# Cancer in a family member



## DU99 (29/9/15)

Most of us one day will find someone close to them who has cancer.

i have a daughter who is 35 has two children 9/7.she found out about it 7 years ago after the birth of her daughter,she went to get peter Mc who did they normally do,she went into remission,about christmas she was getting sore back pains,went thru a series of tests down the track.they found a growth about 6.5cm touching her spine.last week we as a family we told she had months to live.....why have i told you this as a parent...kids should outlast us..and Thanks Martin for understanding

*Also Guys get yourself checked for anything strange medicially*


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## spog (29/9/15)

That sucks.


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## manticle (29/9/15)

Hope she defies the medical odds. Got 2 good mates, one young (early 30s) one older (close to 60) with different incurable lung cancers and they are doing just that. Make every bit count, best of luck.


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## GrumpyPaul (29/9/15)

That's so rough.
Doesn't seem right liking your post...but you know what we mean.
Thinking of you and your family. Take care.


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## real_beer (29/9/15)

My thoughts are with you mate, I know you'll all pull together as a family and your daughter will be the strongest of you all.

I admire the loved ones I've lost to this decease for the calmness and dignity they've shown as those around them fell to pieces. How they do it no one else can really understand until it's your turn, but its like something comes to them and makes everything okay to bear.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe and no matter what you see as death with your eyes, in your heart you'll know it will never separate you and your family from the love of your daughter, ever. Your daughter will also rest peacefully knowing her children have a loving family to watch over them. It's terrible news too hear and bear, I'm so sorry, just spend as much happy and loving time together as possible, I'm sure your daughter will be very proud having you as her father in the months ahead.


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## HBHB (7/10/15)

There's no words to take the heartache or the pain away DU99. You and the whole family are in our thoughts.


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## GalBrew (7/10/15)

I feel your pain, right now my mum is in palliative care riddled with cancer and doped up to the eyeballs because of the constant pain. I can't imagine what it would be like to see your child go through such a horrendous thing, you have my heartfelt sympathies.


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## Mardoo (7/10/15)

Hell. That's hell. I'm so sorry mate. I had cancer and beat the odds, but it happens both ways. Good luck to you, your daughter and your whole family. I hope the odds go out the window.


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## technobabble66 (7/10/15)

Geez, mate. That is terrible, terrible news. And just so damn unfair. Such a young mother/daughter with such young kids. I'm so very sorry for you and your family.
As manticle and Mardoo said, hopefully she can defy the average stats.
My thoughts are with you.


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## wide eyed and legless (8/10/15)

It is indeed a terrible disease, when I go for treatment it is those who are so very young and the children with cancer I feel for.
A neighbor across the road, (he is about 45)who I have been visiting has brain cancer, and has been fighting it for 10 years, he has spent a fortune on some of the new drugs which are not on the register for no avail, he told me a few weeks ago he didn't want to live anymore and 2 days ago went into a coma, so I think he will now get his wish.

It isn't so much the victim of the disease who suffers, it is those who are closest to them, my wife is having to go for counseling because she cannot accept the fact that I could not be around to take care of her, she thought in her mind that I am indestructible, and I cannot even joke about it in front of her which is my way of handling it.

I wouldn't despair just yet DU99, the drug I am on is the closest thing to a magic bullet, and the drug company is gearing up to test a lot of the different cancers to see if it works on them.


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## DU99 (8/10/15)

> the drug company is gearing up to test


doctor's told us they might trial her on some new drug,but she has to "well enough" to go on it.she has left hospital.and thanks guys :icon_cheers:


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## hellbent (9/10/15)

I lost both parents through cancer so my thoughts are with you, I wish her well and sincerely hope she beats this demon disease....Good luck


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## DU99 (22/11/15)

My daughter lost her battle with cancer.Thanks for your kind words


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## razz (22/11/15)

Deepest sympathies DU99.


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## spog (22/11/15)

My deepest condolences to you and yours.


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## madpierre06 (22/11/15)

That's tough mate, deepest sympathies.


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## technobabble66 (23/11/15)

I'm so very sorry. 
There's really no other words, other than my deepest, deepest sympathies.


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## Mardoo (23/11/15)

Tears to my eyes. Real sorry mate.


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## wide eyed and legless (23/11/15)

Really sorry to hear that, thoughts are with you DU99


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## manticle (23/11/15)

Sorry for your and your family's loss du99.


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## Yob (23/11/15)

**** Steve, pull those kids close, you're needed more than ever now.

Condolences. Far too young.


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## Dave70 (23/11/15)

No words mate.
Stay strong.


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## Nullnvoid (23/11/15)

My sincere condolences mate, really puts little worries we have into perspective!

Stay as strong as you can


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## Camo6 (23/11/15)

So sorry for your loss. No father should have to endure that.


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## Drick (23/11/15)

I'm really sorry to hear about your about your daughter. My thoughs to you and your family.


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## Bribie G (27/11/15)

At my age I'm beginning to have friends and family of my own gen. dropping off the perch, not that it lessens the pain, but your daughter was far too young. Deepest sympathy buddy.


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## spog (2/12/15)

Got the kick in the guts news today that the Mother in law has 6 months to live.
The better half is devo as am I. All Mother in law jokes aside mine is top shelf, thankfully it's Christmas in Adelaide this year at her place so the entire tribe are going to pull out all the stops and make it a ripper.


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## wide eyed and legless (4/3/16)

Not a family member, but Sarah Tait died yesterday of cancer, Olympic rowing silver medalist and just 33 years of age,Elena Baltacha Tennis player died of liver cancer just 2 months after being diagnosed, was reading this week that cancer diagnosis is up 40% from 20 years ago but chances of survival has gone up by far more, and the Americans now have a blood test to find cancer in its early stages for those at risk.
I have just completed my 12th cycle of keytruda at $9,000 every 3 weeks (thank goodness the drug company is footing the bill) within 6 weeks the tumor had shrunk from large grapefruit size to ping pong ball size most of the others have disappeared.
I was ready to throw the towel in just before I started on this drug my weight had dropped from light heavy down to welter weight, I was impressed with the staying power of this cancer,it had come through 3 lots of chemo and one bout of aggresive radio therapy, if something is going to beat you this had earned my respect.
Now I find I am living a normal life but aware that cancer is a foe to be very wary of, my oncologist swears that the drug companies have a cure but prefer to make their money by keeping people alive rather than curing them, thinking he is just a conspiracy theorist I checked the prices of the other drugs that are being quite successful, Ipilimuab $120,000 for 4 treatments, 
Nivolumab $12,500 per month, I am all for free enterprise but what price is a human life?


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## manticle (4/3/16)

My dad has an op to remove the biggest tumour from his brain this monday am.
From that, they will take a biopsy and work out whether the other tumours in his body are primary or secondary and work out the next course of action.

Two friends, one 32, one in his 60s have survived brain tumours (both secondary to existing lung cancer) recently so I have hope. At least his word memory should be improved by Tuesday.
Last week he was perfectly normal.
Fuckin' bang.


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## spog (4/3/16)

All the best to you and yours .


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## manticle (4/3/16)

Cheers.
Not quite the death sentence it used to be - medical and technological advances are amazing but every case is individual. Fingers crossed.


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## tugger (4/3/16)

When my wife and I were trying to get pregnant after 2 years we had some tests done. 
It turned out the wife had cervical cancer, the doctors said there would be a minimal chance of conceiving after the treatments but. 
6 months later she fell and we now have a happy healthy 7 year old boy who saved my wife's life as if we weren't trying to get pregnant the cancer would not have been found. 
Goes to show its not always all bad. 
We still have regular scans and tests but it's all clear at the moment.


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## GalBrew (4/3/16)

wide eyed and legless said:


> Not a family member, but Sarah Tait died yesterday of cancer, Olympic rowing silver medalist and just 33 years of age,Elena Baltacha Tennis player died of liver cancer just 2 months after being diagnosed, was reading this week that cancer diagnosis is up 40% from 20 years ago but chances of survival has gone up by far more, and the Americans now have a blood test to find cancer in its early stages for those at risk.
> I have just completed my 12th cycle of keytruda at $9,000 every 3 weeks (thank goodness the drug company is footing the bill) within 6 weeks the tumor had shrunk from large grapefruit size to ping pong ball size most of the others have disappeared.
> I was ready to throw the towel in just before I started on this drug my weight had dropped from light heavy down to welter weight, I was impressed with the staying power of this cancer,it had come through 3 lots of chemo and one bout of aggresive radio therapy, if something is going to beat you this had earned my respect.
> Now I find I am living a normal life but aware that cancer is a foe to be very wary of, my oncologist swears that the drug companies have a cure but prefer to make their money by keeping people alive rather than curing them, thinking he is just a conspiracy theorist I checked the prices of the other drugs that are being quite successful, Ipilimuab $120,000 for 4 treatments,
> Nivolumab $12,500 per month, I am all for free enterprise but what price is a human life?


The class of drugs that keytruda belongs to is the way of the future for cancer treatment. Convincing the immune system to rid the body of cancer is the way to go IMHO (and my profession is medical research) and while PD-1 inhibitors like keytruda are just the beginning, they are working wonders in certain cancers. It did not work for my mum, but I am glad it has worked for you. This is also a great demonstration of the power of science, it is just a shame that as a society we don't put much stock in scientific knowledge and endeavour. Hopefully we see the folly of our ways and invest the time and cash required to obtain this knowledge, (and trap the tangible benefits) rather than wasting 10s of millions of dollars per gold medal for a feel good five minutes at the next Olympics (for example).


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## waggastew (4/3/16)

As a biochemist, an ex-pharma dev scientist, a science teacher and a human being I wish your Dad all the best Manticle. I hope that medicine can make a happy ending for your old man.


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## manticle (4/3/16)

Thanks.
He's a good bloke. Had a good life so if this is it, then that's the way it is but I'd like a bit more time with him and I reckon he'd cope with a bit more time with us


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## technobabble66 (5/3/16)

Hey Andrew, Best wishes to you and your family. I hope your dad pulls through, and you have many more years talking crap together [emoji4]

WEAL, glad to hear things are going well/better. Hope you also have many more years to become a big soft Leftie ahead of you [emoji6][emoji1]


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## manticle (7/4/16)

Bye Dad.


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## technobabble66 (7/4/16)

Damn. 
Deeply sorry to hear it, Andrew.
My sincerest sympathies.


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## sponge (7/4/16)

My sincere condolences mate. Terrible news..


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## Camo6 (7/4/16)

My condolences Manticle.


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## Mardoo (7/4/16)

Damn Manticle, I'm sorry.


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## warra48 (7/4/16)

Sorry to read about this. Condolences Andrew on your loss.

I know losing a parent is tough, as I lost my mother just a month ago at nearly 92 years of age.


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## Bridges (7/4/16)

So sorry Mants.


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## DU99 (7/4/16)

Condolences Andrew.....Steve/Robyn


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## niftinev (7/4/16)

condolences manticle and family

nev.


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## manticle (7/4/16)

Thanks guys


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## GalBrew (7/4/16)

Sorry to hear that. My condolences.


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## Blind Dog (7/4/16)

Condolences. All the best to you and yours in tough times.


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## spog (7/4/16)

My families sympathy to yours.
For what I am about to say you can tell me to **** off if you want and I will take no offence .

When my old man died I struggled , I looked for " signs" from Dad and saw them......it worked for me and my family,it still does.
What works...works.


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## wide eyed and legless (8/4/16)

Sorry about your loss manticle, but I am sure your Dad will live on in your memory.


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## Grainer (8/4/16)

Sorry to hear mate thoughts are with u


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## gezzanet (8/4/16)

Sorry to hear. My dad passed away 5 years ago. I still have a beer with him on his birthday.


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## wide eyed and legless (24/7/16)

I think Spiesy should be congratulated for his effort in The dry July, as a brewer it is pretty tough to go without a beer but the cause outweighs the need, I hope it has been worth the effort and many has donated. Well done Spiesy.


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## DU99 (24/7/16)

My wife has a friend who was diagnosed with a brain tumour and given not long to live,she was accepted for medicial trials in brisvegas . my wife rang her the other day and was told by the friend she sneezed the tumor out and feels heaps better...the drug trials medicial weed..


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## GalBrew (24/7/16)

My Mum didn't make it either in the end. She passed on the 10th.


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## wide eyed and legless (24/7/16)

Sorry to hear that GalBrew, I know you said your Mum had been on the Keytruda the same as myself, but a couple of months ago they pulled all the ones off the trial who were PD-L1 negative apparently it only works on the people who are PD-L1 positive or vise versa.
Read that they have been having success with injecting the Polio and HIV virus into the tumor, a full circle of what was being tried over 100 years ago and I believe the race is on for a vaccine to prevent cancer but as it varies between different types I'm not sure how it will work.


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## GalBrew (24/7/16)

wide eyed and legless said:


> Sorry to hear that GalBrew, I know you said your Mum had been on the Keytruda the same as myself, but a couple of months ago they pulled all the ones off the trial who were PD-L1 negative apparently it only works on the people who are PD-L1 positive or vise versa.
> Read that they have been having success with injecting the Polio and HIV virus into the tumor, a full circle of what was being tried over 100 years ago and I believe the race is on for a vaccine to prevent cancer but as it varies between different types I'm not sure how it will work.


It's a shame too as mum was lined up for a trial of a PD-1 inhibitor that worked on PD-L1 and PD-L2, but
was judged too weak to participate. Anyway not much you can do about these things in the end.


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## manticle (24/7/16)

All the best Galbrew.

Tears for your mum mate and I'll raise a glass to you.

Heard today my mate with stage 4 cancer (most recent iterations lung and brain) has no visible tumours. Radio has worked for him (albeit knocking him around a lot).


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## GalBrew (24/7/16)

Thanks Manticle, she was a good lady. Good news about your mate, must be quite a relief for all involved.


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## manticle (24/7/16)

He's survived 3 types of cancer so far.


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## spog (24/7/16)

Galbrew


GalBrew said:


> My Mum didn't make it either in the end. She passed on the 10th.


Sorry to hear, sympathy to you and yours.


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## droid (15/12/16)

my young boy (turned 8 today) says when people die "they didn't make the jump"

Sister-in-law Jo, didn't make the jump this morning after a 12month fight with the big C


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## manticle (15/12/16)

Sorry to hear droid.
All the best for your family.


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## wide eyed and legless (15/12/16)

Sad to hear droid, but something that we hear a lot of, in Victoria the stats are 30 people everyday succumb to cancer, the treatment I am having has been successful for me, after the gastrologist took a biopsy from the tumor the results came back negative but the drug only works on 30% of patients, so there is a long way to go to finding a cure across the board.


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## Dave70 (15/12/16)

Commiserations mate.
Horrible ******* shit of a thing it is.


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## DU99 (15/12/16)

my condolences


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## technobabble66 (15/12/16)

Condolences, droid. That's really shitty. 
I hope the rest of family continue to make the jump for many more years to come.


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## technobabble66 (15/12/16)

Dubbel post of commiserations


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## Nullnvoid (15/12/16)

Sorry to hear that mate. It's terrible news at the best of times, but even worse at this time of year. 

Take care of yourself and your family.


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## Mardoo (15/12/16)

Wow, damn. Sorry to hear it mate. All best to your wife and family.


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## droid (15/12/16)

Cheers guys


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## spog (15/12/16)

Echo what has been said above.
Our condolences to you and yours.


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## madpierre06 (16/12/16)

As above, sorry to hear Droid. Our condolences mate.


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## wide eyed and legless (24/6/17)

Finished my 2 years of treatment 34 sessions at $9000 per session for doses of Pembrolizumab courtesy of Merk & Co Inc, out of 11,000 participants in the trial one died approximately 1/2 were taken off the trial for being PD1 negative (no response to treatment) other received rashes causing them to leave the trial. Good news is because I performed so well I can go back on the drug FOC.
It must be so hard to come up with a treatment that not only suits everyone but each different type of cancer, I asked the oncologist where I stand and mentioned that the word cured is never heard when talking to them.The reply was the cancer has gone, or we could say it is in remission but there is no cure for cancer it will come back at some stage unless one dies of something else.
I asked why men are suddenly getting breast cancer the reply was, mainly in farmers and anyone else who keeps the mobile phone in their top pocket.
The patient who died on the trial died of collateral damage, apparently common when using a drug which fires up the immune system, not dying but the immune system will attack good cells when fired up.


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## DU99 (24/6/17)

nice result..


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## Grott (24/6/17)

Top results, continue with your positivity, that can help to keep us all well.


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## scooterism (24/6/17)

This is one of those shitty threads, but it's stories that must be shared.

My thoughts for those that have lost and my happy joy joys for those on the right side.

Now, I'm not one to preach stuff, but below are a couple of links to docos that may give you some answers or reasoning.

http://www.foodchoicesmovie.com/

http://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (24/6/17)

Good to hear. I feel so sorry for those affected.


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## technobabble66 (24/6/17)

Great news, WEAL!! Congrats. That'd be a looooong 2 years, hey? At least in the foreseeable future that's a fantastic result.
Hopefully you'll continue to annoy DBS & keep waving the Liberal flag for many, many, many years to come! 

Out of interest, are you still brewing at the moment? I haven't seen many WAYB or WITG posts from you in the last year or so.


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## wide eyed and legless (25/6/17)

technobabble66 said:


> Great news, WEAL!! Congrats. That'd be a looooong 2 years, hey? At least in the foreseeable future that's a fantastic result.
> Hopefully you'll continue to annoy DBS & keep waving the Liberal flag for many, many, many years to come!
> 
> Out of interest, are you still brewing at the moment? I haven't seen many WAYB or WITG posts from you in the last year or so.


Did a fair few brews over summer and the last couple of weeks I have made an Ordinary Bitter, Bass Pale Ale, IPA and an Abbotts Ale,
should be one t but I prefer it with two, I miss Tony.
Had 2 years off brewing not because of the treatment there was no side effects like there is with Chemo, may as well had carried on brewing with Garrett Oliver ringing me all hours of the day and night,'What do you think of this recipe, will these hops go well with this recipe'


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## wide eyed and legless (25/6/17)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Good to hear. I feel so sorry for those affected.


Mate its the kids I feel sorry for, they don't get treated in the same ward but I would see them waiting to go in to see the oncologist, its hard for someone to imagine how shit chemo makes you feel, how can a mother explain to toddler that it is alright. 
Babies are being born with cancer, and the amount of teens and people in their early twenties with brain tumours, I doubt whether there are any oncologists or oncology nurses who believe mobile phones are safe.


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## goatchop41 (25/6/17)

wide eyed and legless said:


> Babies are being born with cancer, and the amount of teens and people in their early twenties with brain tumours, I doubt whether there are any oncologists or oncology nurses who believe mobile phones are safe.



Let's not be silly and ignore all of the research that says that they aren't responsible for this, just because it's an emotional issue. That is actually very irresponsible of the oncologist to say that male brest cancer rates are increasing because of phones being kept in chest pockets, as there is absolutely no conclusive evidence to suggest that. I think we would find that he is in the minority of oncologists who would suggest such a link. Yes, I'm not an oncologist, but do work as a Physio with oncology patients in public health and am very aware of research in to these areas.
Don't forget, we are much better at detecting these things now (has a decent effect on reported rates of cancers), and also getting babies through term even with certain illnesses (hence greater rates of some infantile diseases upon birht, instead of them not making it to birth). Obviously there are many environmental factors that contribute, and we are responsible for a lot of them, but the evidence says don't be scared of your mobile phone!

Most importantly, congrats on getting through it WEAL, it's great to hear that there was a medication/treatment regimen that worked for you! Cancer treatment is so challenging, as cancer is simply a mutation of cells that proliferates - that's why it's so hard to come up with specific treatments, because theyre all so different in different areas of the body. The best thing that we can do right now is target the quickly proliferating cells (chemo) and hope to wreck them before the rest of the person's body.
My dad passed in his 50s after a relatively short fight with lung cancer in 2011 (looked like small cell carcinoma, but wasn't. Still spread incredibly quickly though). It's heartening to see people like yourself still in the prime of their life be able to continue on and enjoy themselves (P.S. I've been following your Guten thread the last week and I think that you've convinced me to bite the bullet on one!)


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## unwrittenlaw (25/6/17)

My 4 year old daughter is 18 months thru treatment for leukaemia (A.L.L)

She underwent 7 months of intense chemo last year with a few complications where things could have gone either way. In the first few days of diagnosis they started chemo. As a parent you are like a deer in headlights at first, signing forms trying to keep up with the amount of information you are being fed from a cast of thousands.

Her cancer is the most common for kids her age and has a set protocol - it still doesn't make it easier as there are ZERO guarantees and the possible long term side effects are frightening.

She has been on maintenance for nearly a year. Maintenance involves daily tablet chemo, monthly lumbar punctures & IV chemo, steriods, fortnightly blood counts... She still has another 12 months left to go - it's a very long protocol. 

Her immune system is constantly supressed and her previous vaccinations have been wiped out with treatment which makes sending her to kindy a worry at the best of times...

Childhood cancer is brutal. They are on similar dosage rates (as in weight/ht BSA) as adults, although the organs are not fully developed, albeit they are generally in better condition than someone who has been drinking and smoking for 20+years. Survival rates are generally better in kids for that reason as well as they don't have the added stress of work/bills/mortgage/bullshit - they just worry about being kids. 

I have met a few kids who have now passed, it's completely heartbreaking. Along with the fact that 1 or 2 new families will walk thru the hospital door for the first time in the next week.


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## unwrittenlaw (25/6/17)

I've had a few years off brewing since she was born, but have recently gotten back into it as a way to take my mind off things which has been good.


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## wide eyed and legless (25/6/17)

Feel for you unwrittenlaw, my heart goes out to all the kids suffering in hospital and the constant visits, whatever they are suffering from.
Having 2 daughters I can only imagine what it must be like for a parent.


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## Zorco (25/6/17)

Friends of ours (through my wife in her youth) lives the life of a nurse in this world. PedeOnco.

Most of the stress I've ever felt has no meaning once I had the slightest proximity to this topic.

Three kids in my den. Think I'll grab some marshmallows and get a winter fire going.

Had no idea you had this background till today WEAL; I knew I liked your strength of character though and moreso now.


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## Lionman (26/6/17)

Sad to hear, all the best for you daughter unwrittenlaw, and all the best for your family. I have a 7 year old and a 5 year old. I just can't imagine...


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## Mardoo (26/6/17)

Really puts my recent heart surgery into perspective, although I've been down the cancer road as well. It's one thing to face your own illness and mortality, another to face your kids'. Good luck to you and your families, unwrittenlaw and all of you.


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