The totally off-topic thread

[Princess Fiona]

Thank you,
My mum definitely has some fight but usually thats about animals, we will know more in the coming weeks I guess but I am just freaking out a bit right now.
I am the kind of person that needs to talk it through and be around people when things are bad and I have been cut off from that at the moment so I could only turn here and I knew you guys would be able to get me through

Best wishes, your mum sounds like she's a very strong person and has a great support in you.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Like Shintaro we have a friend diagnosed 15 years ago and still going strong.
Best wishes to your Mum, and to you.

 

[drross]

Thank you,
My mum definitely has some fight but usually thats about animals, we will know more in the coming weeks I guess but I am just freaking out a bit right now.
I am the kind of person that needs to talk it through and be around people when things are bad and I have been cut off from that at the moment so I could only turn here and I knew you guys would be able to get me through

shellthom. My cancer was 13y ago and I've had a few problems since but everything great again now. Having a supportive,loving family was a great help for me. Just being there for her will help her enormously

 

[shellthom]

Thanks Princess Fiona and TiredOldFlyer!

I hope it is one of those ones where it hasn't spread and its no big deal. She lives in the country, and she had a lump scare a few years ago, she didn't ever tell anyone except me about it at the time. I am just hoping that wasn't a misdiagnosed lump as I am not sure she ever had a biopsy on it. But this time they know what it is for sure. coughs are easier to remove than lungs or bones so I guess it is not as badly located as my friends was but still its not the greatest thing to hear at 8:50 in the morning.

I'll update everyone when she gets the all clear

 

[shellthom]

shellthom. My cancer was 13y ago and I've had a few problems since but everything great again now. Having a supportive,loving family was a great help for me. Just being there for her will help her enormously

Wow, congratulations on fighting it!
I thank you all for your kind words and reassurance.
I do have a blood related aunt (my dad's sister) and a married aunt (my mums brothers wife) who both had cancer in the early 2000's and they are still going strong so I should focus on all those good examples I guess and not get caught up in the very quick/aggressive examples. Probably human nature - definitely my nature anyway - to always think of the worst things.
Ok, will focus on the good.

 

[Robbi]

Seeing I have only been using it in the last 3 weeks to follow the MH370 search in particular AMSA I doubt I will have too much problem from withdrawal symptoms.

On a more serious note mrsdrron and I have both had this email today-
Dear Client,

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR QANTAS ACCOUNT INFORMATION.

We're writing to inform you that our system recorded a failed attempt with your user ID from another location,
we suspect that it may have been attempted in order to gain access to your online account.
Therefore, immediate Profile Update of your account is required for pending security measures to be completed.

Please update profile immediately by following this link.
https://www.qantas.com/acc/index.jsp?

Kind regards,
Qantas Club and Frequent Flyer Service Centre

Sounds like a malicious one to me.

Sounds like phishing to me. Never follow links in emails like that, go to the QANTAS website if you are going to follow up.

 

[anat0l]

shellthom, very sorry to hear of this news.

All the best and blessings to you and your mother.

 

[Buzzard]

shellthom, It can be difficult to know what to say during these difficult times.

I am sure I speak for everybody of AFF when I say where there is life there is hope.

A difficult journey ahead for sure but with your support and those that know and love her that journey will be in F not Y.

 

[robd]

Hi shellthom. Sorry to hear your news. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of years ago when she was 48. Is was found early and they were able to remove it without cutting off her cough. After the surgery, she had to do chemo and radiotherapy, which really knocked her around. The whole process is not nice at all, but she survived. You must all stay positive and strong.

I know your mum is trying to spare everyone the bad news, but she should really let everyone help. Her family and friends will not be happy that she is denying them the opportunity to offer their love and support to her. Of course, this is her decision.

Best wishes.

 

[shellthom]

Thanks for the kind words anat0l, Buzzard and robd.

I am relieved to say she has told my sister, and she was then calling nan next. She was able to say it to my sister - she couldn't say it to me, but she spoke to me about how I am lazy and to get out of bed and then got audibly upset and I asked what had happened now (usually something goes wrong with an animal) but she said I can't do this and put my dad on, he told me, i asked few questions, partially changed the subject (asked if she was still coming to the show), he put her back on and we spoke about other stuff again.
My sister said my mum had called her and told her to call back after uni then hung up, then called her back a while later and told her herself. My sister asked better questions, so my mum has an appointment tomorrow afternoon, she wants both coughs removed but maybe as you said (robd) she might not even need one gone - a reduction could be good for her she has like an E cup anyway. And they think they got it early but will know more later.

So my nan is next.

I have dinner with my aunt tonight as an early celebration of my 30th. I guess my aunt might cancel as she would be next after nan but I am going. I like to eat when I am sad.

Yes I was sad when my friend died of secondary cancer, i didn't even know he was in for treatment again and we would have all been there for him but we didn't know so, I don't think that would happen. But she is telling people now, and appears to be able to do it herself so thats good.

My sister just told me my mum was looking forward to getting the double mastectomy because they are big heavy and always in the way. Always a silver lining.

And I thank you all, even those whom I know felt it but didn't comment for not knowing what to say. I felt all of your support and really needed and very muchly appreciate it.

 

[drron]

Our thoughts are with you Shellthom.
Great that she has an early appointment.
Just be there for her.

 

[QF WP]

Thank you,
My mum definitely has some fight but usually thats about animals, we will know more in the coming weeks I guess but I am just freaking out a bit right now.
I am the kind of person that needs to talk it through and be around people when things are bad and I have been cut off from that at the moment so I could only turn here and I knew you guys would be able to get me through

shellthom. My cancer was 13y ago and I've had a few problems since but everything great again now. Having a supportive,loving family was a great help for me. Just being there for her will help her enormously

Similar story to drross, my cancer was 14 years ago and I was exceeding lucky to catch it early and have surgery the day after I received the diagnosis. My father and his twin brother have both had cancer as well, both in remission. I know others here on AFF who have dodged the bullet.

Just downloading it off your chest and finding out that there are so many supportive people here will give you strength. That strength can be transferred to your mother through support and communication.

I'm also a spokesperson for the Qld Cancer Council and do pro bono work for the Cancer Council with terminally ill patients, as this cause means so much to me (giving back). I am looking forward to becoming a counsellor in my retirement to assist others going through the journey.

Likewise when I saw this story yesterday: No Cookies | The Courier-Mail

it reminded me of a client who was in the same position (one of my pro bono cases), but she terminated the pregnancy to fight for her own life (the difference was she and her husband already had a son). But it had been a long process of multiple failures via IVF and there were other huge hurdles they had to face (her father flew over from PER to ADL to be with her for the start of chemo, he had a heart attack in their back yard 2 days prior whilst playing with his grandson; then her husband loses his job in the downturn).

I fervently hope the quick actions of your mothers' medical team (and your mothers willingness to get it done quickly) aided her prognosis and recovery. There are a number of medicos on AFF

 

[QF WP]

Hi All,

Sorry for being a downer in this thread. I just had some bad news and I am the first to know so I can't discuss it anywhere else yet.
My mum (who is just 51) has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I had a friend (who was also 51) die of cancer in January. He had a 1 year old son, so that killed me at the time - also I didn't know how old he was until his paper article thing. I guess my mum found out yesterday, maybe this morning, the operation is booked in for a few weeks time. So I thought that was good, thinking if it was super bad they would do it right away, then my dad said it was the earliest they could get and … My friend had lung cancer mid last year and while recovering from that (he thought he was in the clear) they found cancer in his spine, he had an operation and was recovering in hospital quite well his wife said, but about 4 days later he went down hill and he didn't make it through 24 hours. His family (sister, parents) were adamant it was an infection post op, but his wife believes it was the cancer and that the family just wanted to blame the hospital some how.

Sounds like they found the primary but there may have been a secondary undiagnosed or it has metastasised (spread). So difficult not knowing the full history (and often why a family want to blame somebody).

This has only just happened, so now I am more concerned than I would have been I think.

My mum had mentioned going to my cousins wedding in America, but she waited too long to decide and now it is too expensive. We are going to cairns in May, as a family, well we are meant to be, My sister, her husband, my parents and my and my +1.
I feel weird.
My trip to the wedding is 6 weeks. I don't know how I feel about going, but it is a USDM redemption and I can't easily change it now and we only have 60,000 points so i can't book her to come with us, but she wouldn't be able to fly the same flights now they have left USDM anyway… unless we cancel and rebook as OW..

I really needed to talk to someone, it might be ages before she tells anyone else - being the favourite sucks.

Definitely have some family time as a holiday, but your mother may or may not be physically strong enough for a long haul trip - see how the operation goes and the outcome of the pathology. CNS would be so much easier and she'd have more time to recover. Who knows what post-operative treatment she may need to have?

 

[TheEmu]

Hi All,

Sorry for being a downer in this thread. I just had some bad news and I am the first to know so I can't discuss it anywhere else yet.
My mum (who is just 51) has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I had a friend (who was also 51) die of cancer in January. He had a 1 year old son, so that killed me at the time - also I didn't know how old he was until his paper article thing. I guess my mum found out yesterday, maybe this morning, the operation is booked in for a few weeks time. So I thought that was good, thinking if it was super bad they would do it right away, then my dad said it was the earliest they could get and … My friend had lung cancer mid last year and while recovering from that (he thought he was in the clear) they found cancer in his spine, he had an operation and was recovering in hospital quite well his wife said, but about 4 days later he went down hill and he didn't make it through 24 hours. His family (sister, parents) were adamant it was an infection post op, but his wife believes it was the cancer and that the family just wanted to blame the hospital some how.
This has only just happened, so now I am more concerned than I would have been I think.

My mum had mentioned going to my cousins wedding in America, but she waited too long to decide and now it is too expensive. We are going to cairns in May, as a family, well we are meant to be, My sister, her husband, my parents and my and my +1.
I feel weird.
My trip to the wedding is 6 weeks. I don't know how I feel about going, but it is a USDM redemption and I can't easily change it now and we only have 60,000 points so i can't book her to come with us, but she wouldn't be able to fly the same flights now they have left USDM anyway… unless we cancel and rebook as OW..

I really needed to talk to someone, it might be ages before she tells anyone else - being the favourite sucks.

Very sorry to hear that you and your family are going through this, shellthom but heartening that you have found friends here to be able to get it off your chest. My Mum also had this 14 years ago - she is now 85 and still going strong! Everyone in the family rallied round and it brought us all even closer together (we have always been close).
Best wishes and all strength to you for the days ahead.

 

[shellthom]

Thank you everyone!

it does mean a great deal to me.
I will be truly devastated if she isn't one of the "lucky ones". I hope it is early, but I don't know how often my mum sees the doctor. It was a routine mammogram thing I think, then she had the biopsy. Her and my dad are both freight train drivers, so I know they have to get a full medical each year at least, so maybe it was because of that she found it… I don't know.
She has the meeting tomorrow afternoon to discuss what is happening and when. She went to work today, but mostly its her and dad on the train and thats the time they get to relax - at home they always have 1001 things that need to be done right now.

I am a pretty emotional person, like anytime I read bad news about others or their friends/family on here (and how to get them/their body home or to get to them) it will bring me to tears. So now that it is happening to me it is actually going to be really hard not to be a teary dribbling wreck but I have to hold it in around her I guess, don't want her thinking its the end of the world.
Anyway me and the +1 are planning to get engaged (The ring is paid for and being made since last week) so that will give her something to look forward to, to get her through the chemo if she has to go through that.

 

[defurax]

I know a lot of AFFers are involved in scientific research or have been trained in research-intensive institutions...here is a petition to try and convince the Government to keep funding innovative research: Respect Research

 

[markis10]

I hear the IFE was pretty good on VA970 ex BNE last night.

[video=youtube_share;UfcyGPHP0Ak]http://youtu.be/UfcyGPHP0Ak[/video]

 

[drron]

Maybe not famous but I would have no problem flying with them BNE=SYD.

 

[markis10]

I think we missed the taxiway

Apparently the aircraft is being used for a Credit Card Promo, its at Taouyan in Taiwan, https://maps.google.com.tw/maps?q=臺...TUsaMjJpNvDNIemLYLPXgg&cbp=12,294.69,,0,15.23

 

[Shelf]

a swarm of ants have moved into my medicine cabinet. I'd love to know what they're feasting on