As a friend, who has just been diagnosed with lung mets from breast cancer,"I'm still upright and breathing today." Take care all with you journey for 2012. S ... View more

Sailor I thought after 4 years on from chemo that I was just reaching middlish/oldish age. For me the fatigue was always the worst part - I agree - the rest you can manage. I only coped with 'nanna naps' in the afternoon and accepting help from friends and not worrying if the housework wasn't done. I must admit I was able to let go of that fairly easily. Maybe a walk (not when it's too hot) followed by a 'nanna nap' may help make up for the poor sleep patterns. It's not easy. S ... View more

Hi Gypsy, I so wish that there was a magic pill to make things easier for you both. Never apologise about ranting here - this is the place for it. Take care, S ... View more

Hi Allicat. It is a very hard decision to make but sometimes it is the right thing to do. I was anti-ds for about a year and it got me through a very bad patch. They just seemed to take the edge of things and allowed me to get through the day without a fit of tears. I would also recommend counselling if you aren't already having it. For me it was important to have both. good luck with it all. S ... View more

Ahh the 1 kg per week body weight gain. I got so excited when I started chemo because they gave me the chemo diet which included as much of my Mum's rice pudding as I wanted, crumpets with butter, milk shakes etc. In fact anything that I could stomach. As someone who had a congenital (not just teenage) difficulty controlling weight, this was heaven on a stick! Finally, an upside to chemo! Haha. Each fornight, while all the other patients in the clinic were wasting away to shadows I systematically gained the obligatory 1kg per week. The weight that I had gloriously lost while on 'nil by mouth' for nearly 3 weeks flew back to torso and bum. 'Hmmm,' The dietician would mutter. 'Maybe you could try salmon instead of cheese for lunch and maybe just a spoonful of pudding.'I was still permiited the crumpet at 8.00pm as this did stave off the nausea until about 4.00am. So... after chemo, I not only couldn't feel my hands or feet (peripheral neuropathy) but I was back to the battle of the bulge. I think that I can tick all of the other boxes (except the convulsions) as well. At least now, Ben, I know why!!!Thanks ... View more

Ah Ben - you seem to describe everything so eleoquently! 4 years down the track my body still hasn't fully diverted the oxaliplitan. The neuopathy in my feet and hands (and maybe my skin sensitivity - have to check with onc on Thursday about that one)are constant reminders of this drugs fortnightly sojourn through my blood stream. And yes, the Roid Rage was there as well. While everyone else on chemo fades away to a shadow,I systematically piled on the kilos - still struggling to peel them away. My passport photo was taken when in full Roid flight - round and puffy!! i also found that a crumpet at about 8.oopm would stave off the nausea until about 5.00am and then fresh orange juice and an anti nausea cocktail did the trick for a few more hours. Good luck with it all. I feel your pain. ... View more

I am sometimes sad, (I agree Harker about the collateral damage). I am sometimes strong and forward looking. I am sometimes deep in "what ifs". I have actually never been angry per se. But I know many others often are. I am confused at times, but as time between diagnosis and recovery extends, I am less confused. I am terribly sad when I hear of others being diagnosed. It is such a personal and varied response and times like anniversaries bring ot to the fore of your mind. Whatever you feel is probably right for you. ... View more

My gorgeous Jack Russell was my consatnt companion when I was ill. She would follow me everywhere, wait outside the toilet, crash with me for nanna naps. Last weekend she went into renal failure and we had to put her down. The inhumane option was to watch her starve to death. My son and I are still shattered and keep looking out for her and expecting her to leap on my lap as soon as my bum hits a chair. I certainly can't explain what it is but she knew that I needed care during treatment but the look in her eyes last weekend also told us that she knew that her time had come. She was 14. ... View more

Hi, fortunately I didn't need a puch or a stoma - just the plumbing.My surgery was 4 years ago. I have found that since chemo, my skin in gneral is much more sensitive, perhaps as a result of the residual neuropathy, and so at times my scar does get itchy. As I often say about the neuropathy and the other parts of chemo that have decided to stick around- at least I am here to feel them. ... View more

You win. I only had 33 staples. Yes, I too counted them as the student nurse gently removed them. I've never asked about the inside. Just assumed that the plumbing was done with normal sutures. There you go, you learn something every day. Yes Ben, they needed plenty of room for me as well as they weren't sure what the Hell they were going to find as my bowel had completely shut down and they were very concerned about the bowel rupturing/perforating. Then it would have been all over red rover! I often thenk the stars for modern medicine and quick thinking on-call surgeons. Yes, I have a "good" scar - lucky my bikini days have been over for a long time. Does get a little itchy at times. S ... View more