Hi @Becca134,   Thanks for reaching out the online community.    You may find it helpful to be in touch with the Australasian Lymphology Association who work to help people manage oedemas and lymphoedema.  They have a toll free number (within Australia) to get in touch with them: 1300 935 332.   Cancer Council also has the following publication: Understanding Lymphoedema which may be useful to look at.   You can also call the health professionals on the Cancer Council Information and Support line on 131120 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.   Take care, Margaret Online Comunity admin support ... View more

Hi @Bud,   I sent a private message welcoming you to the Online Community, but thought I might also comment here in case anyone reading is in a similar situation.   It's incredibly hard being away from a loved one who has a cancer diagnosis, and difficult to know how to support them. You don't mention where your mum lives, but some people in your situation have contacted a major cancer organisation/charity where their family member lives to see if there are some local supports that can be put in place.   This link to international cancer websites (scroll to the bottom of the page) covers some of the major cancer organisations internationally and getting in touch with a relevant one may provide a way to give some practical as well as emotional support from afar.   Please don't forget to take care of yourself too. Here is a link to another page of information and resources for family and friends of someone with a cancer diagnosis, and it might be helpful for you and your sister at this time.   Kind regards, Margaret Online Community admin team ... View more

Hi @Donna57,   That's such a difficult situation to be in. Thank you for reaching out to this online community.  You may find some information in this Cancer Council publication helpful Talking to kids about cancer, and there are some other resources on this page that you might use.   I hope that others here share experiences of how they coped with similar situations.   Take care, Margaret, Online Community admin team     ... View more

Dear TQ,   Please accept our condolences at this sad time for your family. I'm sure that with her four children there with her, your mum felt very loved. Do take care of yourself and each other and please let us know at Cancer Council if we can support you further.   Thinking of you, Margaret Online Comunity admin team ... View more

Hi @Movinginformom,   I sent you a private message but also thought I would post here in case anyone else is in a similar position.   Thank you for reaching out to this forum. It sounds like you are in a very difficult position with your family.  I sent the link to the Cancer Society in California to you (for local services), but additionally,  Cancer Council here in Australia also has some online resources that might be helpful:   Caring for Someone with Cancer Emotions and Cancer This has information about children of all ages in relation to cancer in the family: Talking to Kids about Cancer Take care, Margaret Online Comunity admin team ... View more

Hi @BlueHeadLady83,   Thank you for your post. I have sent a welcome message to you by private message, but thought it might be helpful to comment on your post.    At Cancer Council we support evidence-based treatments for cancer. We have a great website which looks at some of the discussion about alternative medicine for cancer, examining the claims and providing facts: iheard.com.au/.   Some great evidence-based information on herbs and complementary therapies to help with cancer side-effects is available here through the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US. There is no credible evidence that herbal remedies cure cancer.   We always recommend that anyone considering alternative or complementary therapies discuss this with their doctor or treating team.   Kind regards, Margaret, Online Community admin team ... View more

Hi all,   Thanks for your posts.   At Cancer Council we support evidence-based treatments for cancer and have reviewed material on the efficacy of Gumbi Gumbi.   Cancer Council has a website which looks at claims related to cancer treatment and assesses them scientifically. This is the page on Gumbi Gumbi which looks at what it is and whether it works to treat cancer:  Gumbi Gumbi.   In summary, there is no credible independent scientific evidence that gumbi gumbi extract has any effect on cancer.   This is another great resource from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/herbs   We always recommend that if anyone is looking at alternative treatments for cancer either in addition to or in place of evidence-based medical treatment, please discuss these with your medical treating team.   Kind regards, Margaret, Online Community admin team ... View more