Super excited for my mum, please see the below update

✨Little update to everyone. The battle has been long and drawn out. Haven’t been able to work for 5 months- going to go back to work doing what I love- caring for my patience as they are going through their own journeys.

It’s been a long time for me and although my specialist is saying go for it- I feel like it is still going to be a slow and steady process of getting back to it.

I’m excited all the same after seeing him a few days ago post PET Scan and Bone Marrow Biopsy- which I was very anxious/nervous to see him due to being unsure of what he was going to tell me.

With him giving me the green light and confirming that I have no active disease anymore and to go about my day to day life/business and not requiring anymore treatment. You may say win win which is exactly how I feel- however originally I was meant to be having six rounds of immuno and chemo- one a month and then going on to two years of immuno a treatment every two months. Considering my body has other ideas and my bloods not being good enough I haven’t had treatment since October- just having three rounds and now not having the immuno treatment. Couldn’t work due to my immune system being so compromised and I didn’t want to face the risk of catching anything that’s going around, plus still feeling fatigue post not very strenuous activity.

I am absolutely beyond appreciative of all your generosity and shares to help me get through my journey. Work is still going to be on the back burner for a little while though as I’m really listening to my body and do not want to overdo anything.

Cheers everyone xxx

Hi, I'm Tarsh, and I'm raising money for my Mum, Janice, as she navigates her cancer journey. Adding to the challenges, Janice's partner has been unable to work for the past 17 months due to the lasting effects of medical complications and not being able to support her at this difficult time.

Janice was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma earlier this year and has just recently started treatment.

As a result of treatment and feeling unwell from it- Janice has been unable to work and is unsure when she will be able to go back.

Janice, is always the first to jump in and help anyone. Now it's our turn to step up and show her some love. The medical bills are piling up faster, and just keeping her head above water with daily expenses is a constant battle. We're putting our hands out, asking for your support to lighten her load, so Janice can focus on what's important: getting better and back to her old self.

We completely understand that the cost of living pressures are hard for everyone, but if you are in the position to be able to help or even share this. It would be much appreciated.

Thank you from all of us

Please read Janice’s story below:

Dec 27 2012- I went to hospital to see my surgeon after having a lump removed in my neck and yes I received the dreaded news that i had some form of Lymphoma. My heart absolutely sunk- my youngest was 9mths old still breast feeding and I was about to face treatment.

Had an appt with the oncologist he confirmed that I had Hodgkins Lymphoma.

I then went on to have 6mths of chemo- with all the side effects- many ED visits along the way.

After finishing that cycle having scans and told I was in remission I felt like I could get back on with my life.

Unfortunately my body had other ideas- Sept 2013, I couldn’t work out why my ears were going blue, if I bent over and came back up my face was tinged blue. Raised concern with my oncologist who pushed me in for an emergency CT. Shortly after getting home from the CT oncologist phoned me and told me to get to ED ASAP. That I did and spent weeks in hospital- mainly The Royal Melbourne due to having mass tumour in my chest and pressing against my major artery to my head. They couldn’t be sure what it was and required a biopsy. This was extremely daunting and nerve racking when professors at the royal Melbourne are asking me why your having this surgery and who has ordered this due to it being such a life threatening event, whilst I’m laying on the operating table and that you may not come out of it. So obviously the surgery went on and I was very relieved to take my first breath and say ‘I’m alive’ with an astounding amount of pain. Later finding out that my lung was deflated as part of it. Drainage tubes coming out the side of my rib cage.

Finding out that yea it was Hodgkins Lymphoma again. The treatment that I was facing was a steam cell transplant- of my own stem cells that would be previously harvested and intense chemo.

My whole system was completely wiped to like a new born and my bloods were rock bottom- I was susceptible to everything. Along with all the classic chemo side effects. After spending Christmas in Melbourne and having my family stay in the city close to me. I was finally allowed to go home at the end of January 2014.

Scans then proved that I was back in the clear and could go on about my life. Until June 2014 I felt yet another dreaded lump appear in the base of my throat that was growing so fast- yet another biopsy proving that it was Hodgkins lymphoma once again- 22 rounds of radiation got rid of that and I was back in the clear.

April 2019 I decided that it was time for me and that I would take the plunge and focus on a career. Running through different career paths I ended up deciding to do nursing- mind you after what I’d been through so far this was the least career opportunity on my mind. After attending an information session about a diploma of nursing I fell in love with the idea and was excited and a little nervous to get studying.

But blow me down after a check up scan that picked up enlarged nodes in my right auxila I had to go and have surgery on the first day of study. Yes yet again it came back as Hodgkin’s lymphoma so back down the treatment path yet again of 22 rounds of radiation. So having treatment every week day plus study 3 days a week I was exhausted by the end of each week.

Going on with my nursing career completing 18 months of study been loving my decisions and always thought that I wanted to work a few years as an EN and then go on to do my Bachelors. Mid last year I decided that it was time to enroll and see my chances of being accepted into the bachelors. On being successful I decided to start studying again part time and chip away slowly at it- putting no pressure on myself. However the dreaded fear of cancer returned at the start of the year when I felt a lump in my right groin- going down yet another surgery route, discovering that I have follicular lymphoma. Having an appointment with my oncologist who explained to me that treatment isn’t the first option for this type of cancer due to its slow nature of growth and it’s more about monitoring it closely unless your bloods indicate otherwise. I was fortunate enough to be able to get through my face to face uni classes when my bloods decided to go pear shaped and my oncologist said that I needed to start treatment. Having now started and having no energy at all to fulfil my daily tasks let alone work- I can barely get off the couch.

UPDATE- 24. October

So friends it’s been another month since my last update. Yes time is flying along. I’ve had my scheduled treatment on time since my delay last month- thanks to the good old flu that stopped me and set me back a week. All systems ahead since.

Due to my lack of energy and feeling flat as a tack after my treatments and of course the classical chemo brain that is hard to describe unless you’ve encountered it. These complications have made me realise that unfortunately it is time to look after myself and go casual in my passionate job. It was a hard decision but the best one for now, after it’s already been over eight weeks since I last worked.

Still tough financially and super grateful to those of you who have made your generous donations- thanking each and every one of you immensely.

Next round of treatment fast approaching- not looking forward to the horrible side effects and the extra added lack of energy. But realise that it is what’s best in the long run.

Catch you all again soon for my next update.

Cheers

UPDATE- 16/09/2025!!!!!

Here’s a little update with how everything’s going:

Thank you for all the kindness from everyone that’s donated and that’s helping share my page.

I have just completed my fifth day of treatment in four weeks. It’s been a pretty full on start to it all. Three consecutive days of treatment to get started really took it out of me. To top it off of course they warn you that you could potentially have a reaction the first time having something and of course that was me. My face/head all went numb and tingly quickly followed by my throat feeling like it was getting squeezed and shut off and I was gasping for air. Terrifying feeling and one to remember. They injected a bunch of meds through my port-a-cath which helped resolve that problem and then the next problem followed- the good old fever and next level kidney pain. Understandably I was a shaky mess- temp 38.9 (very high for a cancer patient). X2 doses of morphine jabbed into my tummy for the pain. Still unable to get symptoms under control well enough to continue treatment. After being there for eight hours- no treatment given. Next day I had chemo which all went well and then the day after back to attempt the day again that I reacted too. They gave me a bunch of medications to pre med me with and thankfully they worked a treat and eight hours later I was able to leave after having the full treatment.

My next setback to my treatment schedule was last week when yes I had to get the lurgy and test positive to influenza A- so no treatment that week.

During my eventful treatment start I have not had any energy and felt so flat and weak that I have not been able to work.

This sitting on the couch and trying to relax business is getting really old really quickly.

I would much rather be fit enough to work.

Will update again soon. Thanks everyone once again for your kind support and messages.