G'day I don't remember bottle tops and at the age of doing such things I wouldn't have known what a Ninja was, let alone a Ninja Weapon. Halfpennies on Puffing Billy tracks when loco 3A was struggling it's asthmatic way out of the yards with a full train load. If you had placed it carefully it would stay on the rail and be elongated into an oval. If not it would be flicked to the edge and be bent with only part of it flattened. I lost contact with those friends long ago - moved away, went to university, lived in digs and never went back. Years later cancer came and people I thought were friends disappeared. But there were some for whom cancer never mattered. They were the ones who would just hold my hand, not say anything, or ask "How are you" with an emphasis on the "you" and mean it. However, I have made many other friends since then - like the ones recently who were concerned as they felt I was not looking too good and let me know, very quietly, that I could come and talk things over with them, they were available anytime. Yes cancer differentiates things and people. Cheers Sailor I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me. I have seen them riding seaward on the waves Combing the white hair of the waves blown back When the wind blows the water white and black. T S Eliot. The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock ... View more

Hi Samex Plenty of options for paint brush work round here. Not sure if it counts as art therapy, but good for relieving guilt feeling over procrastination. Cheers Sailor Ah to throw off the shackles and fly with the seagulls To where the green waves tumble before a driving sea wind. Eric Bogle, Safe in the Harbour ... View more

Quite right too. If there were no passports to sheds how would we ever get some peace and quiet, and the joy of searching for a 3.16th brad point drill bit everywhere but in the drawer marked drill bits!! Who else would know the value of the piece of heavily figured piece of camphor laurel timber that you bought at the woodwork show twelve years ago and have kept to the special project that you started last week. And as for those stainless steel slot head half inch 6 guage screws that you have there, just in case one comes out of your boat. I mean, who else would realise the value of that piece of wire rigging that is the spare in case your rigging fails and you need a replacement when the shops are shut? Definitely, passports to sheds are needed. Cheers Sailor All things nautical dont last, mylar head sails, varnish, beer! Anon ... View more

Hi Jo I've had three bouts of radiotherapy, one of which included some brachtytherapy, two included External Beam Radio-Therapy (EBRT) and the other was totally brachytherapy. For the brachytherapy, large needles were inserted into me under ultrasound guidance, and I was hooked up to a machine that inserted a hot little pellet of radioactivity into each needle in turn, all controlled by computer. No tattoos were involved. For the first EBRT, I had three pin point tattoos, one on each hip and one in the middle of my pubic hair. (After they had scribbled all over me each day with black and blue texta they always had problems finding that latter one as each hair follicle was full of texta dye!) I thought these pin points had warn off but they were able to locate them eight years later and considered using them again, but decided to give me a new set. So now I have six pin point tattoos - I don't notice them and would have problems finding them. (I suggested that they could give me a permanent memento of each treatment - a galleon or other selectioni of sailing craft would be distinctive, but they wouldn't come at it.) Cheers Sailor ... View more

ARRH - But that be the reason for the shed That's be where we keep things, Things that when drunk, Ensures that we sing a lot. Sailor Pull out the bung and wet him all over Pull out the bung and wet him all over : Early in the morning. Way-hay, up she rises x 3, Early in the morning ... View more

Farewell and adieu to you sweet lady Samex Haul away, heave away Fare well and adieu for pigs aren't your own Heave away, haul away For we've received orders to sing ancient shanties Haul away, heave away But we need a spare shed that you must disown. Heave away, haul away Sailor A sailor is an artist whose medium is the wind. Webb Chiles

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G'day Harker Couldn't agree more - hard rubbish collection language, what you do when you move into a smaller place and the nursing home gets closer. Cancer Recovery is more about discovering the new and growth, none of this tossing stuff out. Cheers Sailor Never go to sea without an onion – Bill Tilman ... View more

Hi Vera Pancreatic cancer is pretty rare so it might be a bit difficult to find others with an experience of it. It can make your journey so much lonelier . The problem is that rare cancers, and there are quite a few of them, make up at the most 20% of all cancers. A few of them get quite a bit of attention as there have been very good lobby groups, but most of them do not have a lot of research into them unless there is someone who has a particular interest. There are some groups who look after some of the rare cancers, such as the Brain Tumour Alliance and Ovarian Cancer Foundation, but generally not a lot of attention. There is one group that is trying to make a difference for rare tumours and that is the Centre for Analysis of Rare Tumours - https://www.cart-wheel.org/ - this is an Australian group. Another is the rare cancer alliance - http://www.rare-cancer.org/ - this is an American site and I really do not know just how good it is, but you may find that you can get more information on pancreatic cancer through them. Cheers Sailor He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea. Thomas Fuller .

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Hi Vera This is the awful reality that we are not offered the psycho-social support that we are supposed to receive. It is built into all the clinical guidelines and since 2003 we have had the National Health and Medical research Council's" Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Psychosocial Care of Adults with Cancer" which can be downloaded from: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/cp90syn.htm. If you live in Victoria then each of the integrated cancer services (ICS) is supposed to have published a supportive services directory find out which ICS you are in and go to their website. As benlisecca suggests, start with the Cancer Council Helpline 13 11 20, then ask to see the social worker where your husband is being treated. Go to your GP and say that you would like to see a psychologist under Better Outcomes in Mental Health Initiative. The GP needs to undertake a Treatment Plan and consider that psychological counselling will help. Most GPs are happy to do this but it is a visit to the GP (a long consultation) that many people, especially during treatment see as an added burden and extra financial cost if the GP doesn't bulk bill. Once the patient has a Care Plan they are entitled to 6 session with a psychologist (this can be extended to 12 but needs to be reviewed by the GP after 6 sessions). The patient will obtain a rebate from Medicare for some of the fee. The conditions that are appropriate for referral include anxiety, depression, adjustment, sleep and sexual disorders. Most patients with cancer who need to see a psychologist will fall under these categories and the GP does have some latitude. E.g. many cancer carers will be suffering from anxiety or depression. The main message is - don't delay, you have done a fantastic job since August and you need some help to keep going. Cheers Sailor As we sail thru life, don't avoid rough waters, sail on because calm waters won't make a skillful sailor. Anonymous ... View more

G'day Katie I really do feel sorry for both your Mum and Dad. OK he's cancer and may not be around for much longer. He's smoked since he was 16, stopping now is probably not going to change much - might make him breathe a bit easier but nicotine is a pretty powerful addictive agent - is it really worth the effort? Chemo can do strange things to the brain - we all sometimes have dreams of heading off into the wild blue yonder, taking that '60's panel van and heading bush, loading up the yacht and heading off across the pacific. Family, no matter how much we love them can sometimes be the reason we don't do these things. Perversely it can also because we do love our family so much we want to spare them the pain of seeing us so ill, so we try and protect them by distancing ourselves from them. I'm not making excuses for anyone, it is just that I have heard these sorts of reasons given for strange behaviour. You need to be there for both of them, not taking sides but caring for them both. So make sure that you get the help you need. Blog away and dump stuff here - that's what the site is for. Use the cancer helpline 13 11 20, or see you GP about getting access to a psychologist - there are several schemes available for you to get assistance from medicare. Take care Sailor Any fool can carry on, but a wise man knows how to shorten sail in time. Joseph Conrad ... View more