What help/assistance can I get ?

[rosiee]

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum.  I went to see gynacological/oncologist yesterday who found a cauliflower growth on my cervix.  I am booked into the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 10 days to have an operation to determine the spread(if any).  I do not have any family(both parents died years ago), have no partner and live alone.  My best friend lives 40 kilometres away and is a single parent who works two jobs to support herself and the last thing I want to do is to have to involve her in this atall as her own situation is difficult as it is.  My gynacologist told me that I would be having a hysterectonmy and probably radiation treatment as well.  I am only entitled to a couple of weeks paid leave from work plus I work in hospitality and half of my income is generated through tips, which I do not receive if I am not at work.  My gynacologist has told me that I will need to have somebody to care for me after the hysterectomy and I am at a loss as to what I will do in this situation.  The emotional impact of all this has hit me hard(as it hits everybody hard)...but my greatest fear/concern right now is how I will cope financially and also being on my own during the recovery process.  Being alone as I am, I am terrified at the thought of having to move out of my rented apartment as I cannot afford it , and also where will I go if I do ?...I have so many questions and fears right now.  Also over the next few weeks, until treatment begins, I need to work as much as possible to bring some money in and at the moment I am an emotional wreck.  The job that I am in is ongoing interaction with the public and also very physical and a happy and strong disposition is essential to my carrying out my duties and maintaing my income.  I am feeling completely overwhelmed and am just praying for the strength to be able  to at the least be able to work over the coming weeks and bring in some money to help me over the coming.  Any comments /suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🙂

[#2]

Hi Rosie, I have just sent you a private message. Butterfly

[mikey]

Hi Rosie,I just sent you a private message. I would recommend you contact a social worker at a time like this. They will be able to help you.

[#4]

Hi there, Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I was diagnosed with cancer of the cervix in June 2006 I was 31. 2 weeks later I had a radical hysterectomy plus removal of all of the pelvic lymphnodes & six weeks later I started radiation, 28 treatments + chemotherapy. Here I am nearly 2 years on & feeling much better. I know it's such a shock to be told you have cancer & then having to worry about everything else in life, like paying the bills & having support is really hard. The staging surgery you are having will tell them more about the cancer & then you will know a little more about what to prepare for as far as recovery goes. My recovery from the surgery was good, when I arrived back home it was about 6 days after surgery, I think that may have been too soon but I basically drove my surgeon crazy until he finally said ok, go home. Moving around is hard  which was a little frustrating at times but other than that i pretty much just slept and rested. I am lucky that I had only recently had a child so I was on maternity leave anyway & my partner continued to work while I relied on my mother for the day to day things. I think like Mike says you should contact a social worker, there should be somebody you can speak to through the hospital you are going through, they can help to organise benefits etc for you whilst you are recovering & also some support for you at home. Please feel free to send me a private message, you can do that by clicking on the little envelope near my user name. I will be happy to to let you know anything I can or just lend an ear if you need someone to listen. Take each day at a time & have trust in your medical team. They will take good care of you, something to be thankful for in this great country of ours! Keep us updated, all the best.. Butterfly

[inga]

Butterfly wrote.. "I know it's such a shock to be told you have cancer & then having to worry about everything else in life, like paying the bills & having support is really hard."   I like to add on that, TV is bombarding us with commercials, at how much funerals costs, borrow money, and most irritating is the ones, at we need to pay for it all, so they send insurance messages, so your family would survive after we are gone. I find it so depressing, so I express my angry feelings about it here. We are in soft touch at a moment, and we dont need that pressure. I feel at we demand to have a quiet time with our selves, with our family, on our own time & chedule. Without this bombartment from TV..  I been thinking of my finances too, planning and plotting my childs future, it has taken few sleepless nights. Then I got in to a conclusion, at I better say NO, I dont need that pressure, not now. I am the most important person in a world, so I better spoil myself a bit, chocholates, short holiday, treat myself with something good, to get myself something what I have wanted all my life, small or big, but very special, (spend like there is no tomorrow) thing, but not going over your means. Time out from everyday huzzle and puzzle. Even a nice small lunch in a best restaurant in a town. Dress up on your best and enjoy most of it. Feel like King / Queen for the day. I bought myself a nice flowering potplant, Its sitting on my kitchen window, saying hello for me, for this beatifull new day...  

[rosiee]

Good for you Inga....:)...I have a few flowering plants on my window myself and also on Saturday I got a gorgeous little ginger kitty(no name yet, suggestions ?) from the Welfare League to keep me company and to make me smile.  He is the happiest, friendliest, most affectionate little boy and follows me everywhere and insists on cuddling up against me every night under the bedcovers.  After a week of a crazy emotional rollercoaster, I made my way into work last night, praying that I would be emotionally strong enough to do it and not break down and have to leave.  Well, it went wonderfully(with the help of a tiny dose of Valium ;)) and everybody at work was kind, smiling and supportive(as I believe in complete transparency about my cancer) and I woke up this morning for the first time and did not cry.  I cannot tell you how much better I feel knowing that firstly that I have now gone into work and got through it and did not break down and feel a bit more confident financially.   Also knowing that just as much as there are the crazy hard days, there are the days when I  am dealing with it and feel great about the fact that maybe I can manage this and get through this.  So here I am a week after being told I have cancer, 6 days of hell and one day of grace yesterday....so onwards and upwards with the help of my new mate Mr. Kitty Kat 🙂