Julie's Journey

Janines Story

Wednesday 16th Mar Watching my mother go through the treatment has been really hard. Taking her to her Chemo appointments and not being able to be with her during the treatment because of COVID rules at the hospital was hard not only on her but me as I would be sitting in the parking lot waiting for her to be finished treatment to take her home and not knowing how she was going to react from the treatment or if she would get really sick. Then once the Chemo rounds had finished which she only got 11 rounds in out of 12 because of the peripheral Neuropathy was affecting her hands and feet and it started to take away some of her independence that she has maintained for years and watching her hair fall out a little bit at a time and then one day over night her the hair she had left turned completely white which was a shock. Then she started on Radiation treatment every day for 15 treatments was the course advised, so we would travel every day to her treatment and then we would drive home again once it was finished it was very tiring for her and then the floods hit after she had endured 2 weeks of radiation and we were unable to get to Lismore for her 3rd week of treatment because not only were the roads blocked from the flooding she also lost alot of her possessions and her house had 15 inches of water go through so instead of having treatment that week was spent cleaning out her house and loosing so many priceless possessions because there was not enough time to move anything and with her fingers unable to grip properly she couldnt move much up out of the flood level, which we still cant believe happened because she has lived in the same house for 46 years and never had a drop of river water on the road or in the street and when she left that day she was walking out in ankle deep water and within 10 mins of her leaving it was in her house. We are thankful she chose to leave when she did. Then we had the concern of her contracting something from the flood waters because of her compromised immune system from the treatments. The week after her house had everything pulled out of it including the kitchen and bathroom she had to go to lismore again for her last week of radiation. She is a brave person to go through so much and still have to endure more treatments directly after is heartwrenching, Her Journey is not over yet as she will be on hormone treatment for 5 years now to prevent the cancer from returning. Any donations and I know its hard for everyone right now but it will all help no matter how small. Share