i found out last week that my mum has melanoma. She went for testing on monday to see how far it has spread and yesterday they removed what they have found so far. its been really hard at school, dealing with the diagnosis as my mum is my best friend. i dont have many friends at school and the ones i told yesterday seem to have forgotten already. My teachers are very supportive but it is the HSC so theres so much work to do. plus im taking care of my mum and the house as her husband works all the time and cooks for us. its so hard to see mum in so much pain but ive let her know that whenever she needs me im here and we spend alot of time together. so i guess im just looking for ways to cope with school, the house and my mum all at the same time without exploding. the thought of losing her kills me but its looking ok so far- nothing too advanced. the school councellor knows but hasnt responded to my email asking if i can see her soon. i have to stay strong for mum (she also asked me to) but i feel like im crumbling ... View more

Hey everyone, just thought i'd introduce myself. My name is Ariella and i'm a year 12 student. I found out last Thursday that my mum has cancer (melanoma), she had surgery yesterday and I was told by my school to join a support group. It's gonna be a very hard couple of years so i'll need some people to help me get through this tough time and i can help in return. Its been a really hard week getting by on my own (no good friends at school)and doing all the housework as well as HSC work and supporting mum, so it would be great to have a chat. ... View more