Glad to hear she can go home.

Keep climbing that hill Spouse, you'll get there in the end.

Glad she can come home, no better tonic than being in your own bed, good to hear she is feeling better x

Hope you both managed a clean getaway today - glad to hear she's going home

Thank you Caroline, Molly, Daisy and Sparkles

Yep, escape complete. Something really nice happened on the way out - Di and I popped into Solaris, a centre attached to the hospital that offers massage, reiki, yoga and similar services to people with cancer and their carers. We were just going to pick up some brochures but a reiki practitioner was there and had had a cancellation, so she offered the spot to Di. She looked a lot better after a bit of pampering. Great centre and entirely free.

Funny how things turn out, my sisters and I fundraised during Dry July and raised $3,500 which we chose to donate to the Solaris centre. That was before Di's diagnosis. Nice karma.

Di's staying with Mum for a few days before she goes home. We 'banned' Mum from seeing her while she was in hospital - Mum and my stepdad are in their 80s and my stepdad is receiving palliative care for lung cancer, so we didn't want them exposed to any bugs. Mum's thrilled to bits to have Di there to fuss over and cook for.

And hopefully, the rest of Di's chemo and radiotherapy will be uneventful (touching wood madly). Thanks again for the chance to have a yarn about all this - it really helped xx

Glad she is out of hospital.

I have just had the results of my breast scan. Got to go back on Tuesday for more assessment. I'm trying to console myself that there is still a very high chance I don't have anything sinister going on, but have a nasty cold feeling in the pit of my stomach now.

Bugger.

Oh Caroline That hit me right between the eyes and it doesn't matter a toss that your results are very likely to be ok, that doesn't help the stress you're under while you play the waiting game. I'll keep everything crossed for good news for you

Thanks - sorry to make you uncomfortable.

I'll probably turn out to just have lumpy breasts!! My take on it is there are changes but they are due to all the weight I lost and have now managed to put half of it back on.

At least I don't have long to wait to have the assessment done. Might put the dampener on my weekend in Melbourne, though it might also take my mind off it.

You didn't make me uncomfortable you silly sausage, I just feel so sorry that you have to go through the next few days. Ahhhh Melbourne, my favourite Oz city. Lots to see and do there to take your mind off it - let your hair down and have a wonderful time.

Any tips for what to look at? I'll have Friday afternoon to Saturday lunchtime free, as OH has to work and has plans for Friday evening.

Have you been to Melbourne before, Caroline? If not and you want to see the sights, a hop on/hop off bus tour would be good. If you're not afraid of heights the Eureka Skydeck is worth it for the view, and there are things like the Melbourne Zoo and Aquarium.

I've been to Melbourne for work a few times, so was on my own then. Once I'd seen the usual sights, I'd do things like take a Yarra cruise (surprisingly cheap and a nice way to see the City), sit in a café on Southbank and people watch (you don't feel at all uncomfortable eating/drinking on your own there, tons of people do it), and shopping in the outlet stores - massive bargains and a lovely way to while away an hour or two. Or just wander around the streets of the CBD, there's usually street performances and it's great to walk through all the laneways, you discover all kinds of things.

I've barely been out of Sydney, apart from a trip to the Hunter and a weekend in Canberra. I had thought about exploring the alleyways/shops in the centre and taking a tram ride. I hate heights so will pass on the Skydeck.
Shopping will be mostly of the window gazing sort. I rarely go into "designer" or expensive looking shops- no point really. I do like looking at antique/vintage stuff though.

Why, when you have a recall letter does it take you an hour to get through to confirm the appointment??

Still, the lady on the other end of the phone when it was eventually picked up was able to explain what they would be doing to me, or might be doing. It was, as I thought, my right breast, which has begun to ache since I opened the letter. Talk about psychosomatic symptoms!!

My heart goes out to anyone who has cancer or cares for someone with cancer.I can only advise that caring and watching someone you love - slowly battle and eventually die of cancer after 4 years takes its toll on you. My brother died of anal cancer of all things. He moved in with me in 2009 and died 1/3/2013. It's coming up on 2 year anniversary and seems like yesterday. i did not know how bad I was until he died age 49. he was my priority. I had PTSD and still have PTSD. When doctor told me I told him only soldiers who have been in battle get it. No he said it means you have taken on the 'burden' - term used lightly of the pain and suffering of someone you love. It made sense. Caroline (that's my name) I sincerely hope nothing is wrong and wish you well. Spouse of Scouse - you can only be there and listen. Me - I'm here, one day at a time. Every day I think of my brother. 2 kids raised in an orphanage and now only 1.. He was suffering so much though and couldn't go on..No sympathy for me - I'm doing better bit by bit..

I feel for you- my sister is still having trouble coping with the aftermath of looking after dad until he died of advanced metastatic prostate cancer, though he was hospitalised for the last 4 months of his life due to delirium and then dementia as it spread to his brain. She went daily to give him comfort, personal care, to calm him and so he could vent his sheer frustration, when he still had the ability to speak. I'm pretty sure she has a form of PTSD, and she is severely depressed too. It has been nearly 3 years now. I can't therefore tell her anything about my situation (although it is probably nothing) for fear she will find it traumatic.

Lots of lovely window shopping opportunities in those laneways, and I'm sure I've seen some antique/vintage type ones.

I hear you about the designer/expensive shops! The outlets aren't like that though. For example, many of the popular lower and mid-priced brands have outlets in Melbourne. Their stock changes continually and it's the luck of the draw as to what's there when you visit, but I've snagged some terrific bargains - low and high end!

A couple of examples I can think of - got my stepson a great Adidas jacket for $8, original price was $110. $2 for a 6 pack of Nike socks. Scouse likes Tommy Hilfiger shirts but refuses to pay full price for them. A couple of trips back, he picked up 6 beautiful TH shirts for a total of $110 - a single one would usually cost that or more. The stuff in outlets is rarely seconds, it's mostly last year's stock which I couldn't give a toss about