Hey Harker Did you enjoy the opera? Hope you can have a cat nap today and catch up on some of your missed sleep. I can relate to the facebook and email interactions and the reasoning behind it. I wonder how people dealt before the internet. 🙂 I am about to undergo a period of "stop burying my head" and not sure I am entirely ready to do so and to try and explain to "others" would be impossible. I think being in our situations enable us to do a lot more observing than we once did. Tc Julie ... View more

OOoh, I did the raw food diet when I was very first diagnosed with cancer 22 years ago. didn't last terribly long with it though as I was breast feeding at the time and felt like i was going to pass out. It has taken a very long time for my hair to grow back. First up I had chemo which made it drop out and then the next lot of chemo I had made it not grow back. Tis a year now and I have had about 3 haircuts and my hair is back to growing at a rate of knots, as it did bc. Julie ... View more

Hiya Bluejandaling Surviving brings a whole new mindset to get your head around. Often we are very changed people after diagnosis and treatment and that can take some adjusting to and getting used to. For myself, physically I have struggled and still have some things that aren't yet quite right and am a year out of treatment. In saying that my body is healing and feeling way better than it was. I think it helps us all to chat to others who go through very similar experiences as we do and we feel less alone and isolated. Good luck on the healing. :) Julie ... View more

Hi Liz Let me know if you would like directions. Glad you are enjoying the In Touch Group, sorry I missed you all last night. Julie xo ... View more

Hi swim Not sure but that sure is a good result so far. keep up the good work! Julie ... View more

Hi Jewel I wish that I could write something that would help and know that I can't. I too will be thinking of you and echo Reindeer's words. Julie xo ... View more

Lorraine They are correct re occ health and safety unfortunately, you wouldn't be allowed access and taking your own food raises all sorts of issues. Bit of a case of the world gone mad. The emotional cost is already very high ... just a difficult situation and one that is terribly difficult for your mother and you. I am fortunate in that I can eat mostly normal food, although that certainly wasn't the case on my diagnosis nor my for my prognosis. Although, i do tend to choose foods that taste reasonably well accompanied by a mouthful of water. Am grateful though because I know it could be far worse. take care Julie ... View more

Hi Lorraine I am a bit gobsmacked ... am someone that in the past has worked extensively in hospitality and cannot believe that people would be so unkind and uncaring. Course I am not disbelieving what you are saying. I hope that along with the flowers was a heartfelt apology! Not sure that head and neck patients will ever get a whole lot of considerationto be honest. We should because the treatments we undergo are horrific. They accommodate people who have allergies and reality is it takes not much time at all to vitamise something. I think what they have done is not exactly legal and if its not illegal it flaming well should be! Here's hoping you can find some good restaurants that are much more accommodating. Julie ... View more

Hiya Karen and Lorraine Head and neck cancers are tough to live with. I went out for lunch when I was having treatment and ate Jevity whilst everyone else had chinese. 🙂 The restaurant was good and didn't mind me having alternative food or discretely using my peg. Lorraine ..> I am just wondering if you organised at cafe's or restaurants ahead of attending regarding special arrangements. That might help save some hassles when you are out and about. take care Julie ... View more

Hi medwards Very sorry to hear of your mother's diagnosis. Do you think your mother might benefit from some counselling? It must be terribly hard on you and your sister trying to get your mum to eat and drink and you may need bit of extra help. You could contact her cancer nurse or doctor and see what they might suggest. Julie ... View more