About ArnZo

Budgie

Everyone is entitled to their rant Dianne 🙂. I agree with all you’ve said & wish you the best of what comes. Budgie

Molly

Hi Butterfly, Wonderful news about your ct scan result. It is really great to hear some good news. Molly

Hi Butterfly, i know exactly how you feel. I left my appt{ when i got the all clear} with my hubby and my 2 bubbas with the biggest smile ever. i was told it had spread but the radiation had got it. I am now going to focus on the biggest and best christmas i can manage so my kids will feel special and forget about all this cancer stuff, but in my head i secretly worry and sometimes cry at night that this could come back, but i try and be strong so no one will feel sorry for me. I was a really strong person before all of this, thats why i had so many kids because i used to be able to do it all, but im just starting to get all my energy back and still strugling to be able to get things done and i get really frustrated when people try and help, but im getting there and very happy about that, I hope you are well and things are good for you , take care Sharon xox

ArnZo

Hi Margaret, Mikey et al It's been some time since I've posted on here or even had a chance to get on the website and catch up on others' journies. I hope Margaret that you have had success getting on top of your beastie. Sadly today my mother in law lost her 14mth battle with the beastie, exactly one month before she turns 61. The last 3mths have been horrible for her, however, the 2wks before her last visit to hospital then hospice, she was able to be back in her own home (she'd been staying with us).... managed because my sister-in-law (her daughter) and granddaughter took on her care to enable her to be in her own home. The pal care nurses and docs have been just wonderful. We almost came to fisticuffs today as her wish had been to be unaware/sedated during her final days - the doctor agreed and wrote her up accordingly, but the nurses on shift this morning had their own ideas. Needless to say it was an immensely distressing time for her and for the family to watch her suffering. At the time of the last episode we thought the pain and anxiety (she watched her husband die the same way 5yrs ago, so knew what she was in for) were overwhelming her, however, she passed away after we were booted out of her room and her expression seemed very peaceful. No more pain and suffering!!! On reflection we hope it was more her final effort to hug Karen and Andrew than flailing around. This bastard disease is horrible and we fail to understand why the public education campaigns on tv don't have an ad with a passive smoker in it. We wrote to the NSW Cancer Institute about the last lot of ads (they had about 5 different ones that rotated on tv) and never received a reply. Once we find out which organisation/govt dept is doing the current one (with the father sitting inside watching his kids play outside, saying he wished he'd given up smoking before it was too late), we'll be writing to them too.... The statistics show that well over 50% of lung disease sufferers are non-smokers!!!! During the last year it has been a difficult journey which you are all going through yourselves. I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who contributes to these forums - they have been a good coping mechanism and learning aid for us - sadly so many people are affected by cancer - themselves or someone they love. We've been so grateful to our workmates and bosses - who have been incredibly supportive. We are aware that many folks are not so lucky. Take care all and best of luck in your journies.

ArnZo

Hi all Grateful any advice on anyone out there who has had angiomyolipoma tumours on their kidneys? I regularly get haemuturia & kidney pain from a benign disease, which usually resolves in under a week each time the membranes rupture. However, I have had both symptoms for over a month now, so was sent off for a review ultrasound last week. Two solid cortical masses were found on one kidney, so I was sent off for a contrast CT scan. The CT scan confirms that solid masses and gives an indeterminate diagnosis of angiomyolipoma tumours. I'm waiting now to get in to see in a urologist... from what I have been able to find out so far, the tumours are generally benign, however, they are neoplasms, which can be benign, pre-malignant or malignant. The GP thought that I shouldn't be getting the pain if they are benign, so who knows.... Hard to do the 'wait and see' approach given my mum-in-law had to do this (was diagnosed just before xmas hols and everything shut down) and hers started spreading in a month. If anyone's had these tumours on their kidneys or other organs, it would be helpful to get your insight. there's nothing on the Aust'n kidney website, but there was on the UK kidney foundation website.... doing the positive thinking thing as at least they're small enough to cut out. many thanks Zoe

ArnZo

HI Barbe Dr Buckingham is fabulous - reassured me that the radiologist got it right and he's 90% sure (apparently there's a 10% margin for error) that the calcifications are benign. Given his extensive experience with breast cancer, I'm confident that he knows his stuff and can put it all to the back of my mind now and concentrate on Andrew's mum. In hindsight I guess I've been a bit irrational about it all, but haven't wanted to end up in the same boat as his mum is at the moment. We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of support and services available to her. She had a constant stream of visiting professionals (eg occ. therapist, social worker, lung cancer coordinator etc) while she was in hospital last week after first cycle of chemo + breathing probs. We're now fully boned up on what's out there to help her through this awful journey of hers and what's available to us to help her as well. She started her journey with the Cancer Council's Lilier Lodge in Wagga for her first treatment and they were fantastic. Take care Zoe

ArnZo

Hi Helen Thanks for your msg. I've finally gotten around to ringing the helpline and the lady I spoke to was very helpful. She's sending out the info on Tarceva, trials etc and in the interim I'll ring the lung care coordinator at the Cbr Hospital (her onco is on leave at present). cheers Zoe

linda64

Hi Zoe, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this sad time. I wish you all the best. take care. Linda.

Re: Forum for lung cancer patients and their carer...

CT Scans

clear at last

Stage 4 lung cancer in someone who doesn't smoke

Kidney cancer - angiomyolipomas

Finding lumps - mammograms + ultrasound

Erlotinib / Tarceva trial

Thank you for listening and your advice

Connect

More information

Join the community

Want to join the discussion?