Hello, I have just been looking at my own posts re my husbands recent diagnosis and saw your post. I feel for you. I dont think I could be as positive as my husband. It is hard and we have ups and downs.

I hope you have family support as you need someone to tell all this to and get perspective.

It is hard to remember what you need to ask when you see doctors etc. talking to someone about your thoughts will help. We were left to ourselves for 3 weeks and we have only just got the first Chemo appt over 8 weeks since diagnosis. He was so frail after the surgery I felt he was fading away. Now he is on steroids his appetite is back and he is getting out and about after only a week of taking them.

If you have pain you need to get help for it. Now Michaels pain is managed he is my husband again and not a cancer victim.

You need to ask for help. I know cos we didn't and Michael failed to put on weight after the op.

I hope you have someone to share this with and they can be at appointments with you.

I hope things are better since you posted this. I was just so concerned when I read it that I felt moved to respond.

Take care

Best wishes

Wendy

hi, been a bit concerned for your sister, I havent seen your comments, is she ok

rarsie

Hi im steph, 23 and just been diagnosed with 2b cervical cancer.. Would begreat to chat and get to know others who know what im feeling and understand.  Xxx

Hi Ekmum,

I just wanted to welcome you to Cancer Chat.

There are some very welcoming and friendly people on this site and hopefully some will be along soon to chat to you.

There are lots of women in this community who also have, or have had, cervical cancer and so will be able to relate to what you are going through. If you search the term 'cervical cancer' on this site you'll find many existing discussions. A good way to get chatting might be to post onto one of those threads.

Best wishes,

Renata

Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Sue

I've gone onto the Net to email the local SPCA to let them know how our three little Morale Boosters are doing (two long-haired brown tabby cats and a silver-grey long-haired tabby, all sisters) and somehow I've ended up here 'cos I noticed it was 8th June when we "talked" last.  How's things.  How's that L O N G wait.  When we are so focused on the fight, it's really hard when the hospital doesn't seem to be as focused eh?  Phil must concentrate on the bright, sunny days.  We are just entering the depth of our winter now.  Yesterday - a hard frost followed by a bright sunny day - was wasted on us because Ian had chemo 30 miles away, on the other side of the mountains, and they had a "black frost" - dull, overcast, 5.5C! Thank heavens for heated hospitals!!  Ian had the last Irinotecan yesterday.  On Tuesday night he said he had almost decided to cancel it because the previous five or six days had made him so unwell - no diaorrhea or nausea (never has really), just the crippling, numbing tiredness.  As we lay in bed trying to get off to sleep with such a momentous day ahead of us, he told me how he'd been thinking, but that he'd decided it might buy him a month or two extra so he'd do it. 

Very, very, very strange feeling, though, to be walking out of that chemo day ward knowing that part of the fight was over...........

Ian has a CT on Friday 22nd and a follow-up clinic with the oncologist at an appointment yet to be advised - waiting time for us now too???

Have you got to the bottom of the dragging sensation - is the GP any help - last contact we had with one, she said "I don't know, I don't know anything about cancer."  Then our Cancer Society support worker tells us recently the doctor is the local cancer specialist - go figure.....  Ian had an aching leg for ten days or so which worried us both.  It's like he says, you don't know what aches or pains you'd have had anyway without the cancer in the equation - but anything puts the fear of wotsit into you.

Hope the golf went well and the family wedding didn't turn into a bun fight or punchup (sorry, my sick sense of humor based on my dysfunctional family hahaha)

Lorraine

I've been wondering how you are and thinking how much harder it is for you, how's everything going? It's quite hard to know what to say except I am thinking of you and hope you manage to keep from sinking. I send you a great big virtual hug and squeeze Lorraine.

The wedding was gorgeous but Phil cracked up at the end after a few too many. He managed not to let the cat out of the bag though!

His weekend golf starts tomorrow but he is presently plagued by constipation, I'm waiting for the surgery to ring me now because the silly man wont take time off work to seek medical help.

Kind regards, Sue xxx

A very quick thank you for your kindness and lovely virtual hug and squeeze Sue.  The last four days have been truly awful and I have felt so very alone - virtual friends are all I have when Ian is bad - the real ones think they are respecting our privacy but they are just making it tougher.  The leg pain has been bad, Ian took to his bed for three days without showering or shaving and wasn't even eating much and the breathlessness is frightening at the least exertion.  More frightening is the answer when I brought this to the oncologist's attention at the last prechemo clinic - "The lung tumors are stable - I don't know what's causing the breathlessness" and no attempt to find out either.  Our ex-hospital social worker is now with the regional hospice and can continue to look after us under a "Shared Care" system while Ian is still on the hospital's books.  She suggested I email the Cancer Support Nurse with my concerns and I have just done that - in my experience the nurses are more hands on with symptoms and ill-health than the oncologists so maybe we'll get some answers or help.  Meantime Ian is feeling better today.  He got up and managed to dress himself and he's talking about staying the night in Palmerston North tomorrow after the 1pm CT for a change of scenery for us both.  The kittens won't be impressed with being coralled overnight in the laundry but I'm sure they can take their frustrations out on the big pot plant they are systemtically destroying once we get home

On the constipation front, can you get kiwifruit locally?  They were recommended to us as wonderful for constipation in the absence of drugs.  And of course prunes are legendary aren't they?  

Keep in touch Sue.  Thank you for caring.  And keep your eye on the prize eh?  Remission AND FUN!!

Lorraine

Don't know if you've spotted it but I have started a discussion for Ian and me.  We called in at oncology after the CT scan on 22nd and they suggested DVT for the leg pain and were keen to admit Ian.  We escaped with dire warnings and promises to ring for an ambulance if the pain returned.  Meantime I googled the two drugs and severe breathlessness was a rare side-effect, as was pain in the calf muscle, exactly where Ian was getting it.  The follow-up clinic to get the CT result was Monday 25th and Ian was politely, but firmly told there was nothing more the public health system could do and he was referred to the hospice.  I am dressed up in my best, awaiting the arrival of the hospice nurse for the first time.....  How the h....ll did all that happen and so quickly.  What sort of a system dumps someone so easily.  The doctor said it's 'cos he just makes Ian sick with his toxic drugs and the hospice will make Ian feel well for a time - hello?? well until he dies you mean???  A non-public-funded drug, Erbitux, is available costing us $NZ2,500 per week and Ian's original tumor is being tested at the moment to see if it would work (doesn't work for 30% of people).  Ian is considering that regime, with the fairly scary side-effects it would entail; I am at my wit's end trying to work out how it can be paid for without me going on the game.....

That us, how's things for you - you are so much at the start of the journey and you absolutely must keep your eyes on that REMISSION on the horizon!!!

Lorraine

Hello Everybody! I'm Pat from Italy! A friend of mine died because of cancer and I stayed with himm till the end,I would do it again and again :-)