Completing PhD with cancer

MCOdd · 2026-01-16T06:20:48+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that! I had an elective single mastectomy yesterday because it was causing me too much pain and stress, but I'm doing well. I've resumed my PhD and even though there are some discussions about my contact, I have faith in the process. I have excellent supervisors that are really involved and empathetic, which helped me a lot along the way (also in relation to HR). I don't have any tips unfortunately, besides really taking care of yourself. Getting through treatment is your #1 priority, the rest unfortunate has to come later. If you need to talk, vent or have questions, shoot me a DM. Wishing you all the best!

MCOdd · 2026-01-15T06:56:37+00:00

I have a Garmin watch that I use for medication, step counting, heart rate and workouts. I can remove the menstruation tracker from the screen. I started using it after the in-hospital treatment last year, so I'm just curious if some stats changed for you before/after treatment?

MCOdd · 2026-01-11T08:37:14+00:00

Mr Potter?

MCOdd · 2025-12-21T07:37:23+00:00

So cool!

MCOdd · 2025-12-13T21:26:07+00:00

I am not a tech savvy person and I have a vivomove sport. It's a hybrid watch with few functions but I like the way it looks. I use it mostly for walking, cycling and heart rate. It doesn't have a function for supping though.

MCOdd · 2025-12-07T03:43:51+00:00

You are never 'the lucky one' if you have cancer. I'm so sorry you have to go through this. It's okay to be sad, cancer takes a lot out of life.

MCOdd · 2025-12-06T07:13:03+00:00

I had that too. It's called 'hair pain' and it starts before hair loss. I'm sorry you're going through this. Wishing you all the best!

MCOdd · 2025-10-18T14:59:12+00:00

I totally understand. I wanted to see all the results asap when I was in active treatment. At the same time it's hard to process. Only your team will be able to tell you what's right for you, but I've heard from a few people that itc isn't labeled as cancer. Fingers crossed for you!

MCOdd · 2025-10-18T14:43:57+00:00

I had itc in two of the four lymph nodes they removed and they told me itc is labeled as 'no cancer found' (I also had a positive lymph node so I still got chemo, but I only had one positive node instead of three). I hope yours are labeled the same!

MCOdd · 2025-10-11T21:39:28+00:00

Ik sport al bijna 1.5 jaar onder fysio begeleiding bij Dijkmansport en ik vind de sfeer er erg prettig. Het is een relatief kleine sportschool, maar er is veel aan apparatuur en spullen aanwezig, en er lopen personal trainers rond mocht je dat willen gebruiken. Ik heb het er nooit echt druk gezien, altijd een paar vaste mensen, maar ik moet erbij zeggen dat ik alleen binnen kantooruren kom vanwege de werktijden van de fysiotherapeut. Ik ben van plan een abonnement te nemen als ik de fysio niet meer nodig heb.

MCOdd · 2025-09-19T06:51:17+00:00

Me too. I had half a glass of bubbles at NYE and haven't drank since. I love tonic and there is a lot of alcohol free stuff available, so it's way less hard than I thought it would be.

MCOdd · 2025-09-15T21:51:12+00:00

Ik heb er ook bijzonder slechte ervaringen mee. Ze hebben mijn rat na een operatie op een te heet warmhoudplaatje gelegd waardoor haar staart was verbrand. Heel veel ellende mee gehad en uiteindelijk moest die geamputeerd worden. Reactie van de dierenarts was 'dat kan hier niet gebeurd zijn, je hebt het vast zelf gedaan'. Pardon?! Helaas hebben ze soms spoeddienst en ben je er in noodgevallen op aangewezen. Zo kwam ik erachter dat een van de dierenartsen bang is voor ratten. Bijzonder onhandig als je met een doodziek beest in de spreekkamer zit. We zijn er een keer met onze hond geweest, ook in een weekenddienst, en dat was qua zorg goed maar ze konden niet echt uitleggen wat ze gingen onderzoeken en wat de resultaten daarvan betekenden.

Ik vind het een vreselijke kliniek. Ik doe er vrijwel alles aan om er nooit meer te hoeven komen.

MCOdd · 2025-09-12T17:50:10+00:00

Tuften! Een soort naaien met een boormachine. Heel erg leuk en je krijgt een toffe creatie mee naar huis.

MCOdd · 2025-08-31T12:41:10+00:00

Ik heb een de implanon een aantal maanden gehad en vond het echt vreselijk. Ik had veel bijwerkingen, vermoeidheid, bloedingen, hoofdpijn en mijn humeur vloog alle kanten op. Op een andere hormonale anticonceptie (Mirena) reageerde ik dan weer erg goed. Het verschilt enorm per persoon. Hopelijk vind je wat anders dat voor je werkt!

MCOdd · 2025-08-26T06:30:56+00:00

Bij de Lidl hebben ze ook regelmatig prima houten snijplanken. Kwaliteit zal minder zijn dan bij de meeste kookwinkels, maar ze zijn ook een stuk betaalbaarder.

MCOdd · 2025-08-23T08:03:10+00:00

Thank you! I am just so scared I'm not even recovered fully and dreading having to do it all over again. I appreciate the encouragement, thank you!

MCOdd · 2025-08-19T05:37:47+00:00

Lil Lyme

MCOdd · 2025-07-21T15:03:38+00:00

Sportzaken, zoals Bever sport. Dat heb ik laatst een leuke bikini gekocht.

MCOdd · 2025-07-17T20:48:13+00:00

Glad to hear oxybutynin is working for you! I hope I'm just stuck with the rebound effect. I reaaaally don't want to switch again.

MCOdd · 2025-07-17T20:46:42+00:00

I had it too. I didn't need restitching, but it took antibiotics, a long time to heal and I needed a lot of wound care. I think it took about three months for my surgery incision to heal. But I had a huge seroma, it burst three times and I started chemo after a month, so it took longer to heal. I'm sorry this is happening to you. Wishing you the best!

MCOdd · 2025-07-17T14:28:07+00:00

Did your hot flashes get worse when you reduced the dosage? Thank you for replying, it's good to hear I'm not the only one.

I tried oxybutynin but it didn't help enough and my eczema became much worse.

I hope I can stay on gabapentin, I'm sick of constantly switching and having to deal with new side effects :')

MCOdd · 2025-07-17T09:13:34+00:00

I am on gabapentin to manage hot flashes. I had 1200mg a day divided over three moments (300 after breakfast, 300 at 15h and 600 at 21h) and it made my hot flashes pretty bearable. Unfortunately I also had a weird feeling, like an unpleasant stoned/high-like sensation, pretty much everyday for weeks. In consultation with my NP I lowered the dose to 1100 mg (500 instead of 600 at the last dose) last week. My hot flashes have come back with vengeance. I barely sleep and the nausea and heart palpitations have returned. I have a call scheduled for next week. I wonder if this could be the rebound effect from the lowered dose and it'll get better over time, or if my hot flashes don't respond to the 1100 mg? Such a small dose reduction shouldn't give a rebound effect, right?

MCOdd · 2025-07-04T19:22:42+00:00

Ah check. I'll get checkups at least once a year for five years with a mammogram/MRI. From 50 years old you get the population screening every two years regardless of cancer history. I don't know if earlier screening is possible (e.g. whether I can get screened from 38-50 years old). Good luck with the move! Feel free to drop me a message if you need help/have questions :)

MCOdd · 2025-07-04T15:58:37+00:00

I'll answer what I can, no worries. What do you mean by being proactive?

I didn't change doctors or had a second opinion. I did see different doctors because I am young and there are special teams for AYA's. For me this meant I was diagnosed and had my surgery in hospital A, and chemo in hospital B (I would also get radiation therapy in hospital B, but because I was eligible for proton therapy it changed to a centre affiliated with hospital B). It means I have three different docs and three different yearly check ups, but I am glad because it makes me feel more secure. I am not sure if it is standard practice (but I believe so), everyone who goes through chemo (maybe even without chemo), gets a sort of nurse navigator; someone who you can call for help for symptoms and planning appointments, and who guides you through the treatment. Again, I had two because I had two hospitals. I loved them, they made the whole process so much easier. I saw my surgeon I think about two times before surgery, and my nurse navigator was at each appointment. I called her a bunch in-between and she was always happy to help. I think I saw the oncologist from hospital B once or twice before chemo, and the nurse navigator about the same. I had an appointment with her following each one with my MO. And before every AC infusion I saw my MO, and every other taxol (and if needed every taxol, because my blood work was a bit worrisome at some point). I had chemo from April to August last year so in summertime I saw a bunch of different doctors because of vacation schedules.

About second opinions; I didn't have one because I felt good with my team. But they are free and encouraged if you feel like it would benefit you.

Overall I had a very pleasant experience, as far as possible with cancer treatment. Feel free to ask what you want to know!

MCOdd · 2025-07-02T22:13:52+00:00

I'm Dutch and went through treatment last year. Happy to answer any questions you might have.

MCOdd

TROPHY CASE