Our community

I am 48 years young, I'm a wife and mother and grandmother of 9 beautiful grandchildren. I work in dissability, Well I did before mothers day 2009 when I found a lumpin my left breast and will again as soon as I get the all clear to return to work. I am looking forward to returning to my life. I am also on Avastan/Bevacizumab trials which will finish in June.

You’ve got a month to live!!!
Hello, my name is Paul Litchfield and I wanted to share with you all my story.
Late November 2008 I was diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Specifically affecting my tongue and 3 lymph nodes in my neck. After all the various tests you get with this kind of news. I was told the tumour was 8cm and growing fast. Then I was told there was nothing they could do for me and was given about one month to live. Thus began a terrible time of coming to grips with this devastating news. How to tell my wife, family and friends. The first thing I did was tell the doctors, No it’s not going to play out that way. Figure something else out. Find some way to give me some time. After many discussions it was agreed that I would receive some chemo and see how that went. Well a Miracle occurred and the tumour shrank by about half from one dose. After that they said well okay have more chemo and now you can have some radiotherapy, So began 7 weeks of intensive radiotherapy 5 days a week, combined with three weeks of chemo, various types and by the time it was all over the tumour was completely gone from my tongue, all that was left was the three lymph nodes still having not shrunk completely, so after I recovered from all that I had a partial resection done on my neck to remove the affected lymph nodes. So now I am in recovery from all of that. The last PET scan I had a couple of weeks ago was 100% clear and the doctor said come back in a year!
Well that was the mechanics of the Cancer. The reality was very different. The Chemo, even though it shrank my tumour was very hard on me physically and mentally. I had terrible hallucinations, even at one point “seeing my wife die in front of me” At that point I went insane for awhile, but gradually recovered enough sense to see it was just a hallucination. As I said I had to face the realities of my situation and truly without the many forms of support from my wonderful wife, family and friends gave me, I don’t think I would have survived it. But interestingly enough I “knew” from the initial diagnosis that this was not the end for me yet. That’s why I told the doctors, no it’s not going to play out the way they were telling me it would. Where this certainty came from I do not really know, just that it was there. Every time I went to see the doctor, I asked him, how I’m doing Doc, he would shake his head and say Mr Litchfield, I’m sorry but I can’t change my mind you are still going to die, maybe not quite so soon but no more than a couple of months at most. On my last visit he said to me well all I can say is you’re a better poker player than I am, I put my cards on the table and you dealt me a better hand. Whatever you are doing do not stop.
And that brings me to what was I doing during all this time and did it and does it have anything to do with not only my survival, but my continued recovery as well.
For the last 18 years I had been working as a healer. Though now am fully retired. Specifically a form of Chinese healing called Chi Gong. My wife and I have treated many patients over the years many with serious problems such as my own. Some people survive cancer some do not. I don’t think there is any one reason why this happens, but it is clear to me that some things help and others do not. For me personally to find myself with cancer was a huge shock as I was doing as many so called good things to keep myself as well as possible, meditating every day, good diet, plenty of exercise, trying to be a better person, and yet I got a typical smokers cancer, amusing as I had never smoked a day in my life. Of course there was the occasional medicinal wine and I do mean occasional. And apparently if there is a localised infection in the area alcohol can play a part in the development of this type of cancer and I actually did have a burn in my throat from some food that was too hot and got caught in my throat which was taking a long time to heal. But there were also things from my past that haunted me and which despite many attempts to free myself from their effects I was always somewhat sad, fearful and angry at life for what I considered things not my fault! But I have come to see that and (again I stress this is just my point of view,) that while there may be no actual plan of life, things do seem to occur in a perfectly timed manner. And I have come to accept that the things that were deepest in my heart did have a definite effect on my health and it is also clear to me that I could have done a lot more than I was doing, particularly when it came to meditating more. My wife was always complaining and rightly so that I was very good at sussing out other people’s problems and doing what I could to help them, but very bad at doing the same for myself!!!
During my ordeal whenever I could I would sit or lie down, more often lying down and do a meditation called the Golden Light Meditation. Basically all it involves is visualizing, telling yourself it’s there whatever works for you, that the whole body is enveloped and pervaded by a pure golden light that enters all the bodies’ organs and filters out all the rubbish in them and replacing that with all the things the body needs to heal and be healthy. Simply breathing in the good stuff and breathing out the bad stuff. Usually for an hour at a time sometimes more. I did this for as many hours a day as was possible for me, sometimes up to eight hours a day as I had nothing else to do. Gradually I felt stronger and could start to feel that I really would survive. I still do six hours a day. This is as necessary to me as having a shower and brushing my teeth. As well as this I really started to take responsibility for how my actions affected not just myself but everyone around me. My friends now tell me that the haunted look is gone and some barely recognize me. My closest friends remarking where did that angry arsehole go? All I know is that my future is possible now in a way that wasn’t before because I am free of so much baggage. How does this happen? Are there Miracles? Yes I believe there are and many prayers were said on my behalf, some from me to God, yes, but not the kind of prayer that begs for life and I will do this in exchange. No my prayers were more a deep feeling intuition that the Divine exists and perhaps something can change maybe not, but it’s okay either way, and I truly felt that it would be okay. Today my fear of the cancer returning is still there and my doctor was adamant that it would return by last Xmas, wrong again and sometimes I go a whole hour without thinking of it! Yet basically my life is returning to a kind of simple balance that I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced before, but am enjoying. So I’m writing this story with the hope that others can know it’s possible to survive this type of cancer.
Best regards to all.
Paul.

i'm not exactly sure just what i write here bout myself. im 26, enjoy PC gaming (mainly i play WoW) during my free time. ive been caring for my 61 year old father for the past few months now since he discovered he had cancer. I also lost my mother to cancer back in 1998. I guess the main reason im here is because im loosing friendships because my so called "friends" just couldn't understand how hard and demanding being a full time carer is.

I was diagnosed in August 2011 with triple negative breast cancer.I finished treatment April 2012. Because this is such an agressive cancer I decided to take control and inform myself with as much knowledge I could find. The treatment was very agressive, very hard to cope, but important to me not to give into something that would deny me all I loved in life. The treatment for tnbc is different to hormone receptive and so is what you eat and what you avoid. Do what is for you. Knowledge is power, you can fight this one.

im a mum of two boys who has survived cancer

i stay at home raising my boys whom my world not revolves around!!

I am aged 70,overian cancer dec2010.after surgery graded 3c borderline serious.carbo and taxol then 5mnt remission..now finishing gemzar,cisplatin and avastin..on 7th august. Can not get any more avastin unless I pay $2000.per treatment.so into remission.
Since I had cancer have taken up study and now into my 5th unit for a degree in Australian studies..keeps my mind off cancer. Live in west australia country.

27 yrs old. Recently lost my husband to melanoma cancer.

My mother in law was diagnosed with bowel, liver, lung and bone cancer 7 weeks ago, she has been placed in pallative care as the session of chemo knocked her so much, she is unable to weight bare without the assistance of 2 and a hoist now and is extremely fatigued and debilitated and looks like remaining their for the duration of her time with us.

My mum was diagnosed with Cancer last week. They are doing more tests to find out the extent of the disease

Im a professional artist married with three adult children and two lovely dogs. I have recently been diagnosed with colorectal cancer .

I'm a 49 year old woman, living in Central West NSW. I was diagnosed with "other" cancer on September 1, 2011. I had chemo & radiation treatment and have been given the "all clear" - BUT...I understand it's very common to experience depression/anxiety after surviving cancer & cancer treatment - that's what's happening to me now. I physically can't do the job I was doing before & I loved it, so I'm coming to terms with that, and miscellaneous "stuff".

I am a staff member of Cancer Council Tasmania

I have 2 young children aged 3yrs and 6months. I love to read, play tennis, walk and spend time with my family.

My wonderful Dad has brain and lung cancer. Diagnosed March 2011. Still hard to believe.

Well I am 45 years old I am a female I have one brother whom is currently not well and one sister, mother, grand mother and other close family members whom are very sick or passed from this disease (I call it the flu). I live in the southwest of Sydney with my only daughter, her husband and my lovely two grand children both boys. My reasons to enjoy life are my family.
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein

my mother has cancer and i live in a different state

I am a 11 year cancer survivor - had pelvic radiation in 2001 - external for 5 weeks then brachytherapy for 17 hours.
still have emotional issues and side effects from the treatment.

I found out I have BrCa2 mutation late last year, then had BSO surgery (removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes) in March this year. I'm now considering whether to have further surgery - double mastectomy - or "just" continue with regular yearly surveillance. I'm also wondering about use of Tamoxifen - very hard to find out if this is still useful in my particular situation. My dad had breast cancer but has recovered well, fingers crossed.

38 year old married mum with 2 boys currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Diagnosed with RCC in September 2010 at age 39. Mother of two boys

I am caring for my husband who has extensive small cell lung cancer and would like to talk on line with other carers

friend of emma

Retired

Hi,
My eldest son (30) was diagnosed with Thymus cancer in 2006 and tumours were removed / chemo and radium then and again in 2009. The cancer has returned and he has several tumours and has been told he is terminal. He has been in the defence force since he left school at 18. Myself and his siblings are struggling to relate to him, he will not accept any counselling and is pushing us away.
While we realise that he is going through a hell of a time, we love him and want to be there for him. I would really appreciate some assistance as we want to spend the time he has left with him.
Thank you
Lyn.

I am supporting a family member who lives with breast cancer.

Have been diagnosed with Herthle cell thyroid cancer - tumour was 4.6cm. Had one side of the thyroid out and the other side two weeks later. Have to have radio iodine therapy at St Vincents. Very scared and very depressed and alone. Mother in law said I would be "dead within two years" and I know I need to get motivated. Hard though!

I am the partner of a man who has now been diagnosed with a re-currence of throat cancer. He lives in the US I live here in Australia.

Diagnosed with multi focal papillary cancer waiting for RAI after total thyroidectomy end of May and oh so very scared.

I have a mother who has mouth caner

My dad has recently been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, which has spread to the lymph nodes. Is the first person close to me to ever be diagnosed. I am married with 2 bubs under 2 years of age.