My wife had the BC test done age 55. It came back negative. We are blood donors, and donated blood to the Red Cross 12 months later. My wife couldnt get over the fatigue that came over her straight away. Off to the docs we went, the dx was bowel cancer with inoperable secondaries in her liver, stage 3B, terminal cancer. No symptoms, except now the fatigue. How was it missed ?, I have since learned that the blood indicating faecal occult blood, is not present all the time. The one week she took the screen test......., it wasnt present. If I could collect all the bad luck I have had in my lifetime, it would not even register against the bad luck of that week of the test. RIP my lovely girl, you didnt deserve it, nobody does. Wombat4 ... View more

Best wishes to you Tina. It is not an easy journey you have in front of you, but you are a fighter, and you are in there with a chance, so go for it. I am sure you and Fred will become accustomed to each other in time. Wombat4 ... View more

Unfortunately some people can seem to be uncaring and insensitive to others peoples feelings. This seems to born more of ignorance than malice. You were very good to not be snappy back to that person Dotty. That situation to some carers would have been the straw, and they, out of despair and the suffering they and their loved one are going through, would have let fly. If you do not show anger in your response, then the accuser has nothing to retaliate further with and also gives them something to be reflective about. They may also modify their comments in the future. "There but for the grace of"..., I think it is called. The chemo and the painkillers started to take the process of rational thinking from my loved one. She was always very independent and to see her loose that, was heartbreaking, and even when she said or did unfair things to me, I still loved and supported her to her very last breath. I look back on that terrible time of the disease knowing that I did everything I could to support her, and that thought brings me comfort. My wife, in her last weeks became frail, but not enough to need assistance to walk. She walked to the hospital bed she died in. This good for nothing disease took her from me at her age of 58 and after 40 yrs of marriage, but it still not happy with that, the carer then becomes the sufferer, and the heartache goes on Never in a million lifetimes would we have thought, this is how we, as couples individuals or loving families would end up, but here we are. It is only the people who are on this journey or those that have been on it, really understand the depth of emotions that enter our lives. wombat4 ... View more

Yes the waiting rooms, foreboding places, with people trying their best to be positive, flicking through magazines wishing they were anywhere but right there. thinking to themselves, why me?, why us ?. But here we are with stark clarity, in the the waiting room, cramped, tiny, our thoughts drifting back to happier times in our lives. The drive to the hospital took 1 hour every 2 weeks for chemo, I used to think, why are we not driving to a picnic or something equally lovely in our retirement. Why are we diving to chemo, this cannot be real. You are giving support Tina, in your words, telling of the journey you are going through,your thoughts your fears, your hugs, spending the time here, letting people know, that whatever stage of the journey they are in, they are not alone in the travel. There are people like yourself that understand what they are going through,and are prepared to enter a cyber world to offer words of comfort. That is immense support.Thank you. wombat ... View more

Hi Tina, You will be waiting a long time to get a tat if you are waiting for the to dogs win a premiership. You may as well get Dockers tat, I think they will get the cup before the dogs. I have heard you can get 6 dogs tats for the cost of a Dockers one. Not sure of the combination of radio and chemo, my wife was on either Folfiri or Oxaliplatin, always with Avastin and those I am familiar with. wombat ... View more

Frightening words, The Palliative Care Team. Its like a well placed kick in the guts, it leaves one feeling sick in the stomach. As a carer not a sufferer, when the dx came through it was Palliative Care straight away, no options, no choices. We did 48 rounds of chemo in 2yrs,once every 2 weeks. As we walked to chemo one time, my wife pointed the Hospice building out, the horror and the realisation that I felt, that in the not too distant future we would end up in there, I thought the end of my world had arrived. I had dropped into a big black hole and couldnt find a way out. This good for nothing disease of cancer is indifferent and shows no compassion. Good, bad, young or old it dosnt care,it just takes everything. As it turned out for us, we didnt even make it there. The final days came along so quickly the final moments were on us before we knew it. Which in a way was merciful. Never in a million lifetimes did I imagine that I may have to walk through the doors of a Hospice to visit a loved one. The mind has problems comprehending it. R I P my lovely girl Wombat4 ... View more

It is not that easy to hold on to your sanity when dx with a life threatening illness. I think we all remember that day. Tts like we all remember where we were when we heard the news of the Twin Towers coming down, and some of us older ones also remember where we were when Elvis died, when John Lennon got shot, life changing events. The news of the dx is a life changing event for our own world. Within a heartbeat, everything but everything changes, future plans, emotions.life expectancy. I havnt cried since I was about 6 when my mum wouldnt buy me a lollie I demanded. Now at 64 I cry everyday, and thats from a carers viewpoint. Trying to live " normally " is not easy, this ratbag of a disease when it kicks our door down is omnipresent and takes up our thoughts. Its hard to get away from it, if at all possible. Once the shock and horror of the dx have subsided enough to be able to regain rational thought, the journey begins. Emotions, sadness, despair, anger, loss of normality, and grief, yes they are all there. Fight the insidious disease as best you can, positive thinking, meditation, treatment, but cry when you want, its not about giving in, or being weak, crying means we are human,and we are now in a place we never in a lifetime expected to be. Wombat4 ... View more

Good on you Tina. My very best for the next 5 weeks and the best results for the op. Wombat4 ... View more

Well done cabachona, Its very good news. You are living in the sunshine again, you enjoy it. stay happy. wombat4 ... View more