Hi Traci-Rene'e,   I know exactly what you are going through.  Cancer destroys everything in its path.  Like you and your husband we had so many plans.  I feel helpless.  I am very happy that your husband realizes how lucky he is to have a wife who loves and supports him like you.  I am very sad to hear about your Mom.  She is your angel and she will guide and protect you.  As of now, nothing has changed and it is unbearable.  I just want to love and support my wife through this horrible illness.  She is very angry at me.  99% of the time I am very patient but sometimes I ask her if she will ever stop being angry at me.  I've apologized for things that I don't even know that I have done.  It just seems that there is nothing that I can say to make things better.  Prior to her diagnosis like any other married couple we would have a disagreement and in a day or so it would be okay.  Once this happened, I am public enemy number 1.  It really hurts.  I just want my wife to stop ignoring and rejecting me.  I am not looking for anything in return...just kindness.   You and your family are in my prayers.   Your Friend,   Ralph ... View more

Oh bugger!!!!! Gosh, I'm SO sorry for you Jude & your dear family to now have to walk this path. I was also given that scenario, had my treatment not worked at the time. It was also the only viable option, & one day I guess I may still have to face it. Thankfully, we live in an era where they've come a long, long way re: stoma's & their management. Must still be an extremely daunting prospect for you. Please feel free to keep me in the loop, & let me know how you're traveling. I'm not sure of the protocol's here, but I'd be more than happy to chat over the phone if you ever feel you need to. Will be especially thinking of you Monday, & praying you will have a clearer picture of the way forward. Sending love & the biggest of hugs. Heids XO💗🙏 ... View more

Hello all  I cannot believe it’s been a year since my diagnosis  My oncologist put me in remission as he indicated.   All my friends and family said I breezed through my treatment and operation  I agree as well  No one tells you the side effects after finishing chemo  I was left to work it all out myself.  Best wishes to you all on your journey.  ❤️❤️❤️❤️ dianna  ... View more

Hi Lauracdraw It was good to read your comments and to hear  that THC & CBD oil have helped you in your pain relief and in achieving a better sleep pattern as well. I have asked my oncologist about the very same products but he is currently hesitant about me using these at this stage, so I am researching at the moment, from what I have seen there are a lot of benefits in the use of both of these products. I’m currently on 60mg of OxyContin and 50mg of Lypralin twice a day which are slow release pain killers and I also have Hydromorphone in 4mg fast release pain killers for when the pain breaks through but I try Not To Use these, and on a prescribed sleeping pill as well but still struggle most nights with sleeping, so I think I need to push a little harder with my Dr and see what develops. I wish you all the very best in your journey and for positive results, stay strong be strong and set and kick goals. Kind Regards & Best Wishes 🆗 Peter          ... View more

Hi @Catty, I have to agree with you about the nurses in the cancer wards. They are extremely wonderful people. I hope you have success with the immunotherapy. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Take care of yourself & heal up well. Budgie ... View more

Hi Freelancer, Not sure if this any help at all but just over 3 years ago I had bone marrow stem cell transplant which consisted of several months in hospital and many, many visits (and stays) in hospital and visiting all the various specialists associated with this procedure. During my recovery process I was given an oral medication (I really can't remember its name) I started taking it as recommended and in the space of a week or so I was totally deaf. Back to the Dr's and yes he confirmed that this is one of known side effects and that it was probably permanent (shouldn't I have known??) anyway my GP believed that my hearing would recover in time as I was taken straight of the medication. In order for me to go back to work I was fitted with some (very expensive hearing aids) and that seemed to be the end of it. Three plus years on my hearing has essentially returned (not fully) and I have newer better hearing aids as I still have a level of hearing loss, which is probably age related, still have the tinnitus which wasn't there previously.   I hope you are still okay and stay that way.   Colin ... View more

Your very generous kJ. I hope it’s a long long time down the track before we set your ashes to rest.   Keep up the good fight kJ, cancer can’t beat us.   Lindsay......✊ ... View more

Hi Debbiev,   I am very pleased that the RCHOP worked for you, our doctors are learning new stuff all the time and modifying the treatments accordingly. I hope you remain well 'forever'.   But for me I am sorry to say I have not been in remission since 2005, in fact I have had two more different cancers and a stem cell transplant, now after all these years I am now in I guess what you could call remission, I look at it as having been cured 'for now'.   I was diagnosed with CLL in 2011, it went stage 4 in 2015. Five doses of FCR chemo (should have had 6 but much too ill), never fully recovered, blood numbers were always too low.   In 2016 I was given an 'absolute' clearance for CCL, on the same consultation I was diagnosed as terminal MDS with less than 12 months to live. Started on Azacitidine ( I think) 14 doses each month. Very lucky to be put onto a bone marrow stem cell transplant program (because of my age) which I had in early April 2017.   Had to cease the chemo (Azacitidine) to do the transplant, took quite a few months to arrange, quite ill. The transplant process for me was extremely difficult, mentally and physically, several months in an hospital isolation ward, a few complications (fewer than most), back into hospital a few times, quite a few 'legacy' issues still with me but some seem to be improving with time. Celebrated the 3rd anniversary a few weeks ago.   Still here, still okay. ... View more

Iyana271   I think you may have got the post mixed up it is not me having the pain but Andrea0613.  You need to go into her post directly and comment to her.     ... View more

Hi Mimi-meme, I agree with Lolie, you need to speak to your hematologist asap. I was diagnosed with NHL in 2003 and received CHOP ( which is prior to the R-CHOP, but I did receive the R, at the time it was called rutaximab, a couple of years later), all that worked quite well until I relapsed a few years later with CLL, to stage 4. I was treated with FCR which eventually cured it but as Lolie stated increases the chance of further cancers which happened to me and in 2016 ended up with MDS (terminal, from the original CHOP) unless of course you have a bone marrow stem cell transplant, which I did in early 2017. Now cured. At the time I knew something was not right and just did not seem to recover, my blood number were always very low, I too thought I had relapsed with NHL or CLL. As to some of the symptoms, did not loose too much weight but had inordinate number of swollen lymph nodes (like tennis balls) neck, under arms, all through my body and compromised my kidney function, was neutropenic for several years (compromised immune system) and had many infections including fungal, lungs and sinuses as well as shingles. Many stays in hospital, no real bruising, had muscle/joint pain but they put that down to the medications. Bowels were a real problem for most of that period. Over the years I have received 70+ doses of chemo + whole body radiation, none of it was easy but in many cases is doable, its not all doom and gloom, be sure to open up to your doctors about all of these things you are noticing, keep some simple records to speak to your doctors about, have a friend or family member attend these consultations as I know you tend to forget or distracted by the changes in conversation, far too much for one person to take in. I always had a visit with my GP after the specialist to discuss all the stuff I did not understand or question why they were doing this or that. The swollen lymph nodes may be just a simple infection (had plenty of those instances). Go get checked out.   Did not quite follow did you have the stem cell transplant? I am post transplant 34 months and still recovering, very difficult procedure, for me mainly mentally as you are being as they say 'reborn'. Lots of complications, very long stay in hospital, changed blood type, had to 'redo' all of my immunization shots again, quite a few 'legacy' items still trying to resolve but still here. Let us know how you get on. ... View more