Hi Meerkat,

Found your new thread after you replied to my post on your old one (I'm new to all this too!).  Poor you facing considerable surgery, but your medical team sound like they really know what they're doing. Must be strange to think about losing so many bits, but think of it as being a few pound lighter!  (Doesn't sound like you need to be though).  You will no doubt need plenty of time to recuperate so make sure all your loved ones give you a massive pamper package, and keep your laptop at hand to post on here.  Great that your friends are doing a charity walk, I have been threatening to do a charity run for my local hospice since Dad died, they've helped me so much through this terrible time so I definitely will do it in the future.

I am at an "acceptance mode" regarding my Mum at the moment, so am making the most of it as I know much darker days to come soon.  I can't believe that I find a chatsite helps, I never thought it was me!  Thank god for the internet eh!  Take care and keeping posting your virtual friends.  Hope23 x

Hi Hope,

Glad you've found me here! I'm going to 'cut and paste' your sentence about my loved ones giving me a massive pamper package and leave it lying round the house in various places . . . Maybe with a few ideas as to what constitutes pampering (for my partner!!! Say no more!)

It's good to read that you're going to do a charity run, some time in the future, for the local hospice who cared for your dad and who have helped you too.  I'm sure it will be a 'mixed emotions' experience when you run it, but hopefully an uplifting one, doing something in your lovely dad's memory!

I'm glad you're finding the chat site such a support and you are certainly doing your bit to support all of us out here! Even though you have said you know darker days are ahead, I'm glad you are making the best of the way you feel at the moment.

Stay strong, lovely Hope,

Meerkat x

Morning Jo,

Don't know how else to find you but to seek out this thread of yours.

Haven't really had anywhere to ask how you are you are doing and what stage you are at with your treatments.

I know you were having some side effects from the chemo but don't know how it is for you at the moment.

How did Christmas go for you and your partner?

And did you get up to Scotland for New Year?

You are one of those lovely people on here Jo who always sems to be giving.

Look forward to hearing from you

Hugs

Annabel.xx

Hi Jo,  Would just like to add to Annabel's post to see how you are doing? and to wish you a Happy New Year.  Hope x

Hi Annabel,  How are you doing too?  Wishing you peace and happiness for 2014.  Hope x

Hi Annabel and Hope,

Happy New Year to both of you!

Sadly, the chemo side effects escalated and I ended up in severe pain over Christmas. My partner and I kept ringing the hospital for advice and I kept taking the anti sickness and diarrhoea tabs, plus paracetamol. All had very little effect and I lost 3kg (6lbs in old money!) in weight and 5 days of Christmas!

I saw the oncologist on New Year's Eve and he said I am one of the 5% of patients who are unable to process the chemo I was on, hence the horrendous side effects! So, no more chemo for me! I'm relieved that I don't have to endure that level of pain again, but the other side of the coin is that there is no alternative chemo available to me. I can only hope that the liver resection op is successful! I don't have a date for this yet.

My first scan (CT) is next Friday and I'll have an MRI scan in due course and then meet my liver surgeon and specialist nurse.

My partner and I are making the most of this 'medical free' few days, with a planned trip to Ikea.

I'm also looking forward to a girly shop and lunch with my daughter as both our birthdays are next week.

Annabel, I hope you managed to get some rest and enjoyment over the festive period. I know you were busy cleaning your cottages in the turn around between Christmas and New Year! And now you'll have all the decorations to take down too! A busy time for those in Hospitality!  Remember to make 2014 a year of  'Annabel pampering'   

Hope, I know Christmas and New Year will have been an especially difficult and emotional time for you. I hope you managed to find some peace and calm.

I know that you will still have days when you feel sad and low and I wish you the strength to help you through such days. Keep being kind to yourself.

When do your boys head back to their studies? My daughter starts her OT degree on Jan 13th and my son heads back to Uni around the same time! They both live with their dad, so he'll have a very quiet house! And less washing!! 

Well, as you'll see from the time of posting this, it's the wee small hours (I've dozed on the sofa for most of the evening so now I'm wide awake!) but I need to grab a few more winks as we have family coming over for lunch tomorrow (today!!!) I'm on table setting duty and in charge of pudding! All other culinary chores are in the capable hands of my lovely man! One of the many perks of living with a chef!

Take care you two lovelies! And keep up your wonderfully supportive messages on this forum! Talking of which, I haven't seen postings from Max for a while, I hope she's ok.

Love and hugs, Jo xx

Hi Jo,

I am so sorry to hear that you had an adverse reaction to your chemo over Christmas. That must have been horrible both for you and your partner.

I wish you all the best for your scans, take care and enjoy your shopping trips, Brian.

Hi Brian,

So good to hear from you! A Happy New Year to you and Mrs B!

Sadly, Christmas was a bit of a non event, but we just celebrated it on the 29th when I felt better!

I hope you had a great Boxing Day with your family (I keep reading your posts so I know how much pleasure you had from sharing the day with your grandchildren!) I read Jules' posts too, but don't always respond on her threads! Maybe that should be my New Years Resolution?

To catch up with my old friends on here! 'Read and Respond' rather than 'Just Read' !!!!!

I was glad to see that your wife opened up to you about her brother. It must a very worrying time for you all, but I'm sure having you by her side, will be the perfect support she needs.

So, we're all heading into a new year, with new challenges, but with the help of this forum and all the wonderful people (like you!) on it, we can help support each other through what lies ahead! I find it such a lifeline!

Take care, lovely 'Nutty' Brian, love to you and Mrs B,

Jo xx

Hi Jo,

So lovely to hear back from you.

I had an inkling things wern't going so well for you, because you were a little quite, but didn't know whether that was just Christmas.

Losing six lbs(happy to do old money) and 5 days could not have been good in any way. I am sorry you had to go through this. Will have to keep our fingers crossed for your scan on Friday and a date soon for the liver resection.

I hope you have a lovey bit of retail therapy with your daughter, strangley enough it's my daughters Birthday next week too, haven't found out what she would like yet, but then she hasn't got back to me on that one.

Get that table set girl and make a lovely pudding and then have a lovely relaxing time with your family.

Me, I am going to the top of our track this afternoon to move large stones with my friends farming husband and his tractor. Someone has moved these stones this week for some unknown reason and they are now blocking the gully and thats going to adversly affect the road and track when we get more rain. Then when it is a rain free day I shall be up there painting said stones. The joys of living in the country.!!!!!!!! LOL. I shall have to get warmly dressed up as it has turned chilli again.

Let us know how you are doing lovely Jo, look after yourself

love and hugs

Annabel. xx

Hi Hope my love, have been keeping up with your posts.

You have managed a difficult time well.

Have been thinking about you over the holiday period. and wish you a bright and comforting New Year.

hugs

Annabel.xx

Oh Jo, I am so sorry to hear what a rotten time you had over Christmas.  I do hope you are feeling a lot better now you have stopped the chemo. I hope you managed to enjoy your day with family today, and I'm so glad you have a supportive partner who sounds like he looks after you well.  Good luck to your daugher with her degree.  We took my son back to London tonight, he is back to Uni tomorrow - med students don't get the luxury of long hols like many other students do.  I'm back to work tomorrow.  I'm trying to positive for the New Year, I'm afraid I do still have my very sad days and if I'm honest the whole of December has been emotional but onwards and upwards for the New Year.  Wishing you all the best Jo and please let me know when you get a date for your operation.  Thinking of you Hopex

Hi Jo,

I have just come across this thread for the first time which is strange as I've been using this site a lot recently and trying to read up on all of my 'virtual friends' and their encounters with cancer. I swear this site doesn't work consistently sometimes!

I know we have kept in touch on my own thread but having read in more detail what you have been through I just wanted to let you know that I think you are such a strong lady to have dealt with so much and now be back at work whilst keeping such a positive attitude and a sense of humour all the way along, as well as offering support to others on here. My heart was pounding as I read about your op last September and your explanation of how you were feeling as I could relate to many of those feelings. I remember it all too well. Time has passed so quickly and I sometimes find it hard to believe that both of our ops were over six months ago!

I hope all is going well with being back at work, I hope to return to work soon too. You really are remarkable and I hope your partner, family, friends and work colleagues are looking after you. Are you planning another 'summer' Christmas this year to make up for the last? Haha! We may well do this tool,

Speak soon,

Nicola xx

Hi Nicola,

Thank you so much for your kind words.

Your 'revival' of this thread made me re-read it from the beginning and I can't believe how far I seem to have come since last September! Same for You too! You did in fact post on here, around Sept 25th I think. It was during the early recovery period for us both!

I have recently started a new thread called 'An anxious wait' which I started when I found out that another tumour (secondary liver cancer) has popped up in my liver and the surgeon wanted to wait 3 months to before operating in case more tumours emerged.

Well, the 'anxious wait' should be over soon as I'm due a scan on Easter Saturday and hope to get the results in early May! Then, it's a case of 'To operate or Not to operate?' The results may show that a liver resection operation is no longer an option! But a stoma reversal op may be a goer!

Going back to work has proved a brilliant distraction, as has getting a new puppy! I'm too busy to be anxious these days!

Well, I'll keep posting on your thread - that's grown hasn't it? As I commented to Irene, this forum is amazing!

Take care, Nicola. Love and hugs to,you and your little girl, Jo xx

Hi Nicola,

Thank you so much for your kind words.

Your 'revival' of this thread made me re-read it from the beginning and I can't believe how far I seem to have come since last September! Same for You too! You did in fact post on here, around Sept 25th I think. It was during the early recovery period for us both!

I have recently started a new thread called 'An anxious wait' which I started when I found out that another tumour (secondary liver cancer) has popped up in my liver and the surgeon wanted to wait 3 months to before operating in case more tumours emerged.

Well, the 'anxious wait' should be over soon as I'm due a scan on Easter Saturday and hope to get the results in early May! Then, it's a case of 'To operate or Not to operate?' The results may show that a liver resection operation is no longer an option! But a stoma reversal op may be a goer!

Going back to work has proved a brilliant distraction, as has getting a new puppy! I'm too busy to be anxious these days!

Well, I'll keep posting on your thread - that's grown hasn't it? As I commented to Irene, this forum is amazing!

Take care, Nicola. Love and hugs to,you and your little girl, Jo xx

Yes I did post here before, there's me blaming it on this site but now I'm going to blame it on my Chemo brain! Even though Chemo finished a few months ago I do tend to still blame everything on that these days, haha! I did re-read most of this thread this morning, mainly your own posts.

I will follow your most recent thread going forwards and will be thinking of you on that Saturday and early May. I will keep everything crossed for the answers you are hoping for. A new puppy is a brilliant distraction (as is a two year old!) of which gives me more of a reason to give myself a kick up the rear end on those down days which I still have sometimes!

Speak soon, love and hugs to you too xxx

Hi there Jo,

I was just having a quick scan of the site, noticed that Nicola had ressurected your thread and so I thought your favourite stalking victim would drop you a line and say hi.

"HI!"

Hope you are doing OK while you wait for your scan on Easter Saturday although as you say the new puppy will keep you busy even if work doesn't.  I remember having a labrador puppy when I was about twelve and I remember being pinned in the corner of the room laughing as she played with my ankles using her sharp little teeth.  She was a lovelly dog but unfortunately she was just too hyperactive for Mum and I so we found her a new home on a horse ranch.  We checked on her a few weeks later and she was loving it so it all worked out in the end.

Anyway enough rambling just wanted to see how you were.

All the best to you.

Garf. xx

Hi Garf,

Great to hear from you!

I have certainly experienced the wrath of puppy teeth! He seems to enjoy biting me more than my partner.

Maybe I should clarify. . . My partner does not enjoy biting me, but the dog does! Ah, the English language eh?

It's a shame that you had to rehome your Labrador, but I can empathise! Less than 2 weeks of owning wee Paddy, both my partner and I are exhausted!

How lovely that your pup could go to a ranch.

Take care, Garf,

Big hug from your overt stalker! x

Good morning Jo,

That really made me laugh!

Isn't it great that we use one of the most difficult languages in the world to communicate?

Garf. xx