Still Struggling

I saw that some animals show more empathy than humans do to each other

Happy new year people ! Surely 2025 has to be a better year, I was talking to my son earlier and Iā€™d realised ive had a funeral every year since 2022, so Iā€™ll be buggered if Iā€™m having another year of shite excuse my French ! :fr:

Thanks Keith, thatā€™s really kind of you. Iā€™ve had quite my fill of hospitals for over a year now, I know itā€™s not the same as Iā€™m not the patient, but itā€™s hard seeing loved ones go through it all. I was allowed to sit with my sister yesterday for her first treatment, we had a good laugh together, I was even given lunch! It took over 6 hours as she has to have various drips at the chemo itself takes two hours. There was a lovely lady in the chair next to my sister so we chatted and laughed with her. All other visits I will have to wait within the hospital, they have a special relaxation area where people waiting for a patient can spend time. I hope 2025 is a better year for you, maybe you will feel up to the stem cell treatment

I just donā€™t know what it was about 2024, so many people have had an awful year. I hope 2025 is a much better year for us all. I agree about animals, my cat is my absolute rock, he supports me emotionally even if he gets snotty and bitey at times! I was never a cat person until I met Loki as a neglected 5 week old ball of fluff. Iā€™ve seen talk on Instagram about the ā€œcat distribution network,ā€ itā€™s true that cats find their way to people when we and them are in need.

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Yeah me too had dads funeral 2022, mams20 23 & brothers 2024 so Iā€™m claiming this year as mine haha, if you donā€™t laugh you crack up donā€™t you ?
I donā€™t like the killing bit about cats, my dad used to call them serial killers ! Kill for fun, but thatā€™s not their fault. Cats are very loyal too my son has two and I often look after them but when he comes back and they see him they let out a cry as if to say yeyyy your back !

I just watched Jurassic Park on TV not seen the last one made. That thought came into my head that mum would of enjoyed it and tears came. I tried to put it out my mind, but mum would of enjoyed it if she had been alive. All I can hope for is she was watching it with. me in spirit.

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I think we should all stick together, thereā€™s strength in numbers. Iā€™m kind of lucky with my treatment as I just have injections and my Hickman line dressing cleaned and changed. No drips at the moment, but that could change especially with a Stem Cell Transplant. I had 8 to 10 drips back in June, I was in a bad way. With those fractures in my back it made it really difficult to walk. I come a long way since then with the help of my doctor and the hospital.

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My cat has health problems so he is a house cat. He hates it when other cats come in the garden, so I donā€™t think it would be mice and birds he would bring home but cats and small dogs! Heā€™s 6 1/2kg too!

It does help me a lot being in here, the anti depressants and Maggieā€™s helps too, once Iā€™ve been on the medication 6 months I want to come off it. Iā€™m focusing on getting into university it September so I have something positive to focus on

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Aw they get very territorial cats, my aunts used to bring back baby rabbits which was bloody awful really, they the same as ferrets cats pure carnivores, just natural born killing machines really. I find them fascinating at the same time too, ferrets are great btw just a bit pongy !

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I would prefer dogs toy breed. Received a letter from the council today, agreeing to a 100 pound a month regards Council Tax. It like everything hits you like a ton of bricks after you lose a loved one. It all comes your way at once. Then medical hits you for 6, hospital visits swallow days. On top of Myeloma I have a Hernia too! it does get you down because you start to wonder if you can get back to your normal self ever again. It is a long way back! Thatā€™s why I can fully understand where Malcolm is coming from. We take our health for granted, we never fully appreciate it! I think cancer is a lesson in life to make us understand and appreciate life more ?

Definitely yes, as soon as you inform relevant people you can guarantee they are straight on phone or letters wanting their pound of flesh., life still carries on even though we are in this virtual reality coming to terms with the losses.
I must admit everyone i contacted were really nice one company even sent flowers to mam when dad died. Council tax is a diff kettle of fish heartless money grabbers, who canā€™t even empty your bins on time wtf do we pay for !

Itā€™s just a cruel tax! Iā€™m in Nottingham and the Council Tax reminds me of medieval times. The Sheffith used to collect taxes from the villages back in the 15th century. Whatā€™s changed ? at least they set up affordable monthly instalments after I contacted Citizens Advice. But they should of wrote it off as I not worked since June last year. Itā€™s hard to work when you could barely walk and had 5 fractures in your back. I would like to see them go to work with 5 fractures in their backs. But that was back in June, Iā€™ve made progress since then as hopefully Malcolmns sister. But Cancer of any type is no sprint, itā€™s a bloody marathon with a lot of work involved. You got to go through it to understand it. But itā€™s another challenge it makes you think and see things for what they are. Even on here people feeling sorry for themselves. Itā€™s life and what ever it throws at us we have to deal with. Thereā€™s no point getting upset about it even though itā€™s understandable. But death a challenge, cancer a challenge, life a challenge.

I done a few Myeloma meets and everyone just gets on with life who been diagnosed they donā€™t break down or get upset. Iā€™m sure Malcolm will tell you the same regards her sister. Itā€™s life and whatever it throws at us we have to deal with. Something that annoys me is when I see people say why me ? itā€™s not personal, cancer isnā€™t nice and in some cases itā€™s a killer. But a lot of people beat it and become better people in the process.

@ everyone

Looking back at 24, before Myeloma started to hit hard. I worked OMD in concert, without a doubt the highlight of the year for me. Was a sell out that night, I was right next to the stage that night, I remember Andy Meclusky pointing to me and giving me a thumbs up. I follow them on FB and they currently touring the world. Someone told me they did put their equipment up for sale on eBay, but they bought it back. Donā€™t know if thatā€™s true or not but Iā€™m happy they still around and touring. As their music has bought so much happiness to my age group Gen X as we are referred to on Tik Tok. So be it Iā€™m happy to be a member of Gen X, we are so lucky to have such great music to grow up in.

I thank Andy Meclusky and Paul Humpreys for the music,!

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I never try to be a woe is me person, Iā€™ve had bad luck with losses simple as that, and Iā€™m definitely not a bitter person either as sometimes grief can make you bitter, when my family unit (as I call the three of them) were alive i always used to tell myself I never want any regrets if anything ever happened. I think thatā€™s a harder thing to live with, but everyone is different though. I always look on at people and it amazes me how brave they are even when they looking death in the eyes, even being told you have cancer is terrible, I can imagine itā€™s emotionally exhausting, people never know how strong they are until faced with life changing events

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I didnā€™t know how to take it when I was diagnosed. I didnā€™t know if it was a blessing or curse, I was told it would shorten my life. That got me thinking I would be united with my mum quicker. I was thinking mum would be her normal self and I would be surrounded by love. Mum had dementia so I lost her kind of before her death. But Iā€™m part of a family really, as I said I been doing Maggieā€™s Myeloma group sessions since August last year. At first it was too much to take in, but as the months pass and you get to know other patients, it gets easier. You see people going away making plans doing things. It gives you hope but also not one in that group feels sorry for themselves. It is what it is, itā€™s another challenge. But it makes you think and I want to show compassion to others on here, itā€™s annoying to see like yesterday I posted on another thread saying someone will have a worse time then you. Reply that doesnā€™t help me or make me feel any better. Thatā€™s kind of a selfish way of looking at it, but you got to want to help yourself before you can help others. Not everyone will on here, I not had time to be bitter and I knew it was mumā€™s time. Mum is better off where she is. I didnā€™t join here to feel sorry for myself and what will be will be. A friend who has chrome disease says none of us are guaranteed tomorrow and she right. We all ticking time bombs, but whatā€™s the point worrying about it ? our parents wouldnā€™t want to see us crying from one day to the next or worrying.

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My mum saw how it broke me losing dad, she said I suffered grief too deeply. When we knew we were losing mum she told me that I would be upset but I would get over it after a few months. She always felt that I loved and cared for my dad more than her, in reality I loved them both and it has broken me equally. Thatā€™s both my parents and my sister that have had cancer, I am in fear I have a ticking time bomb inside me but I have to live life, and do things for me, not just what would have made my parents happy. I was chatting to a lovely elderly customer in work today, there are nice people in the world, I focus on them and not the bad

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We are blessed if want to admit it or not. Being diagnosed with cancer changes your views on life. I liked a lot of cancer Charityā€™s on FB now I get bombarded with them. But we had a life of sorts we had happy times, we have memories etc. Holidays with our parents a connection. But what about children who are diagnosed with cancer ? itā€™s heart breaking seeing children Iā€™ll with cancer, they not had a life. I think cancer changes you and how you view life and the world.

Youā€™re just living a different life now, when we lose someone we always lose a part of ourselves that was for them, but we just learn in time to replace it with parts for ourselves. We find out things about ourselves we didnā€™t know existed inside. In time Iā€™d love to get into counselling of some sort my parents both had bad mental health so I had to be a parent to my younger brother a lot of the time. Iā€™d like to give some of what Iā€™ve encountered to someone else who may need that support now, we all have a purpose just need to find it

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Let us know how that goes, itā€™s nice to give back. Giving is more important than receiving.