Hi Katekat,   Thank you.  I finally got the papers I needed signed from the superannuation fund.  They sent a few wrong ones initially.  I had all the paperwork filled in, reports attached from my hospital records and was waiting on my appointment earlier this week with my Surgeon to see if he would sign it.  I was sick with nerves over it.  The day before the appointment I received a text message saying that all appointments had been cancelled and no follow up appointments scheduled.  I could just leave the paperwork or I could just try one more time.  I wrote to the Surgeon and attached all the paperwork.  I outlined the clause about having to die within 24 months and told him that I thought he would not be able to guarantee that I would but would also not be able to guarantee that I wouldn't die within the 24 months.  Received a text yesterday for a conference call from him today.   It was a bit funny because my letter had concerned the Surgeon.  He thought I was really depressed and negative about my future.  I assured him that I wasn't and we discussed the pros and cons.  He was happy to sign the papers as no one is guaranteed anything in regards to life expectancy especially right now in the midst of Covid-19.   Huge relief.  I just need my GP to sign the papers now and see what happens.  I will have to ring and drop off papers as GP also doing phone consultations only.  Will keep you updated.  There's also a deadline on getting the papers back to the Superannuation board before the 13/4/2020.  May make it by the skin of my teeth.     Cross your fingers. x ... View more

Hi all,   Looks like you're all surviving and doing well which is great news.  How time has passed!     I've been pretty good too.  Taste buds pretty good now.  Still no appetite but eating a soft dinner each night.  It's taken up to now to reshape my mouth and old dentures to be able to wear them.  Loose and difficult to talk with.  Still can't eat with the bottom ones in as it hits a peculiar nerve in my mouth which is painful.  Feel very weak and don't have any energy.  I know this will improve when I can eat properly again.     I think I los a bit of courage to face the world and became more reclusive.  In late February I started a weaving class in Carlton.  I'd booked in for the absolutely wrong class and had to lug around an enormous apparently portable loom almost killing myself to get it back to the car which was parked streets away.  It was though the first time I felt like life was returning to normal.  I was very happy with the fact that I had done it.  Class went on for a few weeks.  Next  Sunday was supposed to be the last class but they cancelled i because of Covid-19 which is good but I am stuck with this monstrous loom that takes days to thread up but determined to finish the last project!      I was extremely anxious about flying to Brisbane on my own but managed to do it.  Stayed with my youngest sister in a beautiful apartment on the 45th floor.  It was amazing and just being with her and talking to her gave me back some of the courage I think I had lost on this journey.  I did cut the trip short as I was worried airports would be closed and I'm glad I came home when I did.   On Monday I had a dental appointment at the Alfred.  Pretty scary with the virus about.  The dentist scrubbed up like a surgeon.  Dried his hands.  Sanitised his hands and dried them again.  He then put on rubber gloves and had a mask on.  I was very impressed and it did make me feel a bit more confident.  Good news is that we're ready to start making new plates at the end of April.   The next day I had an appointment with my surgeon for check up.  Received a text message saying all appointments cancelled and no follow ups are planned.  All good but I was taking my terminal illness insurance papers to him o get signed.  I've written to him and enclosed the papers and will just have to see what happens.  Nothing I can do about it right now.     We're all prepared with about a month's worth of frozen dinners we made early on.  We had two boxes of toilet paper left from our business which was a good coincidence as I have not found any, anywhere when looking for my daughter.  I've 36 kilos of dried potato and salmon dog food so my dogs will be well looked after.  They have loved me being home and I have loved having their company.  I don't have children and grand children calling in daily anymore but that's the safest thing to do right now.  I do miss them though.   All in all, I think I'm in a better place right now health wise.  I hope you all continue on your journey and remain well and safe.  We are living through something that we've never experienced before.  I hope we all come through this with more talents, more languages we can speak, more meals that we know how to cook, more music that we enjoy and with our health intact.     Sending you all lots of hugs and good wishes - electronically as that's the best we can do right now.  Good luck.   ... View more

Hi Nova,   It sounds terrible.  I am so sorry.  I hope you get news soon - good or bad - so that you at least know for sure what's going to happen and why you have all these symptoms.     You're in that very lonely spot of not telling anyone about your fears just yet until you have to.  It's a bad place to be, but I hope you come through this.     Everyone here is battling with fear, pain, the unknown and the repercussions of each diagnosis.  There is a space for you too.  It's a good place with many people willing and able to help you through this and listen to your story.   I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that you have news for us soon so we can know how you are doing. Best wishes to you. ... View more

Hi Jorob,   I'm sorry that you have such a tough diagnosis.  I'm not sure what you mean by being older.  If you mean 102 years old then Radiotherapy is probably not an option for you.  Any younger than that and I think radiotherapy will give you a better chance at overcoming the disease.  I've read that the success rates now for lung cancer are pretty good.  It's a tiring slog having treatment every day but well worth the effort if it can give you a cure, minimise the acceleration of the disease or even shrink the tumour.  It all depends too on what your doctors advise.   Let us know what happens next and its good to have a place to discuss these issues.     I wish you well for the future. ... View more

Hi Samsparadox,   I think you'll just have to wait the month and see what happens then.  So far so good but I'm sure your doctor will keep you informed next month.   Good luck. ... View more

Hi CaseyD,   I'm terribly sorry for your diagnosis.  It is a shock and I don't think anything can prepare you for that.  The people who have responded to your post have given great advice.  It is just one day at a time and getting through each day the best way you can.     I wish you well and hope your journey is the best that it can be.  Let us know how you are doing as we will be checking in often, to see.   ... View more

Hi TenFoFever,   It's ok to not be ok.  It's also ok to be angry, upset and sincerely pissed off with the world too.  No one's journey is the same as yours.  It will be very different to anyone else's.  You'll eventually get to a place where you know what the plan is and go through it all, hating it.  You'll be incredibly grateful when it's over.  It's a huge marathon and you'll have to be your own best cheerleader because no one else will know exactly how it feels.  Do whatever you need to make yourself feel better each day or get through that particular day.     This is a good, safe place to vent your feelings.  There's nothing we will be shocked by or upset by.  We'll also be cheering for you in the background hoping you make it through what lies ahead of you.  There may come a moment when you are ready to just place yourself into the hands of experts and allow them to guide you through your journey.  It take a big leap of faith but often we don't have many alternatives.   I wish you well.  I hope your journey is as good as it possibly could be.  Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. x ... View more

Thanks Katekat.     I will let you know what happens.  My insurance was for permanent disability, terminal illness or death cover - attached to my superannuation fund.  I think I assumed that if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness - cancer - you would be able to have your insurance paid out.  What I didn't know was that you had to die within 24 months, which I've also been told by my superfund.  I have no intention of dying within 24 months so am unsure what to do.    I will look at the paperwork the fund is sending me and then discuss with surgeon.  Will update you too. ... View more

Thank you all.  Hoping things go well for you and crossing fingers to boot.   I have a serious question.  I have life insurance attached to my superannuation.  I rang the super fund today as I was wondering what was required.  I do have a terminal illness.  Hard to think of it in that way.  That's what the cover says - if you have a terminal illness.  Found out that you need to have two doctors state that you have less than 24 months to live.  I doubt that very much.  Just not sure is any diagnosis of cancer terminal?  What if you don't die within 24 months?   Any ideas and has anyone claimed this? ... View more

Hi  all,   Have caught up on your news and it's a difficult journey.  No one can really prepare you for it.  You all sound as if you are coming through it well.  I went to QLD last week with one section of our family and had a lovely time.  It was incredibly difficult though because I had to be around other people much more than what I had over past months.  Hard eating out and finding soft food.  Exhausting physically too.  As I'm not eating much, I feel as though I have no strength left in me and I don't like it.     Good news - Today I had an appointment with the dental clinic at the Alfred Hospital.  I brought my lower dentures in with me and had not been able to wear them since surgery.   thought they would just make me new dentures.  They didn't.  They modified my old dentures to sit in my mouth with quite a bit of skill until they fitted again.  Not perfectly but ok.  They do the to get your mouth used to having the bottom teeth in and the big news was that it could possibly help to create more saliva - which it did.  Straight away.  Mouth less uncomfortable.  Was told not to eat a steak tonight but had soup with bread and ate most of the crusts!  Major improvement.     Very happy with such a big step forward.  Will try to build up strength with a more varied diet and am quite, quietly happy with myself for the first time in a long time.    😍 ... View more