Hi Mary,   I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I hope the surgery went smoothly and you are recovering well.   I’m very happy to help in anyway I can, I understand it’s a very scary time and not knowing what to expect can be very overwhelming. Cancer is an incredibly difficult thing to go though and it’s completely ok to not feel ok!   You’re probably finding lots of well meaning people telling you to stay positive and offer advice but now is a time for you to be a bit selfish. Try to surround yourself with things you find helpful and uplifting at this time. I found during my treatment that some people just aren’t great with knowing what to say. I understand it was difficult for them also, they had the best of intentions and meant no harm but their words could be (unknowingly to them) triggering to me. I wouldn’t say anything to these people because I didn’t want to make them feel bad or fearful of upsetting me but I also knew I had to protect my own mental health. So there were certain people I opened up to and others I did not discuss anything cancer related with. If they tried I’d just say I prefer to talk about something else and they’d be fine with this. You’ll develop your own way to manage this if it’s an issue but my point is just to look after and protect your mental health because it’s just as important as your physical.   I’m not sure how much you know about chemotherapy but it’s a very tailored treatment these days. Your oncologist will work out the best treatment for you and monitor you closely throughout the process. There are hundreds of different types of chemotherapy drugs out there, it’s not a one size fits all approach anymore, chemotherapy is very different these days. Pharmaceuticals companies are constantly working to improve existing chemotherapy medication and make new ones to improve side effects and treatment outcomes. Even people with the same type and stage of cancer might be on different combinations and dosages depending on their age and health etc. You might also be taking the same chemotherapy drug as someone you’ve read about online but remember pharmaceutical companies are constantly working to improve these medications so since that individual went through their treatment that drug as probably undergone a lot more testing and improvements (this was information I was told by my doctor). If you do experience any side effects be sure to tell your oncologist because they can probably do something to help you. And if your doctor prescribes you medication to help with side effects be sure to follow their advice as taking the prescribed medicine, at the correct dosage and recommended time can all have an affect and result in a much smoother treatment.   It’s also good to talk with your GP about things that you might not have time to discuss with your oncologist. I was able to discuss things like anxiety, low moods and difficulty sleeping with my GP and she was really helpful.    A wise friend of mine who was also going through treatment gave me some great advice and that was to keep a side effect diary. Record things like: what you experienced What day in the cycle Duration It makes it easier to recall when you go back for your routine checks with the oncologist.   You might find you have to take a few different types of medications, so I also found it helpful to make myself a checklist. I listed all the medications I was taking (Monday to Sunday) and Id just tick them off as I went.   Cancer doesn’t discriminate, it can affect anyone and that means you have lots of different people with different personalities, who deal with it in different ways and like to express themselves differently, putting their own personal experiences and advice out there for others. But there is no right or wrong way to cope, you do what you need to do to get yourself through this time!!   Unfortunately there is a lot of distressing information out there about cancer treatment which can be extremely off putting for people beginning their journey. I almost didn’t go through with my treatment because I was so frightened but I’m so grateful I did. There are many variables with peoples experiences, things like; how long ago they went through treatment, their mental state, if they are a more glass half full/half empty person and if they followed the medical advice given to them can all effect someone’s perspective. Unfortunately people are also more likely to talk about something if it’s been a negative experience. Those who’ve had a smoother experience probably haven’t felt the need to vent or talk about it as much which I think is why we have a very unbalanced perspective of chemotherapy still to this day (especially online).   After completing my treatment I was speaking with a customer at work and she mentioned she had just been diagnosed with cancer and her oncologist recommended chemotherapy but she was so frightened and didn’t want to do it. I was able to tell her about my experience and how I felt exactly the same but I got through it and encouraged her to do the same. She has since completed her treatment and said she is also very glad she did. Please don’t let the reputation of Chemotherapy frighten you from starting your treatment. Chemotherapy is very do-able! It’s not a walk in the park of course but if I had to do it again, next time I wouldn’t hesitate. I really didn’t think I could do it but I did and if I can do it anyone can!!   I’m not sure if any of my words have resonated with you but I hope they have provided you with some calm and reassurance. If you have any specific questions please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s such a roller coaster of emotions when you are first diagnosed but things will calm down. How you feel now will be different to how you feel in 1-2 weeks time and one day you’ll be the person giving reassuring words to someone else. A lovely quote I read was: you were given this mountain to show others it can be climbed!! Xoxoxo ... View more

Hi GeoffAHollick,   I’m so very sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Sorry I was unsure from your message if you were meeting with the surgeon for just a consultation this week or they had actually booked you in for surgery already?   So I do apologise if this information is no longer helpful to you! Well I think everyone’s experience is a bit different but for me after my colonoscopy I was referred to a surgeon to discuss what type of surgery I would require, they were also able to provide me with an idea of if I would need a bag or likely to need chemo etc and we’re able to schedule a date for surgery once I decided to proceed.    I then met a nurse and anesthesiologist a day or so before my surgery just to make sure I was well enough to go ahead with the surgery and to discuss anything I needed to do to prepare for it (But they will of course check you over again on the day!).   For my surgery I was told I didn’t have to do the full bowel prep as you do before the colonoscopy which was a pleasant surprise. So hopefully you’ll have the same luck!   As Lolie mentioned unfortunately some of the diagnostic testing isn’t always 100% accurate but once the surgeon does operate they’ll do a thorough examination and you’ll hopefully have a lot more answers. They will also probably send some biopsy’s away to confirm the suspected diagnosis. I found in my situation it did take a little while for the Pathology results to come back (around a week but I guess it depends how busy they are).   I stayed in hospital just over a week but I think it’s a very individual thing as it depends on the surgery you have and how you’re recovering but regardless they will want to make sure everything is back up and running and your well enough before they send you home.   I found my stay in hospital to be quite comforting so I hope your experience is the same. Just having the nurses and specialist checking on you regularly and at hand to answer questions or concerns was very reassuring.   So once you receive your biopsy results they should then be able to discuss any further treatment you may require and refer you to any other specialist such as oncologist or radiologist if needed.   I hope this information has been some what helpful. I’m so very sorry you have to go through such an ordeal GeoffAHollick and I wish you all the very best for your surgery. Take care. Kind Regards Bianca ... View more

Hi FreeLancer, I’m really sorry to hear you are suffering from tinnitus! While I don’t have any personal experience with ongoing tinnitus I do have some knowledge from my work. Unfortunately Tinnitus can be triggered by a range of factors some of those are medication, stress and damage to the inner ear. If you are still on any other medications it might be worth checking their side effect to ensure tinnitus isn’t one. Also avoid exposure to loud sounds or even moderate sounds over a prolonged period. Hopefully the tinnitus will just resolve on its own but if it does continue to bother you I would suggest seeing an audiologist as they may be able to help. Some people find that they are suited to hearing aids which can help mask the tinnitus. The audiologist will also be able to test your hearing to see how much the tinnitus is affecting your hearing levels, as you mentioned muddled hearing. There are also products you can buy that play sounds to help mask the tinnitus which can be helpful at quieter times when it might be more noticeable like when you’re trying to fall asleep. Even if you have the tinnitus for a prolong period of time it is possible that it will eventually resolve its self, so hopefully you will get some relief from it soon! Best wishes Bianca ... View more

Hi Wyandra,   Thank you for your message! I’m so very sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I’m glad to hear you have a wonderful treatment team at the hospital though! I also found my treatment team to be incredibly kind and compassionate people. It certainly helps having a good support network around!   I was actually diagnosed at the very end of July so had my surgery in mid August and started chemotherapy in September. I’m just finishing my 6th cycle so hopefully I’ll only have 2 more cycles to go! I know everyones experience is different but if I can provide you with any reassurance the chemotherapy for me definitely hasn’t been anywhere near as bad as I anticipated. I was absolutely terrified at the prospect of doing chemotherapy. I think it terrified me more than when I was told I had cancer but that was because I knew so little about it so was basing my knowledge off what I was reading on the internet and on television.   It’s such a scary thing because you hear so much horrible stuff about chemotherapy. I remember when the triaging oncologist came to speak with me the very first thing he asked was “so what do you know about chemotherapy?” Looking back now I can see why he asked this question because chemotherapy really does have such a hellish reputation and I guess he knew this needed to be addressed.   My response was “not a lot. I know you feel very sick and lose your hair”. He was so calm and reassuring. He said that the type of chemo I would be on it would be unlikely for me to lose my hair although it could thin a little and that they have excellent anti nausea medication these days (very true!), many of which are specifically for cancer patients and not generally accessible to others. He told me about a couple of side effects but assured me that they would monitor me throughout the treatment process and do everything they could to make the journey as comfortable and easy as possible (which they have definitely done!). I felt so much better after speaking with him, I went from feeling very apprehensive and scared to calm. He asked if I had anymore questions and at the time I couldn’t think of anything but after he left and I had time to absorb everything, other questions began to pop up and of course I turned to Dr Google (bad idea!). Silly me! I worked myself into such a state again reading about chemotherapy that I no longer believed anything the oncologist had told me. I just thought all these people Im reading about have gone through chemotherapy so they know what it’s like and he must have just told me those things so I didn’t panic.   I now know there is A LOT of old and irrelevant information online regarding Chemotherapy! These days it is a very tailored treatment. Your oncologist will take in many factors when considering the type of chemotherapy you need, how it’s administered, how often, over what period of time, the dosage, what other medication you might need to counteract any side effects you might have and so on. You will meet regularly with your oncologist to discuss how you’re managing your treatment and what symptoms you’ve had and how they can ease them.   When you’re first diagnosed you have a million questions and want answers then and there but try to avoid google (I know it’s sooo hard!) but your specialists will have the best and most relevant information for your particular situation. I was given the same advise by a fellow cancer patient when I was just about to begin chemotherapy and I didn’t listen. It’s difficult not to google because you have so many questions constantly popping into your head and when you do see the specialist they usually have very limited time but reading information online can lead you up the garden path.    The other thing to consider is that people often tend to comment when they’ve had a bad experience but not so much when they’ve had a better experience.   A useful tip I was given was to keep a symptoms diary and medicine log. The symptoms diary is helpful as you get an idea of what symptoms happen and at what stage of your cycle. Example; you might notice that you feel tired on days 6-7 so you know not to plan any outings. It also helps when you see your oncologist as you can detail what symptoms you’ve been having and they will then be able to address them. I also made a spreadsheet which listed all the medications I take and a box for morning, noon and night so I can just tick them off as I go.   Anyway I hope I’ve managed to ease your concerns a little about the chemotherapy and I apologise for the long reply! It really is quiet mentally overwhelming especially at the start so if I can be of any help or reassurance please don’t hesitate to contact me! I wish you all the very best for your treatment Wyandra! Take care!! Kind Regards Bianca ... View more

Hi Phil,   I’m so sorry to hear you’ve spend the past few days in hospital! I can imagine it’s been incredibly frustrating and probably quite upsetting. I hope you’re feeling a bit better now? Are you home? Have you got a Support person living with you or someone who comes to check and help you out?   The whole process is a lot to deal with isn’t it! There are so many physical, psychological and   Financial impacts of having cancer. We all know cancer is bad but until it’s directly affected you or someone you love it’s difficult to appreciate the gravity of just how bad. But I guess it’s the same as anything in life, everyone suffers and has challenges which you’ll never fully appreciate until you’ve walked in their shoes.   I’m so sorry that you have been going through the anxiety and depression before each cycle, that’s incredibly tough! It’s very difficult to try and control your mind when the only thing you have to control it is your mind! But although I really don’t like taking medication I figured I’m already taking chemo so when my doctor suggested antidepressant I thought perhaps I should try. I know it’s just a “bandaid fix” but I have found them to be helpful actually. They calm me enough that rational thought can actually penetrate my mind! So it might be worth having a chat to your GP about it if you haven’t already. My doctor told me these particular ones she has prescribed aren’t addictive either (as I’ve heard some can be) and should be fairly effective although they can take 2-6 weeks to work. I think they do work straight away but it just takes 2-6 weeks before they are “fully” effective! She also gave me some Valium to help in the sort term with panic attacks. She warned me that Valium is very addictive though so I only take it when I really need to. It has been a great help too. Obviously your circumstances and needs won’t be the same as mine and I’m certainly no expert on medication and medical conditions but might be worth mentioning to your GP and see what they think if you haven’t already. It may not be right for you but just thought I’d mention encase it was something you hadn’t thought about   .    I’m so glad to hear you are finding comfort in your music though! What sort of music do you enjoy? I can appreciate any music really, apart from death metal lol. That’s brilliant that you can play the guitar too! I’m unfortunately not rhythmical gifted haha   I’m so sorry I hadn’t got back to you sooner!! I just started my second cycle and I haven’t been feeling too crash hot.   Hmm it seems that we are on alternating cycles so it could prove a little difficult for us too meet up but I guess we can still provide support to one another through this online forum if you’d still like too   I’ve attached a photo of my puddy cats. Unfortunately they are a little less cooperative than dogs so I couldn’t get them in the same stance haha.   Anyways please reach out if you need to! You can get through this Phil! I know you can because so far your track record for getting through bad days has been 100%!!!   Best wishes from Bianca ... View more

Hi Phil,    Thank you so much for your message! It certainly does sound like we have some similarities. I’m on the same combination of chemo too. I begin my second cycle next week. I’m really sorry to hear about your anxiety. Sometimes our minds seem to have minds of their own which certainly doesn’t help an already difficult situation. I actually went to a hypnotherapist the other day and they were somewhat helpful. It was all about getting into a relaxed state so that your brain is more receptive to positive thoughts. But it already sounds like you are doing this through your meditation and positive thinking!   Seeing as we we are both in Canberra if you were ever interested or wanted to catch up for a chat I’d like that but certainly don’t feel obliged too. I understand if you’d rather not.    Thank you for sharing the photo of Charlie!! He’s gorgeous!! I love animals! Unfortunately I don’t have any dogs but I do have two cats which I love dearly!! Theodore and Bonita (but she usually gets called Bonnie would you believe!!). They bring me a lot of joy!   Anyway thank you again for your message! Best wishes from Bianca ... View more

Dear Iloveyoudearly7,   I’m so sorry for not replying sooner. I was so grateful to receive your message. The comfort it gave me was immense and I am so thankful to you! The links were extremely helpful and I know you would have spent a bit of time compiling it so thank you! Thank you for also sharing some of your story and your loved ones story.  ... View more

Thank you Budgie and StayPositive! You have both been a massive help and I’m very appreciative for the advice! ... View more

Thank you so much for taking the time to get back to me StayPositive! That’s very reassuring and helpful! ... View more