In the past few months I've had quite a few of you suggest I should write about having breast cancer. Thanks to those who've both posted and PM'd me with words of encouragement. That's the niceties out of the way."Oh, just take your posts out and put them in a book.' Right. I had some idea I was a loud mouth but I've transcribed 20,000 words (at least 15,000 of which are rubbish) and I'm still in September 2017. No wonder I haven't had time to study, I'm too busy on here pontificating. So, no. Won't be cutting and pastingAt this stage I've got working chapter headings, in no particular order, such as:Into the Mincer, Tit lopping, Trying to be nice, Rads, Get off me--I'm exhausted, Piss off with the platitudes, Poisoning, This is ridiculous, Retreads, Red-neck rehab, Scanxiety, You know that's not good for you, Voldemort, My poor brain, Here we go again, Hooch and Fatso.Yeah, I know. Not the standard approach and--if it ever gets off the ground--it won't be for everybody. The loose plan is to get this finished in the next couple of months. It will be entirely from my own viewpoint and I can assure you that any content that comes off this site will be stuff I've written myself. I wont be borrowing from or quoting anyone else. You started this. Marg

Ah, @Romla There are many things that can be included in a book about cancer treatment. I have no intention of giving specific medical advice--as I've said, there are many other people who could write about that.I think that one thing we have all learned from this site is that 'normal' covers a shit load of territory and that no one solution or approach fits everyone.I'm a very combative person; I've been in more stoushes than I care to count. Me and my big mouth. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it isn't but it is who I am and I have no problem pushing boundaries if I think it is to my advantage. Sometimes a good shove can bring down a fence that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Sometimes it means you suddenly find yourself surrounded by attack dogs who were waiting for someone to bite. I'd like to encourage people to view their disease through the same lens that they see the rest of their world. If you like being a passenger, don't suddenly feel pressured to drive. If you like being behind the wheel, now is not the time to give up your licence. Sometimes you have to compromise, sometimes you are just expected to.Being sick is challenging and it's easy to become very disempowered. The system works for the system. If you are a middle of the road type person with good support systems who lives in an area with adequate services you will probably be fine. The disease may still kill you, but statistically you are much more likely to survive.If you are outside the metro areas, have no confidence, have a mental illness, have a disability, live in QLD (WTF is it with reconstructions up there) don't have any money, don't have a support system, have language difficulties, have cultural barriers, are surrounded by abusive people, are an over achiever, are subject to mal-practice or end up with an incompetent or unsuitable practitioner the picture changes dramatically. We know that now, but most people have no idea until they get sucked into the cancer vortex. The thing is, if you accept crappy situations the people responsible for them are not going to change anything. You can fight with your doctors, sack them, make complaints about them. Same with hospitals and the people who surround you socially. If you want to. Finding the ridiculous in dire situations helps keep me sane and I like making people laugh. That's what I want to write about.

Who needs the standard approach, you have got to want to read it. That 15,000 words of rubbish, it was great rubbish. Good luck. Pam

At the risk of being deemed pushy Kaz Cooke has a website you can contact her through @Zoffiel - her market is women/ girls tackling issues in an irreverent informative way and she’s a great cartoonist too

@Zoffiel you inform and entertain in your inimitable style. I’m sure it will be a success! Can I put my hand up for an autographed copy?

Woo Hoo can't wait to see it in print :D

OK. I think I'm going to do it. | BCNA Online Network

Payne
Member
8 years ago
Oh Zoffiel, what a brilliant idea. Your chapter headings make me laugh, so you can't go wrong. Il definitely buy your book. Onwards.
Sue P
melclarity
Member
8 years ago
@Zoffiel I totally agree with everything you said...and I think you'd write it all very well too! Sense of humour really is the only way to get through it all, because it is too ridiculous for words the entire situation from beginning to end and all the craziness in between. There seems to be no logic half the time and we do spend most of our time fighting with professionals or socially just to be acknowledged or heard on a human level. As we know, the reality of all of it is very different to the pictures the professionals want to paint and has nothing to do with positivity at all. Being positive doesnt change the ignorance of people who havent been through it or the lack of support physical, mental or financial along the way. Go you!! xx M
Marianne_BCNA
Member
8 years ago
Go Marg! Keep us updated with you progress :)
Annski
Member
8 years ago
Yes! Those chapter titles are out there! You know we're all right behind you on this. You already have a pack of fan-girls!
brightspace
Member
8 years ago
Yeah ha!
Our lives are a bit like a rabbit hole journey ..crazy alice and that bloody ticking never stopping alway tick tock and then along comes a very special surprize..... that resonates with us all ..thankyou for taking the journey to many dimensions .
Larrikin humour award ;) :o <3 :D
thankyoou Zoffiel
Cheers B
Zoffiel
Member
8 years ago
Ah, @Romla There are many things that can be included in a book about cancer treatment. I have no intention of giving specific medical advice--as I've said, there are many other people who could write about that.
I think that one thing we have all learned from this site is that 'normal' covers a shit load of territory and that no one solution or approach fits everyone.
I'm a very combative person; I've been in more stoushes than I care to count. Me and my big mouth. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it isn't but it is who I am and I have no problem pushing boundaries if I think it is to my advantage. Sometimes a good shove can bring down a fence that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Sometimes it means you suddenly find yourself surrounded by attack dogs who were waiting for someone to bite.
I'd like to encourage people to view their disease through the same lens that they see the rest of their world. If you like being a passenger, don't suddenly feel pressured to drive. If you like being behind the wheel, now is not the time to give up your licence. Sometimes you have to compromise, sometimes you are just expected to.
Being sick is challenging and it's easy to become very disempowered. The system works for the system.
If you are a middle of the road type person with good support systems who lives in an area with adequate services you will probably be fine. The disease may still kill you, but statistically you are much more likely to survive.
If you are outside the metro areas, have no confidence, have a mental illness, have a disability, live in QLD (WTF is it with reconstructions up there) don't have any money, don't have a support system, have language difficulties, have cultural barriers, are surrounded by abusive people, are an over achiever, are subject to mal-practice or end up with an incompetent or unsuitable practitioner the picture changes dramatically.
We know that now, but most people have no idea until they get sucked into the cancer vortex.
The thing is, if you accept crappy situations the people responsible for them are not going to change anything. You can fight with your doctors, sack them, make complaints about them. Same with hospitals and the people who surround you socially. If you want to.
Finding the ridiculous in dire situations helps keep me sane and I like making people laugh. That's what I want to write about.
Romla
Member
8 years ago
I guess @Zoffiel why we believe it should be you is your indefatigable nature and irreverent personality makes us feel as if we are back in control of our lives rather than on some medical conveyor belt where friends and family tippytoe around us.I don’t know if our perceptions of you are always right as you too are human nor have I expressed well community attitude once a breast cancer diagnosis is given but hope you can read around my point.

Finally how about a chapter on supplements esp on the cautious side - @primek gave me a wonderful site to check if they conflict with our treatment .I’ve learnt Echinacea diminishes the benefits of Tamoxifen , and that Curcumin shouldn’t be taken during chemo to name a couple. I guess I’ve learnt to be careful with natural .. But I’ve also learnt from the ladies like @melclarity that Magnesium is wonderful for bones whilst on aromatase inhibitors.
Zoffiel
Member
8 years ago
Thanks for the support, ladies. It's really heartening and encouraging.
In true Zoffiel style (she is my very own alter ego after all) I'd like to say thank you for the advice and offers of help--many of you are quite capable of writing for yourselves and I encourage you to do so :)
Marg XXX
onemargie
Member
8 years ago
That is a great pic too@Romla made me laugh my fucking arse off she could put that on the the cover then put underneath..... the shit that really goes on with breast cancer!! Or she could call it “up tits creek with a paddle” or “a story of tits and giggles” or “holy tits shit just got real” that’s all i got for now lol better get to work!!! Margie
onemargie
Member
8 years ago
And you have my permission to use any of my posts if you want lovey. Whatever helps make your book as awesome as ever then I’m in