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I myself had been challenged with cancer when living in Brussels, Belgium in 1990. My husband Patrick had been posted there to run the Hong Kong desk which was a diplomatic posting and a rather exciting place to spend three years. We had previously lived in Hong Kong for a number of years. We had only been in Brussels for about a year and I was planning to return for a family wedding in Australia. I had been experiencing flashing lights in my left eye which I thought was quite pretty but didn't understand why they were happening. I thought I had better check out with an eye specialist before flying out to Australia for the wedding of my youngest son.
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Prior to being diagnosed with Bowel Cancer in 1996, I always felt that I was indestructible, or as my husband Robert always put it “She thinks she's bomb proof!”.
The concept of being diagnosed with cancer at any time in my life was as unreal as me climbing Mount Everest!!! Also our lives have been very full and filled with variety and there was no time for ill health.
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IN July 1997 I was diagnosed with oestrogenic sarcoma, a form of bone cancer in my left femur. I was referred to the Children's Hospital in Melbourne, where I underwent two months of chemotherapy, which caused major side effects to my body. 95 % of those two months were spent having treatment or in isolation neutrapenic, suffering from low blood counts, horrible ulcers on my body, constant nausea and vomiting.
It was obvious by October the chemotherapy could not save my leg and consequentially my left leg was amputated. Five days after the operation I resumed intensive chemotherapy until the following April.
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Early September 2004 I was drying myself after a shower and happened to look down. One breast appeared to be a different shape from the other. On closer examination I felt a lump about the size of an apple in the left breast. ‘Oh shit!' I thought. ‘This is not good.'
My family was going through a crisis at the time with the deaths of a nephew and niece from different families within a week. The last thing I needed was something like this to add to the mess.
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Cancer has touched my life many times. My mother was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, when she was 83 years old. The Lymphoma was located in four areas of her body and was treated with Chemotherapy.
My sisters and I nursed mum for 18months, we expected her to get better but sadly she passed away on Christmas Day. I lost a lifetime friend and confidante, Joan to cancer. My dear friend Sally and I worked for the “Pink Ladies” to raise funds for Tasmania's first Dragon Boat. Sally was carer for her daughter who had breast cancer. Sally has now been diagnosed breast cancer.
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| Robert White's Story - Prostate Cancer |
It was early 2003 when I developed a very painful welt on my lower right shin which resulting in my being unable to sleep for most of the night. The pain was so severe that I went to the Doctor's the next day after work. The Doctor diagnosed a venous varicose problem and prescribed the inevitable antibiotics.
After a couple of weeks it seemed to settle down and then my lower legs and ankles become really swollen. The Doctor then advised me to wear compression stockings to control the swelling.
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