Newbie without a clue

NNA34
New Contributor

Newbie without a clue

Hi anyone and everyone :) My name is Nigel and truth be told I've only just stumbled across this website and have just made my account and am trying to figure it all out! hopefully I'm doing the right thing and don't bother anyone..... basically I'm 19 from Melbourne and I have stage two Non-small-cell lung carcinoma of the large-cell type... a very interesting case which makes things tough for me... seven tumors total with three in the right lung and four in the left. I got messed around a little for years as I was never actually tested for cancer of any kind but was being passed around between doctors since 2009 and only really found out about the cancer early this year.. anyway.. basically I just tend to feel a little alone and helpless these days and I was just hoping to have someone to talk to my family doesn't have any idea and only a few friends of mine have any idea about all this so I just was hoping maybe to chat? or for some guidance or.... anything really.. Thanks a lot everyone and anyone who reads this! You're all amazing people Thankyou again Nigel.
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sarah
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Re: Newbie without a clue

Hey Nigel, Sorry to hear about this, it's frightening I (we) know. You didn't mention if they were benign or malignant - do you know? I've had a lot, but, couple of years ago had one benign one removed from my lung. It was fairly basic operation, painful though (sorry). Think the hardest thing for me when I was young my first "experience" was at 23 and it derailed my social life and career prospects. That time being crucial for such things. If yours is benign however, this wont happen to you and you'll breeze through it. Sarah.
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NNA34
New Contributor

Re: Newbie without a clue

Thanks for the reply!! sorry yeah I missed that part.. Malignant at this stage which isn't the greatest thing in the world... Doctors have said because of a few things operation(s) aren't an option for me at this point. I've so far had four rounds worth of 7 week radiation therapy and am starting another round tomorrow but not a great deal of good has been done so far but I guess I'm still trying to keep my head strong and all that but it looks like chemo is the next step that I'll probably need to jump on if things don't change Yeah you're right and I'm super sorry to hear about your troubles but you've really hit it on the head... It feels so alienating in ways especially because I've made the choice to keep things quiet at this stage so I tend to almost be pushing people away and doing long shifts at work are really becoming a chore that knock me about pretty harshly and it's almost what I'd call embarrassing because being 19 I should be just about at my peak really for physical everything.. Thanks again so much for the reply!! Nigel
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sarah
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Re: Newbie without a clue

Oh... hi Nigel, that's sad news, again, I'm sorry for you. Really. Because we've all been through it around here we feel it deeply because we know what it's like. It's the emotional stuff that's really hard. The other stuff is still really hard too. I went through a horrible time, 6 months of Chemo, lost my hair (female), and lost friends too. I didn't grow up with a lot of close friends though having moved a lot in my youth. I have heard a lot though, of how close friends can be very supportive. It struck me at this time how people judge women by their looks. I was abused in the street at that time. People thought I was a punk or a lesbian. So.. this insight into society and people was the biggest shock, and happened way too young for my development and left me scarred. Additionally, I was living out of home so had little family support. I hope that you have at least that sorted 😉 Sounding like you do. I suppose what did come out of it was a deep understanding of myself - I only had me. And, after treatment I found a new certainty about my life and a new gusto for achieving my dreams. I became relentless and unstoppable and have achieved much since that time. It meant a return to study and I followed my passion for photography. I also read a lot at that time, deciding I wanted to learn about a lot of things - philosophy, art and sociology. I wanted to know why I got it too, so there was a lot of self-enquiry. So, I guess, if that didn't happen I would've probably had a mediocre life, perhaps only 1/2 lived? As far as treatment goes I'm not sure what to tell you because it differs depending on what type you have. Also, treatment since my time (so I've heard) has improved in that it's not as toxic. From what I've learned since, and I have again made a return to studying as mature age in health/medicine, attention to your immune system at this time is important. Crucial in fact. You want to do what you can to support your immune system. If you can afford it, see a naturopath for this support would be my advice. Take time of work too. Just to read, chill and sort it out. you owe that to yourself (IMO). I know, it's a hard place hey. You feel embarrassed like you're the weakest link or something and, thing is, you're so fragile at the moment that you can't bear the idea that anyone might have a less than supportive response, so you keep it hidden. But, at the same time you desperately want to tell people. In my case it was like that anyhow. And that's all the weird emotional/head stuff that's hard to deal with. The foundations that our society are built on are "funny" to say the least is what I found 😉 Hang on to your family, keep them close. Take all the support you can get. Talk therapy is good too - get counselling/therapy or find a support group of similar age. Apologies, I don't know about your specific case so I cannot be specific. can share a bit about my journey and by doing so I hope I can fill some gaps. Others here too will add their bits and it will help to guide you along the path. Sarah.
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sarah
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Re: Newbie without a clue

Ps, I was pushed around for years too (6 years). Doctors kept putting me on antidepressants even though I was saying I wasn't depressed. I tried to win compensation afterwards, but it was complicated and it didn't go to court. It's a common story about diagnosis. Some people sue and get compensation, some don't. Sarah.
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Catherine251
Occasional Contributor

Re: Newbie without a clue

Hi Nigel, I'm sorry to hear you're facing these terrible things at a time that should be carefree. I wish you all the best for your treatment. I don't use this website very often, as it isn't very active and there aren't a lot of younger people on here. I've found the Warwick Foundation to be a great resource for discussing cancer issues and having support from other 18-40 year olds. They have a Facebook closed group which gives faster replies for discussion topics. You might find it useful to utilise both resources. It was a fellow user of this page that put me on to them. http://twcf.org.au Kind thoughts, Catherine
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nello
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Re: Newbie without a clue

Hey Nigel, I was treated for NHL last year with six rounds of chemo. It's rough as. However, you have a different cancer to me so it would be treated with a different chemo regime which might not be as bad as mine was. If you suffer from nausea ask your doctor to prescribe ondansetron. The wafers are better than the tablets as they dissolve under your tongue so there's no chance of it coming back out. Do not let them fob you off with maxalon. It does nothing! A couple of other things I found helpful were meditation, naps!, gentle exercise. If your interested in the nutrition side of things, there's this excellent book called 'Cooking with Foods That Fight Cancer' by Richard Beliveau http://www.bookdepository.com/Cooking-with-Foods-That-Fight-Cancer-Richard-Bliveau/9781741754346 Wishing you all the best with your treatment. x
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nello
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Re: Newbie without a clue

Hey Nigel, I was treated for NHL last year with six rounds of chemo. It's rough as. However, you have a different cancer to me so it would be treated with a different chemo regime which might not be as bad as mine was. If you suffer from nausea ask your doctor to prescribe ondansetron. The wafers are better than the tablets as they dissolve under your tongue so there's no chance of it coming back out. Do not let them fob you off with maxalon. It does nothing! A couple of other things I found helpful were meditation, naps!, gentle exercise. If your interested in the nutrition side of things, there's this excellent book called 'Cooking with Foods That Fight Cancer' by Richard Beliveau http://www.bookdepository.com/Cooking-with-Foods-That-Fight-Cancer-Richard-Bliveau/9781741754346 Wishing you all the best with your treatment. x
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nello
Contributor

Re: Newbie without a clue

Hey Nigel, I was treated for NHL last year with six rounds of chemo. It's rough as. However, you have a different cancer to me so it would be treated with a different chemo regime which might not be as bad as mine was. If you suffer from nausea ask your doctor to prescribe ondansetron. The wafers are better than the tablets as they dissolve under your tongue so there's no chance of it coming back out. Do not let them fob you off with maxalon. It does nothing! A couple of other things I found helpful were meditation, naps!, gentle exercise. If your interested in the nutrition side of things, there's this excellent book called 'Cooking with Foods That Fight Cancer' by Richard Beliveau http://www.bookdepository.com/Cooking-with-Foods-That-Fight-Cancer-Richard-Bliveau/9781741754346 Wishing you all the best with your treatment. x
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nello
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Re: Newbie without a clue

Well this is awkward. I replied three times. Silly slow internet!!
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