life goes on

Big school is a big step, especially when it's your baby. Enjoy some you time.

I start chemo on 10th feb. A few issues, I have an enlarged spleen and a low neutrophil count and an autoimmune disease called APS. I have had a stroke from APS and my oncologist needs to see if the meds are ok for me. Hes consulting with a haemotologist. I am in warfarin and need to stop this during chemo so daily clexane injections for 60 weeks YAY.

Having chemo at gosford Dr Aroney (beautiful man).

Linda. xx

Hi Linda, i would love to catch up some time when ever your ready. Thats good that you can take some time off work. As you say you can spend some quality time with your kids. I have 2 children a girl Aneetah who is 6 and a boy TJ who is 5. My son is actually off to school for the first time this year so i donot know how i feel about that yet. When do you start chemo and will it be at Gosford hospital? Danielle xx

Hi Linda, i would love to catch up some time when ever your ready. Thats good that you can take some time off work. As you say you can spend some quality time with your kids. I have 2 children a girl Aneetah who is 6 and a boy TJ who is 5. My son is actually off to school for the first time this year so i donot know how i feel about that yet. When do you start chemo and will it be at Gosford hospital? Danielle xx

OMG Linda,

I live at Gosford, we are 15 mins away from each other!!

Thats great that your husband can see the funny side of things. I think humour really helps.

I was alot like you i did not let cancer ruin my life. I have not really had any major meltdowns yet a few minor ones but i have coped. I too when i was feeling like the hardest done by person in the world would just think of all the tiny innocent children who are also fighting cancer so courageously and i would suck it up and take a page out of their book. I am sure working in the Oncology you have seen all this first hand.

I am completing my HSC the next 2 years and will probably go to uni for nursing ( unless i surprise my self with better results). Will you continue to work through your treatment or are you taking some time off??

No need to thank me for the waffle either, thats what i love about this site, we are free to waffle, vent, whinge, and share all the good times in our lives Danielle xx

Hi Danielle, thanks for the advice. I live at Avoca Beach, on th NSW central coast, and my children are Danielle 13, Ryan 10 and Samantha 8. My husband keeps joking that he will need to move out because he'll have to deal with a pubesent daughter and a menapausal wife at the same time. I just laugh and tell him to suck it up sweetheart.

The dragon boats sound amasing. I'm the sort of person to just get on with it, I'm sure i will have a big melt down at some stage, but as I tell all my friends,"it is what it is" and as long as I'm ticking boxes I'll be just fine. May be a little bravado there.

I'm a paediatric nurse and worked in oncology at Camperdown childrens hospital. If those amasing kids can do it then so can a middle aged mother of 3. The thaugth of chemo does freek me out though. I like to be in control, and cancer takes alot of that away. So every thing I can do for myself I will.

Speak soon thanks for letting me waffle.

Lindaxxxxx

Hi Linda,

Wow 3 weeks with a drain in and you went camping!!! Talk about not letting this cancer spoil your plans!! You must be an amazing woman to be able to do that for your family!!

Thats great news that your nodes came back clear, and i definately agree there should be some sort of test before they remove them also. Don't worry too much about lymphodema. I have also had my nodes removed, in the start i did not carry anything and did not use it to much. As time has moved on a little i am now carrying my son around, shopping bags, i even did a cartwheel a few months ago as the kids were trying to do them and i wanted to show them the correct way.

I paddle with dragons abreast and have just started doing weight training on my arms to try and build my muscles back up from 2 years of over compensating with my 'good' arm.

In the start i made an appointment with a lymphodema specialist (occupational therapist) and she showed me how to stimulate the lymph nodes in my groin area and how to gently masage all fluid from your arm down to your groin lymph nodes. I strongly recommend doing this as then you can masage your arm in the shower or whenever you can feel a little fluid build up. I also am meant to drink lots of water ( i don't) but i do wear a compression sleeve only when flying.

If i get lymphodema i will deal with it then, i just want to live my life as normal and hassle free as possible now. Just take it easy for the first few months.

How old are your kids and where do you live??

Danielle xx 

Thank you Kathy, all your advice is really helpful. I will book in to the lymphedema clinic and get a head start on it. Its great to hear other peoples experiences. So again thank you and take care.

Linda xx

Thanks Chris. I know I should be grateful. After full level 2and 3 clearence, just a little self pity. It wont last.

Time to move on to the next stage. See oncologist on friday.

xxx

Thanks Samantha. I did have a sentinal node biopsy on 14th Dec and 1 out of 2 sentinal nodes had cancer so I had to go back for more surgery and a ful axillary clearence. No cancer in any other nodes.