I have reached the time where Iam between radiotherapy and surgery. I am resting as well as I can until the next lot of MRI and pet scans to see if the tumour has shrunk. Then there is surgery. I spent over a week in hospital during the last week of radiotherapy. My body had a bad reaction to the chemotherapy and I was very ill. Now I am slowly improving and off the strong pain killers. My main problem is unbelievable fatigue.How does one cope during this time .? Sometimes it gets very hard to keep on being positive and I can hear myself getting a bit whingey . ... View more

How quickly time flies. And how quickly chapter two is being written...' radiotherapy and chemo' The Peter mac clinic is so familiar now with so many faces easily remembered. I take a small cushion in with me to kneel on when I get on the 'bed' of the rt machine. It helps my poor old bony knees. Each day Monday to Friday Smiling staff The crumpled appointment forms My bag with books and sketching materials The waiting rooms...murmurs and low conservations, the hypnotic drone of sports commentary from the television Well thumbed who and women's weekly magazine in haphazard piles The walk down a narrow corridor to radiotherapy Th e antiseptic smell and crackle of paper as my face falls onto the head piece of the rt bed Cool hands hover and push,pull my back into position The strange science fiction noises of the machine The strangely comfortable position that I so inelegantly rise from, clutching chemo bottle and pulling at clothing the walk out into fresh air and sunshine..... ... View more

I am almost one week into my treatment. I was so nervous beforehand but now am feeling much more relaxed about the process. I have had a picc line inserted through a vein into my upper arm and wear a chemo bottle around my neck. The site of the tube entry is still very tender but each day sees improvement. I'm still getting tangled up with tubes and sleeves and buttons when I change clothes....does any one have some handy hints for this and also showering...which seems to take forever! I'm also going to hospital Monday to Friday for radiotherapy. Already some faces are becoming familiar. My wonderful family and dear friends are coming to the rescue with lifts to and fro. I take a bright pink cushion with me to kneel on when I climb onto the treatment bed....it's so hard on bony old knees. Yay ! Last treatment for the week and the weekend beckons. ... View more

Mondayis the day I finally start radiotherapy and chemotherapy. seems to be a strange thing to want to happen but I was beginning to think I would remain forever in the limbo land of diagnoses scans and appointments . In the past two months or so each time a doctor or surgeon told me some thing new and seemingly worse my reaction was of a massive shock. It seems amazing how quickly one accepts this and tries to move on. Im finding real comfort in reading the stories in cancer connections. What a brave lot !!! My family and friends are rallying with offers of lifts to hospital . I'm a bit nervous about the radiotherapy effects but have already received good advice re the use of aloe Vera on burnt skin. meanwhile I am in some pain and there is a lot of bleeding. Can't wait for these symptoms to go ! ... View more

Tuesday was not a good day. I met with the surgeon who will operate on the liver met . It took a while for me to realise that he was talking about a 40 % survival rate in five years for this secondary cancer.i just cannot believe this is happening to me. I kept this news to myself but told my husband the next day which gave me some ease.how does one cope with the enormity of this..? ... View more