3rd Cancer

General chat
1

Maybe not the best time to post. Not in a good mood.

Today I knew before I went to the appointment with the dermatologist that the big f$@kin thing on my cheek was cancer. So it was no surprise when the dermatologist said it probably was cancer and would need to be removed then a biopsy done.

Brief History of my previous 2 cancers.

Thing is when I told my GP I had prostate cancer and wanted a PSA test he did not want to do it. I had to have a discussion with him over this and he would only do the PSA test after he physically examined me (not fun). After further tests yes it was prostate cancer, so I had the prostate removed. Lost the erection but no incontinence thanks to lots of pelvic floor muscle exercises.

Onwards and upwards. :blush:

Got over that. Then along comes Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma,

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia is the full title. Quite rare I believe. It’s not curable but treatable.

Because of my parents’ history of cancers, I was not totally surprised.

Anyway 6 lots of chemo, 2 years of maintenance. Apart from a period about 6 months of short unpleasant hospital stays with quite serious infections I have been doing well. Keeping active riding my bike and going for walks. The cancer won’t go into remission but can be kept under control. I go once a month for an infusion of immunoglobulin for my immunity. This not good because my veins are such that its not easy to get the blood to flow.

Again Onwards and upwards. :blush:

I have just had my left sinus cleared out and my deviated septum fixed. That went really well and was feeling great.

So I am thoroughly pi%&d off that today the dermatologist informs me the fÂŁ$kin on the side of my face is probably cancer.

Not posted before but felt the need !!!

Art305 .

3 Likes
2

Hi @art305, welcome, yes, life certainly is not fair is it.
I have replied to your other post.
You have found out that this forum won’t let you post certain words which gives us a laugh sometimes !!!
It is not the same but I was so healthy for my first half century, then an op for precancerous cervical cells ended with being diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, then over the years multiple teeth extractions, irregular heartbeat, osteoporosis and spine curvature (multiple vertebrae fractures and lost 5in in height), suspected breast cancer (a false alarm, luckily), reoccurring shingles and then skin cancer on the top of my head, I look like Friar Tuck, I had an op for it in 2016 with a skin graft from my leg and a couple of weeks ago I had another op for scar tissue around that area.
As my dermatology consultant said ‘if you are going to get another cancer this is the one to get’.
Yes, I bet you do feel p*****d off and many other words we cannot post on here, you are fully entitled to.
I find it helps to put my thoughts and feelings down in black and white on this forum and the Blood Cancer UK support line is also there for you.
But, on a good day, and the sun is shining here today, I am now at the stage of dusting myself off and onwards and upwards and for me life is good, I am warm, dry and fed, the best things in life are free and I have my music.
Please keep posting how you are and how you are getting on and look after yourself.

3

Hello @art305, thank you for posting and we are sorry to hear you are going through another potential cancer diagnosis. It must feel quite relentless right now for you? Do you have treatment plan from your Dermatologist yet? We are glad that you felt able to post on the forum as it is a safe place with good people looking out for you. If you would like some further support over the phone or by email please don’t hesitate to contact the Support Services Team Blood cancer support | Blood Cancer UK Take care Gemma

2 Likes
4

Hi @art305, sorry to hear of the issues you have had to deal with. Sometimes life does really suck. Having said that you sound very resilient and you are certainly not letting all this rubbish luck hold you back with your active lifestyle. Keep going and let the feelings out, posting on here is a great way to share. It’s quite a challenge to get your point across without being censored but you did it. Cure is great but treatable is also pretty good and think positive about the skin cancer. At least you know and I’m sure it will be treated. If you end up with a scar it can be quite attractive and rugged on gentlemen, I’m of the age that I remember the first Poldark! x

3 Likes
5

Thanks Lyn99.
I had a little laugh about the scar comment as I have just had my nose straightened.
Good looks are the last thing on my mind at the moment but your comment cheered me up a bit.

Thanks again
Art305

4 Likes
6

You are an inspiration Art305….with everything going on in your life you are out on the bike. Get those miles in! Let us know how the skin treatment goes. I had a facial BCC removed last Saturday and the fear of it was worse than the actual removal. If things go in 3s then you’ve had your share now.

3 Likes
7

Hope your feeling slightly better
Please look after yourself
Keep yourself strong
Life is challenging
Be positive
Remember you can express your feelings anytime on here
We are here for you

Xxxxx

3 Likes
8

Sadly one cancer can lead to another and I think that it’s thought that’s it’s due to the immune suppression caused by the primary cancer.It tends to be similar ones you’ll get for example I have Mycosis Fungoides,a lymphoma,and there’s a 1 in 5 chance of developing a secondary cancer with the most common being Hodgkin’s Lymphoma followed by Lymphoid Papulosis.But here’s the rub as Mycosis Fungoides is incurable you get to keep that too as well as whatever else develops! Lymphoid Papulosis isn’t as serious as the other two but it adds to the problem as it makes lesions which can,do almost always,get infected.

2 Likes
9

I was told to keep out of the su nasty I have myelofibrosis and on ruxolitinib…was anyone else told this as the tablet plus sun makes you at risk of skin cancer

1 Like
10

Yes, @Suzyq, I am also on Ruxolitinib for Myelofibrosis and was given the same advice. Hope you’re doing as well as you can at the moment. I am also on an old drug called Danazol. It was originally used for women’s gynaecological problems but has also been found to boost red blood cell numbers. It seems to be working but I don’t like the side-effects of my voice deepening, oily skin and hair thinning! Horrible. I wonder if there is anyone else out there taking Danazol? Thinking of you. Warm wishes. Willow

1 Like
11

Hi @Strad @art305 @Lyn99 @Walburd @Kevan7 @Suzyq @Willow
I have also had skin cancer on the top of my head since my blood cancer diagnosis and had a major op with skin graft in 2016.
3 weeks ago I had another op to remove scar tissue and growths on the same area, luckily not cancer this time.
The surgeon cauterised the area but unfortunately where the growths were removed won’t stop bleeding so the GP nurses were changing the dressings and plasters daily last week and every other day this week. Every time they take the plasters off a rectangle of hairs are pulled out. I sported a Friar Tuck with thinning hair before all this, I dread to think what I will end up with when my head is sorted.
But who cares it will be a fashion statement and talking point.
Look after yourselves everyone.

3 Likes
12

Good luck with that as I understand it there are 3 fairly common skin cancers;Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squalious Carcinoma and Melanomas.The first two don’t cause many deaths but there seems to be some debate over this with figures,in the USA, ranging from 300 to 3000 annually… basically they don’t know! However with Melanoma they do know and it causes a lot of deaths.Apparently if caught early it can be removed just like the first two types but if people leave it it advances into the body and usually death is the result.I was reading that some kinds of Melanoma can advance in about 4 months and apparently in California the waiting list to see a dermatologist with normal medical insurance is about 4 months and people are being seen after it’s progressed to stage 4 which if they had been seen straight away it could have been cut out.I am very glad I don’t live in the USA as I think that I’d be dead by now from the tumours the Mycosis Fungoides caused but the NHS where very prompt and efficient and I don’t care what Richard Branson says and I would much rather have the NHS than the VHS,the Virgin Health Service!

2 Likes
13

Hi @Kevan7 you sure know how to cheer a girl up !!!
Mine was a Basal Cell Carcinoma and luckily I am in the UK.
Are you in the USA?

14

No in England! you’ll be alright Basal Cell hardly ever spreads from what I read.

1 Like
15

Not feeling very inspirational today. Went to bed I think it was Sunday or Monday not sure which and just would not get up, upset my wife by saying ‘I’d had had enough, no more treatments, no more appointments etc. I felt safer in bed and was staying there’. Very childish.

Never behaved like that before so my wife and daughters were very upset. I am better now and hope to never behave like that again,

Anyway, my wife went to the doctors and demanded an urgent appointment. Which she got. So, I had to get up. We always walk to the doctors not far but far enough to get the blood pumping, so this felt good.

Onwards and upward

Turns out they had been sent a letter from the dermatologist. Which states it looks like I have Cutaneous squamous cell cancer left upper cheek (I believe the acronym for this is SCC) and Nodular basal cell cancer in the front of the right ear (I believe the acronym for this is BCC).

I believe the SCC can be more serious than the BCC. Greedy again you notice not 1 cancer but 2. I am selfish. If you take that as 2 separate cancers, then I have had 4 cancers. Wonder if there’s a Guinness world record for the number of cancers a person has had.

I am not going to do any research on these as I have with my 2 previous cancers. Just get on with it.

I have noted people on this site have mentioned they have had BCCs, SCCs removed. So, I will probably take note of what their experiences are.

Onwards and upward

The doctor also informed us the diabetes type 2 (I think) had to be taken seriously now.

I found this more depressing than the cancers as I just love my sweet things and carbs (good name for a group).

I did question this as I have done in the past saying did the diabetes really matter as the cancers were likely to get me first and why ruin my lifestyle further but this time the doctor was insistent that the diabetes was such that it could start have an adverse effect on many of my other body parts and had to be taken seriously.

So, on the one hand a bar of chocolate then on the other hand one’s eyesight. Think ill go on the diet. 8-(.

The doctor did not say anything about diabetic medication, and I never asked, I will have to ask next visit.

Onwards and upward

Almost forgot I have not had any results on the biopsy from the thing in my nose. The ear nose and throat dept have not made the 4 wk follow up appointment after my operation so we are trying to make this.

May I also say that I always write that we/us do this or that because my wife does so much for me and with me. Please forgive me if I do not give my wife and family the credit they deserve. They are the best in the world and give me loads of support.

Art305

2 Likes
17

Hi @art305 you sure have had a downward and onward and upward week and it sounds as if your family have probably gone through similar.
Yes, I also have a sweet tooth and really have to watch my diet too.
No, I don’t think there is such a category in the Guinness Book of Records…yet.
Have you told your wife and family how much you appreciate them ?
Look after yourself and family are priceless.
Does anyone else relate to having such rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions?

1 Like
18

The way you feel is fully understandable @art305 . You’ve been through so much and you’re allowed to feel low at times. Be kind to yourself and take whatever support is available, including us here.

2 Likes
19

How is everyone doing?

Hope you’re doing ok @art305 and that you’ve got the results around the biopsy on your nose that you were waiting for.

1 Like
20

Hi Alice thanks for asking.
No results yet and no appointment with ENT until 2nd Feb 2022. yes 2022.

You Ok
art305

2 Likes
21

Glad u mentioned that because I may end up using ruxollitnib. So I will Bear that in mind about staying out of the sun.
One of the side affects of tablet i was using simply said “Sudden death”. 8-0(

art305

1 Like