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I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer)Grade 3 in Dec05, underwent Lumpectomy, chemo(FACx6) and radiotheraphy(30).

I was introduced to this Cancer Forum by my Breast Cancer Support Group.

I am interested in finding ways for this site to support personal writing by people living with cancer and their carers. Information sharing is good, too, and I like being able to do that. But my main interest here is in uncovering myself via writing. I want this blog space to enable me and others to do that.

Update: If there are people who start to share something as writers, rather than as information seekers or people with a specific communication need, then I think this site will add something to the process of recovery and living with cancer. Well, actually, I know that is the case already. The evidence is there. I'm getting a lot out of this.

I am 54 years old I have Multiple Sclerosis and now Cancer. I have a totally weird sense of humour-I laugh a lot.I have a gorgeous cat and dog and I have a wonderful family and friends.

I am 55 and am about to under go radiation treatment at Charlie Gairdner Hospital. i am from the country and have left all my family behind to come and have treatment. i am staying with friends who will be my carers while in Perth.

I am interested in natural therapies and sustainability issues.

oooh, just me a ordinary past survivor of cancer and currently doing the treatment thing with another cancer! Bit more info on that one. Twenty one years ago i was diagnosed with secondary (lymph glands) amelanotic melanoma. Fortunately for me i outlived the medico's expectations. Now i have a squamous cell carcinoma in my tongue and throat. Have finished chemo now and waiting to do radiotherapy (commences next week on oct 1). Funnily enough October is the month i had my last cancer eradicated.

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear. And the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown" ~H.P.Lovecraft

I have to put this somewhere as i just found it and want to revisit it after i have pondered for a bit.

It's all about living in the NOW and enjoying what the Universe offers you! No benefit in the past & not worth worrying about the future - just trust!”

Diagnosed stage 4 lung cancer in early January. Three grown children and one grandaughter. The best husband ever.

I was the carer for my husband who was diagnosed in Mar 09 with GBM and passed away on 4 Dec 09.

Hi everyone.

After FIVE months of trying to find out what was wrong with my 57 year old husband Mark, he was finally diagnosed with what was supposed to be only stomach cancer on the 29th March 2010.

We were told he was only to have a full gastrectomy, however on the day of the operation it was discovered the disease had metastisised and thus my Darling has now had ( Easter Saturday) his Stomach, spleen, Gall bladder, One lobe of liver, Head of Pancreas and the majority of his colon removed, he now wears a colostomy bag.

It has taken 5 days for him to start to wake up from the induced coma he was in and he has finally opened his eyes for the first time last night (Thursday 8th April) when I went to talk to him in icu.

This gives me hope that he may just survive the operation and then who knows what the next part of the journey will be.....being so seriously ill has left him very very weak so I don't know if he will be offered chemo as yet.

I have joined this community with hope that I will learn something of what the future holds for he and our family.

Like many here already know, I am sure, the shock of this has terrified us, including our children (twins) who are only ten years old.....I am feeling very scared and lonely, I can't even imagine the terror my Darling husband must be feeling in his (still sleeping) head right now.

Anyhow I hope I have made the first step towards the light of understanding about how this will change our lives and where we go from here.

Thanks for reading this, I have tried to keep it breif for now, till my mind comes out of the fog to add more.

regards

Jewel

50 yrs old stage 4 disease, mother of 3 step mother of 2, happy relationship with partner Steve. Been through pleurodesis, 4 cycled chemotherapy, currently on Tarceva, have R.F. ablation

im 45 live in far north qld..i am single, have 3 children & am a nurse .i previously worked in aged care.i have bowel cancer with liver mets.just riding the roller coaster and enjoying the sunshine.

I am a 69 year old Mum Just been diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer.Had 2 operations to remove lump.Fortunately it has not reached lymph nodes.Live with My Son and His Fiance and my Daughter they are all a great support to me.

My dad has advance NSC lung cancer

My husband has been diagnosed in February 2009 with oesophageal cancer and it has spread to his abdomen. We have two sons, aged 6 & 8. We have been trying to keep things as 'normal' as possible for them throughout our journey to date, it is a constant challenge. We have a new 'normal'. Am interested in communicating with others who have similar aged children on coping strategies etc, but also just connecting with people who know first hand how it feels to have cancer invade their family. *** Update December 09, CT scan reveals secondary tumour on the brain, prognosis not good***

I was diagnosed with Stage C Bowel Cancer in November 08 at age 39. Tumour was successfully removed and I have since undergone 6 months of Folfox Chemotherapy.

I am currently out of treatment and am taking things one scan at a time.

I am a mother of 2 children and have a wonderful husband who has supported me through this time.

I'm 56, and had a mastectomy in 2007. It was triple negative and grew so rapidly that at 1.5cm at biopsy, it was 2.8cm upon removal 8 days later.

I'm 23 and my mum has cancer in the oesophagus- she is 53

I am caring for my husband Tony who has bowel cancer

I am 53 who is currently undergoing the first stage of treatment for lung cancer (detected earlier this year)

Finished chemo for breast cancer - about to start radiation

Cancer, Breast cancer. "By empowering patients facing challenging healthcare decisions, we strive to improve patient quality of care and quality of life through knowledge-sharing and innovative applications."

My partner is 45 years old and has lived with pancreatic cancer and multiple liver metastises for 5 years

I am a staff member of Cancer Council NSW. I work in the Publications Team, writing and editing booklets in the Understanding Cancer series. I have an interest in complementary therapies.

i was diagnosed in Sept 09. Had a mastectomy in Oct 09. Just completed chemo last week and I am on Herceptin every 21 days.
I was lucky not having many harsh side effects. I just suffer very badly of swelling and numbness of my feet. the toes are so bad that they have gone black. sometimes i cannot walk from the kitchen to my bedroom. My oncologist said that it will go away but it is over a month and i am still suffering.

I have have just found out 9/11/2009 that I have Uterus Cancer
I am a 33 yr Old with no childroen.

My Mum was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Multi-forme in Aug 09. I care full time for my Mum and would like to find others to talk to.

Hello I'm Emily. I live in Queensland. Last year (2009) in February I was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour (rhabdomyosarcoma). After a few months of heavy chemotherapy, and also having radiation for 5 days per week for 6 weeks, in July I got the news my cancer was gone. I kept doing chemo though all the way through until December. This year (2010) my doctor finally told me I didn't have to do any more chemo which made me pretty happy. I would love to meet new people who have/have had cancer, because I have never met anyone my age, only adults who have/have had cancer, and it would be really nice to talk to someone/ make a new friend who understands me and everything I've been through. But I also don't mind talking to adults either! haha. This year I plan to get back to a relatively normal life. I have been in remission since February 2010 , and in May (2010) it has been confirmed I'm still cancer free!

Nursed my darling through terminal esophageal cancer. Passed 26 jan 2008.
I have a radio show called the merry widow show which is designed to celebrate life while recognizing that death is a part of living.

I live in Darwin and I am undergoing treatments for my Breast Cancer for the second time.

Originally, I found a lump in my right Breast in 1998. I had the lump and sample Lymphnodes removed. Then I received three months of Radiation treatment.

Then late last year, I found another lump under my right arm. I have since had all of my remaining Lymphnodes, ones with and without Cancer cells removed. Currently, I am receiving six months of Chemotherapy treatment, which will be followed by Radiation and some sort of Hormone Treatment.

Receiving the chemotherapy treatment is preventing me from going to work. I have had very high temperatures and very, very low white cell counts. When I receive each new dose, I suffer from what seems to be over-anxiousness and dizzyness at the same time. So I find normal, day-to-day life very difficult to cope with. I have to lie down all the time, till this feeling goes away from me. I can't stay in the kitchen long enough to cook and I am not able to go out of the house.

Does or has anyone else felt like this for long periods of time??? Is this just what they refer to as Chemo dizziness???

I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer April 2009 and had total thyroidectomy and central neck clearance in May '09. I had vocal cord palsy as a complication of my surgery - but can finally sing again although not well (but I never could!!). I have just had to have further surgery to have malignant lymph nodes removed from my neck, but have just been told that it's all looking good for me to be cancer free - finally!!

I am a staff member of Cancer Council Victoria.

28 year old caring for my husband with recently diagnosed brain tumour. We have an 18 month old son.

I'm a 39 year old woman diagnosed 10th November 2009 with squamous adenocarcinoma Stage IIIB metastatic cervical cancer. Shit, give me a martini.

It is my husband who has cancer. Melanoma and he is already at pallative care. We have a 10 month old son. We start our first chemo soon

Had chemo and radiotherapy. No of surgical trauma

I'm a career for my husband who has lung and bone cancer.
He is 20 years older then me but I did not expect him to get sick within two years of marriage.

I am 35 year old woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Since that day I have had the alien removed from my body, had chemotherapy and radiation treatment. I am now recieving hormone therapy.

Interested in helping people with cancer, high blood pressure, stress and other seemingly non curable problems.

I am a mum suffering Cancer. Looking for some others in a similar situation to talk to.

I currently work in the Cancer Information and Support Division of Cancer Council NSW. My main project is working with the 274 cancer support groups in NSW. These groups are face to face or telephone groups. I have been faciitating programs for support group leaders that enhance the capacity of the groups. Engaging with the Online Community is new for me and I'm keen to see how the knoweldge I have working with groups, can be translated into Online Groups.

I am a 25 year old New Zealander who has lived in WA since 2008. My parents and my brother and his fiancee are all living here as well.