Sorry Budgie - meant to say all travelling from Berwick.  Long drive to Laverton! ... View more

Thanks Budgie.  It's a good fairy and I can get double use out of it by using it at Christmas.  A win.  My husband's already had feedback from buyer that price is too high but he's still interested and we have had another buyer pop up that wants us to hold on until they get back to us.  Also another two buyers but they're on other side of city and not conducive to less travel.  My husband has to stay with company that buys for one year but two our kids for as long as they like so closer to home is better.     On a side note - company that bought us was in Port Melbourne.  They then decided to move to Laverton.  As our business stills gets the toll invoice for just our two kids' cars - $635 in one month.  Ludicrous amount of travel and very expensive! ... View more

Hi everyone,   Haven't posted for  while but had to tell you a new story.  Some of you will remember from a previous post that we'd sold our business this time last year.  The company we sold it to, went into voluntary dissolution last Wednesday.  Our contract was for minimal payment up from and balance in September of this year.  This meant that we could lose our house as it was the security for our business loan that had not been paid out yet.  It has been a very stressful week.  Lawyers, staff and accountant meetings.  I felt sick, worried and really nervous about what was going to happen.  Weak as still have no appetite and eating difficult.  Yesterday, I told myself that I have overcome a great deal in the past few months and this was not going to beat me.  My daughter had told me before surgery just to keep telling yourself that it will be all over by lunch time - or dinner time - whatever suits.  This helped me.  Last night I prepared our figures, sales and projections for 2020 determined to go in strong.  When I told my son what I was asking for as our starting price in negotiations, he told me I might as well ask for a magical unicorn to run the business!  Today, Wednesday, we had a great meeting with a potential buyer.  Gave him my opening price and he accepted it.  Thought it was a little high but we had said we were willing to negotiate.  It was a great meeting that gave us a glimmer of hope that all is not lost yet.  On the way home I stopped to buy myself some flowers because I had gone into that meeting strong, confident and willing for things to work out and it seems they will.  This is a good, strong buyer with great facilities and space for us to join their business.   I was looking for a unicorn to buy my son.  Couldn't find one but found this magical fairy because today I made magic and gave us back hope that we can come through this.     Perhaps this journey we've all been on can give us strength for everything we face in the future.     ... View more

Hi Craig,   That's bloody unpleasant news!  I'm so sorry.  I recently saw a documentary on immunotherapy and it looks wonderful plus not invasive, small amount of long term side effects as compared to chemotherapy or radiotherapy.  Results were looking quite good too.   As SCH said don't pay any attention to survival rates as your prognosis is your own and depends greatly on a multitude of factors.  We have amazing doctors, surgeons, oncologists, radiotherapists, nurses and everyone else involved in this ever growing sector of the health community.  You will get the very best of care whether you're rich or poor and I thank Australia every day because we have universal health care cover.     Good luck with everything you're going through.  It's a terribly difficult journey but again as SCH said, being pissed off will make you fight even harder to survive.  Please let us know what's happening and how you are throughout this time.     ... View more

Hi April,   I'm sorry you're scared.  This diagnosis is unlike anything else.  Fear just jumps right in and takes over.  Every thought is touched by it.   Once you know what needs to be done and are prepared for it, you'll hopefully feel much better.  Try to turn the fear into positivity as that will help you greatly.  See the people who are going to help you as brilliant, wondrously skilled professionals who know exactly what to do to get you through this because it's true.     Try to get good medication so that you're not awake in the night sleepless and scared because that's an awful situation.  Good luck and do please let us know what happens next.   ... View more

Hi Melissa,  I'm really sorry to hear about your diagnosis.  I'd say your ACC in the breast would be very rare.  Good luck with your Radiotherapy. It's a long slog but will give you the best chance.  Have your doctors mentioned any chemotherapy?  I know it's not usual with ACC but as your primary is in the breast I was just wondering if that changes the option of chemotherapy.  Am sure you will come through  this.  I hope they get you clear margins after the upcoming operation.  Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.  ... View more

Hi Silly,   My mouth is terrible.  Uncomfortable, dry, tingly and just not itself.  Have an appointment with dentist tomorrow so may get some advice there.   Any advice?  Have used the mouth washes for dry mouths but have to have a lolly in my mouth most of the time or it dries out completely.  I'm hoping this is an after effect of the radiation and will stop eventually.  Am using English toffees and worried about the amount of sugar.   Need something hard like a toffee so can control where it goes in my mouth so I don't lose it on the side with no feeling.   Still no appetite or taste buds.  This will be 6th week after treatment stopped so getting anxious that this might be as good as it gets. ... View more

P.S. June - Your life is not counting down but yes, you do ned to be careful with money right now.  We live in one of the luckiest countries in the world where our public health facilities are incredible.  You need to give yourself the best chance of a full recovery and a long and happy life.  x ... View more

Hi June and Silly,   I have sent you a friend request Silly.  I just haven't publicised to anyone that I have this disease.  Only close family know so I'd prefer not to discuss anything on my normal facebook page.   June - Go back to Matthew Taylor.  I had private health insurance but he said he needed a team so I had to go to the Alfred as a public patient.  Plastic surgeons anaesthetists, dieticians, speech pathology, radiology etc.  No cost involved which was lucky as I had just retired.  Mr. Taylor has been fabulous throughout this.  Maybe he was right that you can't do a fine needle biopsy in a tumour under 1cm.  That would be hard.  You are really lucky as it is slow growing.  Aggressive - yes but so far you are doing great because you've been diagnosed early.  You have the best chance.  I've also been through the ultra sounds, antibiotics etc.  They have to rule out everything else first.  Wheelers Hill is a midway location so the Alfred would be easy for you.  Mr. Taylor said once the reviews settle down he will see me back in his rooms again as a private patient which is fine.     ... View more

Hi June,   That's really strange.  My ENT guy was Dr. Roy Taylor.  Fine needle biopsy showed benign tumour.  All good.  He referred me to his son Mr. Matthew Taylor.  He didn't agree with the fine needle biopsy as it also contained a few salivary cells which were a red flag to him.  He told me it could be a cancer.  I didn't believe him as the gland was painful and most cancer tumours are not painful and all m blood tests had been good.  He disagreed and I had to have a cone biopsy.  As the fine needle biopsy was excruciatingly painful, the radiologist said he would make sure that didn't happen again.  He gave me 7 local injections.  It was even more excruciating.  I cried through it, cried paying my account, cried in the taxi all the way home until I could take something for the pain.  It was incredibly distressing.  Later, I found out that as it was a nerve based tumour, normal pain relief doesn't work.  After surgery I could not get relief from pain.  The only pain relief has been from Amiltriptolene (Endep) which is an antidepressant that coincidentally is good at blocking nerve pain.   I can't believe you saw the same doctors!  Wow.  The Radiologist at the Alfred is Professor Syd Davis and he's very good as are the team.   ... View more