WHAT CSN IS ALL ABOUT

SB-- You have made a great point and expressed to everyone for me exactly what I thought, but just couldn't put into words.

You folks DO ROCK!!!!

Again...thank ya, thank ya, thank ya (said with a big Gomer Pyle smile and head sway). You all are so incredible!!!

Jimmy

You are so very right- I just wish more people who are dealing with this monster knew about our site..it has truly been a GodSend to me...otherwise I would not have known to push for a clinical trail for Avastin for my husband who now has "stable disease" with mets to liver and lungs...(avastin in Canada is only available at this point by a clincial trial)
btw SpongeBob..you and "kangatoo" are angels at this site- always posting an encouraging word- hope and smiles and rainbows...
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Bev

This site is the best and everyone is so caring. Whenever I hear about someone having cancer I tell them to go to the Cancer Survior Network and get into a discussion room.

kangatoo said:

The words of wisdom continue to issue forth from our much loved Sponger.You have got humour Bob...but a helluva lotta compassion too mate!
Sometimes it is hard for people to ask for help....I don't think that is pride in oneself, more so the difficulty lies in cancer sufferers and carers having the mindset that family, friends etc. need not here about one's troubles. This train of thought leads to an enormous amount of apprehension to speak one's mind. The beauty of this site is that our "lurkers" here will eventually discover that there are "no holds barred" here...there are no taboo subjects in relation to cancer and our associated body parts affected by the disease. Talking about one's bowel habits was just not done....UNTIL THIS SITE WAS BORN. Friends, we have heard it all. If every person afflicted by this horror had the opportunity to see our posts....maybe we could help a lot more people.We have every possible emotion here....the great part is that we all have had to deal with it AND share it!
"Some days are diamonds, some days are stone...."
But no matter what the day brings there is always a shoulder to bare the load.......yup...rock on Semi-colons!
Luv, Ross and Jen

ps......Bev!....last time I showered my shoulder blades were free of feathers.
mmmmmmmmm.......maybe you meant cat furr?...Tessie...where art thou sweet kitty?

Guys n gals, the other great thing about this site is that everyone benefits from it. The emotional support and advice from everyone here has allowed me to also come to terms with and understand ways in which we can help others.
I have only just returned this day from visiting a dear "male" friend who has a form of Myeloma(cancer which effects the blood and bones). His name is Allan and he has been courageously fighting this for about 7 years. Unfortunately his body is now rejecting any chemotherapy...it no longer works. He is also taking thalidomide...but this is making him very sick. Poor Allan is now very frail, unable to walk far. On seeing him today he told me, "I am on the downward run." So sad but he was so happy to see me and talk a spell.Allan has never seen a councillor or therapist and his specialist seems to him very non-sympathetic. I don't blame the specialist for that...in some ways I guess they are like policemen, trained not to get too emotionally involved which tends to make them appear to be a little cold. After some discussion with Allan and his wife it seems that he has progressed into severe depression. He has been told to seek palliative care.
His wife and I discussed this and agree that emotionally he needs professional help to enable him to cope, indeed she admits that help in this way would benefit her too. I am in the process of seeking advice from our Cancer Council to try to help my two friends. I wanted to share this with you on this post topic to highlight a very special point.
Without the love, understanding, support and wonderfull advice over the past 2 years you have all given me...I would have been at a loss...not only to be able to talk to them both....but to offer some way of helping with their current situation.
Thank you semi-colon friends.....I have the strength to do something usefull because of my friends here on CSN.
huggs, Ross and Jen

I don't know if you remember me, SpongeBob, but you were one of the first to welcome me. I figured that I didn't need any help, doing just fine, thank you very much! Between these posting, and the chat rooms where everything goes from serious to crazy (partially my fault, I must say), I have found a set of true friends. I tell everyone about this site, especially the colorectal board, "If your faith in human strength and spirit is lagging, even if cancer hasn't touched you". I attack terrible things with humor, always have. But also knowledge....and you guys give me both. Thanks to everyone for accepting the "bald lady with the big mouth"!
Kathi