Hi Nicole So great to hear from you, have been thinking of you. :) Really sorry to hear of all that you are currently going through though. I hope that Christmas at least allows us all to have some free time from thinking of cancer. 🙂 Baby steps Nicole and just keep aiming for something other than what you currently have. Julie ... View more

Phiross We all do the fall in a hole thing from time to time. Sometimes the hole is deeper than others and at other times it is shallow and easier to get out of. 🙂 Really great to hear you are putting some strategies in place to help you deal with what you are going through. I wish you all the very best for Christmas and hope that you have a lovely day. Julie ... View more

Hiya Phiross We all get "thingy" around our checkups. I can totally understand how you are feeling, we somehow expect a little more. On my last checkup I got the old, wow you are looking great from everyone and then they scoped me and that was it. I am meant to have a pet scan early next year but no mention was made of it. I inquired with one of the nurses and she then told me they pick up more via scoping than they do scanning. Ho hum! Not sure that eases my mind either. To have a pet scan and have it come back as clear as it can puts my mind at ease. I can relate to not wanting to be yourself at the moment. If only we could turn back time. I was quite happy with the way I was before all of this. Now I have to learn and appreciate the "new me", which is hard when I dont particularly want to be the "new me". however, the new me I am! Some days I am like you and other days I can be quite ok with everything and positive. Take care Julie xo ... View more

6 months in a leaky boat? lol Where is your sense of adventure S? We can just plug up the leaks and before we know it we will be in Italy eating pizza ... minus the anchovies 😄 ... View more

Hey Rebecca I didn't have anyone that shared my experience and I got on with life as much as I could. When i had my 6 week checkup with my surgeon (radical removal of my lymph glands) he asked if I was having any problems. Well of course, I had gone from not being able to pick up a pen to umpiring basketball and I couldn't do jump balls ... that was a problem! 🙂 I couldn't play so I umpired instead. Slowly but surely as my testing blew out to months instead of weekly I would relax and think less of cancer and what might happen to me. My son was only 11 weeks old when I was diagnosed and 3 weeks old when I found the lump. Babies don't stop just because we have cancer and that was a big distraction for me. Being a single parent I was advised to put my affairs in order as to who would have my child. That was one thing I couldn't do, just could not face giving up my son to someone else. Morbid thoughts are kind of par the course but I tried not to stay there in that place. I think by putting plans in place 'just in case' helped. I took control of my thoughts and tried to focus on other things. For instance, each night I had a little ritual and I would use imagery and a bit of yoga to aid relaxation. I worked out what I needed as an individual to get through this process. For me it was adequate sleep and rest, I don't do well without those things. I don't think there is any easy way for anyone and we all find our own ways of dealing. Sorry the above is a bit long winded ... :) Glad you got something out of everyone's replies ... there are some really good folk on this site. Julie ... View more

Dave Solution as I see it is that we give the spammers heaps and continue swapping the good stuff amongst ourselves ... as we do :D Julie ... View more

Hey Vicki I am sorry to hear you have been in pain! Emergency departments can be fantastic and it was they who actually got me diagnosed after a very, very long time of seeing other doctors. 🙂 I gave my ed a card after i was finally a little better as they had been so supportive to me during my diagnosis period and the during treatment. Absolutely a total "pass" from me on anchovies ... lol Will go yummo for the rest though. Merry Christmas Julie ... View more

Hi MsJan and welcome to the site. :) There are a couple of people on here who have had the same cancer and perhaps they might jump in and help out with some specific info. It is great that you are looking ahead and trying to help yourself get through the treatment in the best way. With radiation you need to be careful as to what will react with the skin. Saline solution will be your friend and having a bath would help for you to soak each day. Get a routine happening before you get any effects and honey is another thing that can help with healing skin. I used it during my radiation and the technicians were ok with that one. :) Thinking of you as you head off for your scan. Julie ... View more

Hey Dave Theere has been a history of spam on this hair post for quite some time. I used to get very irritated and then good old harker showed us the way with his humour. Most of the sites that we are directed to are actually short term money lending places. My understanding of most of these places is that they are extremely high interest and pressurised return 😉 ... lots of vulnerable people get on this site and not all are computer literate, hence me always commenting if it is a spam. WHo did you get to remove hair on your free flap? Julie ... View more

Harker, am sure it wasn't you ... i think you would have a little more flair and finesse attached to you spamming. Not that I think you would spam of course. 🙂 ... View more