There's a Panda in my Bellybutton

Cancer Sucks I have shared with you Ryan's lymphoma journey where we have talked about the ups, the downs, the protocols for drugs, the side effects, but I realised recently I have never shared the questions. This post is all about what to ask when you receive a diagnosis of cancer. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is never ever going to be seen as good news. It can never be dressed up or made pretty. It is devastating, it is gut-wrenching, it is life-changing. There is so much information to process you will not think of the questions you need to ask or you will have hundreds of questions you want to ask all at once. These are just some of the questions you can ask once you have processed the news, in order to gain a better understanding of your fight ahead. General Information What type of cancer do I have? Where is it located? What are the risk factors for this disease? Is this type of cancer caused by genetic factors? Are other members of my family at risk? What lifestyle c

Oral Mass Ryan woke up on Monday 11 September 2017 and told me he had a mouth ulcer. As soon as he showed me I knew it was not an ulcer, I knew his lymphoma is back. We had an appointment with his oncologist at the clinic the following day. The consultant, Dr A, agreed it needed a biopsy. He photographed the mass and emailed our oncology team in Cardiff from the treatment room at Carmarthen hospital. Dr A also advised me that my dentist see the oral mass as it was my dentist that first noticed the original changes the previous year. My dentist was thankful we had been to see him and to keep him in the loop of developments. He agreed the new mass was looking pretty awful. We were admitted to Cardiff hospital the following day for another biopsy. Our oncology team were open and honest that it was their belief Ryan had relapsed but obviously we had to wait for the biopsy results to confirm the diagnosis. We were initially advised that we would be discharged on watch and wait and that