I think I'm about to be diagnosed with cancer, and I'm fairly scared.

I've no experiences to share, just wanted to say good luck.

crikey – that's spot on. Very nicely put.

It sucks there are so many people here who've had first hand experience of this kind of situation, doesn't it?

Strange old world,i sit hear reading and writeing stuff to strangers and from strangers,that ive never met,then all of a sudden a thread like yours appears,and it makes it all worthwhile,reading and takeing the time to respond,reading others responces.#

Then i suddenly realise we all have one thing that binds us together,we`re cyclists,and we ride bikes.

BEST WISHES FOR THE RESULTS,and for the future,to you both.

Lean on each other, no-one else will really understand what you're going through. I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, and Sue and I have fought it together. I think I had the easy job, I had the treatment to focus on. I don't think I always realised how scared my wife was.
Make notes, When I was told what I had, some phrases seemed to blot out everything else, and after the consultation we could hardly remember what had been said, and there were a lot of decisions to be made.
You will get sick of the phrase " emotional rollercoaster ".
I think crikey said the same thing but he put it more eloquently.

Best wishes fella, whatever happens.

I hope they find the cause of your complaint and can correct it quickly and simply.

I wish you the very best of luck and a speedy recovery.

All the best.
I'm guessing that age and fitness is on your side.

I.M.E ask as many questions that you can and find out as much info. when you are diagnosed.

Good Luck Cycling Brother.

you are right to stay positive,i was diagnosed earlier this year & after succesful radiotherapy all is going ok.
the doctors in halifax hospital have been exellent & i hope you get a similar care.

i have 2 very small children so i stayed positive for them. thankfully the cancer did not spread into my lymph nodes as they caught it early.

this was all down to a mole on my back that a dermatologist told me to get checked in a swimming pool.

good look i will be thinking of you tommorow mate & it sounds like you too have the love of a god women which helps.

your lady will need to stay strong as i found it tough when other people broke down it just made it seem worse.

yes there will be days when you can,t even muster the energy to crack a smile.

Make notes, When I was told what I had, some phrases seemed to blot out everything else, and after the consultation we could hardly remember what had been said, and there were a lot of decisions to be made.

That's a really good point. My wife (girlfriend at the time) always took notes because I often had either no idea what had been said by the doctors, or had a completely different story in my head. It's like I went into some kind of trance and my imagination ran away with itself even though, I thought, I was listening intently.

I have no advice or experience. I can only say all the best Mark.

Nothing to offer but best wishes.

I can't offer much… I was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago so know the shock, even the anticipation of the diagnosis — of the doc using that "c" word can be pretty scarey but best of luck and of course please let us all know how you get on.

don't know if you believe in it but you'll be in my prayers.

( and others.. please don't turn this into a religion/anti religion thread )

I just gave up smoking, what feeble minded selfish **** I am.

Good luck and dont accept everything the doctors say, make then explain and ask questions.

Hope all goes well
it kinda puts everything else into perspective

i can offer nothing but healing vibes from me and my thoughts are deffo with you.

i wish you all the best of luck mate!!!when your better,if you're ever around devizes wilts,we could meet up for a mtb excursion(although you'll be way fitter than i am haha!!!)best of luck!!!adam

this is my story: fur balls[/url] start at the oldest post and work on from there. if you want to get in touch feel free.

I'm off back to the hospital now, hopefully to get some sleep.

Thanks to all of you. I'm not too sure how today would have gone without your advice and words.

'Til tomorrow!

Mark

All the best to you. Keep us updated.

Love, mrsf.

Get in there and hit it head on. Loads of my family members have had cancer and heart problems but they all take the angle of giving it laldy and working through it.

Just keep your head and make lots of lists. Deal with things as they come and keep calm.

Good luck tomorrow fella. And to your partner too.

Markd

All the best and good luck dude.

I can only add to the long list of 'good lucks", I hope that things turn out well.

Mark, my heart goes out to you & your family.

Don't despair, it's not confirmed yet.

Back to May, 2001. I too started suffering from shortage of breath and feeling dogshit. From being always being first at the sprint station in circuit training suddenly I was down with the plodders. Bike power just went out of me too. Ends up I'd got pneumonia, admitted to Queen's Park hospital Blackburn and had chest x-ray. Right chest cavity full of fluid. My then wife was told (unknown to me at the time) to expect the worst – C – and anything else was a bonus. Cat scan showed nothing I'm pleased to say other than empaema, basically an absess on the lung. I honestly thought I was dying. Chest drain fitted and wait for it to empty. Trouble was it had solidified and had squashed the base of the lung, hence shortage of breath.

Blackpool Victoria next for lung op, raked out all the crap. 4 months before I could go near the bike. Eventually the day came when I got my life back and started training again.

Guess I was one of the lucky ones. I'm back as fit as I was then enjoying life (I can still beat those kids on the sprints!) but never ever take my health for granted.

Hope you can draw a scrap of comfort from this and you get a good result on Monday.

Graham

best of luck and hope it all works out fella…

oh boy.crossing bridges and all that..

i dont know where to start.but seeing as how youve already got over bridge No1 by finding out what this all is,the next step,bridge crossing No2, is over the next day or so.. dont worry about anything else.

i will be back,along with all the others on here over the next day or so to see how you got on at bridge No 2 ;O)

i better go dry my eyes now.

don't know if you believe in it but you'll be in my prayers.

Same here, me and the kids will be talking to JC and lifting you up in our prayers.
Loads of love
Lou x

Like others I have no advice to offer, except that a diagnosis is the first step to working on the cure.

Will be thinking of you.

Good luck Mark – Stay strong no matter what.

My father-in-law was diagnosed with C 5 weeks ago.

My thoughts are with you.

HI Mark,

I've been clear now for 7 years (testicular, both barrels).I'm no expert but some thoughts based on my experience.

At the moment you've no diagnosis so try not to worry. Easier to type than do.

If the NHS staff that looked after me are anything to go by then you're in good hands.

I guess Meg will be with you when you see the doctors, you'll both have loads of questions so best to write your thoughts down before, as a reminder not as some sort of form for the doctor. No question will be the wrong thing to ask and they will have had them all before. I went alone to my first meeting and wish I'd taken notes on what I was told. In some cases you can get info from NHS direct if you think of things after seeing the doctors at your local hospital.

Macmillan staff are worth their weight in gold. Talk to them, they will help you both.

When using the web for information be aware that UK treatment may be different to that in the US (for example), if was for my diagnosis.

In the CT machine don't look at the red flashy light 😉 and definitely (this is important) DON'T go for a piss if you're half way through drinking some odd tasting liquid for the technicians in the CT scanner. I did for my first one and ended up having an injection of a marker dye that gave me the odd sensation of wanting to go for a piss through my left big toe. Only way I can describe it, very, very odd.

Hang in there.

Good luck.

Good luck wishes here

sorry, that's all I've got to offer; I hope it all goes way better than you fear

guy in my office had it. Had a few ops and happy to say he survived ok.
Has regular check ups now.

Take each day as it comes. Be strong!

good luck is all i can say, stay strong and happy!

*offers a hig*

thinking of you.

All the best.

I can offer no sage advice.

Just best wishes.

Good luck, and stick at it. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

Hi Mark and Meg,

Hope you are both doing well this morning. I am not sure whether you will read this before or after you get some news from the scan etc. but I hope it goes OK and I have everything crossed that it is something less sinister and easily fixable.

I am 9 Years in remission from Lymphoma now, and whilst never going to get my elite racing license I am riding hard and still much fitter than the vast majority of the population! Not really sure what advice I can give, just that no matter how bad things seem or how dark the outlook appears, there's always hope. I didn't have a girlfriend at the time and that was actually a surprsingly hard part, so you are already lucky in that respect. Fortunately I have the best family and friends, so there were still plenty of good times mixed in with the inevitable hard ones, and now it really is just an amusing set of pub stories and a load of benefits as to how I treat others and live my life.

That's kind of my abridged version of what I would write in a surviviors book.

I know it probably sounds wierd, but during my treatment years I would have been glad of a young person (I'm 31 now…) who was going or had been through similar things to chat things over with. So if you feel like a natter or just want to drop the odd question via email, give me a shout on here.

Best of luck,

Rich

Difficult times but take strength from all that has been said above and very best wishes dude.

Nothing i can say that hasn't been said, but good luck, i hope everything works out ok.

My wife's had cancer twice and survived – you're both in my prayers.