Wishing you a successful and (relatively) painless cancer therapy and a quick recovery.  We'll try to be there for you as you have been there for us.

Almost forgot to mention, these Ricola drops with the honey lemon and echinacea work really well for soothing the throat



And it's got a cute pink package 

My thoughts are with you and I hope the treatments go better for you.

You're very strong, and very, very brave, Cindy. Keep your head up in this time and don't let anything get to you; you've made it this far for a reason and will come further afterwards. Don't let the wind shake you.

OMG, I haven't been on the site for a few months as I try to wrap my head around some things and come back to this sad news.  Cindy, I know you and I have never spoken but I often read posts where you replied with sound advice.  And I was always thankful for you and the other staff here for all the time they take to give advice to thembers of this site.  And as a health care professional, your kindness and care for others shows no bounds.  I think it's fitting for me to say that I will keep you in my prayers and hope you have a speedy recovery as the world NEEDS more people like you.

God Bless you Cindy.

Cindy,

I just started writing describing how you have touch our lives, but it was becoming a book and I decided just to say that we are all pulling for you and I personally cannot wait to have a few good spirits, as I just found out that you like, or dinner together in Miami Beach. Meeting you face to face would make me a very happy person.

Take care and keep up you spirit, not the drinking kind!!

Emily

Quote from: Cindy on July 12, 2016, 03:12:09 PM
(I'm lucky to have  V M most nights on Skype and she has my back as always )

Not to derail, but I think that anyone who has her as a genuine friend is indeed fortunate in that respect.

Funny day. I had a 'feeling sorry for myself moment' and started to worry about feeding. How can I get enough food into me, how can I overcome my distaste for food.
'Oh poor little me crap'.

Grow up chick.

I made Toad in the Hole for dinner, soaked in rich gravy, followed by ice cream and snickers.
Breakfast; pancake, bacon, egg, soaked in Maple syrup. I couldn't taste a thing except maple syrup - that will do.
Fruit to graze on.
Last day of Radio for this week, my neck is getting burnt. My tumour is now obvious sticking out of the side of my neck, inflamed no doubt from the burning.

The schedule for radio is amazingly precise. If I am 9.06am that is when I go in and I am out 15 minutes later. I kept my eyes open today and watched the machine fly around me, a green line across my face and neck and this massive series of machines rotate around me. Very impressive.

I woke up in pain on Wednesday night, the PEG hurting and weeping. I saw the endoscope Drs who were again great, 'call in any time that is why we are here.' Looks as if I just have a skin tear, I'm frightened of developing an ulcer on Chemo, it could go through my stomach wall. Paranoia!

But all OK.

I kept my walk up today, managed an hour and took my camera and enjoyed myself taking some pics. Funny how a woman with a camera is a person to approach and talk too. If I was a man with a camera I would be looked at with suspicion.
My voice doesn't raise comment, as a friend said, 'You have a voice of a person with a serious throat issue', it is so croaky and so weak that people now just stop and listen and talk slowly back to me. People are using sign language as well. I need to keep using my throat though otherwise I will have a hard time recovering speech.

My personal life is interesting, it has always been complicated and not one I can discuss. Wish I could but that is a no no

One week to go of Radio and then my second dose of Chemo. I am told that that one will hurt.

Oh well a week to go and bugga the consequences; Bring it on.

an excellent and tasty way to get enough nutrients in your body is to make shakes out of those nutritional drinks like ensure or the generic one. Mix with ice cream and fruit or whatever, yummy . I use that all the time when I get sick and can't eat.

Cindy, hang in there always know I and everyone else is here for you. If it helps think back to those times growing up, or even later, when you had to eat food that you know you don't like but it is good for you. I know it reminds me back to those moments. I hope your able to get your taste buds back ASAP. In the meantime, if it helps, indulge in something you know you shouldn't eat but is worth eating anyway and use the memories of how it use to taste at while eating it help make things more comforting.

If in doubt, never fear calling them and asking them to check. It is what they are there for. Time and time again when I have had an issue with my health and if nothing but to make sure things are okay had things checked. You have every reason to be concerned and good that you are because after all the only way to ensure that you get the care you need and the best care you can is with you advocating to get the right things done and checked on. Hugs
Mariah

Cindy,

You rock our world here. Some quick levity(hope nothing offends you).

Q: Does a radioactive cat have 18 half-lives?


"Knock, knock."

"Who's there?"

"Not your white blood cells, that's fer damn sure."


Call him ChemoSabe.


A truck driver who had been delivering radioactive waste for the local reactor begins to feel sick after a few years on the job. He decided to seek compensation for his ailment. Upon his arrival at the workers' compensation department, he is interviewed by an assessor.Assessor: I see you work with radio-active materials and wish to claim compensation. Trucker: Yeah, I feel really sick. Assessor: Alright then, Does your employer take measures to protect you from radiation poisoning? Trucker: Yeah, he gives me a lead suit to wear on the job. Assessor: And what about the cabin in which you drive? Trucker: Oh yeah. That's lead lined, all lead lined. Assessor: What about the waste itself? Where is that kept? Trucker: Oh, the stuff is held in a lead container, all lead. Assessor: Let me see if I get this straight. You wear a lead suit, sit in a lead-lined cabin and the radio-active waste is kept in a lead container. Trucker: Yeah, that? s right. All lead. Assessor: Then I can't see how you could claim against him for radiation poisoning. Trucker: I'm not. I claiming for lead poisoning.



From one of my favorite online comics.











Hope your day looks up.

Warmly,

Joanna

I am sending good thoughts your way. I can not imaging how difficult this is to endure. We are all here for you.

17 July Sunday evening.

The weekend has been interesting, I'm mobile and OK, found a way to eat and store calories. That sounds so dumb, I happened on a picture of four USA collage students playing the Pokeman Go App, the were all morbidly obese, unaware but so sad. They need to get out and exercise and walk, run, enjoy.

I have gone into a serendipitous mode. Content but bitchy. I need to restrain that.

I'm enjoying my photography and the exercise it gives me and the joy of meeting people. Funny how Peter was never a person who could communicate and I am sort approach by random strangers to talk too. My deep gravel rasp weak voice doesn't put people off - maybe it is a 'cancer voice' and people compensate. (It seems so odd to see that name who the hell was he?).

Funniest today was a woman who asked what I was looking at, I was looking at a flower head and showed her through the view finder; she was captivated (not sure why).

Me; "You having a nice day? It is lovely here after a week of rain and cold"

She; 'My partner is looking through the bins (public garbage thingies) to see if there is anything interesting to collect.'

No real answer to that, but she was lovely and we talked for 20 minutes or so. It takes time to go through bins!!

I had a lovely time yesterday, I am looking for a piece of furniture - an antique hall stand. I found an antique shop full of gorgeous 1800 furniture run by a lovely couple. The furniture was amazing - quality seeping through with care and love - nice.

As I was leaving I left my business card in case a hall stand came in. The atmosphere changed, I was no longer a client,  I was an interested person who loves fine things (I make no apology for that).
We chatted and I mentioned a water colour on the wall by John Gould, I said I liked it and the owner said she had another and that they had just had them framed.

Lovely Gould bird water colours and one marked with the serial number. Ahh did they know what they are worth?

No.

I asked what would they do me for both. Yep I paid it.

I just made a large profit. Now I have to find some one to give it too!

As a friend says, if it is going to look nice buy it, if it appreciates in value buy it and then sell it when you are bored with it.

Funny how my perspective on life has changed.

I am so glad I transitioned before this.

I am Cindy and I am alive. And that is wonderful - at least for me.

I wanted to ask something about the treatment process - I know very little about cancer treatment, and given how many people seem to suffer it in today's society, I think I probably should look into it more. Is the treatment spaced out to allow cancer cells to die and for you to heal in between? What actually happens to the cancer mass during the treatment, does the body reabsorb the destroyed areas? Or do they remove anything during or after the treatment...?

I also wanted to make a suggestion which may be helpful if people are not aware. There's a compound you can get fairly cheaply from most health food stores called IP6 - inositol hexaphosphate. If you go look into this compound and at the abstracts of scientific studies, this compound has a strong link with anti-cancer properties. I've even seen a study at one point in which this compound reversed advanced tumor growth in rats. Apparently it works by differentiating cells - the problem cancer cells have, and it works on cancer cells. I called B.S. myself at first because this would equate to being an actual cancer-prevention drug that isn't really talked about anywhere... but apparently that is what it is. And what's more it's cheap to get. For those wanting to prevent cancer or to control its growth, it might be worth looking into. A cancer specialist I'm aware of has recommended a 500mg dose each day alongside calcium supplements to keep cancer at bay.

What a strong woman you are, Cindy. That is the attitude and perspective on life that is important to meet such a challenge. I just think of what you are dealing with and how bravely you walk along your path.  I look at what I am dealing with, all my 'challenges', and they  seem so minor in comparison. Thank you for continuing to write. Many Hugs!

Hugs!

Jen

Monday July 25. Resting in bed.

It has been a hard week. Radiotherapy really started to bite 4 sessions ago, my voice went from gravel to a whisper and my throat began to burn all after one session. After today's session my voice has just about gone.

I wonder if it will ever come back?

I saw the radio-oncologist and pain management is becoming an issue. I need to be able to swallow to eat, and at the moment I can't swallow to clear saliva without pain. It is like the worst sore throat I have ever had and then someone poured acid over it.

I have used Amethocaine washes which is an interesting experience, your mouth is totally numb and you begin to realise that you are choking because you have lost the swallow reflex, great - stuck between a rock and hard place.

I have been offered morphine syrup but I will delay that and have opted for an oldie but a goody of xylocaine syrup. My hope it will kill my pain but allow me windows to eat and swallow. Oh well give it a go. I'm realising that eating is going to not work and I need to get mentally prepared for tube feeding.

I start my second round of chemo tomorrow, I am now lymphopenic and neutropenic so I will need to hide away from people as I am very vulnerable to infection.

I'm starting to lose some hair from the back of my head, damn.

My neck is red and starting to look angry. I have to admit though this is a great way to loose facial hair! I don't have to worry about finishing off the white hairs with electrolysis! I think the side effects may make it unattractive to most though.

My determination is as high as ever and I am happy and living every day to the fullest that I can, in between naps I'm starting to organise another conference, taking some pics, learning photoshop, doing an hour walk if the weather isn't too bad, marking a PhD thesis and trying to perform my Admin duties. Dd I mention taking a nap?

Time for sleep for this chick, a big day tomorrow, radio first then a 4 hour infusion of Cisplatin.

Take care.

Love,

barbie~~

Cindy, I admire your courage and determination. Hang in there and take care. Hugs
Mariah

Cindy-

I lost my swallow reflex when I had a stroke in 2010 so you have my sympathy on that (and everything else too). I still don't have it 100% back.

I admire your spirit - please stay strong and never give up. There will eventually be an end to these treatments.

~Eva