cancer

You can face it with a brave smile, and know that we are all behind you

Happy boxing day to you too mishap but as its almost over I should say hope u had a happy boxing day. I did just doing the same as yesterday with DD and dgd.
There is nothing I can do to change fate so I must just go along with it.

Such good news that you have been enjoying Christmas. Happy Boxing Day.

I am so pleased to hear that you have had a pleasant and relaxing time, enjoying watching your DGD opening presents etc. There will be many more years of that.

You will have moments when you will be thinking "why me" but that is when you must ring up the MacMillan nurses and they will help you through this. As you said, you are living for today, enjoy!

thank you all so much, I had a lovely day went to see DGD open pressies and cause mayhem with paper and boxes etc, then just a quiet day, today DGD and DD came over for lunch and we opened more pressies of the little girl variety. We played and had fun, hopefully we have another 2 days before I start getting letters/calls from hospital etc once again to start the whole circus over again. I am living just for today though.
It is lovely to hear your stories and it helps me very much as I honestly thought there was little treatment for BC.
Thank you my friends on Gnet. xx

Best wishes for a happy day etheltbags1, keep your chin up ((hugs))

A peaceful day, I hope, for you, ethel

Wishing you a happy day ethel - hoe you can switch off the worries for one day.

Christmas wishes to you ethel. x

My lovely, lovely neighbour was diagnosed with "cancer of the digestive system" last week, as he told us, and more tests await him in the new year too.

He restores classic motorcycles, we see them being delivered in a million pieces, usually in a box and we see the progress as he puts them together when we walk past his garage every morning, where he works away. He seldom misses a day unless he is on holiday.

For a few days after he told us the news last week, the garage door was closed and I felt so sorry to see that when I walked past.

Yesterday the garage door was open again and he was polishing the tank of the latest project. It gleamed already, but he seemed intent on making it truly shine. I stopped to say hi and to say how pleased I was to see the garage door open again. "It ain't taking today away from me" he said "not whilst there's a bike waiting to be built".

I look forward to hearing the throb of that motorcycle engine the first time he takes it out for a test ride, as usual, dressed in full leathers (he's well in his 70s). It's such a thrill, the bikes are works of art when he is done with them. All the neighbours congregate (especially the men) and some take photos.

ethel lots of love x

ethel you will probably not be told anything today after your scan. That is normal, they are not trying to hide anything from you. The consultant radiologist and sometimes the oncologist as well, have a look before anything is said to you or your GP. It is a nuisance that Christmas etc intervenes. Be brave

Hope you're OK, ethel? X

How did it go today ethel? I have been thinking of you.

Try to listen to your doctor and ask him/her any questions, ethel and try not to look at the internet (even though it is tempting)
If they have given you a number for the McMillan nurses you could always phone them with a query.
Good luck today

Good luck Ethel

Good Luck Ethel. Hope your treatment will soon be underway and you can look forward to feeling better x.

ethel the big problem with looking up things like cancer on the internet is that much of the information is out of date if not downright wrong. Go with what your consultant says and trust him. See if you can find a good support group, I found a good one for DH's cancer on facebook. It means I can talk to people having the latest treatments and discuss side effects and the effectiveness of different treatments. It is so valuable to talk to people who understand exactly what you are going through.

I'm back, but probably only for today.

They didnt want to give the books away, as they didnt want anyone to start reading them like I did.

Bit drastic, soontobe! Couldn't they have given the books away?

(BTW I thought you were out of circulation until the New Year...?)

My mum and husband both warned me off reading medical books, pre internet. They actually went as far as burning them, so that I could not have a peek. They were not good for me, and they were right.

ethelbags1 my heart goes out to you.

I was diagnosed with bowel cancer 2 years ago - I was devastated to say the least, so I fully understand how you feel. I also aired my fears and worries on Gransnet, and everybody was so lovely and supportive.

I think you'll find the chemo is to reduce the size of the tumour and kill any cancer cells in the lymph glands before they operate. Trust in your consultant and don't look at the internet. The only sites I went on were the bowel cancer sites and Macmillan.

I was diagnosed on New Years Eve 2012 so the first day of 2013 I knew I had bowel cancer. I was very low and frightened. I had chemoradiotherapy which is chemo in tablet form at the same time as five weeks of radiotherapy. And then a big op in Septermber 2013. All cancer now gone and six monthly check ups. So be brave and chin up - I was always told bowel cancer is very treatable. I will be thinking of you over the next few weeks.

"contribute"

The internet is such a valuable thing, and also such a dangerous thing, because it cannot deal in the subtleties of individual cases and just presents overviews and generalisations. Your doc was right to tell you to stay off it!

But I do understand how compelling it can be in this situation and have every sympathy that you gave in to that temptation. One thing is clear - you are not "being silly" - you are just being human. It is a frightening situation because it is all new to you and the unknown is a scary place; so I am sure that everyone understands why you are feeling as you do.

Doctors do have to be straight with you these days, so you must trust your consultant and move forward with a sense of hope and reassurance that treatment is there for you. It s good that you have friends and neighbours who have more positive messages to convey - and you can see their messages in front of you every time you meet them. More reassuring than a computer screen.

No-one can pretend that this is not a huge challenge for you and your family, but there are so many people here who wish to cngribute to keeping your spirits up - stay strong.

Good luck for your scan tomorrow.

Drs have to tell patients everything nowadays (because of litigation), and certainly don't hold anything back. Remember that they are the experts, and also know all the facts about your diagnosis and the best treatment for you.
Loads of us are rooting for you *[ethel] x

I know I should not look on internet but I keep thinking that its all there for our use, I cant imagine what life would be like if I could not go on and check everything out, not just illnesses, I check out pet illnesses for my darling cats, I go on comparison sites etc etc. but I will try not to look, the doc told me not to either.
When I was young doctors did not tell you the truth about illnesses especially cancer/other serious stuff and so everyone just 'read between the lines'.
I have a good friend who has really bad cancer and she is so marvellous, she just gets on with life, takes her medication and forgets about it. I also have a neighbour who is 90+ and has had the same as me for years she says 'doesn't bother me, I just go for my check ups and do as im told'.
So when Im being rational I know im being silly but I cant help being like this, please bear with me.