I emailed a few more cancer places in Chicago and one of them has emailed me back that they would be happy to help me. That was really great news. I have sent them some more information about my injection and hopefully they will able to schedule me an appointment with a nurse. ... View more

Hi Glenys, Sorry your son is so difficult. Sounds like he needs to grow-up. Today I stayed home from work as I feel quite unwell in my head. It is a dizzy sort of a feeling. A few years ago I had an inner ear problem which made me feel terrible for about 8 weeks and it reminds me of that. I really hope it is not the same thing. I made an appointment with the doctor for Saturday but I don't know that he will be any help. When I had it before it was possible it was brought on by stress and getting rundown. When I had chemo I was worried that would bring it back but it didn't. It is weird it should come back now. Although I am still hoping it is something else that will get better quicker! How are you? I think you mentioned a knee problem? Allicat ... View more

Thanks Glenys, that would be good. I emailed the US Embassy a few weeks ago & the University Of Chicago Medicine Center last week. Haven't heard back from either yet which is annoying. I am just about to Google for other cancer hospitals in Chicago and email them. If I still haven't anything in another week or so I'll have to start ringing them up. Allicat ... View more

Hi Glenys I think it is fair to feel frustrated. But also your son is used to being looked after so there is no reason for him to change unless you push him. It would have been nice if he had thought to start helping out more when you had cancer but he might not know what to do. Have you asked him to help? All the family doing the dishes together could be a starting point. Allicat ... View more

Hi Bev, Congratulations on your anniversary! I don't know when you count the 5 years of being cancer-free. The date of the surgery that removed it sounds logical but it probably counts differently for different purposes. I was told that I could never donate blood again - I thought it was because they didn't want blood from people who had had cancer, not because of anything to do with treatment. But since you've checked with the Red Cross that would be more accurate than what the chemo nurse told me. I will have to check it out as I would like to donate. I am confused by the word "remission". I thought it meant that the cancer is gone (or not advancing) but is expected to return. So, the remission is just like a temporary pause. But some people seem to use to it mean that the cancer is gone and the patient is therefore "cured". I guess that is the meaning your surgeon is using. ... View more

Thanks Silly, that was an interesting article. ... View more

I count it as when the doctor said the words "it's cancer" - so for you 11/8/11. But my case was more clear-cut than yours as all my doctors had been very reassuring that it was something benign right up until that moment when they told me it was cancer. It is an interesting issue. ... View more

That's great mg. Best wishes ... View more

I know what you mean about panicking - I was scared when my mastectomy was scheduled 4 weeks later than I had originally been told. That's really scary to think your cancer would have gone to your brain if it hadn't been caught. But good that it was caught. I had known there was something weird with my breast for a while and I had been to the doctor twice before in the preceding year or two about this issue and they said it was ok. I actually had an ultrasound on 2 lumps which turned out to be cysts in the other breast a year before my diagnosis. When I was there I felt like asking for an ultrasound on both sides but I didn't. I could not explain what I thought was weird so I was too embarrassed/unsure to ask as I felt like I was being a hypochondriac. I remember thinking at the time that it would be really annoying if it turned out a year later that I had cancer in the non-ultrasounded breast and that was exactly what happened. So, I wish that I had been more assertive and got an ultrasound on both sides at that time. I don't know if it would have shown up something then but at least it would have removed this element of regret that I now have. But, I guess on the more positive side I can be glad that I did go to the doctor and get it checked out again when I did. The doctor said it was ok when I thought something was dodgy so I think that as it gradually grew I didn't really notice and on those days when I did notice I kept thinking that it was still covered under the doctor's ok. So, really it was a very good thing that there came a day when for some reason I noticed that something was definitely wrong and went to the doctor who this time sent me for an ultrasound on the correct breast. I had an excision biopsy (surgery to remove the lump) and a week later was given the diagnosis. ... View more

Thanks Silly. I know there is no answer to that question. My cancer was a fast-growing grade which although that it is actually a bad thing I kind-of liked because it presumably meant I hadn't had cancer for so long. That is fairly screwy logic but it cheers me up so I'm going with it. ... View more