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  • Tasgirl
    Tasgirl Member Posts: 85
    #22
    westie66 said:

    Yay Australia!
    Hi: I've been to Australia several times ( birding ) - I was in Tasmania 4 years ago and loved it. Spent time at various B&Bs and park cottages throughout the country - even saw a Tasmanian Devil! I love Australia and hope to get there soon again. I'm from Canada and we have a lot of Australians here. As well, many of our university students to to Australia for teacher training. My grad student completely his PhD in Townsville and then stayed on (his wife died of cancer and he took the kids to a job in England).
    Wow! doing a marathon when in chemo. How wonderful!
    Cheryl

    Hi Cheryl
    As my username
    Hi Cheryl
    As my username implies - I was born and bred in Tasmania. So glad you liked my state. My daughter was born in Townsville as I lived there for about 3 years.
    You will have to let me know when next you are here.
    Jenny
  • westie66
    westie66 Member Posts: 642
    #23
    Tasgirl said:

    Hi Cheryl
    As my username
    Hi Cheryl
    As my username implies - I was born and bred in Tasmania. So glad you liked my state. My daughter was born in Townsville as I lived there for about 3 years.
    You will have to let me know when next you are here.
    Jenny

    Tasmania
    Will do! I need to see more wombats and platypus and echidna! And always more birds!
    Cheryl
  • MarisaUK54
    MarisaUK54 Member Posts: 41
    #24
    Tina Brown said:

    Hello Julie
    Thought I'd message you as I was diagnosed with PPC in November 2009 with plueral effusion. I was unable to breathe because of the fluid on my lungs and ended up having a total of 7 chest drains over a period of a year. Same as you when they tested the fluid they found the cancer cells. I am 51 years old and also fit and well. When I was diagnosed I was a runner.

    This is a wonderful site with so many lovely ladies offering support and help. Over the last 2 years I have come to terms and have learnt to live with cancer. I know in 99% of ladies this disease cannot be cured but it can be managed and treated just like any other disease. The beginning bit is the hardest and then getting your head around how your life will change. I used to resent that - I lost my hair, didn't work for 6 months, stopped running (my hobby) and put on weight. I spent a lot of time being angry which is part of the deal of being told you have cancer.

    But now, 2 and a bit years down the line I have just finished my 4th chemo and I am FREE OF SYMPTOMS and feel well. My CA125 is still raised (495) but it's OK as I am alive, back at work, my hair has grown and started running again.

    Take Care Tina xxxx

    Good news
    Hi Tina

    So good to hear you are doing so well. I really follow your posts and was glad to hear that you had been absent from the site as you had been on a cruise(?) I hope I got that right; I missed you anyway.
    Just reading your comments here, I have put on a lot of weight and I can't explain it. I am eating the same as I did before diagnosis, well the same as I have most of my life really. I have read elsewhere that the effects of chemo can affect weight gain; wondered if you felt this.
    Like you, I get a little angry about that; isn't the cancer enough!! Ok, so my friends and family say oh but you're better and yes, I would rather be healthy and "chubby" but I'd prefer just to return to normal thanks..
    Funny that, often people say to me, well lucky to be here, eh?...and I wanna say no, just as entitled as you...

    Ok, off my soap box now! Good to read your comments,
    Marisa
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #25
    MarisaUK54 said:

    Good news
    Hi Tina

    So good to hear you are doing so well. I really follow your posts and was glad to hear that you had been absent from the site as you had been on a cruise(?) I hope I got that right; I missed you anyway.
    Just reading your comments here, I have put on a lot of weight and I can't explain it. I am eating the same as I did before diagnosis, well the same as I have most of my life really. I have read elsewhere that the effects of chemo can affect weight gain; wondered if you felt this.
    Like you, I get a little angry about that; isn't the cancer enough!! Ok, so my friends and family say oh but you're better and yes, I would rather be healthy and "chubby" but I'd prefer just to return to normal thanks..
    Funny that, often people say to me, well lucky to be here, eh?...and I wanna say no, just as entitled as you...

    Ok, off my soap box now! Good to read your comments,
    Marisa

    Hello Marisa - steriod side effects
    Its nice to hear from you Marisa I so understand your frustations with the weight gain. However you are right it is the effects of chemo or more exactly the steroids that are given to us during chemo. Dexamethadone or decs (as the chemo nurses call it). These steriods prevent our bodies from reacting really badly to the chemo and making us very ill. The increase your appetite and then, if that isn't enought, cause your body to change the way it stores fat. You may have noticed a mound of fat at the top of your spine - on the back of your neck. They call that "Dowagers hump" and also your face may get round and puffy and they call that "moon face". I only found out about all of this by chance when chatting to the nurses and other cancer patients.

    I DO WISH THEY WOULD TELL US ALL ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS. I know it is small in comparisson to the cancer but it just helps to reassure us when we are going through one of the hardest things of our life.

    Going back to something you said ....."returning to normal" I finally have my hair back. I came off chemo at the end of March 2011. Nearly 11 months on and my hair looks just like it did before I lost it and it has done me the world of good.

    Take care Tina xxxxx

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