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had a good and bad day today been with my grandad who has the lung cancer took him to see his doctor although i love spending time with him and always stay cheerful when im with him when i come home i always end up crying for him because he seems to be getting so frail each time i see him i want him to know how special his been to me in my life but dont know how to tell him without upsetting him b
well got results off bone scan from another registra my doc still on holiday.she was shocked that last one said they thought i had a tumour ,she said the bone scan showed there was an old wedge fracture and some weakening off the spine so she would arrange abone density scan so they could then treat it before ostepinia took hold but she could not see anything to worry about .when my own onicoligis
Evening What Nowers
Gawd that felt good to say. Well its been a long 4 weeks........one cycle of chemo, chronic constipation, brain swelling, steroids and a new puppy. That saves any of you who didn't follow my "off site" blogs from catching up ;)
I'm 32, I had testiciular cancer and 3 courses of chemo at the age of 30.
Since having cancer my personality has changed. I am less tolerant of things. I am a lot more happy to do things for me... I used to put my wife and kids first (not exercise and golf!). I'd like things to go back to the way they were (and I know my wife would!).
Well chemo went ahead as planned last Thursday but God was I rough on the Friday and Saturday. Its the first time its effected me so bad and I was so grumpy with everyone. Not good but I dont have many bad days really. This is cycle number six of chemo and I always have a funny taste in my mouth now which is unpleasant. It makes me nibble constantly just to see if I can get rid of the taste.
Sunday 28th and my feet have now gone supernova. I think I will lead myself astray tonight – I have a confession to make – No-one leads me astray it is all my own doing.
- drewcotgrave's blog
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Hi all just a quick post.
To say my son Adam is 18 today. He can now legally drink. And we all know it won't be the same...lol
Happy bbithday my son, love mam, dad and little sis Rachel xxx
I haven't been on this site for a while so i am now back with lots to talk about. so where do i start.
John had last chemo cycle yesterday and is not feeling well today. Fortunately, though, he is now in the care of the wonderful staff at Sue Ryder based at Thorpe Hall in Peterborough as the side effects of his teatment have been getting worse and he is really suffering.
A good friend's son has advanced, stage 4 melanoma. He's 15, which is rare. Despite a missed diagnosis and a few major set-backs he's doing pretty well.
I AM BACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
I am so happy, just in time for my next cycle of chemo mid July - wooooooo and bloomin hooooooooooooooooooo
Back later........hopefully lol
Debs xx
I've been a mess since "88". I lost an uncle to cancer. In Aug. of "95" I lost my step-grandfather to murder then in Sept. my mom to a heart attack. The only small ray of hope I had was the birth of my daughter in "99". Then everything went to pots again when I just gave up, I didn't care anymore.
Wanted to say big thank you to people who commented on my blog yesterday - unbelievable how much it helps, isn't it?
For those of all my wonderful friends that I haven;t yet shouted the good news at in the chat room, "I AM IN REMISSION" While I realise that I still have to wait untill October 2012 for the full 5 year effect of my treatments to take effect, I am really happy that I now have a PSA reading of 0.2.
ok here we go not done this 2 often. up early this morning getting used to the early ones this time 5.30 nobody on chat today yet. so have been reading blogs, got tempted to do one. excuse the typing dont quite know how to correct errors this curser thing dont work for me curses off!! going to paint the fence in the garden this morning before it gets 2 hot missed it last year, it ran off!
All was well until January 2000. Hubby had been back at work since August 1996, he had gone for all the checkups and each time all was OK, but he had put up with a hernia since the first op and in January 2000 he went to see the surgeon to discuss an op. It was the first time that I did not go in the room with him - call of nature - when he came out from the consultation he was grey.
The appointment came through today for Ian to go in for his investigations. It can't come soon enough now. I didn't think he looked very well today,his face was really swollen, a lot more so than usual, there is also something that looks as though it is growing outwards and this has all come on in a matter of weeks, so naturally I am concerned.
- sami_princess's blog
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Hi Guys,
just to say saw my Oncologist today to see what happens next. Well the good thing is I'm still going to be continuing with my Herceptin, it is still doing a good job on the old liver and bones.
I have not been on the site for ages, i have had 2 intense months caring for my mum. She died on 9th june at home at 64 and my heart is broken. She suffered terribly. I had no help as she was in denial right up until the day before she died when i had to get the district nurses to see her as she became so ill.
Well, on Monday my son had his operation to remove an 11cm tumour from his left side. Up until then, him, and myself had had the most efficient, fantastic treatment from Endocrine team, and then pre-admission, the surgical team.
After a really good day at the hospice on Monday and sessions with two therapists and a doctor, I believe I have at last come to terms and accepted what is happening to me, it has taken a while but I am there. The hospice have been so kind with me and they are so wonderful in coaxing your feelings out of you.
Hello everybody!!
Just want to thank you all who replied to my blog (30/06/09)
Words of wisdom-right enough!!
Oddly-the comments kind of cheer me up a bit.
It`s all so comforting knowing that I can communicate with you guy`s.
THANKYOU ALL!!!!
(((hugs)))
Irene x
Sometimes you need to say something and you can't say it to anyone around you. So I am posting it here. It seems so selfish to be tired. Tomorrow will be a better day. It's been 14 months since my Dad was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.
My Boot
I don’t want to be around death anymore.
I want to run away.
The words once so kind
Have begun to turn sour.
Way back in January when it was ffffffreezing cold and no weather to be messing about with cars I took my car off the road at M.O.T time because I really wasn't up to doing what was needed to keep it in use. I bought a little cheapy piece of ...... (think of a word that rhymes with white) Escort off my brother in law to toddle about in for a short time.
Popular blog posts
I AM BACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
I am so happy, just in time for my next cycle of chemo mid July - wooooooo and bloomin hooooooooooooooooooo
Back later........hopefully lol
Debs xx
I've been a mess since "88". I lost an uncle to cancer. In Aug. of "95" I lost my step-grandfather to murder then in Sept. my mom to a heart attack. The only small ray of hope I had was the birth of my daughter in "99". Then everything went to pots again when I just gave up, I didn't care anymore.
I haven't been on this site for a while so i am now back with lots to talk about. so where do i start.
Hi all just a quick post.
To say my son Adam is 18 today. He can now legally drink. And we all know it won't be the same...lol
Happy bbithday my son, love mam, dad and little sis Rachel xxx
For those of all my wonderful friends that I haven;t yet shouted the good news at in the chat room, "I AM IN REMISSION" While I realise that I still have to wait untill October 2012 for the full 5 year effect of my treatments to take effect, I am really happy that I now have a PSA reading of 0.2.
John had last chemo cycle yesterday and is not feeling well today. Fortunately, though, he is now in the care of the wonderful staff at Sue Ryder based at Thorpe Hall in Peterborough as the side effects of his teatment have been getting worse and he is really suffering.
Well chemo went ahead as planned last Thursday but God was I rough on the Friday and Saturday. Its the first time its effected me so bad and I was so grumpy with everyone. Not good but I dont have many bad days really. This is cycle number six of chemo and I always have a funny taste in my mouth now which is unpleasant. It makes me nibble constantly just to see if I can get rid of the taste.
All was well until January 2000. Hubby had been back at work since August 1996, he had gone for all the checkups and each time all was OK, but he had put up with a hernia since the first op and in January 2000 he went to see the surgeon to discuss an op. It was the first time that I did not go in the room with him - call of nature - when he came out from the consultation he was grey.
I'm 32, I had testiciular cancer and 3 courses of chemo at the age of 30.
Since having cancer my personality has changed. I am less tolerant of things. I am a lot more happy to do things for me... I used to put my wife and kids first (not exercise and golf!). I'd like things to go back to the way they were (and I know my wife would!).
Wanted to say big thank you to people who commented on my blog yesterday - unbelievable how much it helps, isn't it?
A good friend's son has advanced, stage 4 melanoma. He's 15, which is rare. Despite a missed diagnosis and a few major set-backs he's doing pretty well.
Hi Guys,
just to say saw my Oncologist today to see what happens next. Well the good thing is I'm still going to be continuing with my Herceptin, it is still doing a good job on the old liver and bones.
ok here we go not done this 2 often. up early this morning getting used to the early ones this time 5.30 nobody on chat today yet. so have been reading blogs, got tempted to do one. excuse the typing dont quite know how to correct errors this curser thing dont work for me curses off!! going to paint the fence in the garden this morning before it gets 2 hot missed it last year, it ran off!
Sunday 28th and my feet have now gone supernova. I think I will lead myself astray tonight – I have a confession to make – No-one leads me astray it is all my own doing.
- drewcotgrave's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- Read more
The appointment came through today for Ian to go in for his investigations. It can't come soon enough now. I didn't think he looked very well today,his face was really swollen, a lot more so than usual, there is also something that looks as though it is growing outwards and this has all come on in a matter of weeks, so naturally I am concerned.
Evening What Nowers
Gawd that felt good to say. Well its been a long 4 weeks........one cycle of chemo, chronic constipation, brain swelling, steroids and a new puppy. That saves any of you who didn't follow my "off site" blogs from catching up ;)
I have not been on the site for ages, i have had 2 intense months caring for my mum. She died on 9th june at home at 64 and my heart is broken. She suffered terribly. I had no help as she was in denial right up until the day before she died when i had to get the district nurses to see her as she became so ill.
Hi There, My name is Samantha im 23 and i have a condition called aggressive fibromatosis, the best desciption i have for this is a soft tissue non malignant-malignat tummor that is very localy agressive and recurring,an mine is rather infaltrive..but they do not metastasize like malignant cancers, but mine seams to send fealers or tubers out...
There has been some speculation posted that asparagus can cure cancer.
As most of our bloggers have said, it’s best to treat theses claims for asparagus as a cure for cancer with a good dose of scepticism. There’s no good evidence that eating asparagus prevents or cures cancer.
hi my name is leah im 40 years old
ihad my smear three weeks ago gp surgery told me it was clear then phoned to say they had read the wrong result i had cin3 i do understand that this is not cancer it is precancerous cells never the less it dosent make the worrying any easier .
well got results off bone scan from another registra my doc still on holiday.she was shocked that last one said they thought i had a tumour ,she said the bone scan showed there was an old wedge fracture and some weakening off the spine so she would arrange abone density scan so they could then treat it before ostepinia took hold but she could not see anything to worry about .when my own onicoligis
had a good and bad day today been with my grandad who has the lung cancer took him to see his doctor although i love spending time with him and always stay cheerful when im with him when i come home i always end up crying for him because he seems to be getting so frail each time i see him i want him to know how special his been to me in my life but dont know how to tell him without upsetting him b
- sami_princess's blog
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hi every one just wanted to share a little poem my granddaughter kiera wrote for me she is seven years old
GRAN CAN YOU RAP
Gran was in her chair taking a nap ,when i tapped her on the shoulder to see if she could rap
gran can you rap ,can you rap can you gran
Nurse blog posts
A good friend's son has advanced, stage 4 melanoma. He's 15, which is rare. Despite a missed diagnosis and a few major set-backs he's doing pretty well.
At last, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, it's actually warm enough to go without a coat (well it was when I started writing this!) and everything suddenly seems much nicer. Most of us feel better in the nice weather and also we tend to feel we look healthier with a bit of colour, and even more fit with a deep tan!
As a nurse working on the helpline, I'm aware that some of the most common feelings people experience when faced with a cancer diagnosis are a sense of uncertainty,
June is Male Cancer Awareness Month, which is supported by Everyman who fund research with the aim of stamping out male cancers. I thought now was an ideal opportunity to blog about the two cancers in question - testicular cancer and prostate cancer - to raise awareness, and hopefully dispel some myths.
Carer's Week is from the 8th - 14th June 2009. The theme this year is "Carers...the UK's secret service".
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Lots of people dealing with cancer - doctors and nurses, researchers and statisticians, patients and carers - talk about a 5 year period. But what does it mean? When does it start? Why is it so significant?
The reality is that this magical point in time, means different things to different people.
On the nurse helpline we often speak to people who have been asked to make decisions about their treatment. One treatment versus another treatment, which treatment first, treatment versus no treatment - the list is endless and it's no wonder people end up anxious and confused.
There are lots of potential side effects to cancer treatments. One of the most difficult to come to terms with is a change in body image. Body image is the mental picture we have of our own appearance. This image is drawn from what our body actually looks like, and also from how we think we look. Throughout life, our body image is constantly changing.
There has been some speculation posted that asparagus can cure cancer.
As most of our bloggers have said, it’s best to treat theses claims for asparagus as a cure for cancer with a good dose of scepticism. There’s no good evidence that eating asparagus prevents or cures cancer.
As nurses on our helpline and email service, we come from all sorts of backgrounds. We have lots of experience of looking after people with cancer in different environments. This may be on hospital wards, in out-patient clinics, at hospices, or visiting patients in their own homes. As well as t
I'm sure that most of us, at some point in our lives, will have feelings of complete and utter despair. When life seems hopeless and there seems little point in going on. Fortunately, for a lot of us these feelings and emotions, although very difficult to cope with at the time, are short lived and pass with the support and love of our family, friends and health care professionals.
April is bowel cancer awareness month. Bowel Cancer UK has a new campaign called Check It that you might like to read about.
I'm in the middle of revising Cancerbackup's booklet (and web information) about sexuality and cancer, and thought it was an ideal time to write a quick blog on the subject.
Talking about serious illness, or death and dying is never easy. And talking to kids about it is really hard.
As adults we often struggle to understand and come to terms with someone we love and care about dying so how can we possibly explain something to a child we don't understand ourselves?
With the announcement that ovarian screening may be beneficial, I thought I'd take a look at the issues around screening for prostate cancer.
I recently attended a prostate cancer awareness evening in Colchester, Essex, and I thought it might be of interest to some of you to know these events are taking place.
I was driving back from visiting my family on Sunday with my partner when the news came on the radio. The news reader discussed the global economy, an MP having to justify his expenses on his home, and then the sad news that Jade Goody had died. My partner and I talked about how irrelevant everything else becomes when you're faced with the death of a loved one. And h
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I'm sure you're aware of the vast amount of coverage in the press about Jade Goody's sad situation. As a result, we've noticed an increase in enquires to our service about cervical cancer. Many people are also telling us about how the media is affecting them in other ways.
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Today is No Smoking Day. We all know about the potential harm that can be caused by cigarettes. But are we so aware of all the health benefits of giving up? As you can read from the link, these benefits start very soon after you quit.
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Just in case you haven't heard yet, from 1st April 2009 cancer patients in England will be eligible for free prescriptions. Anyone undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer, or the effects of cancer treatment can now apply for an exemption certificate.
You can apply by collecting an application form from your GP surgery or oncology clinic.
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I was reading through some of the blogs on the site and came across a long discussion in answer to a query about preparing for chemotherapy. The thread included loads of great suggestions - and a few less good ones - and made me think that some pointers from a nurse might be useful.
About 36,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year in the UK. Around two thirds of colorectal cancers are in the large bowel (colon) and one third are in the back passage (rectum). It is unusual for people under 50 to get bowel cancer. More than 8 out of 10 bowel cancers (83%) are diagnosed in the over 60’s.
It's worrying to know that 24% of people with cancer feel they don't have anyone to talk to about their cancer and one in five people find it hard to talk to their friends and family about it.
Site blog posts
Hi all.
Some of you may have had difficulty accessing the site in the last hour or so, or for around an hour late last night. Unfortunately, we've some network wobbliness from our host, who tell us they have now fixed the problem.
I hope these outage haven't caused too much of an issue for you.
Thanks
James
Macmillan's CAB Welfare Benefits Advice Service in Northern Ireland's Cancer Centre has reached the semi-finals of the National Lottery Awards, which recognises the best Lottery funded projects.
You can help us get through to the final by voting for us.
Hi everyone.
Thomas and I are really excited to announce that as part of a bigger and better Macmillan website, our communities will be coming together to form the biggest community of its kind.
[edit: oops, got the time wrong! We'll be there at 3.30 :)]
As promised, Thomas and I will be in the chat room at 3.30pm BST today to answer your questions about the forthcoming new community. Please drop by to say hello and share your questions, suggestions and ideas.
Hi everyone.
I'm sad to say we've had a plague of scam artists lately bombarding the site with posts and private messages asking you to 'donate' money to their 'cause'. We remove these users as soon as we are aware of them, and I have now decided to take the extra measure of deleting all of their sent messages for your protection.
15-21 June is National Men's Health Week and June is Male Cancer Awareness Month. So we want to get more men involved with our work to help knock cancer care into shape.
Exciting news!
There are seven places available for pampering massage sessions this Friday thanks to The Made for Life Day from Spiezia Organics Skincare.
Hi everyone.
As of this week, we now have over 10,000 registered accounts on What Now?
Hi guys.
Thomas and I moved office last night, so we're currently surrounded by boxes and trying to get various IT problems ironed out. Responding to your issues and queries remains our top priority but please bear with us if we're a little slower to get back to you. As always, the best way to get in touch is by using the contact forms here:
Hi everyone.
If you haven't already, check out our Sex, relationships and cancer page. It's full of information and support on this important issue. There's a really interesting debate in the forum as well as expert videos and nurse blogs.
Hi all.
We've made some changes to our Terms & Conditions and the Community guidelines. As part of these changes, 16- to 18-year-olds will be able to use the site, with parental consent. This means that we can reach more people affected by cancer.
Hi all.
A lot of you will have received some dodgy private messages from “honest and nice looking” Jasmine, whose “brown sexy eye balls” are looking for a man. As you may have guessed, this is spam.
Hi everyone.
We're updating our Terms and Conditions and Community guidelines on What Now?
These will be on the site for you to view from 15 May 2009, but if you have any questions in the meantime please contact us.
On Sunday, 700 amazing people will be running the London Marathon to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. A huge good luck to all of you from all of us.
Firstly, I’m really sorry but this afternoon’s live web chat will not be going ahead as planned. There are a number of issues that Macmillan needs to look into in relation to this matter and we have been advised that it would not be appropriate to discuss this in open forum.
Hi everyone.
As many of you are aware, we have unfortunately had to ban one of our regular contributors from using this site. We are sad that it has had to come to this and we want you to know that we never take such a decision lightly.
Hi all.
When you send a private message, you can now see whether the person you sent it to has read it or not. If you go to your Sent messages folder, a little unread marker will show in red next to messages that haven’t been read.
Hi guys.
We've ironed out most of the issues for now, so you should be able to access the site and post as usual. However, we're aware of one or two ongoing issues that we're still working on. If you have any problems posting or get any error messages when you do, it'd be great if you could let us know so that we can work on fixing them.
Hi everyone
We're having technical problems with
the site, which means you might see one or more of these problems:
Hi all.
Following on from my post yesterday about posting stuff to groups and getting email notifications, Thomas and I have decided to change the way groups work so that you all get fewer emails without having to faff around with your settings too much.
I’d like to clear up a few points around groups and email notifications, because this seems to be causing some confusion and a lot of members are complaining that they are receiving too many emails from What Now?
Why do I get so many emails?
Hi everyone.
Our calming landscapes survey will stay up on What Now? until the end of the week. As you may know, Macmillan Cancer Support wants to improve the environments in which people are treated for and receive information about cancer, and we need you to help us identify the features and landscapes that help reduce anxiety.
Hi guys.
I'm sure you'll have noticed that we've been tinkering with the blogs layout over the last week or so. As you know, we're always looking to make this site as good as we can and we think that we've succeeded in making blogs a lot easier to find your way around.
One big community
Our Share and What Now? communities are coming together as part of a new Macmillan website
Read our cancer information
The main Macmillan website
Got a question? Ask a nurse
Read our community guidelines
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Site news
Hi all.
Some of you may have had difficulty accessing the site in the last hour or so, or for around an hour late last night. Unfortunately, we've some network wobbliness from our host, who tell us they have now fixed the problem.
I hope these outage haven't caused too much of an issue for you.
Thanks
James
Latest nurse blog
A good friend's son has advanced, stage 4 melanoma. He's 15, which is rare. Despite a missed diagnosis and a few major set-backs he's doing pretty well.
Random blog entry
Seems life will be one long journey of hospital appointments yet again. They have decided on another cytoscopy, probably under general anaesthetic, to check what's going on and remove more of the tumour if they can. Part of me thinks, this is good news at least they haven't given up yet and part of me thinks oh no (or something similar) hospital again and the dreaded catheter.
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