Welcome Mandy

Hi tvman. Thankyou for your lovely warm welcome. It means alot to me that you took the time to say hello and tell me a little about you and about this site. Like you said it's a shame to have to meet in this way but in a way it's like I feel instantly connected as we share a connection of what we are going through. Something that alot of my family and friends really dont understand. I think it really changes you as a human being once you are hit with a life limiting condition. I was diagnosed last december and without chemo I dont think I would have made Christmas. I was in a bad way. I was also in total shock. But after grueling chemo and now on a trial my cancer has shrunk some. I still dont know how long I have as I'm classed incurable. But I am a spiritual being and am doing lots of healing meditations. I think for now I'm meant to be here. Its really lovely to have joined this site to meet people who really understand. I'm sorry to hear that you are in a wheelchair now but I'm so glad you fighting through the pain and still following your passion of gardening. Every day of your life is important. Every moment of your life is important. Love and blessings to you and your wife... Mandy xxx

Hi  Mandy

Sorry you have had to join this group, though you are very welcome.

Your being positive and is good, i have to say i do meditation as well, makes me fill so much  more relaxed and sleep like a log.

I have been coming here nearly five years ago cannot believe it, at the start of my journey which was March 2016 i did not think i would see my grandson marry, have my golden wedding and see Christmas, they came and have gone.

Never give up HOPE a word my oncologist said to me on our first consultation and i have never forgot that.

I lost my hubby a year ago this month, with another type of cancer, and that hit me real hard and still does, as he was my rock and held me up at times.

So this group ad another i belong to have kept me going, and i HOPE for a while yet.

Pleased to meet you and  you will get a lot of support from this group always some one here.

Take Care Ellie xx

Hi ellie. Thankyou so much for welcoming me. Really lovely to meet you. It's so special to me when I meet and talk to someone on here who understands what I'm going through as we all on our similar journeys. I am so so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved husband I pray you find peace knowing he is no longer in pain and that you will meet again one day. It's so sad to lose someone you love dearly. But keep fighting the fight ellie. Your doing amazing. To have been fighting this since 2016. I hope I have some years ahead of me too although they have called me incurable I wont give up the fight. I'm glad you enjoy meditation I really believe it can help heal you too as it beings peace to the mind body and soul and brings them into balance. Lots of love to you ellie and thankyou so much for taking the time to come and say hello. Love Mandy xxxx

Hi Mandy, Welcome to the Group no one 'wants' to join but we are all glad now we did because the friendships and support you get here is second to none! Now you are part of it!

Like Ellie & TVman I am also well passed my sell by date! I joined this group shortly after my diagnosis. I went from having a red mark on my leg, straight to Stage4 terminal and given 5-7 months. That was in May 2013! Our son was getting married at the end of that month, we all agreed we would not tell his fiancée until they came back from their Honeymoon. Of course our daughter and her husband knew but we didn't tell anyone else at that time. I joined the site but for quite a while just read the posts and got comfort from the fact I wasn't alone! 
Now no one says terminal as there are so many new treatments that are amazing. I was lucky enough to be put on one of these new drugs and at the time my oncologist said I 'may' get a further 6-8 months and here I still am! How, lucky am I!!! Now we say "incurable" but treatable. I hope your oncology team have a plan of action for your treatment. I do think a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) definitely helps. Never give up HOPE without it we have nothing! Prayers don't hurt either!

Hi Annette thankyou you so much for taking the time to welcome me to the group. It's so lovely to meet you and read your story. It is so amazing and encouraging when I read that you have been fighting it since 2013 and still fighting the fight. You are an amazing person and it really fills me with hope. I really am going to keep fighting as I have too much to live for. Two beautiful sons ages 21 and 22 and too gorgeous little dogs. I have had loads of support from family and friends but its lovely to come on hear to talk with people who really understand. I was diagnosed december last year with stage 4 incurable ovarian cancer that had spread. But like you say it was treatable but not curable to try to give me more time. I did have the gruelling chemo which was the worst experience of my life and now I am on a trial. I loved reading your story it's made me more determined to keep fighting and not lose hope. Thankyou so much for sharing with me. For now I do treat every day as a blessing and am grateful to be here I feel blessed I've been given a bit more time on this beautiful earth. As last december I was so bad I didnt think I would make christmas even. I kind of had to have emergency chemo. And yes I do pray and do healing angel meditations as I am very spiritual person so I believe it all helps. So lovely to connect with you. Lots of love from my heart. Love Mandy xxxx

Hi Mandy, another welcome from me another person past their sell by date. My incurable diagnosis came in July/August 2015 with a less than one year prognosis, I had no primary found so it was a sharp shock to be told I had cancer and it was incurable, and the wait to start any treatment. I can appreciate now, when I think back to how ill I felt back then, and how after 21 months of treatment I was in a lucky position of having clear scans. It has returned since but I have low burden of disease at the moment and have immunotherapy every 6 weeks to keep things that way. Like others I read your profile and looked at the groups you belong to. I do have another suggestion for you Religion, spirituality and prayer forum , I’m not a member of that group but thought you might want to click on the link and have a look. 

I am not a meditator, but I have had some mindfulness sessions, my ‘go to’ way of coping is going for a walk, I do appreciate the things around me, (there’s some wonderful fungi around at the moment) but I do like playing Pokemon Go when out for a walk aswell. At 61 I haven’t grown up yet and love playing games on my phone and tablet and recently bought a Nintendo switch console. My daughters both live a long way off 240 miles away and the other in Japan. I’ve recently started playing animal crossing with one of them on the switch so instead of the usual how are you conversations, we talk on the phone whilst visiting each other’s island on Animal Crossing getting tips from each other on how to improve our islands, and OOHing at anything new, (it has lots of customisations) we all have our own way to enjoy life. I had treatment on Sunday so I’m in a rest period before I start getting out for some more walks and as walking netball is off the table at the moment, I meet with some others for a walk in the park and a gentle tennis knock about, keeping in contact with the whole group on WhatsApp as we can’t all meet. 

I identify with that thought that friends who have not had cancer can not always appreciate what we are going through and it’s nice to have a go to spot to off load some thoughts and appreciate we are not going through it alone, and to get and give support to others.

Take care

Hi Mandy Child of divine

Well, I'd say you feel befriended and heartened by the people you've met so far, and there will be more Mandy. 

I was diagnosed in March 2015 aged almost 57. I was devastated, one reason was that I had plans for retirement and I didn't think I would reach my 60th birthday. However my 60th birthday came and went, my daughter had given birth to a lovely little boy and I didn't think I would see him growing up. He has had his 4th birthday and unfortunately because he lives in England and I'm in Northern Ireland so I haven't seen him since February but you know what? I'm still alive, I'll have a chance when this is all over. 

Don't lose hope Mandy. You have your faith I think and it is a strong faith. After I was diagnosed I had a couple of people on the vegetable association I was vice chairman of who asked me if I would mind if they prayed for me, a few of my customers also, one of whom I met in a supermarket prayed for me there and then which I found really odd. My brother said it wasn't unusual as he did the same if he met someone from his church in town or wherever. A couple of people here on the site asked me if they could pray for me also. 

It's a matter of living WITH cancer Mandy. It's only when cancer strikes that you have to step back a little and think deeply and then enjoy every day and thank heaven that you're still here. 

Lots of love and hugs

Tvman xx

Hi KT so lovely to meet you thankyou for your lovely long response I love getting to know you all and feel an innate connection with you all already. Knowing that we are going through the same trials in life. I am so encouraged by you still fighting the fight since 2015 and was absolutely amazed when you said it was clear after 21 months. Sorry its come back but you are doing amazing. Its giving me such hope reading all your stories that I could maybe be around for a bit longer to enjoy lifes beauty. I definitely don't feel ready to leave this world yet even though I so believe in another beautiful realm when we so go and that our spirits live on. But for now I'm going to keep fighting. I have 2 beautiful boys and 2 beautiful dogs I dont feel ready to leave yet. Thankyou so much for contacting me and giving me hope and encouragement and for letting me know about the spiritual forum i will definitely be joining that. I am glad you are still enjoying life walking and playing your Nintendo games. I think we all have a child still in us that likes to enjoy life. I see life with a new sence of wonder since my diagnosis and really appreciate the little things like the beautiful sky or the birds singing and at the moment the beautiful colour of the trees changing for autumn. I also like to paint sometimes. I did the painting of my profile picture. I called it world peace. Anyway so lovely to have met you keep fighting the fight. Lot and lots of love from my heart. Love Mandy xxxx

Thankyou tvman. I do really feel totally welcomed by the group. I'm so pleased I finally joined as I was thinking about it for a long time. There is so much love on here. Everyone encouraging each other. I love it. I can imagine sometimes people might come on here sometimes to offload sometimes too as I said to some people who have messaged me they can talk to me anytime even if they are having an off day and not feeling good. But in general I do try and stay positive as I want to focus on the good in my life and all the things I have to be grateful for and the blessings. And like you say you are still here since 2015. You are doing absolutely amazing. Its really given me hope reading all your stories knowing that you can live for years rather than months with incurable cancer. I pray that you keep fighting the fight. Stay strong. Lots of love to you. Love Mandy xxxx

Very impressive profile painting, well done.  I have missed out on the creativity gene!