Good Cancer/Bad Cancer?

Sometimes you hear some cancers referred to as a "good" cancer or a "bad" cancer - it seems my cancer, womb or endometrial, is regarded as a "good" cancer because if its caught early, as mine was, then its treatable and the long term survival rate is very good; around 80% will survive the magic 5 years!

Other cancers are not so good. Some are quite aggressive and not very easy to diagnose until a much later stage, meaning that the long term, even the short term survival rates are very low!

Getting a cancer diagnosis is often a hard thing to accept and patients often spend ages agonising over the "why me?" question.

Imagine how much harder it must be to have a much loved family member get a diagnosis - especially when the diagnosis is of a rare, aggressive and possibly inoperable "bad" cancer!

Cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer is rare, with around 1,000 new cases each year in the UK. The outlook is apparently not very good, as its rarely diagnosed at an early stage so by the time it is finally diagnosed the outcome is very poor and its usually inoperable.

The feeling of helplessness that I feel as this cancer takes hold of someone I love is very hard to deal with. Knowing that the outcome is far from being a positive one makes it even harder to bear.

As with all cancers, the answer lies with awareness and research. Hopefully this will mean that less people will get this type of cancer and those that do get it will have a better outcome!

Might well be a bit late for my Mom but while we have hope, there is always a chance!

UPDATE: Sadly, Mom passed away on 5th Dec, just 5 weeks from getting her diagnosis. She is sadly missed by all of us. xx

F**K CANCER! Part 2

If you read the previous blog post you will know that cancer has entered my life for a second time; however its now a close family member that is affected, which for me, seems harder to bear than my own diagnosis.

It's tearing me apart to see someone I love so much being worn down by a rare and aggressive type of cancer knowing that there is nothing I can do.

We hear so much about people "fighting" cancer; it seems that every cancer patient has to become a champion fighter in order to beat the dreaded "c" word!

But what about those who choose not to fight? Does it mean they are somehow not as good or weak willed? Do you only deserve to beat cancer if you fight hard enough?

I have admired the way that former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson has handled his terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer; they told him back at the beginning of 2013 that he had 10 months to live. He decided against having chemotherapy that might only have given him a couple of months extra and is still here, playing gigs and enjoying his life to the full.

Listen to him explain why he made that decision.

Sometimes as cancer patients we have to accept that fighting is futile and although it may hurt those who are the closest, we hope they will accept the decision.

All cancer patients are brave - those who choose to fight to the end and those who accept the end is inevitable and bow out gracefully.

It doesn't mean that cancer has won; it just means that those of us that are able to fight will fight even harder for everyone else.

F**K CANCER!

Sorry for the language but let's face it, there isn't really any thing nice to say about cancer, is there?

Getting a cancer diagnosis hits you like a brick in the face; it turns your whole world upside down in a split second - those words "I'm sorry, but its cancer" seem to hang in the air for far longer than they should!

Being diagnosed with cancer is probably one of the worse things that can happen to anyone - ask most people and that would be their number one fear!
It puts you on a rollercoaster that never seems to stop.

Having been there and done that, so to speak I thought I was toughened up by cancer, but sadly not.

There is only one thing worse that getting a cancer diagnosis - and that's having a close family member be diagnosed, especially if its a rare, seemingly inoperable cancer!

That's what has happened to me this week.

I felt like I had lost control of my life when I stepped aboard that rollercoaster nearly 4 years ago but its even worse now. To feel so helpless and unable to take away the pain is unbearable. I would rather go through it again myself than see someone I love go through it.


There will be dark days ahead, and many trips on that rollercoaster for everyone in the family, but we will get through this.

I just wish cancer would f**k off and leave us alone.