I am so sorry for the loss of your sole mate JohnK. I have no words of comfort to offer you in your pain. Your story is my story. You are not walking alone, and the poem is also how I feel about my loss. I am so sorry Wombat4 ... View more

I was at a function last week and chatting to a man who is a carer for his wife, and she had had the colostomy for the past 18 yrs, and although were in their 80s they both looked as if they had another 18yrs left in them. So at that rate Tina, you will still be around when the grand children develop into annoying teenagers. Wombat4 ... View more

We were on palliative care for 2 years since the first DX, so it was becoming a "normal" part of our lives, at least we still had each other. But that was not to be. There was never a more devastating time in my life 6 months ago when my wife passed away. Right up until the very moment she stopped breathing and the light left her beautiful blue eyes I was in denial. This couldnt be happening, when will we wake up from this terrible nightmare to be able to resume our lives and look forward to a future together again. The cancer and the treatment take such a terrible toll on the sufferers and the carers, there are no words that can begin to describe what it feels like. It would have been kinder to take me, I would have suffered less. There are many people walking with you at this time Dotty, and understand, and I am not just saying that. God bless Wombat4 ... View more

Well the good thing Sunny, is that you went for a checkup. Us blokes dont usually go until we think something maybe wrong. So you have fortune on your side. People who have never been close to cancer dont like to talk about it. They feel if they ignore the word, then, they, or their loved ones will not get it because it is not in their vocabulary and therefore will not exist in their lives. So not all moles are or lumps are sinister. Good luck with the results Wombat4 ... View more

The word, inoperable, when it is said to us, is one, if not the most devastating word we have heard in our lives when it is said to a loved one. It was said to my wife and I, when we were told she had inoperable metastasises in her liver, from her colon primary. The world goes from one of sunshine to one of darkness. There is no greater pain than to see a loved one sick. It would be more tolerable if we could take the pain from them and give it to ourselves. Keep your mum comfortable and be there for her, be positive, love her, you wont regret it. Realise what is going on, but dont let the sadness overwhelm you. Wombat4 ... View more

Nobody wants to go on this journey lizzie, nobody puts their hand up and volunteers for it, we are just thrown on the wagon and it begins. Where the journey takes us we have yet to find out. A lot of the time we are travelling in the dark. I can understand that you are feeling tired, the journey is physically and emotionally exhausting. Your family should really be the ones to offer you support, not the other way around. Maybe instead of telling them over the phone and not being able to find the right words at the time, perhaps sit down and write them a letter saying how it is with you, and how you really are doing your best to get through this, but you need them to be supportive and positive for you. A letter sometimes has advantages over voice contact as you can get it right without interruptions. They will understandably be looking for good news from you, and they need to know sometimes this is not possible all the time. Being constantly stoic can be very wearing. It is a journey with many ups and many downs, and family support is important. Wombat4 ... View more

Hi Maggie Mae, Your story does have the good news and that is, the cancer has been caught before it has gone too far. That is something to focus on, and be positive about. Hopefully your medical team will be able to keep it contained, and the survival rate for the 5yr mark is encouraging. The cancer journey is one where we never thought in a million yrs, us or a loved one would be forced to start on. Try not to spend too much time thinking of the financial aspect, keep your thoughts on getting through the journey and achieving wellness again. Wombat4 ... View more

Although I have no exp with GBM, I have had exp with another cancer and Avastin was used with Folfox, and whether it was the combo of all the chemo drugs or individual ones, it worked and the main tumour stopped growing and reduced to half size quite rapidly. The thing is, if you dont try it, you may have regrets at a later stage. What "ifs" can fill our minds. $20-30K is a small price to pay if it works. Wombat4 ... View more

Yes, I remember the meds very well. In fact I still have quite few left over from when my wife had colorectal cancer, and they do all the things you mentioned and more. The meds, plus the mind games that cancer plays with us, changes us and our lives forever. It is sad that you are young and have to suffer this insidious disease. Sadly it does not discriminate. We, that is the sufferers and the carers go from being, can - do people where nothing is too much trouble or beyond us, where everything is a challenge to look forward too, life is to be enjoyed and experienced, to then becoming people that rely on meds to keep us going. I would say everybody on this site fully understands what you are saying, and going through, and if they had the " magic wand " they would wave it and change things for you and everyone here. Try to be strong, and look forward to the day when you will be well, and be able to throw the leftover meds in the bin. Wombat4 ... View more

I think all the sufferers and carers that visit this site and other similar sites wish the nightmare was over, to be able to wake up to get on with our lives as they were before we became lost. How wonderful that would be... Wombat4 ... View more