New terminal diagnosis 22nd March

What a piece of news to absorb, whilst accepting all conventional medicines consider alternatives alongside such a cbd and therapies to relax you it will help with physical and mental pain , 

i to am a theatre odp and having medical knowledge  can add to your worries try to approach it with a lay person’s perspective 

IN my personal life I have had to deal with a terminal case it doesn’t have to be all sad , we managed a dignified and somewhat humorous end . I myself have a dismal diagnosis. What helps me is having control. 

Hi Dc6, thanks for getting in touch. It's so new at the mo, processing is the hardest. I'm going to the Isobel Hospice day centre for some therapies and advice on pain. Thankfully I've not got much pain at the mo. Hopefully this new chemo will work alongside the radio. I'm keeping upbeat as much as I can. I tend to have my tears in the middle of the night to protect the children. Hopefully once I get into the new routine of cycles and radio, things will calm down a bit emotionally for us all. But yes being a Healthcare professional is a bugger!!

Dear Ginger46,

i'm so sorry that you are going through this. It is so cruel and terrifying. 

I am 46, with a 13 year old and 11 year old. Diagnosed with secondary 3 months ago and just recently the cancer has spread to my brain. It's growing fast, which is so scary.

I'm also in the NHS (now taking full sick leave) and I absolutely loved my job as a child psychotherapist. But i'm strangely calm at the moment and I really am taking each day as it comes and savouring the time with my loved ones.

I hope you can find some peace and calm.

Jo

Hi Jo

My god I'm so sorry you are going through it too. Are you getting support at home. My hubby has been amazing. But like you I feel strangely calm too as I'm not waiting for any more bombs to drop. It has dropped now and this new regime will either work or it won't, but there are more options in the pipeline and I have to have belief that my magic bullet is on the way. Like you having given my entire life to caring for people, it's a cruel twist of fate that I will never be cured.

Keep positive, always happy to chat.

Dor

Hi Dor,

Good to hear from you. I have a wonderful husband, family and friends around me.

On Friday I had treatment planning for 'sterotactic' radiotherapy to blast the brain mets in one highly precise, high dose treatment on 9th April.

I don't quite understand what it does, but am reassured that Guy's Hospital is a world leader in this. I now  have hope that maybe the brain mets can be managed and then I can start on another treatment for the main breast cancer and other spread (although seems to be growing so fast).

Still very aware that each day is precious and that we can't know what's going to happen or how long there is left to live.

I plan to write letters to my husband and kids to be opened when I'm gone. How is it for you 'getting things in order'? Are you getting support with that?

Jo

Hey Jo, that's positive re the targeted radio. With regard to the getting things in order process, we have just done it fairly slowly ourselves, but there is support here and our local Isobel Hospice can help. I have ordered personalised journals for each of them that I can write in and add pics etc. I will write letters to other close friends and family. My daughter got me a journal to fill in all about my life which I will complete for her so shes got info about me when I'm gone. I'm hoping it's years but as you know time is one thing we have klno control over sadly. X

Hi Dor,

How are you?

good idea about the personal journals for your children. I have written a letter to my husband in draft but  finding it hard to finish off!

I'm awating targetted radiotherapy on friday 9th april, but I fear brain mets have already grown because I had no control in my right hand yesterday. So the treatment may not blast all the tumours because they are growing.

Bit scared the cancer is too fast growing to treat.

It's been lovely having some sunshine over Easter and actually seeing my parents  in person on Easter Sunday!

Best wishes,

Jo

Hi Jo

Keeping everything crossed for you for tomorrow and hope it's going to do its job. We have to keep our faith in the process. I too have finally started to see friends and family which has been so nice and very much welcomed over the last few weeks. I start radiotherapy next Thurs for the left chest. And I have my second chemo next Fri.

I've been sorting out DNAR and LPA paperwork today which hasn't been fun but sadly necessary. I hope I won't need them for a long time but I need to have it in place so I can focus on the happy stuff. I am making the most of every day and that's all I can do for now.

Please let me know how you get on.

Dor