Hi @Tincanman,   We sent you a private welcome message, but I thought I would post here just in case anyone has had a similar experience. It sounds like it has been difficult since your surgery. Has anyone had anything similar?   Information from Cancer Council on Bowel Cancer can be found here. To speak with a health professional about your cancer experience you can contact Cancer Council 131120 information and support line Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.   Also, you may have come across this organisation before, but if not, Continence Foundation of Australia has information and support, including a helpline staffed by health professionals:   Continence Helpline 1800 33 00 66 The National Continence Helpline is a free telephone advisory service staffed by a team of continence nurse advisors who provide information, education and advice to callers with incontinence or who are caring for someone with incontinence. The Helpline also provides information and advice to health professionals. The Helpline is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and available to anyone living in Australia. It operates 8am-8pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.   I hope things improve for you.   Kind regards, Margaret Online Community admin team ... View more

Hi @Biris,   I sent you a welcome message but also thought I would reply here as well in case others are in a similar position.   That sounds like a really tough situation you are in with your father. I wonder if you are able to access some emotional support for yourself, either through your own GP or through Cancer Council.  If you call the Cancer Council information and support line on 131120 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) the health professionals can discuss support options with you.    You may also wish to find out more about your dad's cancer here. There is also some helpful information about supporting someone with cancer here  and some information about emotions and cancer here.   Reaching out to this online community is a great start to getting the support you need to support your father as well as yourself.    Please take care, Margaret Online Community admin team ... View more

Hi everyone,   The panel members for this webinar have been announced and are:     Matt Featherstone, Cancer Survivor Ray Araullo, Senior Social Worker Dr Benjamin Britton, Psychologist For further information and to register for the webinar, click here   ... View more

Hi @asligonis,   Thank you for your post.   I want to caution readers of this post that while there has been research indicating efficacy of arsenic trioxide in some blood and bone marrow cancers, there appears to be less evidence available for a role in breast cancer treatment. From a review of major cancer information sources, there also appears to be little evidence at present to support the role of dichloroacetate (DCA) in breast cancer treatment.   Cancer Council supports evidence based treatment for cancers.  We strongly encourage anyone with a cancer diagnosis to discuss treatment options with their medical team, including the possibility of participating in a clinical trial of emerging treatments.   Please also keep in mind that you can call the Cancer Council information and support line on 131120 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm to speak with a health professional.   Kind regards, Margaret Online Community admin team ... View more

Hi @Beccy72,   Thanks for your post. You might find it helpful to discuss your question with your GP or radiation oncologist, and in addition you may find the following Cancer Council publications helpful:   • Understanding Radiation Therapy particularly the section on sexuality and intimacy issues;  and • Fertility and Cancer   The health professionals on the  Cancer Council 131120 Information and support line are also available 9am-5pm Monday to Friday to answer questions about cancer treatment and how it may affect your life after cancer.   Take care and kind regards, Margaret Online Community admin team     ... View more

Hi Catherine,   We sent some information to you in a private message, but additionally for anyone else in a similar situation, the booklet "Understanding Bladder Cancer" from Cancer Council might be helpful. It covers diagnosis and treatment for bladder cancer, including different types of surgery that may be suggested as part of treatment.   You can access the online version here or contact Cancer Council Information and Support line on 131120 to have a hard copy of the booklet sent to you by post.   You may also be interested in another Cancer Council publication, "Caring for someone with cancer", which can be very helpful when someone you love has cancer.   Take care, Margaret Online Community admin team ... View more

Hi @smbonford,   I have sent you a private message to welcome you to the Online Community, but thought I would reply to your post as well.   It seems that you have questions about the diagnosis of your mole. It can be very confusing when looking online, especialy trying to work out which are the most reliable sources on the internet. It might be worth chatting with your GP again and expressing your concerns and discussing whether a second opinion would be helpful.    Please also feel free to contact the health professionals on the Cancer Council Information and Support line (phone131120) to discuss your questions.    There is a Cancer Council publication on skin cancer which you may also find helpful. Click here to access it online.   There is also some useful information about Bowen's Disease from the Australasian College of Dermatologists here.   Wishing you all the best.   Kind regards, Margaret Online Community admin team ... View more

Hi @Nath250,   That sounds like a tough situation for you.    I would recommend speaking with the Cancer Council Information and Support consultants on 131120 as they have access to programs that may be able to assist you financially at this time. This service is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.   Cancer Council also provides some pro bono (no cost) legal services, and applications for these can be arranged through 131120.   The social worker at your treating hospital may also be able to advise and support you to access community financial support programs in your area.   Take care, Margaret Online Community admin ... View more