Daniel - I think that is fantastic that you have been able to get to that place to have that attitude - awesome really. That saying 'Life is what happens while your busy making plans' is so true, and to be able to stop and enjoy each moment is a gift. You are inspiring to me! Betsy ... View more

Hi Beans I totally understand your need to find support for your kids. Cancer has an incredible impact on our young ones lives. I know my own children were frantic to know what would happen to them if I died, and sadly they had to put up with some pretty brutal and unfeeling comments from other kids at school. My social worker suggested they have counciling - this was handled through their school and had the most positive impact on them. The school councillor was available to them once per week to talk over any problems they were facing and was so suppotive of both my children and myself. Out of our cancer journey, my kids have learnt to be so helpful, caring, understanding of hard situations that families can face. They can now cook themselves - and me - a meal, put the washing on the line, iron and have become really aware of the differences they came make through community service - raising money etc, all by age 11. While I wish they didn't have to share this experience with me - I think they are so much stronger for it. Support comes from different areas - councillors, canteen, websites, friends, families and strangers. I wish your kids all the very best and I hope that you all become a stronger family unit for your journey through this. Betsy ... View more

Hi Beans I totally understand your need to find support for your kids. Cancer has an incredible impact on our young ones lives. I know my own children were frantic to know what would happen to them if I died, and sadly they had to put up with some pretty brutal and unfeeling comments from other kids at school. My social worker suggested they have counciling - this was handled through their school and had the most positive impact on them. The school councillor was available to them once per week to talk over any problems they were facing and was so suppotive of both my children and myself. Out of our cancer journey, my kids have learnt to be so helpful, caring, understanding of hard situations that families can face. They can now cook themselves - and me - a meal, put the washing on the line, iron and have become really aware of the differences they came make through community service - raising money etc, all by age 11. While I wish they didn't have to share this experience with me - I think they are so much stronger for it. Support comes from different areas - councillors, canteen, websites, friends, families and strangers. I wish your kids all the very best and I hope that you all become a stronger family unit for your journey through this. Betsy ... View more

Hi Beans I totally understand your need to find support for your kids. Cancer has an incredible impact on our young ones lives. I know my own children were frantic to know what would happen to them if I died, and sadly they had to put up with some pretty brutal and unfeeling comments from other kids at school. My social worker suggested they have counciling - this was handled through their school and had the most positive impact on them. The school councillor was available to them once per week to talk over any problems they were facing and was so suppotive of both my children and myself. Out of our cancer journey, my kids have learnt to be so helpful, caring, understanding of hard situations that families can face. They can now cook themselves - and me - a meal, put the washing on the line, iron and have become really aware of the differences they came make through community service - raising money etc, all by age 11. While I wish they didn't have to share this experience with me - I think they are so much stronger for it. Support comes from different areas - councillors, canteen, websites, friends, families and strangers. I wish your kids all the very best and I hope that you all become a stronger family unit for your journey through this. Betsy ... View more

Jan - just remember it takes time to comes to terms with diagnosis and then with treatment, and a lot of times it has all happened before you have time to connect that it is really happening to you, let alone come to terms with it all. Don't be hard on yourself and know that it is ok to question what is happening and if you have chosen the right thing - ultimately you have chosen what will have been best for you at the time. Best Wishes Betsy ... View more

Hi Daniel and Pamela Thanks for your encouraging words. I have to say Daniel, I just cried when I read your reply - knowing others feel the same or understand these stupid feelings, but also it brought home to me again - how lucky I really am. My circumstances are nothing to complain about and as you say there is always somebody who is worse off than yourself. I guess I just needed an indulgent moment to get it all out so that I could regain my determination to be as healthy and fit and to remember that I will never be that person I was before and that I don't really want to be - I think I am more comfortable with being able to admit I'm not super woman, I can't do it all. I am indeed grateful that for me it was breast cancer - the treatments are so defined and multi-layered, and whilst I notice the elephant in the room every time I see the surgeon, the Oncologist, the Radiation Oncologist, the G.P. ( sometimes I wonder if I have left anyone out), I consider myself 'cured'- after all they cut it out, poisoned me and then burned me - I Know I shouldn't sound so ungrateful and I'm not really. As a friend of mind kindly pointed out - her husband passed earlier this year after a long battle with cancer - Breast Cancer patients are lucky. But I am sorry I am starting to rant again. Dan I do understand how you are feeling - like an 80 year old - I have been there myself, but I am happy to say that apart from my little setback I feel 46 again. I hope for you that you too are feeling 37 again sooner rather than later, and when you are there that you have some FUN. I have been giving this some thought and I think it is important to do something that just makes you smile or laugh really hard every day. With Thanks to you both for helping me regain some balance Betsy ... View more

Hi Jan, While my circumstances were slightly different to yours, I understand your questioning the type of treatment recommended. I had a mastectomy, chemo, and radiation and am also on tamoxifen. I too have questioned whether I really did need radiation, as a result of the pain, tiredness, which still continues, but I think back to my consultation with the Radiation Oncologist and her reasons for recommending the course of treatment and I know that I had to have faith in her experience and expertise. We have to remember that with breast cancer the treatments are extremely targeted. They know with each type, size, spread of the cancer what is the best course of action for the best outcome. For better or worse, I hold onto that fact even though I wish I had never even heard the word radiation let alone had to endure it and it's after effects. The Tamoxifen is important to stop any hormonal cancer cells growing. I don't know if I would choose to do it the same way if it came back, but if I had to re-live my journey so far, I would do it all again. I don't think about what might happen in the future - re fractured ribs etc, after all we don't know what tomorrow has in store for us at all. I wish you well on your journey and hope you find the answers you are looking for. Betsy ... View more

I'm so glad you have taken this step - the other thing that I did was to find a highly experienced Pilates teacher and I have an hour session with her once per week. I did have to wait until I could manage the hour, but they do start with half hours as well. I had trouble with the chemo affecting all my neural pathways and then the Nulasta shots after each round of chemo finished me off. So had to switch all muscles back on after finally getting on top of the pain. Exercises started out so very simple and I have gradually built on that over the past months - take heart, the only way is up. Even though I didn't really lose the weight from the exercise, I felt so much better that I was doing something and finally taking control instead of waiting for help that never came. My weight is now coming off as I reasearch and adjust my diet - but I had breast cancer so only had to have the dex for 3 days around my infusion. Best of everything that is good to you on your path. Would love to hear how you are progressing. B ... View more

I would suggest that you go to your GP and get a referral to an exercise therapist - they are usually an allied health professional and Medicare gives you a rebate for 5 visits per year. Then you are with somebody who is trained to devise stretches, exercises or whatever you would most benefit from, with the understanding that the expectation of what you can acomplish is baby steps building slowly to regain fitness. I think the mere fact that you are walking as long as you are is something to be very proud of. Determination is a great thing. Best of luck! ... View more