Hello cleomary, I am living with cancer having been diagnosed in December 2021. Having survived surgeries and gruelling chemo all my recent surveillance tests, bloods and scans indicate that I am now cancer free. I am flying to Spain this September to walk the pilgrimage, Camino De Santiago and I have clearance from my two surgeons and my oncologist. I wanted travel insurance and contacted over 20 insurance companies who all say the same thing….I will not be covered for any medical situation related to my cancer. Most were happy to cover me for all other situations such as loss of luggage, flight cancellations, medical situations not related to cancer etc etc. I believe some companies will insure after a certain number of years of being cancer free. In the end, after a great deal of soul searching and many sessions with my clinical psychologist, I have just had to take a leap of faith and trust that I will be ok. It was a really hard decision to make but in the end there really was no choice apart from not travelling at all. Believe me, I inquired everywhere and the answers were always the same. I am so sorry you are faced with this issue now and I wish you the best of luck. Cancer is such a devastating diagnosis and has so many complicated ramifications.  Ultreya….onwards with courage 🙏💖 ... View more

Hello David_M,  great to hear from you and go you for reaching out for support ! I am 17 months into my cancer journey with all my most recent surveillance tests very encouraging. The dream of returning to Spain to walk The Camino De Santiago again has kept me breathing throughout the most difficult and challenging time of my life. I am now strong and have touched the void….can look back a bit and feel my resilience and courage. So, am preparing to walk the pilgrimage again and now up to 16 kms a day…conquering my fears and doubts. Am dedicating this pilgrimage to all the Earth Angels who get us through this ordeal with their grace, love & expertise. Stay strong….feel your courage. My thoughts are with you. Ultreya….onwards with courage 🙏💖 ... View more

Hi sch, great to hear from you. 17 months on from my initial stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosis I am doing well 🤗 All my recent surveillance tests are good with no signs of recurrence. So, I am off to walk the 800 km pilgrimage, Camino De Santiago (Spain), on 10th September this year….yeah !!!!  My greatest challenge has to preparation has been peripheral neuropathy, a nasty side effect from chemo, as walking initially felt like I was walking on glass then, as it gradually resolved I felt like I had spiders crawling in my boots ! But with weekly acupuncture, high dose mega B and naturopathic drops the peripheral neuropathy has almost totally resolved. I decided to dedicate my pilgrimage to all those facing the challenges of cancer and its arduous treatments. So have set up a “Do It For Cancer” fundraiser page on the the Cancer Council website. The link is https://www.doitforcancer.com.au/fundraisers/lindaverity     I would be really grateful if anybody on the online community wants to support me in this fundraising venture as I have a goal to reach and I know how important it is to have continued support from our cancer teams on this challenging path. But, it costs a lot of money and I want to give a little back to all the Earth Angels who continue to hold me up giving their love, expertise and guidance that I need to be strong, resilient and courageous. I can only walk this pilgrimage with my safety net of cancer supporters who make me feel like a warrior….. “ human you are amazing” 🙏🎊🎉💖 ... View more

Hello Jem68, Great to hear from you….congratulations on your successful transfer to a new treating centre, sounds like a  really positive move. I am so blessed that I was able to change treatment centres, all the staff are caring, competent, empathic folk and I feel safe and now in very competent hands. It is so important to feel “held” and “seen” especially on this very difficult cancer journey. Next week I have my 7th chemo cycle out of 12. There has been some horrible side effect challenges, and I have stopped asking myself “what next ? “. I just take life day by day, expect the unexpected and do my best to survive chemo…..it really is wretched, feels more like dying than living some days. Wishing you all the very best with your new team. Stay strong. 🙏 ... View more

Hello Anna 1983, I also live in the Sydney area and am navigating a cancer journey with all its twists and turns. It’s great that you are reaching out for support and connection, this Cancer Council site is a terrific resource. 🙏 ... View more

Hello Jimmy77, good to hear back from you. I find coping post surgery and now chemo a roller coaster. I have terrible “blue” days when I question why I am putting myself through this and other days when I feel a tad better. My first week of chemo seems to be the worst when I am beyond exhausted and struggle with this horrid side effect called “chemo brain”. There is a terrific podcast on this website about this issue. My brain doesn’t work and I am so exhausted that walking to the bathroom is a marathon and showers impossible. My exercise physiologist wants me to walk 45 minutes every day, but in week one it looks more like crawling on all fours and takes a huge toll. By week two I am feeling more “normal” …less tired and my brain seems to work better, and I can walk on two legs ! Coping is a day by day thing and sometimes hour by hour…it’s hard and you need to dig deep for strength and resilience. I am blessed not to be struggling with horrid side effects like nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but have had a few scary moments over the past 4 cycles. One morning I woke with black spots on my tongue and thought I had the plague ! Turned out to be some sort of pigment thing and resolved in a few days. After cycle 2 I developed a rash ….The Emergency Department were really unhelpful but decided because I had no trouble breathing or swallowing I was not having an allergic reaction to chemo. Turned out to be either a reaction to the cleansing lotion used to access my port and/or a stress reaction. I now have two DVT’s in my left leg resolving with blood thinners. I am learning to deal with whatever happens, get help, ask questions and when my brain doesn’t work trust my advocates to speak for me. It’s a learning thing and you will be okay. The Cancer Council podcasts are terrific and will teach you heaps. Stay strong and know that there is a whole community of people experiencing similar journeys, you are not alone. My thoughts are with you 🙏 ... View more

Hello Jackie75, I am so sorry to read your story… I am discovering that cancer is a hard, terrifying and unpredictable journey. Although a very individual experience I believe we all have a lot in common…the shock, the terror and the serious change of direction in our life path. I was diagnosed quite unexpectedly with colorectal cancer last December and then my oncologist discovered a lesion on my liver. After a bowel resection, liver resection and a portacath insertion, all within the past 5 months I am still reeling and have had no time to process any of this journey. I have my cycle 5 chemo next week but struggle with the horrible side effects of absolute exhaustion ( an understatement) and “chemo brain”, which do not help me to understand the myriad of feelings associated with my cancer diagnosis. I haven’t come to terms with cancer and don’t know how one does that and remains sane. My Psychologist tells me “it takes time”….I hope she is right 🙏 ... View more

Hello Jem68, I am happy to hear that you have started the process of changing treatment centres. I just cannot imagine getting through the difficult process of chemo without confidence in your treating team and the emotional support needed to navigate this horrible journey. I feel very blessed to have found a team of “Earth Angels” to hold me up in my desperate and despairing days. I can only wish the same for you…don’t give up ! I know only too well the excruciating wait for CT scan results…I don’t think it matters what cycle you are on, it’s really frightening. Hold the hope as we all feel the same, my thoughts are with you. I am so sorry about your immunotherapy treatment, it’s not fair, not just and I believe all cancer treatment drugs should be available for all on the PBS. This journey is beyond hard, beyond terrifying and already expensive with so many out of pocket expenses. Just my travel and parking costs a small fortune ! Please let me know how you go on Monday if that’s okay ? Stay strong and know that there are folk out there supporting you and caring about your struggles 🙏 ... View more