Chemo delays and prioritizing patients

Hi folks today oncologist phoned while I was waiting for CT scanto say that she wanted to suspend my treatment for a few weeks because of corona virus.i am so gutted I have fought so hard my cancer is very aggressive I know a few weeks off chemo will make a big difference.,I feel like going out and getting the virus at least it will be quick

Things can change very quickly Geordiegirl47. You hang on and wait for the good news that will be coming. Once the virus shows signs of being beaten there will be spaces for treatments available again.

I trust my oncologist, they are generally making decisions for your best interests. Dont go anywhere, you will soon be plugged back in to that chemo lifesaver.

There is so much bad news around at the moment. The lung team have reviewed my lung mets and decided that I have three options, non curative surgery but I will have to wait 3 to 6 months just to see the surgeon, chemo but the risks of a damaged immune system probably outweigh the benefits at the moment or no treatment at this time. My multiple mets are slow growing and at a relatively early stage. The bowel MDT meeting will decide on which option will benefit me the most on Monday. 

All this waiting around is so frustrating and I can't even make the most of my healthy time as everything I want to do is illegal!

Hi Geordiegirl47 I feel the same

At the moment on chemo break till 15.4.on my request.I am having very good response some of my tumours dissapeared i was just tired.Now i am worried and crying that they will stop my treatment and will dump me.Unfortunately I dont have a good onco team so i have no support.I was feeling the same regarding to catch the virus.I dont want to feel any pain from cancer because I am feeling really well and fit at the moment but memtally i am a mess.I called the nurse on Monday asking whats going on re my treatment and and she said everything is normal if something change they will call me.Can you imagine I dont sleep waking up every morning with expecting the phone call.

This is not right.The best days are only Saturday and Sunday when I know there will be no phone calls.

I feel so sorry for you and Geordiegirl, it must be truly awful in your situations. I have had the good fortune  to be given treatment when I needed it. I cant say anymore that could be of help to you both but please listen to the wise heads of the Champions and others, they will get you through this. 

I’m sorry so many of us are feeling uncertain and disappointed and well many other negative emotions but it’s very understandable. I think it’s great to that there have been so many positive things said to and I’d like to try and join in with that. I got my extremely vulnerable letter today, and it had a section on looking after your mental well being, and said we can get additional advice from 

Every mind Matters and NHS mental health and wellbeing I’ve put the links below

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-at-home-tips/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/

For the staying at home tips, from memory it says to connect with others and to share your worries, which is good your doing that. I have found in the past that’s the first step to building up to being positive again. There’s another sections with a video about learning new things or doing things you enjoy and one at relooking at situations to look a bit more positive about them which is easier said than done sometimes. I know  often has a three positive things post to help her and others get through things, I sometimes need to use one in my cancer group when I’m feeling low and just need a bit of help. 

I have learnt since my diagnosis that I’m now able to shelve a worry if it’s not happening now, for instance now, my next Immunotherapy might be postponed, but it may not, and if it is my treatment might catch up with any progression. I thank Gragon in the past for his experience about not worrying about treatment breaks. I can now have a bit of a meltdown, talk myself round to saying let’s postpone any worry (when it’s appropriate) until a date when I’ll know more, and just get on with living life as well as we can. Other times I’ve had to voice when I’m not clear on why a treatment plan is being altered as it’s difficult to live through it if you don’t agree, I’ve been lucky that sometimes the plans been altered sometimes it’s just been explained better to me so that I can agree that the best available action is being taken. So I hope those that are struggling can find a good way through these next few weeks, sending a virtual hug and apologies for another long post. Perhaps it’s cos I’m reinforcing my own resolve about uncertainties to. 

best wishes

KTatHome

Hi KT

Thank you for this - some really useful reminders here. And in response to your apology for the long post, I have a theory about advice: 99 times out of 100 the person giving you advice is at least partly talking to themselves. 

Right.  I’m off to count my blessings. An old fashioned concept but a useful one.

xx

Hi flowerlady

THIS IS NOT WHAT ANY OF US EXPECTED Flowerlady. However we've all coped with cancer and thought we couldn't! We can cope with this!

My heart goes out to those who live alone!

Hey Annette,

Thing is, those os us who live alone are used to being alone and in our own company. Possibly not to this extent for some, but for me my day to day life hasn't changed a bit. So, welcome to my life! LOL

I feel for the folks who live in a flat with kids. So no garden to let them go out into anytime they like, and often quite small living space where everyone is on top of everyone else.

The only challenge I've got, is trying to find onions at the moment! Lol.

Lass

xx

Hi Lass

I don't know whether you mean for eating or for growing, I suspect the latter though, knowing how keen you are in growing veg and remembering your great crop of last year. 

If it's for growing, then the rest of this post should help you, as well as anyone else.

I've searched for onion sets online and they're all sold out now, yet a couple of days ago I was browsing and some of the main seed companies had them. I've never known a year like it, it seems like the country wants to grow onions. 

Onion seeds can still be bought but it's a little late to sow them, January is best because they have a long growing season. I used to sow mine at 11am on Boxing Day, the traditional time and day for serious onion growers for exhibition shows in September. For my sins, I was national champion three years in a row until my time was cut short when I was in severe back pain and I had to get around in a wheelchair. It wasn't the cancer diagnosis three months earlier that stopped me, although that, along with the spinal diagnosis affected my mental health. 

But I have good news for you, if you go to dtbrownseeds.co.uk, you can buy onion plants. They're sown in January and brought on under glass then sent to the customer from mid April on. They're sold in groups of about 20 and they're certainly more expensive, £7.95 +p&p of around £4.95. l wouldn't go for Kelsae or any of the other large exhibition varieties because they need to be planted 16 in apart and cost a lot more! 

I would recommend Toughball, they are beautiful onions and can be grown for exhibition too, I used to grow them for >250g class. They're not a big onion like a Spanish onion but they are round and uniform in shape. Plant them 4in apart in well prepared, rich soil and keep weed free.

HTH

Tvman