We are lucky in Australia, in the fact that our VA will issue anyone who served with a white card, if they have cancer. This covers them for all medical expenses caused by cancer. It's a non-liability cover, but it's been a Godsend to me. Budgie ... View more

Wonderful 😀. I've been thru Queenstown. Only passed thru on our way to Hobart to see my SIL & her partner. That was 4.5 years ago. Tassie certainly is a beautiful island - a great wilderness. ... View more

Hi Missy413, That's certainly a daunting prospect - to have your tongue, or even part of it, removed. @Tassiedevil may be able to give you some advice regarding treatments etc. Are you in Australia or the US, as treatments may differ though? I hope things go well for you. Budgie ... View more

Hi angieh, I can't use a normal adult toothpaste because the mint really burns my mouth, so I just use Macleans 0-3years kids paste, & it does the job nicely. I only use a small amount - less than pea-sized, plenty of water on the brush (which is very soft), & rinse with a solution of salt & carb soda. Just on the subject of toothbrushes- sometimes even the "soft" ones are quite hard, but you can buy really, really soft ones from www.curaden.com.au ... View more

I think this is a fabulous thing.  I'm sure I will enjoy listening to music when I'm in that situation.  I've heard that music is beneficial for Alzheimer's sufferers as well.  A lot of the time they can become more lucid when they hear music from their past. Music & art therapy are wonderful ways to aid the soul.   ... View more

Absolutely agree. Have a great weekend Craig. I hope you get to enjoy some quality time with family. Budgie ... View more

I had a wonderful sleep, thanks Craig. I'm usually asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Yes, I've had a few surgeries & am missing a few parts, but, I have it very easy compared to some people, & I am very grateful for each & every day I wake up. I've read thru your posts & I think you've got it much worse than me -think I would miss eating too much. I love my food too. I have had radiation to my neck & jaw, but only in a palliative dosing. I had only 10 sessions on my neck & 5 on my jaw bone. Thankfully, I haven't suffered greatly with the side effects from it. So I really feel for those of you who suffer from all the bad stuff. How is the graft going for your tongue? ... View more

It would have been very scary for him to suddenly loose his hearing. I am glad Hearing Australia have come to the rescue for him, & I hope he gets the aid soon. I do find it strange the palliative team didn't give you options. They seem to not want to help your father improve, but push him towards the end. I do understand how you feel. My palliative team are very different, very helpful. I don't listen to doctors when they give a time line. It has SO much to do with the attitude of the patient, how much fight they have in them. I hope your father has a fighting attitude. Keep your chin up maria69. Regards Budgie ... View more

I have kidney cancer, diagnosed terminal in August 2012, with deposits in my neck, L5 vertebrae right against my spine, & in the top of my left buttock. I had the lump in my neck removed (it was the size of a flat fist), & my right kidney & adrenal gland removed. Then I was put on Sutent, an oral chemo in tablet form that I took every day for 4 weeks, then a 2 week break. It went in 6 weeks cycles till I couldn't handle the side effects any more, then the dose was reduced. I've since been thru most of the drugs for kidney cancer, & am currently on the last one that's really available to me. I've been on this drug for 2 years now, expecting it to last only 10 mths to a year at best, so it's doing very well. I'm doing well! Thanks for asking. Sorry, I haven't read thru all of your posts yet, I'll do that tomorrow. Bedtime soon 😉 ... View more

Hi Craig, I am doing quite well at the moment, thanks. I had scans done a couple of weeks ago, & there is only a slight uptake in one of the mets in a rib. Some of my bone mets seem to have disappeared, while others are the same size. So at the end of the day, things are rosey. 🙂 Budgie. ... View more