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One of my favourite aspects of the Community is the fact our members can put any questions they have about cancer to one of our various experts through the Ask an Expert section of our site. Whatever your situation, wherever your location - you can simply log onto the Community and access support from a professional.
Want to know more about Experts who volunteer to answer your questions? Well starting from today we’ll be introducing a monthly ‘Get to know the Expert’ Q&A, where our Experts will...
It’s 3 years to the day that I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. I asked the doctor how long I would live if I didn’t receive any treatment, the answer was 6 months to a year.
So I’ve already had 2 years of ‘extra time’ and hopefully a few more. In that time I’ve seen my eldest son get married and I’ve now got a beautiful granddaughter. I’ve been on holidays both in the UK and Europe. I’ve been to numerous music festivals and camped. I’ve been determined that cancer wouldn’t change the...
Paul had to go for a further set of scans in early February of 2017. By that time he had been off Chemotherapy for almost five weeks and we were both concerned that the cancer might start to grow again if we didn't continue Chemotherapy soon. One week after the scans we had the appointment with the oncologist.
"The scans are the same as the last scans from November," he informed us.
We were silent. We both felt disappointed because we had so much hoped that the Chemotherapy would be...
So I had the ultrasound (finally) and surprise surprise! I was right. My uterus is once again very thick at 17mm and very cystic. The hyperplasia May be back, or had never actually fully gone...
I have been fast forwarded down the 2 week cancer route and have a gynaecology appointment on Thursday. I know I’ll need another biopsy.
Im scared they’ll want to do a hysterectomy. I’m scared I won’t be able to have children.
Just scared.
"You see," the oncologist said calmly, "what has happened here is that your cancer has spread into the liver."
I can still remember the shocked silence in the room. Even though we had been expecting to hear this, when we actually heard it, we felt really shocked.
I don't know what Paul was thinking, but I know that I thought: Once cancer has metastasised to the liver it is really bad.
The oncologist read out loud from the scan report, "Half of the liver tissue has been replaced...
Debbie, known to the Community as Jersey Lily, is an Ostomate. She’s also a real ‘foodie’, so off the back of a temporary ileostomy earlier this year, she found it difficult to find tasty and suitable recipes anywhere. Debbie though powered through, adapting a few of her favorite recipes, and discovering new ones suitable for an Ostmate.
This week Debbie’s shared with us a recipe for a fresh and health ‘Super Green Soup’, packed full of green goodness – but first, here’s Debbie...
Before I continue telling our story, I want to share a thought I am really passionate about: Scans for patients with any form of advanced cancer have to be performed every six months. It is not right to only perform scans when the patient has developed symptoms or when specific tumor markers have gone beyond the normal range. Many tumors would be discovered a lot sooner, and in many cases they would be much more treatable, and maybe even lives could be saved, if our health service introduced this...
Before I continue sharing Paul's and my story, I thought I would briefly comment on love and our relationship.
I suppose most people would say that their relationship was something really special; and yet, when I look at many relationships around me, I feel that Paul's and my relationship was truly something very special and different from a lot of relationships I know.
Firstly, when Paul and I met, it felt for both of us as if we had been waiting for each other our entire lives; it was...
I have now completed my course of radiotherapy. For three weeks my life has revolved around the Christie hospital. What an amazing place it is! I now know from personal experience why it is one of the leading centres in the world for cancer treatment. Everywhere is so busy and yet there is a sense of calm throughout.
Although the actual treatment only took a minute the door to door trip could take anything up to 4 hours. This was because of traffic and there was usually a long wait. Obviously in...
I’ve been doing a creative writing course and thinking about senses. I remember when I convinced the doctors to remove the breast implant (mastectomy) that was killing me softly -that day, I washed my hair. I normally bath, but on days when I shower I always remember, 14 years ago now!
She stands in the shower,
Remembers, skin tingling,
A post operative hour,
Through the stitched scars
still lingering.
The implant removed,
from the one it abused.
Now perfumed and bare,
With soap in her hair,
She is...
