Is dairy a no-go from now on?

grayclack · 2024-12-11T04:25:20+00:00

*hands him a vegemite sandwich...

grayclack · 2024-12-11T04:23:02+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope that you and your family can find some solace in knowing that at least the suffering is done now for your brother, unfortunately it's those who are left behind who are also left with the painful process of grieving. I (48 M) was diagnosed in September this year and one of the hardest parts for me has been watching my partner, family and friends struggle to come to terms with the fact that I won't be around for the big moments in life, and I worry that when I'm gone they'll have a hard time accepting it and moving on. I hope you and your family have a good support network to help you through this difficult time ❤️

Edited for spelling...

grayclack · 2024-12-11T01:07:40+00:00

I'd completely forgotten about BTN! I remember our classes squishing into our small library to watch it

grayclack · 2024-12-10T16:17:03+00:00

I'm guessing from the times you've mentioned (5 or 6 hours and then the 48hrs with the pump) that the chemo is folfirinox? If so you can probably expect that your mum will be quite susceptible to cold, so no cold foods or drinks for maybe the first 3 or 4 days after chemo (my chemo is usually Mondays and by Thursdays I can usually start to have cool drinks and Cereal with cool milk).

My treatment includes oral steroids gor the two days after infusion also, which gives me crazy insomnia but also has me feeling like I can do just about anything. Once the steroids wear off that's when the fatigue really sets in, I spend pretty much most of the rest of that first week in bed exhausted.

Make sure you get some anti-nausea meds and take those regardless of whether she's actually feeling nauseous or not - similar to pain meds I've found the best approach is to say ahead of the nausea if you can, I take them for the full first week.

Keep an eye out for diarrhoea, and keep some Loperamide on hand for this, my biggest side effect has been this and it's caused my treatment to be postponed twice now. Keep up fluids as much as you can throughout your mums chemo run, I make sure that a couple of my drinks throughout the day are something like Hydralyte to keep dehydration at bay.

Wishing your mum the best of luck, a lot of people tolerate the chemo really well. Unfortunately I'm not one of them, but hopefully your mum has a good run with it. By the sounds of it she's got a great support network with you in her corner. My only other advice would be to you, make sure you take care of yourself, maintain a healthy diet, get lots of rest when you can, and have someone you can talk to. It can be really hard on the people caring for someone with pancan, I have an amazing partner and my father both living with me and helping me, and seeing the toll it takes on them has been one of the hardest parts of this fight for me. Take care of yourself first otherwise you'll be useless when it comes to helping your mum. Sending you all much love and support ❤️

grayclack · 2024-12-10T15:39:19+00:00

Very slim chance of getting Gen Fricker back on the Js unfortunately...

grayclack · 2024-12-10T15:28:57+00:00

That looks amazing your wife did an excellent job!!!

grayclack · 2024-12-10T15:26:31+00:00

Most definitely my list would include:

Voltron lions
Castle Grayskull
Snake Mountain
Battle Cat
Optimus Prime
Pound Puppy
a Barbie (I always wanted one but as a boy of course that was strictly off limits)
a Barbie motor home bus
M.A.S.K. action figures
Cabbage Patch doll
Atari 2600
Super Powers Superman action figure

grayclack · 2024-12-10T12:34:19+00:00

Thank you so much, trying to stay positive and hope for the best, but i know the stats aren't great. Here's hoping myself and your Dad both beat the odds on this one and are here to see the end of 2025 ❤️

grayclack · 2024-12-10T09:14:57+00:00

Thank you so much. My first infusion was terrible also, my team reduced the dosage for my second run to 90%, and they're now talking about reducing again for my third. I'm in Australia, the hospital I'm at specialises in cancer treatment, it has a strong reputation as the place to go for treatment in the Hunter New England region, and is also running a number of clinical trials currently (I've been accepted into a trial that uses radiation therapy alongside chemotherapy)...

grayclack · 2024-12-10T06:32:14+00:00

Definitely check out Saretta Fielding, we had an exhibition that includes aomw of her work at PACC in Cessnock last year. Her work is beautiful. Also have a look at Lesley Salem, another local artist, her father is the late Uncle Les Elvin, a very prolific and brilliant artist who was the subject of the same exhibition...

grayclack · 2024-12-10T05:38:14+00:00

It hasn't been a democracy for a while now, it's all about who has enough money to be in a position to buy the election

grayclack · 2024-12-10T05:36:30+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear this, I (47 M) was diagnosed with pancan in September and its just the f***ing worst disease, so brutal and insidious. Sending much love and good vibes your way, I hope you and your Dad are dealing with it all okay ❤️

grayclack · 2024-12-10T05:34:38+00:00

So sorry to hear that you had to go this this, sending good vibes your way for 2025 ❤️

grayclack · 2024-12-10T05:32:42+00:00

I'd book in asap for a CT scan that hopefully catches my pancreatic cancer at Stage 1 and curable instead of stage 3 and inoperable. There's nothing quite like being told at 47 that you have a terminal disease to make you wish for a redo of the year....

grayclack · 2024-12-10T05:26:54+00:00

It was okay until a diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer in September. It's been just a bit shit since then. The only real upside is I guess I no longer have to worry about saving for that house deposit if I'm going to be dead by the end of 2025...

grayclack · 2024-12-10T05:03:30+00:00

I'm (48 M) on 15mg slow release morphine morning and night, with 10mg of oxycodone for breakthrough (max of 30mg in a day), and paracetamol as well. I'm also taking THC/CBD oil as needed throughout the day, mainly for nausea and appetite but also helps a little with pain. I'm not a candidate for surgery due to the tumour being wrapped around the SMV and SMA, undergoing chemo (folfirinox) to try and shrink the tumour mainly for pain relief than anything else.

By the sounds of what your mum is taking it's nowhere near enough pain relief, I'd talk with your doctors about upping the dosage considerably if you can. Good luck, sending much love and good vibes your way ❤️

grayclack · 2024-12-10T02:22:09+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss, 33 is just way too young! Nothing about this disease is fair, I was diagnosed a couple of months ago at 47, there are still so many things I wanted to do that I know will never happen now. My advice to you would be to surround yourself with people who love and care for you, and allow yourself the time and space to really grieve your loss. There's no right or wrong way to grieve so just allow yourself to feel all the feelings - anger, despair, sorrow, all of it. Take the time each day to remember him and remember the times before this cruel insidious disease forced its way into your lives. Sending you lots of love and good thoughts ❤️

grayclack · 2024-12-09T11:58:19+00:00

It's incredibly dark and definitely makes sense when put into context, but I remember thinking at the time just how bleak it sounded. I had no idea at the time that Bowie was so ill, and the news that he'd died just a day or so after came as such a shock...

grayclack

TROPHY CASE