Comments for Chronicles of a Cancer Patient

Comment on What Not To Say To a Cancer Patient by Anita

Anita — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:55:37 +0000

Thank you David. To be honest, I have been so utterly overwhelmed with the treatments and being a single mother and still trying to do my small job that I had not thought of that. Thank you so much. Very idea I will look it up asap. Thanks so much.
Anita

Comment on What Not To Say To a Cancer Patient by David J. Hahn

David J. Hahn — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:47:28 +0000

Hi Anita – that sounds like a terrible situation that you’re in, I’m so sorry. A lot of cancer centers offer free counseling to cancer patients – my mother and I were in it for most of the time I was I n treatment. You should look for your local cancer center and inquire – I think you’d find it very helpful.

Comment on What Does Chemotherapy Feel Like? by David J. Hahn

David J. Hahn — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:45:42 +0000

Hi Baz – I’m so sorry to hear that you and Jan have to go through this mess, but I’m so glad if I’ve been able to help you in any way. Thanks for writing.

Comment on What Not To Say To a Cancer Patient by Anita

Anita — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:04:53 +0000

Thank you everyone! I stumbled upon this blog this morning feeling so very alone. I am doing the chemo/radiation for triple negative breast cancer that was diagnosed early. I too have been ignored. By my ex boyfriend/co-owner of my house, my children’s father and my family. I find it preferable to go alone to my treatments than to deal with my brother asking me for “documentation” to verify that I have breast cancer. Or my mother blaming me silently (she is 78.) I have lost friends. I am ignored and my own darling 13 yr old pretends that I am fine. She is angry with me and I know she is a child but I hurt so much. It is so difficult to find the will to live when I’m told to bring in the trash cans, fold the laundry of my daughter “together,” be strong, all the while vomiting and dealing with massive migraines etc.
What not to say? Get out of bed, I’m going through a lot too, be happy they caught it early, you’ll be done soon, can’t you just not do the treatments? Thanks for listening..

Comment on What Does Chemotherapy Feel Like? by Baz Reilly

Baz Reilly — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:25:16 +0000

Dear David,

Thanks for writing down your feelings about the Chemotherapy treatment it was very helpful to both my wife and I.

Jan was diagnosed with breast cancer last October 2011, to say it came as a shock to us all, we have two daughters, was an understatement! My description of the whole process to date is like we have all been placed in a large jam jar and have been shook violently, only now are things beginning to slow down.

As her carer I have felt very helpless when she is made ill by both the Chemo and the side effects. It is very upsetting to see her so low and suffering the symptoms you so accurately described in your blog. I did not hold up very well in fact I was signed off with stress by my doctor. I was also given counselling from a local cancer charity “Jane Scarff House in Romsey, UK. They are brilliant and have helped both Jan and I deal with situation. I’m now back at work.

Jan now has a Hickman line fitted and the delivery of the Chemo is less stressful. I must say thank you to Winchester Hospital, the staff and Jan’s colleagues who are all absolutely fantastic!

Jan has just completed her third Chemo, she has had some awful side effects: Cellulitus, Gastritis and collapsed veins. Our Oncologist said Jan has had a bad introduction to Chemo. The third session was really bad and knocked the stuffing out of her. She was looking on the web and found your blog she said you had really captured the feelings she was experiencing. It also helped me to understand what she is going through.

Thanks keep up the great work.

Baz and Jan Reilly
Andover, Hampshire, UK.

Comment on PET Scan Before and After Photos by DJP

DJP — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:30:18 +0000

Great news

Comment on What Not To Say To a Cancer Patient by DJP

DJP — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:27:08 +0000

Thank you very much for this, it seems like I do all the dont’s and need to change. I am looking forward to you being a cancer survivor :)

Comment on What Does Chemotherapy Feel Like? by DJP

DJP — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:16:33 +0000

Thanx for this info, we have someone in our family who recently got diagnosed with cancer. Even though we try to stay positive things really look bad now. I saw her after the chemo and now I have a idea what she suffers trough. We are visiting her tomorrow at the clinic to say high but a lot of people says we are saying goodbye. I will keep on praying for her and wish you all the best for the future.

Comment on What Does Chemotherapy Feel Like? by Mellisa

Mellisa — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:47:45 +0000

My best friend is having the same symptoms. I am taking her to treatment #2. I dread the next week for her. I hate this sh#$!!! It makes no sense. My heart goes out to you, anyone that has cancer, or anyone that loves someone that is going through this. Lord bless us all with your healing strength! Send your Angels to guard & protect.

Comment on What Does Chemotherapy Feel Like? by Ebenezer( must read)

Ebenezer( must read) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:55:30 +0000

Hi guys Im glad I ran into this blog. Like you all I’m in a similar situation as well. Although I had never fully grasped the extent and pain that cancer brings on into the lives of people such as yourselves, I am finally living through it myself. I knew it instinctively the first time I noticed my swollen inguinal lymph node a year ago after a new years eve bout of partying alcohol consumption brought about the first of what would be a year of many agonizing bone aches, headaches and back pains. Throughout that painful year I was struggling, not only to bear the unbearable pain that increased as time went on and my swollen lymphnodes increased in number with my steadily spreading cancer, but I was also grappling with surviving through life making my rounds from one relatives house to the other working two jobs under the table as a waiter and an underpaid sales man, I had no American identity; I had nothing that showed who I was and I barely had money to get by let alone seek treatment, I was a burden to my family, both the ones here in the US and my actual mom and dad: I am their an only child of two great parents that recently fell on hard times losing both their jobs, my father barely surviving a heartattack that arose as a complication of cholesteol buildup through a miraculous experimental stent procedure he underwent some six months ago. So I waited till about last september
until the pain became over the top and I started getting blackouts due to the inflamed lymphnodes all over my neck and on the back of my head and as the golf sized first Lymphnode that ever appeared
made it impossible for me to stand or walk for long periods of time. I got checked out and the first doc diagnosed me with adenopathy and recommend me to another doc who actually knew what he was doing and immediately ordered a lymphnode biopsy realizing what was going on. At this time I was still in denial, hoping that my illness was a result of some viral or bactirial infection and that the swelling were some sort of auto immune response by my lyPhatic system. Anyways to kinda speed things up a bit iI was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma, I finally let my adoptive parents know, they were devastated(the hardest part for me was the telling the parents and friends part), it hurt me more than the two bone marrow biopsies I went through as my doctor couldn’t retrieve any marrow from my dried up cancer infested marrow tissue and telling my actual biological mom was the worst thing ive ever been through. She loves me to death, I’m the only son she has and I was conceived after she had lost so many babies during her pregnancy. I was a child promised to god when my mom knelt at some obscure church on a hill top and prayed and promised to feed his poor once a year on that day if he blessed her with a baby( I kid you not, me n her n dad used to go up there and to various other churches on that day every year to feed the poor and needy with the food my mother made. I can’t tell you or explain to you anguished my mother was but it was so painful and my chemo side effects were relatively so insignificant,the whole thing has been a painful rollercoaster. Even-though im in the middle of this emotional and physical turmoil, i have found solace spiritually. I found myself again, I had strayed from religion, gave away the bible my mom had gifted me on the last days before I left home for the states as I was a science major deeply entrenched in the biology of creation rather than the advents of creationism. I found myself when I really began to see that despite all the pain that surrounds us, even through all the unfairness of life, the crazy desparity of living beings, the many numerous incongruences that bewilder even the best of is; there is more good In this world than evil and wrong. I still have cancer, but I don’t have the burden of pain, nor the want of care; neither do I lack money for my treatment nor courage to face the unknown fear ahead of me. I have nodoubt felt the healing touch of unconditional love from my mother first and foremost and my best friend who both ignorantly offered me their body parts hoping to save me;) I have received forgiveness from my adoptive parents who I was estranged from and who have without hesitation took me back into their protective hold bearing the full burden of my treatment and vowing to do so till I was cured even if they had to sell their house, even if it means using up their laborer savings that they put aside for their autistic daughter, I have been graced with the loving and dotting care of many beautiful nurses and doctors who have given me hope, held my hands, embraced me with love as if I was of their flesh and blood and guided me through the maze of befuddling info. Even more so I think that the one thing that’s really saving me is my faith. I am a tenor Christian orthodox. I kneel before the picture of Mary, Jesus and st. Micheal every night and I pray in simple words, I reach out to the god I had forsaken and I believe he hears me. I know he hears me because ever since I started my chemo treatment, which consists of ABVD every two week, I have yet to feel nausea, I have yet to feel exhaustion, my swollen lymph nodes have dissolved on the very next morning after my first treatment, the pain is all but gone( except some throat and mouth pains that i sustained with four days of prescription Magic mouth wash, I eat ok and I have yet to lose weight, my blood count has yet to decrease and im off my neulasta shots (which are WBC enhancing shots) which did used to cause some soreness relative to a crick workout, and my hair is still growing fully thick, unruly and as black as ever(I actually tug on it half the time, bad habit) anyways the point I’m trying to make is the same as everyone else’s, I thought it was hopeless, I nearly succumbed to defeat and drowned in my sorrow and alcohol and ciraretts and weed, I had no hope what so ever of getting treatment; I was a nobody in the states. I managed to pull through atleast enough to get treatment because of some unexpected events that seemed to have been faithfully destined, even willed to happen. In the short year since I first discovered my painful swollen ailments I got married to my beautiful brstfriend who I had known all my life, had temporarily separated when she moved to us at a young age and reconnected after I moved here as well. Upon my marriage to her I was able to get state and work permut Ida as well as a social security which inturn allowed me to get emoyment(legally and fairly this time) and even better I was able to get
insurance under my adoptive parents by some miracle even though I am 24 years old.
So what I’m trying to say is the best thing I ever did in my situation was to turn to family, friends and god. I believe that the tears of all the people that love me and the salvation and forgiveness I prayed for are the healing,soothing touches that have allowed me to withstand the sideeffects you guys describe In this blog. I have felt nothing and it’s a miracle, even my doctors dumbfounded, after all it is stage four I had everywhere, even on my head, behind my ear every part of my neck on my back near my groin, it all disappeared after my first chemo, I don’t know about the ones in my abdomen or the cancer in my marrow yet I still have one cycle before I get scanned, but I can feel the healing already, I know I’ll be alright. And when I’ve overcame this mountain on my path I shall stand tall at the very peak and look on to the next obstacle, I will survive.