Hi @Loracdraw, I only had 5 sessions of radiation to my left jaw area. All was fine except 6 weeks later I had hair falling out in the area that was zapped. Also, 6 months down the track I developed Lhemitte's syndrome; every time I bent my head, yawned or breathed deeply I would have a zapping sensation down the lower half of my legs. This was due to the myelin sheath around the spinal cord being damaged. It only lasted around 5-6 months, then everything was back to "normal". My hair grew back nicely too. You have some fabulous info supplied here on this thread. I hope everything goes well for you, whatever you decide. Take care of yourself. Budgie ... View more

Hi @Catty, I have to agree with you about the nurses in the cancer wards. They are extremely wonderful people. I hope you have success with the immunotherapy. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Take care of yourself & heal up well. Budgie ... View more

You'd be amazed at what the human body/mind can put up with. It's all a matter of attitude. Budgie ... View more

Hi @406cancer, You have been suffering for a long time, so it's understandable you feel the way you do. I've often thought of the people who are alone going thru this & wonder how they do it. Its hard enough when you have family around to help. You must be a very strong person to have come this far. Are you in Australia? If so, you would definitely be able to access the people you need thru your palliative care team. I don't know what it's like for people in other countries, but one can only hope it would be similar. Ask your oncologist for a referral to a palliative nurse & she can help organise things & steer you in the right direction. Also, I highly recommend you speak with a social worker, or perhaps you may want to call the Cancer Council number 131120 & speak with someone there to guide you thru this horrible time. Please remember also, that you have friends here you can always download to, or just talk. Thats what this site is for - so we can help each other thru the tough times. And please, as @sch said, tell us about yourself. 🙂 Budgie ... View more

Hi @frostbite, I've only just found your initial post. I have to say that I love your family's sense of humour, & having it does go a long way to making things seem lees bad, or rather gives you a way to cope with all the horrible news. My husband & I joke about my cancer & impending demise quite often. Anyway, I just want to wish your mother all the best & hope that they can do some surgery, if needed. The trouble will be that they probably won't operate until she regains some strength. Hopefully, that won't take too long. Please, keep us posted on how things go. Budgie ... View more

Hi @Betty, I'm sorry for your father's diagnosis. If your father isn't taking his antidepressants, which can take months to tweak to get the right dosage, the only other thing I can think of is to see if the oncologist can either reduce the dose of chemo or switch to a different drug. I don't know anything about Multiple Myeloma, or even if there's another chemo he could try, but there's no harm in asking. Also, is he having any counselling? It would be a very good idea if he could speak with someone to help overcome his depression. There are a number of options for this; there are social workers available to him that his onc. can refer him to; he can speak with a member of the clergy; he can call Lifeline; or he can call the Cancer Council on 131120. Sometimes talking things thru is the best way forward. I hope things improve for him. All the best, Budgie ... View more

Hi @Lyoness, As @sch has said, it's great you're getting a second opinion, & yes they will want to shrink the tumour as much as possible before any attempt at surgery. Regarding the pain you're still feeling, I'd give it a week & if you're still feeling an abnormal amount of pain, tell the oncologist or even your GP & they can look at alternatives for you. I'm assuming the Endone is for quick pain relief - what they call breakthrough medication? Make sure you take it as soon as you feel extra pain starting. If you need more throughout the day than they've prescribed, let them know as soon as possible, so they can perhaps increase your doses. All the best, Budgie ... View more

Hi @TD, Sorry to hear about your mate. Pancreatic cancer is nasty. Is he on chemo at the moment? Usually, if the chemo is too strong, the oncologist can reduce the dose to ease some of the side effects. Budgie ... View more

Well it looks like it didn't actually link up, but that's the thread title, you can search for it in Treatments & Side Effects.   ... View more

I'm sorry to hear they couldn't get it all.  The other surgery does sound quite drastic, doesn't it.   Here's hoping the coming chemo & radiation have the desired effect.   CaptainAustralia started a thread on the side effects of chemo/radiation on the neck area which makes for very interesting reading.   Here's the link to it.   Your experience with side effects from head & neck cancer treatment (radiation / mucositis)   I hope it goes easy on you.   Cheers Budgie ... View more