Blog Topic: Coping with cancer
My cancer experience In 2013 I was diagnosed with stage four cancer in my tonsils, throat and tongue. It is called oropharyngeal cancer. This diagnosis was a complete shock. I hadn’t smoked or drunk alcohol for over thirty-five years. I never imagined my sore throat, ear ache and two small lumps on my lower neck could be […]
Cancer can very quickly upend a life. Whether it’s a personal diagnosis or that of a close family member or friend, there will be far-reaching impacts. The burden of a cancer diagnosis is too frequently exacerbated by the often unexpected financial stress and worry that come along with it. In the Cancer Council Pro Bono […]
Kerry Moss and her daughter Stephanie Ewing Life is full of inequities based on our postcodes but when it comes to specialist palliative care, nobody should miss out. The reality is, some people are denied life-enriching palliative care when it’s needed most because of a shortage of specialist palliative care across the state. The latest […]
Mike Mulchrone When Michael Mulchrone learned the lung cancer he thought long gone had migrated to his brain and doctors mentioned palliative care in 2015, he was fearful of the journey ahead. A year-and-a-half later, Mike says palliative care wasn’t a […]
Just hours before my father died peacefully in a palliative care ward, surrounded by his family, he whispered that he “didn’t think it would be like this”. We hadn’t spoken about what his death might be like when we learned he had advanced cancer, but I still wonder whether the lead-up to his death matched […]
Photo: Fred Binge and daughter Teena A cancer diagnosis and any mention of palliative care is troubling, but for Teena’s dad, Aboriginal community leader Frederick (Fred) Binge, extra hurdles that need not have been there, lay on his path. When Fred was told by a doctor in 2013 that his liver cancer was terminal, while […]
I was interested to read Dr Ranjana Srivastava’s article in The Guardian and the ASIC review into life insurance claims. The article is a heartfelt letter to a deceased man, whose mourning wife has struggled to successfully claim her husband’s life insurance after he died. This article really struck a chord with the team here […]
This week is National Carers Week. Kaye has been caring for her husband Wayne ever since he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three years ago. Cancer Council NSW’s telephone support group has been a great source of support for Kaye. To learn more about our services for carers, visit our support page caring for someone with […]
Brett was diagnosed with brain cancer in December 1988 – the same night as his year 10 graduation, at 15 years of age. 28 years later, he is thankful to call himself a survivor of the disease. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – read Brett’s Story After receiving the shocking diagnosis, Brett endured five […]
Death can be a thorny topic to discuss, so, many people just don’t talk about it. But having the opportunity to say goodbye and spend time with family and friends when we know we are dying can impact lives immeasurably and offer some comfort and support at a time when all else may seem unbearable. […]