First of all Merry Christmas despite the circumstances - it's a sad christmas for my house as well, so I can relate to that.

I'm not dealing with the same cancer and I don't know much about it, but I noticed you hadn't gotten a reply yet and I wanted to recommend you a blog called lymphomabarbie - it's about a woman who went misdiagnosed for years with Hodgkin's Lymphoma until she was stage 4 and it had spread to every organ in her body. Her hospital refused to treat her, claiming there was nothing they could do, but she was sent to a different hospital where her doctor put her on immediate salvage chemo, and later on she went into remission. Something IS possible. Get a second opinion if needed, or a third. 

It's a very inspiring and heartfelt story, and her attitude about it all is very comic and kick-***. I know it definitely helped me, even though I don't have Hodgkin's Lymphoma either. 

It's tough, but you're tougher. Major hugs.

Dee

Hi dogspire.  Sorry I too have just caught up with your post - so many people having a difficult Christmas and everyone being so busy makes for a very difficult time of year for many.  I think it would be a good idea to see if  you can get another opinion.  It might be a different opinion or it might not but never say die and doctors, no matter how experienced, can be surprised by what we are capable of.    Fight the good fight and you will see what you are capable of achieving.  In the meantime have a good Christmas.  Sorry you are having such a rough time.

Dear Dogspire,

I was in a similar position to River.  In November 2014 I was asked if I really wanted an hysterectomy as I was in my 70s and my cancer was so advanced and wouldn't I just like chemo? I did consider this but I asked for a hysterectomy and had it in December - It was a difficult operation and I did have a painful Christmas but following chemo and radiotherapy I am still here.  I don't think that my oncologist was too hopeful saying it was not IF it came back but WHEN it came back.  Well, so far it hasn't and it looks like I am in remission. I know that we are all different but before I read your post I was just dwelling on how I was three christmases ago and want to send you love and hope.

Unfortunately some of the medical profession need to go on retraining in TLC - in my case it was the nurses!

Tosyn

XX

Hi again Dogspire,elog

You might find it useful to try the Macmillan cancer forum as well as this.  I belong to the womb cancer group and the living with incurable cancer group.  When I was first diagnosed I was terrified as it was immediately stage 4 grade 3 and the latter group was so helpful to me as I could see that there were many many people diagnosed with stage 4 cancer still with us years later.   That did me a power of good and I realised that incurable did not mean untreatable.  If I were you I would most certainly try to find another oncologist hopefully at another hospital.

With love and thoughts

Tosyn

sorry - dont know where elog came from or what it means!!

Hi dogspire,

Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. I know you and I were diagnosed around the same time and I know how rough it was going through the holidays and having a bomb like that dropped on you. Have you looked into getting any second opinions?

I hope you're doing well despite the circumstances, as well as your husband.

Dee 

Hi Dee

Thank you for your reply.  Hope you are doing well.  Am getting my head around things more now, although it is still very shocking.  Start chemo Fri.  How about you?

I have a lovely consultant but have asked for second opinion, really so as to leave no stone unturned rather than anything else.

It's a very scary journey bwe are on isn't it?

good fortune with yours

Hugs from dogspire

Xxx

T

H