Living with cancer & chemotherapy

[Scottie Dog]

Firstly this post is not a case of my looking for sympathy, far from it, but rather possibly of writing about a slightly taboo subject, and how it's effecting my life.

Back in September I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma behind my left ears and had surgery for its removal in October. Unfortunately the biopsy showed that the cancer had spread to the lymphnodes in my neck. The end result with my being readmitted to hospital on 23rd December for a further 5 day stay.

Now, from a personal point of view, I had no qualms about the surgery, but it has been a different thing whilst awaiting chemotherapy.

I started my course, in tablet form, last Saturday and, for the first 6 days I was free from side-effects. Then came Thursday and my wife and I went to Liverpool for a Coffee & Chat session that we had organised for members of the local branch of the Royal Osteoporosis Society - and also because I needed to buy a new laptop.

I had been in a shop looking at computers when suddenly I felt my chest tighted and I sweated. Additional I felt very nauseous and managed, on wobbly legs and with help from my dear lady, to get out into some fresh air. It took over an hour before I started to feel better, but we had to forgo the social event and head straight home.

After a terrible sleep on Thursday night I felt a lot better and, apart from having to travel on 4 buses for a totally unrelated hospital appointment, I had a good day and managed to walk 13,000 steps or 5.4 miles.

Today has been another downer with a feeling of total lethargy, lack of appetite and, unfortunately being sick. I also had terrible shakes of the whole body and was unable to even tear a herbal teabag out of its psckaging. Whether it was because I was cold (house temperature was 18°c) I don't know but I'm sure it was a reaction to the chemo.

If you have been through cancer, and it's after-effects then I hope that you will excuse my raising the subject. If you are looking at having to go down the chemo line then have faith. If you would like me to post updates on my progress, and how you might be effected, then I'll be happy to post more as time goes on - I'll be taking medication for a year, so there will probably be a lot more side-effects for me to ramble on about

 

[Jerry]

So sorry too hear that your going through this. Get well soon.

 

[thunderchild]

Very sorry to read this, may you have more better days than bad ones through the chemotherapy. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[YorkshireLad]

I do hope you don't get it too bad and that you can get off it ASAP

Get well soon

 

[Scottie Dog]

Thank you for all your kind words. Just awakened at 2.15 by another bout of shaking - I think thd wife thought thr bed was going to take off
The bad news is that the treatment lasts 1 whole year.

 

[rollo]

Scottie, I so very much understand what you are saying and the effects of cancer.

Unfortunately my wife suffered breast cancer twelve years ago and I know the worry and pain both you and indeed your wife are going through. People do not really understand how much a partner suffers as well.

If I can offer any advice its quite simple FIGHT and FIGHT the bloody thing, my wife did and twelve years later so far so good. She also underwent chemotherapy (6 sessions) and then radiotherapy, the chemo did indeed effect her and put her in bed for 2/-3 days at a tme after which she recovered and would go back to work for a week -her choice and end up feeling fine before the next session it took 6months then came radiotherapy which was fine with no real side effects.

I am telling you all this to help hopefully you and your wife through this curse please try and stay positive and fight, fight and fight again

Best wishes.

rollo.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Thanks to all have posted responses and their support. A special thanks to Rollo and I will in time reply personally to you.

One thing that have not mention is exceptional service from various departments.
* Dermatology at Warrington
* the Plastics team are Whiston and especially my surgeon Mr Shaaban
* Clatterbridge Liverpool Hospital
* The Lilac Centre in St Helens for dealing with my chemotherapy tablets
* And last, but not lease, the Patient Portal Skin Team at St Helens for being long-suffering when answering my emails and telephone calls so effectively.

Naturally there is another group that I've failed to mention and they are the fabulous Macmillan Nurses.

Without all of their help life would no doubt be a lot harder

If you feel that may have cancer, please get yourself checked. Despite bad reports in the press,I'm a firm believer that when it works we have a great NHS

 

[Seasider]

I found a lump on my right breast just before Christmas. Went to the doctors and was seen in the Cancer clinic within 10 days. Fortunately it was not cancer so I can echo Scottie Dog's advice - If something's not right, get it checked.
One interesting thing to me was when I asked how many men (Breast Cancer) they see and was told 2-3 per week.

 

[Ashley.S.]

I'm so sorry to hear what you're going through and I wish you well with your treatment. Sadly my mum passed away from metastatic melanoma in 2017, which started out as a mole on her back in 2011, going to her lymph nodes in 2012 and eventually her lungs in 2015 and brain in 2017 so I'd urge anyone with concerns to see their GP and get checked out.

From her experience, I can tell you you'll have good and bad days, but hopefully, you'll have more good than bad. The first time she didn't have chemo but had a significant operation, the second time was a major operation, plus radiotherapy, and the third time was immunotherapy plus radiotherapy and sadly when it was in her brain, she was too weak to go through treatment so spent her last six weeks in our local hospice. I've since learnt that both my grandparents might have had skin cancer too, with my grandma on her nose and my grandad on his back, but for some reason, fate says they are survivors, while sadly my mum was not. I suspect they didn't want to tell me and worry me because of what my mum went through.

If the team who are treating you ever talk about a Doctor called Dr Toby Tolbot, he was the one who looked after my mum down here in Cornwall and as far as I could tell, is highly regarded in Oncology and skin cancer as he always talked to my mum about how he travelled across the UK talking about the work he does in the field.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Thank you Ashley and I appreciate your kind thoughts. My thoughts also go out to you for the sad loss of your mother to this disease.
It all just goes to show how important it is to check our bodies for any changes that might occur. Mine was a birthmark behind my ear, so I could not see it, that went 'rogue'.
Stay safe and don't spend too long in the sun without protection.

 

[JENNYJET]

My thoughts are with you as Chemotherapy is brutal to many patients. Not something I would entertain. I have allowed nature to run it's course with my little problem and it seems not to be bothering me as I have accepted my condition. I believe in a positive mindset and getting on with it.

Best wishes Sir.

 

[Aviador]

My thoughts are with you as Chemotherapy is brutal to many patients. Not something I would entertain. I have allowed nature to run it's course with my little problem and it seems not to be bothering me as I have accepted my condition. I believe in a positive mindset and getting on with it.

Best wishes Sir.

Sadly @JENNYJET I'm not sure our friend TheLocalYokel was so lucky with his progressive version. I can't elaborate any further on that so appologies.

With regards to skin care, I would recommend an app called Skinvision. I actually pay a small subscription each year for the service. You take a picture with your phone and the app checks your image using algorithms to assess the risk from skin anomalies. It's not all AI as sometimes it will refer your image for medical inspection by a human or suggest an appointment with your doctor. I have found it s very useful tool and I would definitely recommend it.

 

[Aviador]

I'd also like to thank @Scottie Dog for sharing his treatment journey with us. Sadly cancer effects around 1 in 3 people, so the chances are many of us reading this today will one day have to go through the same. It is a tabbo as people tend to shy away from talking about cancer but so many of us will have their own story to tell.

My mum was diagnosed with lung cancer a few years ago but after chemoradiotheropy she is currently all clear of this wretched disease.

 

[StanMan]

I've had cancer, and whilst I've not been shy of it with family and friends, I've not 'gone public' in a forum before.
Most importantly, best wishes to Scottie Dog - and to anyone else who has, or may yet, battle with this disease.
I was diagnosed with throat cancer some 3 years ago. After 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy and weekly chemotherapy, I was almost clear, but, after 3 months of being too tired to do much, the medics found a few lingering cancer cells in my neck lymph glands, and had to have those glands surgically removed - a trying 8 days in hospital and few months further recovery.

I'm now clear, very active and with a positive prognosis.

I must record my total admiration and thanks to all at Velindre cancer centre Cardiff and the supporting hospitals for their wonderful professionalism and positive support.
To anyone impacted by this disease, stay positive - there is an ever increasing hope of a successful outcome - and, whether you've had cancer or not, if you are able to make a donation to a cancer charity, you will be helping to accelerate cures and makes many lives longer - and better!

 

[Scottie Dog]

2 weeks has gone by since I last gave an update. I had hoped to be able to say that I've had no further side-effects, but regrettably the chemo appears to have other thoughts.
Yesterday, just after I had been to collect my next month's set of tablets, I started to get achey joints and, in the late afternoon, a headache kicked in. I say headache as it was a pain in the side of my head which lasted for a few seconds and then went away only to return 5 minutes later! At 1am the headache started to be accompanied by the shakes with lasted for nearly 2 hours.
Today saw a miracle happen as I managed to get an appointment with my GP for tomorrow.
Right, that bored you all for the evening and now try to relax and not think of the airport statistics that I've had to abandon for another day.

 

[Seasider]

Keep fighting Scottie Dog.

 

[Aviador]

Shitty but you just need to stay focused on getting well. Take as much rest as you need, don't be overdoing it.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Don't worry, I'm definitely fighting and your support is appreciated.
My biggest concern is the backlog of statistics that is building up for me to work on and analyse. I just need to have the energy to sit at the computer without interruptions from a certain lady.
Hopefully I can get February stats for BRS, CWL, EMA & HUY finalised whilst also discussing missing data for BHX, from December, with the CAA.

 

[Ashley.S.]

Keep fighting my friend, my dad always said it's a mental battle when he was fighting throat and mouth cancer as he was determined to keep eating as normal, despite having a feeding tube installed!

Take it easy and don't work too hard on those statistics, I'm sure they can wait a bit

 

[Scottie Dog]

A quick update! I said on 19th April that a miracle had happened and that I had an appointment for the next day with my GP for a checkup - not cancer related.
All was okay at the consultation, but by midday I was feeling "off colour" and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Helpline advised that I should visit A&E ASAP. To keep it brief I then spent 6 nights in hospital and have now, for the present at least, come off my Targeted Therapy and feel a lot better.
Now it's time to decide what to do in the future.
As I said in my first post I'm not looking for sympathy, rather I'm just trying to explain how it's affecting my life, and hopefully helping anybody who may experience the same illness.
Stay strong and take each day as it comes - most importantly don't forget those closest to you, and how your situation may impact on their lives.
Thank you for reading.