I haven't experienced it myself but I did work for a dentist once and people whose teeth were damaged due to cancer treatment were eligible for treatment under Medicare extended.  The yearly limit 10 years ago was $4,000. Talk to your doctors about this as it requires a referral. ... View more

My next appointment with my haematologist is in November.  I have an appointment with the lung and sleep clinic tomorrow, which is worrying.  They only operate one afternoon a week, so my referral seems to have been triaged as urgent.   Mentally I'm feeling defeated at the moment.  Physically, I'm way out of condition and had been planning to spend the next couple of months addressing that. ... View more

No-one can possibly give you a meaningful reply. We are not doctors and we can't give you medical opinions. What we can do is encourage you to get your lump evaluated by a doctor and to stay off Google while that process is being carried out. We can support you through the horrible period of waiting and whatever comes after. Hopefully this is insignificant, but only a specialist can determine that. ... View more

I had a heap of complications after cycle 3, which landed me in hospital for 5 days.  Then I developed a DVT just for good measure. Cycle 4 was uneventful and I'm due for cycle 5 at the end of the week. My original treatment plan has been varied due to a combination on complications and the risk posed by covid-19.  I won't be having any further doses of methotrexate so I now only have 2 cycles of R-CHOP plus 2 doses of rituximab left to go.  I'm not too sure how I feel about the change as that's 4 doses of prophylactic methotrexate I will miss out on. My kids and grandkids have managed to stay well to date.  My son and his wife cancelled their 6 week trip to Europe and are currently bunkered down on the Central Coast. I'm limiting contact with my daughters as they both have jobs which involve contact with other people.  That's hard because we often used to go out and do things together and I'm now under strict instructions from my consultant to only leave the house to go to the hospital.  She doesn't even want me going to my GP. I've planted a few things over the last week.  I don't normally grow anything over winter but I need to be getting outside for my sanity at this point.   Hope things are going OK in your world, Traci.   ... View more

I do think a second opinion is called for.  It sounds like they haven't yet established the exact extent of the cancer and are making the decision about what treatment to offer based on your father's general state of health. Immunotherapy is generally not approved for use as a first line treatment - it's only approved for use when conventional first line treatments have failed. You could ask your doctors to look into trials, but the COPD may be a barrier to accessing these, too. ... View more

I was given a gift pack containing samples of Moo Goo products when I started treatment and I wasn't overly impressed.  You can order them directly from the Moo Goo website, though, and it's free shipping for orders over $80. https://moogoo.com.au/ Another range of products which is often recommended by patients and healthcare workers is E45.  Chemist Warehouse does stock that - I just bought the cream. ... View more

You don't mention what treatment protocol was used for your HL.    I'm currently having R-CHOP for NHL and I was warned that doxorubicin does somewhat increase my chance of developing several types of leukemia.  R-CHOP also increases my risk of developing bladder cancer in the future.  Obviously your current symptoms need to be assessed by your haemotologist as soon as possible so that if you have developed a secondary cancer treatment is not delayed. ... View more

I would. While when it begins and how long it lasts may vary, some degree of fatigue seems to be a universal experience for both chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients, not just during treatment but also during the immediate post-treatment period.   I'm currently undergoing chemotherapy for a different type of cancer and have been told to expect the fatigue to set in from about half way through my course of treatment.  I've been planning for that eventuality since before I had my first cycle.  Although fatigue hasn't yet set in for me, I am beginning to find some of my usual walks a little more taxing and I imagine something similar may happen with climbing stairs. There's a lot about our experience of cancer which we can't make any easier for ourselves.  I'm highly in favour of making everything else easier whenever and in any way that we can, so I would move downstairs. ... View more

It's a tough decision to make and one I thought I'd be making myself only a couple of months ago (my cancer turned out to be a different type than they first thought so that totally changed the treatment options).  Having seen several people go through treatment for head and neck cancers, I knew that I would decline treatment in favour of a better quality of life for a shorter period.  So I fully understand your choice.   Tell the people you think will support you and the people with whom you want to spend time.  You don't need to tell everyone you know.  No-one has an automatic right to know and it gets exhausting and intrusive if too many people are bothering you for information. As for when, I would think about what kind of time you want to spend with people.  Are there things you want to do with close family and friends before your health deteriorates further or is it really just their company and support you want no matter your state of health? I don't think there's a "right" time, but I told people in stages - family first and then a handful of close friends a few weeks later.  If you want people to keep it to themselves, make sure you tell them that, too.   Feel free to drop in just to chat.  It helps sort out the mental clutter.   Have you talked to your specialists about palliative care?  It's as much about giving you the best quality of life possible while you're relatively healthy as it is about end of life care and it's good to get them involved earlier so you're already plugged in when your care needs change. ... View more