Dearest Steve... I also had no support during chemo and after. I've lost nearly all my friends. Not one has asked how I am and how I'm doing. Not only did my friends desert me my parents also did. Kicked me out of the apartment they had for me while going through chemo...they said I complained to much and  shunned me even more for taking pain pills. I had become a junkie to them. Why can people not understand this horrible disease? I am 6 months out of chemo and still feel i haven't gotten a clear answer if is gone. every time i went to dr. It was everything looks great only to go into the hospital for SOB and be told there were three lymph nodes they were still looking at. My symptoms have started again. I feel abandoned from every corner. Dealing with cancer i thought would be the worst..no..now i have neuropathy and absolutley miserable. I'm scared and fed up that i may never get back to normal.  ... View more

Why when we click on this link are we taken to another page? I don't particularly mind participating in surveys, however, I do prefer it to be my choice to click or not! :) As for Lance, he isn't in my world and I am glad he survived cancer and got through it however he needed to. We have choices in life and we can choose to read and believe / adopt or we can choose not to. TO me it is always interesting to read how other people get through their diagnosis and sometimes I adopt their thoughts and ideas and at other times it gets discarded in my mental bin. Julie ... View more

Hi, I have just been told I have CLL and my count is 4.7. This came from out of the blue as I am a very healthy person. They say there is no treatment other than to just watch and take good care of my diet etc. Can anyone tell me where is the best research on CLL and how bad is 4.7 best wishes to all ... View more

Hi thereI didn't have the same diagnosis as you either, but I can still understand how devastated you are feeling right now.  You're in shock and it's hard to be proactive when you are frozen with fear.If you don't feel capable at the moment, ask a family member or close friend to organize a second opinion for you.  Talk to your GP to get names of other oncologists if you don't know who to go to.You have to be prepared in case you get the same answers from other doctors but taking some time to see other oncologists will give you breathing space and hopefully get you to a point where you will be able to hear what treatment options are available.  I remember when I was in that state of shock, I couldn't take in a lot of what doctors said to me.  Just because the surgeon wasn't able to remove all the cancer does not mean there's nothing left to be done!Always take someone with you to doctors' appointments because you won't remember everything that is said.  Ask your buddy to take notes or even tape the entire appointment.  That way, you can check later if you understood properly or if there is anything you need more information about.  Your GP should be able to clarify anything you're not sure about if you can't talk to a specialist straight away.  If you are worried about anything, don't put off seeking help - that just leads to feeling more alone and anxious.  If your GP isn't helpful, change doctors.I recommend that you find a support group too - talking to other people in the same boat, even if their diagnosis isn't exactly the same as yours, can be reassuring because you know that they 'get' how you are feeling.Best of luckJane ... View more

hey you know what we need? .... we need a blood cancer specialist to come onto this website disscussion topic and answer our questions. I wonder if the CC have plans to do this some time in the future? ... View more

I just realised that it sbeen three months since I last wrote in this discussion thread. Hard to believe, three months in remission. I feel good but suffer from survivorship, the constant naggling that it could come back. Anyway, just wanted to wish all readers a very joyous Christmas and the contnued strength for this journey that has been laid out for us. Drop me a line on anything...   take care, be gentle on yourselves. ... View more

I'm a seven year survivor of Merkel Cell Carcinoma. I would like to thank my oncologist and the staff at the Mater Newcastle for my survival. I also have to thank TROG Transtasman Radiation Oncology Group for the trials they did on Merkel Cell Carcinoma that saved my life. Merkel Cell Carcinoma is a very rare and aggressive cancer, mortality rate high. You can read my post under merkel. Best wishes to all, Merkel ... View more

this kind of news may still be ahead for me, so even thinking about it is tough. You must be going through hell. But I can only say, youre here, you still have hope. Hang on to that and do what you must, because like all of us, its also for our families and friends.     ... View more