Hey Ap ... thanks ... travelling ok so far ... you can throw a bit of ms in the middle of these two. lol I have to laugh and hoping thats my three things that i am gonna get and manage to survive them all. 🙂 How are things going for you? Julie ... View more

You also, sailor?? Happy B'day to you tooo ... i promise not to sing to you either. hahah Julie ... View more

Hey applepie ... ty 🙂 I have been very fortunate. It wasnt breast cancer but still the same sort of op - minus inteference to breast tissue though. I had amelanotic melanoma ... back this time with a different sort of cancer. Julie ... View more

bumping this so jill can see it straight away 😄 ... View more

Hiya ... I had my lymph glands removed 21 years ago and still have numbness in my right shoulder blade area. Kind of handy when they want to give me ouchy needles cos i suggest they try that one. haha It took quite a while to get normal movement back and have been advised i need to keep it active to prevent a frozen shoulder from occuring. I think i have a bit of arthiritis in that shoulder now - not suprising i guess. Mine got back to full movement during a game of basketball (i forgot about it and automatically went for the long break and this girl could really throw a ball!), not a recommended way to do it as it hurt like heck. Hope things are improving for you. Julie ... View more

Hiya Katie It must be hard living so far away from your dad with his diagnosis. Distance and being an onlooker as such are difficult. I think when we are the ones directly affected it is easier in some ways. In that we dont experience that helplessness feeling. :) It is great that your dad can talk to you so intimately, not everyone can or has someone they can do that with - so for the both of you its fantastic. I know in essence it doesnt change anything but i think it makes the road a little smoother. Is hard to say how chemo would be affecting your dad as different sorts have different effects and then of course everyone reacts differently. What might help you there is if you find out what sort of chemo drugs he is having and then you could research their effects etc... I think you are probably helping your mum and dad as much as you can from a distance. Just being there for them and being available to talk to is a huge help. 🙂 take care Julie ... View more

Great idea cats and Happy B'day Jill ... 😄 i wont sing again ... haha Julie xo ... View more

Hey Mili ... can you access a dietician through your hospital? I have seen two dieticians one in perth (200km away and where i had my treatment) and then another one locally which was when i was hospitalised with vomiting from chemo. I was told by the local one i could go back as an outpatient and see her. Hope that helps. :) Julie xo ... View more

Hi carolyn I wish you all the best and hope that you can get the help that you need. As Amanda has noted, contact the cancer council as they have some fantastic support services in place and i am sure they can help you. Julie ... View more

Hey missy moo, Although we have an age difference you and i seem to run parallel in feelings and experiences. 🙂 Am doing the difficulty with coping with friends thing. Family is fine with me but i am having problems with friends who expect me to be the same and i am not. I am changed quite dramatically and that is a normal experience because having cancer and treatment is life changing. Only problem is my friends cannot and do not want to see that and they havent really changed. Terribly difficult to get our heads around i find. Do we forsake our friends? Some of these people i have known for over 20 years ... it is a lot to just throw away but i am finding it difficult to deal with. Julie xo ... View more