Things I have learnt...

It's hard to believe that in a few short days will bring a life-changing month to a close.  We have strengthened as a family unit, Tim and I as a couple, and we really, really know who our nearest and dearest friends are -  arohanui and thank you to you all.

We have learnt some valuable lessons along the way, and although I know the real journey is just beginning - the new perspectives we have gained on life already have defined the path we will travel on from now.

Don't sweat the small stuff
Because in the grand scheme of life - does it really matter?!  I was never a stressy person anyway, but this illness has put a whole new slant on my attitude to life, and I feel relaxed and grateful for everything I have, no matter how small - I have it, it's mine, I'm here and I'm grateful.

Never miss an opportunity to say 'I love you'
You cannot hear it too many times.  Simple.  If you feel it, say it.  This is something that I am grateful for.  I have always felt loved by my family, my parents - now we tell each other every day and it means so much to share these words with each other.  I am loved, and I've always known this - but to hear it really is something special.

Get insurance - life, medical, mortgage protection... anything would help!
This is something that I never worried about and really should have... please - don't think that it won't happen to you (I hope it doesn't) but some sort of insurance would really help right now to square things away and to provide peace of mind for poor Tim.  This interim treatment time of 6-8 months is an unknown as far as my work capabilities will be, so lack of income for the short-term is quite possible for us.  I have yet to meet with the bank regarding mortgage insurance, that could be a whole other story!

Research positives, don't scare yourselves
There is so much doom and gloom on the Internet and these diagnosis websites - not to mention Wikipedia - that it is easy to get scared and let the negative vibes begin to infiltrate... WORST enemy ever.  First thing I did was google Surviving Anaplastic Astrocytoma because that's what I am going to do - I found a cancer survivors network... okay it was American, BUT there is proof out there that people with my condition are surviving and kicking butt long after the Doctors have predicted.  At the end of the day all Doctors can do is predict, they don't really know.  The averages they hand out to people like me are based on PAST research and data collection - who knows over how many years.  Medical science has come a long way in a very short time, and new things are discovered ALL the time, so I'm not paying too much attention to these average time frames that have been handed to me. 

Be Pro-active
We left the initial meeting with the Oncologist with nothing... no information for further support networks, no phone numbers for people to call to help us deal with this news we'd been given... we didn't know what to do next, and I must say I was surprised that no extra support was offered.  This is something that I will endeavour to suggest as a potential alteration to their news-delivery regimen - it took our GP to refer us to the psycho-oncology programme - a free service provided by Massey University for cancer patients and their families for psychological support.  Information and registration could have been offered at this initial meeting, which would have been a safety net for us to know they were taking care of us as whole people, not just the nasties in my brain.
I have signed up to forums (NZ and overseas) for cancer patients, survivors and their families.  I have yet to introduce myself on them, however now I have this blog to share I can post it up and people can get to know my story.  If it helps only one person feel more positive, then my job is done - I know it's helping me! I have purchased books from Amazon - one in particular 'Anti-Cancer: A new way of life'  The author is a physician and a 15 year survivor of brain cancer.  It came highly recommended on one of my forums, so it had to be mine.  I will begin to read it today.  I have already decided to take EVERYTHING that has and will be offered to me - at this stage I feel I probably don't need the psycho-oncology service but will meet with them to see what they think and what the next steps are.

Family is it.
Upon hearing the news, my beautiful sister is finishing up in Perth and will be joining us here in New Zealand within the month.  Thankfully she had just finished up with her job, and now is coming home to be a huge help and comfort to us all... including possibly a taxi driver for me!  It will be wonderful to have her home, it's been a few years since she lived in New Zealand and I know that we all missed her dearly - thank you Cherie, I can't wait to see you. We will do this together and this thing will not mess with us, we are forces to be reckoned with!



We are currently awaiting a treatment start-date - I was scanned and masked and scanned again this week just gone, and have been told it will be 2-3 weeks for planning before they'll be ready for me.  I am picking that when the time comes I'll be well and truly ready for them too.