Hi all again

[Samantha Booth]

Sorry i havent been on in a while but tbh I have had a bit of a time with it lately.

While sanding the staircase 3 weeks ago I had a massive pain in my lungs and collapsed. I was rushed to A&E where they found PE's (Pulmonary Emboli) blood clots on my lungs which are very dangerous. They said I had multiple on both lungs and had got them for a unknown reason. They did more tests and found after a VQ and CT scan I have cancer of my Lymphatic System, Hodgkins Lymphoma. I am at stage 3 out of 4 at present and may be diagnosed stage four next week when my bone marrow tests are concluded. Its about as bad as it gets with HL. And to top it all off I have a tumor on my heart 7"x5". ( YES ! inches) Not even my Bosch multitool is man enough to remove that one.

Joking aside I just wanted to let you know where I am up to and for the lack of posts. I have nearly finished the house with just the fencing outside to do and the hallway and kitchen to decorate which have obviously had to go on the back boiler for the time being. I may not be here to finish it all but wanted to thank you for all your help and advice ove the past 6 months or so. Without your help and wisdom I would have got this far and am not living in a comfortable house nearly completely finished, used the right tools and materials and it looks fantastic and thats down tothe superb advice I have received on here and your tireless answering of my endless question.

God bless you all, hopefuly if all goes well I start my Chemo next week and will be back finishing the house sometime next year where I will be no doubt bending your ear again, I hope anyway. If you feel this is a cry for sympathy you dont know me, I genuinly wanted to thank you all as you have been such a help to me. You often find in this life you get more help off strangers on the net than family round the corner. So its not a plea for sympathy, I would rather nobody posted a reply to this and start a thread, I just wanted to say Thank You all and I hope to be able to speak with you all very soon

Love to you all Sam

[marc]

Hi Sam,

Sorry to hear your news. I had similar bad news in January 2007, after a lot of chemo, surgery and currently Radio Therapy I am still fighting, but making progress and hoping to win soon!

There are a lot of fantastic treatments out there, so keep on fighting

- there are different levels of treatment and you may have to go through a few different ones to get rid of it, but it can be beaten.

Chemo is a bitch, but you have to be strong. There are many drugs to combat the side effects - don't suffer in silence, tell the nurses and doctors and they will have something to help - especially if you have nausea, the anti emetic drugs are great - get them IV and the problem =83=BA

All the best Marc

[Mary Fisher]

...

None of that is anything to joke about - and I've never heard of a tumour on a heart although I've often wondered why.

As Marc said, treatments are no picnic but they are effective and worth persisting through.

It's going to be a hard time for you - but better than the alternative. Keep in touch - and take advantage of support groups, both those made up of real people and those on the internet.

Mary

[Samantha Booth]

The tumor is in my chest encasing the IVC and the Aorta. Its surrounding my heart and is quite normal apparently. Its called a SubMedia mass. Often with HL it attaches itself to other organs thats why when at STG3 one must be quite quick with treatment. My joke about the Bosch is my sence of humor Mary. If I dont make light of it I will go downhill and it is my way of coping with it.

[Rod]

I was going to folow your request and not post. But as a thread is developing...

You have always come back and responded, asked follow-ups and tried to really understand. That makes posting a response a joy.

Wishing you all the best - hope you'll be Fein by next year. :-)

(Partner thoroughly understood you comment about family and strangers.)

[Mary Fisher]

...

Ah, I see. Yes, I have heard of that!

Yes ...

I realised that, I think it's the best way to cope, I joked all the time - still do. When I was diagnosed with a (benighn) brain tumour I wrote doggerel (Mary had a little lump ... ) but very few people thought it was funny. You get to know your true friends!

When I was diagnosed with cancer I was astonished at the number of people who couldn't cope, didn't know what to say to me, even stopped talking to me. I learned that this isn't at all uncommon and that you have to try and understand them - but that certainly shouldn't stop you talking about it.

Spouse couldn't understand it and was hurt when it happened to him when his prostate cancer was diagnosed but we've learned that some people are grateful for knowing our experiences and have taken steps to seek advice when they've had similar symptoms.

So don't stop telling people and for goodness' sake don't stop laughing.

Some on this ng might well think that this is ot, if you want to mail me my address is working,

Mary

[Samantha Booth]

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message news:48c11c16$0$766$ [e-mail]...

Thanks Mary thats put my mind at rest. I thought you were annoyed at me for joking. I have had now three weeks to get used to the fact i am riddled with cancer, head, neck chest, stomach, back and groin, but with little pain apart from my back and chest. I have cried, sobbed and now come to terms with the fact i am at rock bottom, if I dont die from it the only way is up as far as I can see. Do you know, I have feared all my life getting cancer, as a nurse I used to work in a major surgery ward at our local hospital years ago and saw patients with cancer daily. It has always been one of my worst fears, now I have got it the silly thing is I have nothing now to fear and feel quite peaceful. I know its sounds strange or odd but i cannot seem to explain it better than this. When in life you face your worse fear and feel like people are fighting and praying for you i dont have to fear it anymore, the fear of cancer has gone as I have it, now i have to deal with it and fight like a Ghurkha. I have four children ageing from 6-11 to fight for and I am not giving up for anyone. Perhaps it will get the better of me, I expect it may do talking to the consultant but they aint getting me without a fight. I appreciate your kindness and dont want to turn this thread into a big OT thread but thanks to you all for your messages and emails in private. They are very much appreciated and knowing you are routing for me makes all the difference.

God bless again and thanks

[Micky Savage]

Love to us? no way Sam lOVE TO YOU SWEETHEART.

Micky. Leeds.

[cpvh]

Routing?!

Much too crude, you want a dremmel for that sort of surgery!

Seiously Samantha, I hope everything works out for you!

Cheers

Chris

[Mary Fisher]

...

I'm sorry, Sam, I really didn't see that part.

Mary