Well, with a young child, you have one of the best motivations there is, and I wish you so much luck. I'm a bit older than you. My eighth grandchild, a boy, just entered this world yesterday.    Again, best wishes.   JD ... View more

Thanks, Ankr. I suppose it's like anyone in just abut any profession. Some practitioners start off enthusiastic but become complacent over time. On this premise, and interestingly, a young Chinese doctor I saw recently when I was experiencing a severe arrhythmia attack (my heart's electrical system malfunctioning due to my cancer) was very helpful, professional and caring.   Shop around, is my advice to your friend. Oncologists come with a reputation. Find a good one. They are out there. My other piece of advice is to ask questions. I did, lot's of them, and though I found myself probing for answers on occasions, I did get the information that I wanted to hear.   I send all of my best wishes for your friend.   JD ... View more

Hello Lisa, sorry to hear about the side-effect. I know them only too well after having had my sixth chemo treatment today. But there is another way, I've only recently discovered, to look at things.   The moment they told me last week after a mid-chemo CT can that y pancreatic tumour has shrunk from 4cm to 1.3cm after five treatments, I now embrace chemo. I say, bring on the jitters, the tiredness, the taste, the smell, everything. As I see it, if it's making me feel bad, imagine how those damn cancer cells are feeling. And the answer to that is simple, clearly not very good at all. they are under attack and they are losing.   Good luck, Lisa. Embrace the power of what is now surging through your body, regardless of the symptoms.   JD       ... View more

Hi Karen, I'm so sorry to hear that you and your son are going through this. As a parent myself, I truly can feel your pain. Kids are everything, I know.   For me, personally, when I told my family members that I had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months ago, one of my biggest concerns was how they would react to the news. I made it clear to them from the start that the last thing I wanted was for them to feel stressed or upset, but rather to just stay positive for me. And they have done, all of them, including my wife. Interestingly, we still laugh together on occasions, often at stupid things.    Just curiously, how is your son going psychologically? I only ask this, because if he is maintaining a positive outlook on life, (which, in itself can be difficult because we all seem to be living in some kind of malfunctioning matrix at the moment) then that is a great thing. My point is that I'm sure that your son would want you to be relaxed and positive also, just as I want that for my family.   Also, you mention that your son had trouble getting through uni because of the treatments he has been having for so long. And I understand why only too well. I've only been on chemo for a few months, and physically it has proven to be quite draining. My thoughts here are, does your son have any passions in life that he can build on? For example, music, or musical instruments, writing, and so on. I have always believed that to enjoy the life that we have, one needs to have both a passion and a goal.   I'm nearly sixty, by the way, so I've lived a fairly long life I suppose. But as I said, always with a goal and a passion. Without those, things stagnate.   I guess what I'm trying to say is that happiness, positivity, goals and passions create harmony and positivity. Emotional instability is not good, I know. I've been there too over the years.   PM me if you would like to talk. Otherwise, hang in there. I'm sure everything will be fine for you and your son, and I wish you the very best of everything.   JD               ... View more

Thanks, Linda, and I can tell you now that I was quite surprised, as was my doctor. I have to keep reminding myself not to get too cocky about this, because I still have a long battle ahead, but at least now I know that this thing can be defeated, and it will be 😎   Keep us all posted on your situation, too.   JD ... View more

Okay, I got my CT scan results. Initially I was dealing with a 43mm tumour on my pancreas that had spread to my lymph nodes and enveloped two main arteries. After six weeks of chemo, my scan shows that I'm now dealing with a 13mm tumour that has shown no signs of metastasizing. This thing has shrunk big time!   I still need to talk with my oncologist about the artery problem, but I suspect they are going to need to stick something down my throat again to have a closer look. All in all, though, it's fantastic news, and I now know that all of the bad chemo side-effects have been worth it.   Again, I'll keep you posted on developments.   JD   PS: Pancreatic cancer caught in its advanced stages is  ranked high amongst the most dangerous cancers out there, and is often fatal. But I am going to be the exception to that rule. I'm going to kick this thing's arse. ... View more

Hello Sass, at such a small size, it's removal should be a fairly straightforward procedure if it does prove to be malignant. I'm no expert, of course, but I've been doing heaps of research on this stuff.   Good luck, best wishes, and stay strong 😎   JD ... View more

Good luck, friend. And as I said before, you've got this.   JD ... View more