LAST YEAR I WAS TOLD I WOULDN'T SING AGAIN AFTER MY SURGERIES AND RADIOTHERAPY, I WAS DEVASTATED.
WELL NEXT MONTH I AM HOLDING A CONCERT WITH MY BAND AND ALL PROCEEDS ARE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL THAT TREATED ME.IN THE AUDIENCE WILL BE MY CONSULTANTS AND NURSES WHO CARED FOR ME.
THE CONCERT IS REALLY A BIG THANK YOU TO THEM AND ALSO TO PROVE THERE ARE SOME SUCCESS STORIES COME OUT OF THIS HORRIBLE ILLNESS.
THERE WERE SOME ARTICLES IN THE NEWSPAPERS ABOUT MY STORY AND I HAVE PLACED AN EXTRACT FROM ONE OF THEM ON MY WEBSITE. PLEASE READ IT,AND SIGN MY GUEST BOOK AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.

http://www.traxstudio.fsnet.co.uk

BEST WISHES
TRACEY

Thrilled for you Tracey. You look fantastic - I hope your concert goes really well.

Go for it Tracey congratulations!

You're an inspiration to us all Tracey!
I couldn't sing before radio so I sure as Hell can't now!
But I can eat and shout at the kids again!
Go for it "Hen"!

I am very new to this forum but my reading your posting certainly came at the right time. My boyfriend is a musician (singer and guitar player) and he/we just got told yesterday, in no uncertain terms, that Doug will never sing again. The doctor was really pretty mean...he yelled at us like we were 5 yrs old saying, "What did you expect? You had stage 4 cancer...you will never be the same" I am determined we will prove them wrong! Lots of luck to you and congrats!

I can't believe any doctor could be so insensitive!!
I am so sorry you are having to go through this,Doug will be devastated, as I was when they told me I wouldn't sing again. Its like a double blow!
But you've found the perfect place here, everyone has gone through or is going through the same so we can help you with any questions or fears you may have,just ask.
Tell Doug I feel for him, tell him to be positive as I was, I was determined I would get through it, and I proved them wrong.

Take care
Tracey

Tracey,

Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I passed everything you said on to Doug and am trying to encourage him as well to log on and talk to others who REALLY know what he is going through because even though I have been there all the way...I don't REALLY KNOW. Might I ask though....what did you do to get better? I have been looking into dietary changes, acupuncture etc...any suggestions?

Hi Belle
I'm afraid nothing as adventurous as that, just positive thinking Singing is my life. Its what I've done since 9yrs old, and the work I put into promoting my band I wasn't going to give up, I gave myself 7 months, I knew that if I wasn't able to do it in 7 months that would be it.I WAS SINGING AFTER 5 MONTHS
This was after my lip and tongue being paralysed and weeks of speach therapy because I had a lisp. I also had a nasal gastric tube because I couldn't swallow, It really didn't look good for me.
The reason I am telling you all this is because I want Doug to know that it is bad, but it doesn't last forever and he will get through it.
POSITIVE THINKING - HE CAN DO IT!

Best wishes
Tracey

Tracey,

I can't get over how brave and amazingly positive everyone is here...including you! I really appreciate you taking the time to give me advice and encouragement and I am trying as hard as I can to pass it on to Doug. You know he was feeling so much more positive until that doctor went off on his tirade...you know we put so much faith in medical professionals I am afraid they get elevated to a God-like status and then we begin to doubt our own instincts and the experiences of others. Anyway, I made an appointment for a nutritionist and Chinese herbalist at another cancer clinic next week...hopefully we will get some more positive support there. Again....thanks for everything...best wishes to you!

B.

Be careful none of us want to see you waste your time and money. Tracey's advise is the best. Try and prove the Doc wrong with sheer determination. That comes from within you both not from an alternative practitioner.
Take care
Sue

Sue,

Don't worry....its just been hard to get him thinking positively...I do believe these things can't hurt...I mean, good nutrition is better for everyone right? I just want to be doing something instead of just feeling like an annoying cheerleader because I bet anything I sometimes get on his nerves...this gives us both something to do, a sense of empowerment maybe? Does that make sense? But I know what you are trying to say....

Yes I understand what you're saying, you need to do something practical. Emotional support can be very tiring thro this long recovery period. There have been many times when me and my hubby have worn each other very thin! Our relationship will never be the same again after this experience. And unlike the magazine stories I can't honestly say it has changed for the better!
I'm sure we would all prefer to live in blissful ignorance of this terrible disease.
Take care
Sue

Sue,

Yeah, I think our relationship has grown stronger on many levels but I know sometimes he gets angry at himself for not being able to do the things he used to do and this whole situation and then I think he is mad at me and then he has to explain everything...that it isn't me and then he gets more frustrated because he thinks I don't "get it" but I do try. No matter how much you get on each others' nerves though...sounds like your husband loves you a great deal...I've heard too many stories about people who don't stick around and it shocks me. Anyway...thanks for your support of "Me"...you guys are helping more than you realize!

My husband John found it very hard to accept my illness. Believe it or not we only spoke about it that one day when they told me how bad my condition was.
He was very quiet,where as I wanted to talk about it,this upset me because if I couldn't speak to John, who could I speak to? I wanted him to know how I was feeling. But all he could say was that he found it too difficult to talk about it, to me I think he was in denial,(if we don't talk about it, it's not happening)
Thats why I found this forum a godsend, I could talk about how I was feeling and people here understood. I found it hard to talk to family because they were so upset, so I had to put on a brave face for them,and behave like I was coping really well when really inside I just wanted to cry and talk to John.
Even now he can't talk about it. I have days when I feel really down,and I am so tired all the time.I am constantly worrying 'IT' will come back but I can't talk about it
I love John more than anything and I know he loves me, we just have different ways of dealing with situations which can be difficult at times like this, so thank you lot for being there to listen to me and to talk to me when I need to sound off

Best wishes
Tracey

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I always hate to make generalizations but I do sometimes think that men and women have very different ways of dealing with things, especially something as serious as this. Women like to talk things out and I think that is where Doug and I differ. I ask the doctors millions of questions, read him these postings from this site, read him books out loud...talk, talk, talk because I am looking for answers and solutions and I think its healthier to vocalize your fears than keeping things inside. THUS: the reason I feel like Doug gets upset with me. I can tell when he is thinking and worrying..it is all over his face; the furrowed brow, that look in his eyes that breaks my heart but it is rarely that he wants to say anything out loud and I want to know what he is thinking so I can help if I can. I never cry in front of him if I can help it but there are some nurses at the hospital I owe a big "thank you" to for hugging the hysterical woman in the halls after I would leave his room late at night. My friends don't get it either and I can tell by the way they talk to me and look at me that they just think I am fooling myself into thinking things will get better and it makes me so mad! Anyway...I am at work and should get back to it! Just wanted to let you know that I understand when you feel like you are living solely inside your own head with no one to listen and I am glad I found this place too.