysafe, but haven't been back to fully test it as i was away that week. It turns out the fob isn't connection g to the base station.

Monday last week she's found on the floor. She has a chest infection and is dehydrated. I suspect she's been on the floor a while because of the dehydration. I nearly rang on Sunday, if she hadn't answered I'd have assumed she was out playing bridge...

Repeat MRI on Tuesday shows that the mets in her brain have grown. It's clear the immunotherapy isn't working (45% likelihood it would) and care is palliative. She's given days.

But now the chest infection is better and she's hydrated again she has perked up. She can feed herself and shows sparks of the old her.

She can't see anything on the left and has lost the use of her left arm. She remembered she's due the immunotherapy on Friday, but not that it isn't working so we're telling her white lies. And she watched all the rugby.

It's a bugger. Sympathies to everyone.

(Sorry, wasn't going to vent, but once i started
...)

[Don]

You vent away, Bill, if it helps.

Cancer killed my Dad and my much loved brother in law. I fking hate Cancer with a vengeance.

[motco]

Bill said:

It is. And a swift moving fker at that.

My mum's survived breast cancer twice (3 years ago was close due to post op issues) but a check CT in December for a shadow on her kidney found a couple of new spots. A liver biopsy in January said melanoma. Not good.

Further tests found mets in her lungs and brain. Ho hum.

Immunotherapy started 8 weeks ago and she was doing ok if about vague. It's clear the brain mets are causing issues as he has lost some vision on the left side.

Three weeks ago she is playing bridge well, three times a week.

Two weeks ago she's making mistakes. Her friends are humouring her. Middle of that week she has a fall, the ambulance picks her up but she fobs them off. She speaks to my brother on that Friday and is a bit short but nothing particularly odd.

Saturday (8 days ago) her neighbour guides her home after finding her holding onto her fence. He then gets her shopping, and says she was complaining about her son's fussing over her. He sees her Sunday and she seems fine.

None of the neighbours know what's going on and don't have our contact details. We all think we have some time. I've installed a careline fob and keysafe, but haven't been back to fully test it as i was away that week. It turns out the fob isn't connection g to the base station.

Monday last week she's found on the floor. She has a chest infection and is dehydrated. I suspect she's been on the floor a while because of the dehydration. I nearly rang on Sunday, if she hadn't answered I'd have assumed she was out playing bridge...

Repeat MRI on Tuesday shows that the mets in her brain have grown. It's clear the immunotherapy isn't working (45% likelihood it would) and care is palliative. She's given days.

But now the chest infection is better and she's hydrated again she has perked up. She can feed herself and shows sparks of the old her.

She can't see anything on the left and has lost the use of her left arm. She remembered she's due the immunotherapy on Friday, but not that it isn't working so we're telling her white lies. And she watched all the rugby.

It's a bugger. Sympathies to everyone.

(Sorry, wasn't going to vent, but once i started
...)

That sounds painfully similar to what happened to my Mum too, except that it was forty years ago or more and treatments were vastly inferior to nowadays. The end result was the same, though, and it's never easy. You have my sincere sympathy Bill

[p1stonhead]

Biggles111 said:

p1stonhead said:

Step dad has been referred to the Marsden for high dose therapy and stem cell treatment now. Im told this is a huge positive and means he responded well to the initial chemo.

I believe he will be an in-patient for a month though. Gonna be fairly hellish apparently but long term picture is apparently better.

I had a Chemo and a Stem Cell Transplant for AML in late 2015. It is a tough ride but can offer a cure. For most of us over 40 a slightly reduced intensity chemo is given, then the transplanted cells are used to mop up any remaining bad cells. Lots of information available on www.anthonynolan.org and Bloodwise.org.uk . It will be a month in hospital but then a long recovery period; you end up really weak, fatigued, and unable to do a lot, but it does improve. PM me if I can help at all.

Thanks for the info / offer

[anonymous-user]

i wonder if anyone can help me, my friend's wife has stage 2 stage 2B cervical cancer. she has crohns and is looking to raise money to get onto an immunotherapy drug trial, about 30k.
i have donated but i would if anybody knows anything about immunotherapy drug trial as i just wanted to read about it

[BlackLabel]

The Spruce goose said:

i wonder if anyone can help me, my friend's wife has stage 2 stage 2B cervical cancer. she has crohns and is looking to raise money to get onto an immunotherapy drug trial, about 30k.
i have donated but i would if anybody knows anything about immunotherapy drug trial as i just wanted to read about it

An interesting article about it below.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-sci...

[Tumbler]

Hello cancer, I wasn't expecting you.... Routine smear and wham, I've been called for treatment, it's not my first dalliance, I was treated 20 years ago, fingers crossed I will have a good outcome this time.

[bexVN]

Tumbler said:

Hello cancer, I wasn't expecting you.... Routine smear and wham, I've been called for treatment, it's not my first dalliance, I was treated 20 years ago, fingers crossed I will have a good outcome this time.

Bugger . I hope they have caught things early because you went for a routine check rather than becoming symptomatic before going to be checked.
Bit of a shock though I'm sure.

[motco]

Tumbler said:

Hello cancer, I wasn't expecting you.... Routine smear and wham, I've been called for treatment, it's not my first dalliance, I was treated 20 years ago, fingers crossed I will have a good outcome this time.

I'll drink to that - good luck Tumbler.

[Tumbler]

bexVN said:

Bugger . I hope they have caught things early because you went for a routine check rather than becoming symptomatic before going to be checked.
Bit of a shock though I'm sure.

I have no other symptoms and 24 months ago I was clear, so I'm positive, I'll be honest and say it's not a cancer I associate with my age, when I went for my smear I was more concerned about when my daughters would be screened.

[bexVN]

Tumbler said:

bexVN said:

Bugger . I hope they have caught things early because you went for a routine check rather than becoming symptomatic before going to be checked.
Bit of a shock though I'm sure.

I have no other symptoms and 24 months ago I was clear, so I'm positive, I'll be honest and say it's not a cancer I associate with my age, when I went for my smear I was more concerned about when my daughters would be screened.

Good to be positive. You have reminded me to get mine sorted. (only couple months overdue but easy for that to become 6months etc)

[Du1point8]

Tumbler said:

bexVN said:

Bugger . I hope they have caught things early because you went for a routine check rather than becoming symptomatic before going to be checked.
Bit of a shock though I'm sure.

I have no other symptoms and 24 months ago I was clear, so I'm positive, I'll be honest and say it's not a cancer I associate with my age, when I went for my smear I was more concerned about when my daughters would be screened.

Sounds more like its just an abnormal smear rather than anything to start worrying yourself over... OH got pulled in for abnormal cell growth that flagged up on the smear and it was nothing, but still went though the same routine of instant call back, etc.

[Tumbler]

Du1point8 said:

Sounds more like its just an abnormal smear rather than anything to start worrying yourself over... OH got pulled in for abnormal cell growth that flagged up on the smear and it was nothing, but still went though the same routine of instant call back, etc.

Maybe, although with my history and given I elected not to have a hysterectomy that time as I was diagnosed at the age of 23, I was fortunate that post treatment the stitching enabled me to carry a pregnancy.

My letter is a straight to treatment letter, I can't recal if I had a recall letter and then a treatment letter last time.

Edited by Tumbler on Thursday 30th March 06:21

[ali_kat]

Fingers crossed