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Hi my name is Derek I am 58 years old I'm living with malignant melanoma and 3 brain tumors. 2 weeks before christmas I was having my first radio therapy and took a stroke the same Friday evening and didn't find out it was a stroke till the following Tuesday. Whole left side now paralyzed still living at home with home care help and my daughter Jayne and my wife olive. 4-6 months to live and very hard to live with. I was a cook for 31 years in the army. My last while has been tough great family support. Fighting cancer 17 years.

Hi I'm new to the forum. Not sure if Im on the right one, so Ive posted this to a few....My husband was diagnosed with FAP over 13 years ago and had an immediate preventative subtotal colonectomy with IRA. Wondering has anyone out there also been diagnosed with this very rare genetic condition and if so, if they'd like to share?

Hi all, Does anyone know of any support group, anywhere in the country, that is specifically for people with melanoma? If not, is there anyone out there who would be interested in getting together or organising something? Annieo

Hi, I wonder has anyone experience of this drug, I have been on it for about 6 weeks and while I have no dramatic side effects I feel generally unwell - tired, low mood, aches and pains. I know it's important to keep taking it but I would like to know if you get used to it and feel better over time Thanks Sunny

Hi all I have two daughters, 14 and 4. My 14 year old knows I have cancer, but my four year old doesn't. I explained that my shoulder was sore when I had my mastectomy, as I am still not able to lift her. Baldness is looming at the end of this month, as I start chemo next week. I just wondered how those of you with smaller children, explained your baldness to them. I don't think I want her to know that I am so sick that my hair fell out, but on the other hand I want to be as honest as I can be with her as well. I would be grateful to hear what worked for some of you. Many thanks, Mxx

okay this cancer lark takes its toll on everyone not just me or whoever has tis disease but those around us !!!!!! maybe its justme but i keep my feelings close as u dont want those u love to know how vunerable we really are ( is that just me) to die no problem im 37 had it ok won titles in the ring was a good honest person thats fine my fear is not cancer ! its losing those close to me sometimes they and others dont understand that!i miss life ,imiss walks imiss the beach imiss me , dont worry it aint ovr i will be back abetter model as they say but its amazing how something like this opens ur eyes to people u learn a lot, for anyone out there who feels low never give up,next week for me is huge more mri results etc whats causing the pain and all that lark,nervous yes ,scared yes ,will i win yes, maybe this makes no sense to anyone but i dont care i needed to rant.

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone had experienced an allergic reaction to their chemo I just had chemo for the first time on tuesday and I had a reaction straight away I began to feel a tightness in the chest and a redding and swelling of the throat and it was very alarming allthoughh the staff were great and it was stopped stright away. I am trying again tomorrow on a lesser dose for a trial short time so im hoping it goes better I feel I want to get started as soon as possible Regards jean

I have been checking out this website and I dont find anyone talking about how they feel or how they are coping before after or during. I am a member of an American breast cancer.org and everyone their talks quite openly about how they feel, up or down and the community is their for everyone. Is it just an Irish thing that if we dont talk about our feelings they just dont exisit. I often wake up angry that it was me who got BC but then at times I feel okay about it. I dont know what I am suppose to feel some times and people look at me and say "God its great to see you got over your trouble" I didn't get over anything I just got on with living. Do you feel like this at times. Sometimes I still suffer from Chemo Brain even though I'm 2 years on. Is this normal? Do you want to tell me what's happening in your brain. I know mine is not quite up to scratch at times. Sometimes I hide and sometimes I cry for no reason and some times I just get on with it. I feel lonely sometimes wondering what am I suppose to do. Am I weird or What. let me know what you think of when you think of BC. Talk to me. Bevan

Hi, I am new here and just wondering if anyone else is BrCa positive and looking for a support group? I am trying to make contact with anyone who would like someone else in the same boat to talk to. I think Action Breast Cancer is looking into starting a group but I'm sure that will take time and would like to talk to others in the interim. Regards, Flo.

I had prostate cancer diagnosed last year and posted a note here because I had difficulty deciding which treatment to go with. I was offered surgery and radio treatment of various kinds. I was lucky in that it had been diagnosed before becoming a problem. I had no symptoms. It showed up on a PSA blood test and then was put forward for biopsy. The results showed a Gleason scale rating of 7 with 2 out of 6 on one side and 5 out of 6 on the other. I pondered long and hard and asked here for help which produced no suggestions and no help. Look at the lists of posts with number of hits reading and then number of answers to a number of different cancers. Men with cancer want answers but are not prepared to talk. There were a number of things worrying me. First that I would lose my ability to have erections and a normal sex life after and second that I would lose control of my bladder and worse case scenario my bowel as well. It would have been my second cancer operation. 5 years ago I had a kidney removed at St Vincents. I saw the same consultant and team this time and had great confidence in them. They told me that they could make no promises as to the after and side effects of the operation. This was hard. The other consultant also said the same. The crucial piece of information that decided me was that with surgery all the damage, side effects and after effects of the op would be up front and be there when I woke up and that would be the worse it could be. There after it could only get better. And it did. With radio therapy in all the different options the effects are not apparent until sometime later and cannot be measured before. You have only to wait and see what developes later. This can take up to a year or more. The initial effects apart from the inconvenience of attending the clinics regularly over maybe a 6 week period are limited. After the end of their treatments you might feel great and cured with no ill effects. They can arrive later. The other crucial information I gleaned was that with radio therapy if the cancer came back there was nothing a surgeon can do because of too much soft tissue damage to the area This would leave only chemo. Whereas with surgery all three options are still there. More surgery, chemo and radio. I chose surgery and am delighted with the results. Because of the location of the tumour all the prostate had to be removed including the nerves controlling erections. I followed advice and did lots of pelvic floor exercises before and after and am convinced it did a lot of good. I still do them once a week for couple of minutes. I take viagra now and things are almost normal again with sex. Not quite but hey I don't have cancer anymore. I have no problems with incontinence in the bladder or bowel. This took maybe 5 weeks to come back but it did. Positive thinking and exercises worked. I hope this helps someone out there not able to make up their minds. I know none of us have the same problems and lives to lead and in other circumstances I might have chosen differently. I am 65 now with lots more life to live. Good luck.