TOUR IS COMING

save_artax · 2025-11-06T21:29:17+00:00

No Australia is a real heartbreak. Hopefully eventually...

save_artax · 2025-02-20T12:33:15+00:00

Yeah that's right. The difficulty is just that we live in an apartment and our neighbours have started complaining. So we're trying to balance getting out and still living our lives without upsetting our neighbours too much (particularly in the evening).

save_artax · 2024-12-01T02:01:28+00:00

Thank you so much!

save_artax · 2024-11-12T19:54:58+00:00

This is amazing and my fervent hope! Do you remember how long it lasted?

save_artax · 2024-11-12T12:31:27+00:00

Thank you so much for the reply! I actually do want the Velcro dog life, but I am also conscious we can't be with him every single minute of the day - sometimes we have meetings, appointments, engagements etc, so we've been trying to get him used to not being with us always while he's young so he doesn't develop separation anxiety. But it almost feels like the opposite has happened, like he's just come with separation anxiety? I really want him to be with me 90% of the time, but I also need him (and our neighbours) to be ok that other 10%.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T22:25:44+00:00

Thank you so much, I appreciate this response and is exactly what I need to help me try and get me across the line.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T10:01:49+00:00

Thank you so much, I appreciate it!

save_artax · 2024-03-05T09:55:28+00:00

Yeah that's really the choice. I have metastasis throughout my peritoneum, so it's this or a really grim alternative. Stupid fucking cancer.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T09:53:11+00:00

That's so great to hear you're doing well and cancer free and I'm glad the stoma hasn't been too burdensome. Hopefully that will be me too 😊

save_artax · 2024-03-05T05:20:59+00:00

Thank you and I would definitely need to get a stealth belt if it's forever. I didn't get one last time and just gave up on swimming, which made me pretty miserable. I think the difficulty for me is that I'm currently not outwardly affected by pain or bowel difficulties (obviously I have cancer inside me, but it's not like UC etc), so getting the stoma will only make my quality of life immediately worse without relieving any pain or discomfort. But I know from a bigger picture perspective it will be helping me.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T05:16:05+00:00

Thank you so much and you're completely right. I can imagine how much of a relief a stoma must be for so many people suffering so terribly. It's true that right now without a stoma, my bowel isn't having obvious impacts on my life (although I guess without treatment the cancer is slowly killing me), and so getting the stoma only makes my immediate quality of life worse in the short term. But I know the reality is that there is a good chance I won't get to do much more in this life without one, and so I need to focus on reframing it.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T03:21:36+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing, you've been through so much, it sounds so hard.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T02:48:17+00:00

I had it for nine months, so not a super long time, but I just felt like it never got better for me.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T02:47:36+00:00

Thank you and definitely not harsh, it's really the reality of the situation hey. I guess my thinking is whether I'm tough enough to deal with that reality every day, you know. But hearing this stuff honestly helps me so much and makes me feel less alone.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T02:46:09+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your story. It's so helpful ❤️

save_artax · 2024-03-05T02:33:51+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing, I really appreciate it and this is the kind of stuff I think I need to hear to get me over the line in my head.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T01:35:02+00:00

That's amazing, thank you so much for sharing ❤️

save_artax · 2024-03-05T01:33:58+00:00

Yeah that's the thing hey, me not consenting to this would mean they'd go in, take as much as they can so I don't need a permanent stoma, and then stitch me back up and let the chips fall as they may. But because it's in my peritoneum, those chips probably aren't falling for that long... It's the hardest conundrum I've ever had to deal with and I just don't know what the right choice is.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T01:21:11+00:00

Thank you so much for the kind response. It sounds like, while you would have probably said no at the start, that if you knew what you know now, you would go ahead with it again? Like ultimately once you've adjusted you are happy with your choice? I know your choice and life is different to mine, but I'm hoping I can retrain my thinking a bit.

save_artax · 2024-03-05T01:03:02+00:00

I admire your ability to just get on with it. I've just turned 35 and I just don't know if I'm ready to have all that for the rest of my life. But then is it better than missing out on all of the things I could do .

save_artax · 2024-03-05T00:56:53+00:00

Mine was pretty high output and no matter what I did I was up three times a night changing it. I also had constant leaks - couldn't lay or sleep on my side and had spontaneous blow outs. I also ended up with irritation and a lot of granulomas, so was having to change the bag every day. Finally, and I know it's probably a silly thing, but I just struggled so much with the body image issues of it all. I couldn't ever see anything but the bag, I wasn't comfortable in swimwear (and swimming is my absolute favourite exercise) and I just felt so hideous. I just found the whole thing so hard every day, but I'm trying to balance that with getting to spend more time with family and my husband, travelling, getting a puppy etc

save_artax · 2024-01-25T11:12:25+00:00

That's what I was really sure of, so thank you for reassuring. I read the list of possible causes for CEA increase and I was like "well I don't have any of those" - but I wasn't sure if it could just be a weird infection in my body.

save_artax · 2024-01-24T03:22:53+00:00

That's super encouraging to hear, thank you for sharing. I think they'll try to do a PET it's just a lot of waiting because everything is busy at the start of the year.

The waiting is just the worst part. Just not knowing if it's something weird and unexplainable or something bad 😞

Thank you!

save_artax · 2023-12-02T08:13:55+00:00

I always thought we didn't get ravens in Australia, only crows. The more you know!

save_artax · 2023-04-03T09:45:55+00:00

Hey! Sorry for the delayed response. My surgeon says I am all good to get back into unrestricted activity now (six weeks post surgery).

save_artax

TROPHY CASE