New Years Eve always seems to be a time for reflection and this one more obviously than most. I have been thinking about some of the people who have inspired me in life, who have given me the fire in my belly. Here are just some of them. My mum. The biggest inspiration of all.…
I’ve blogged before about the wonderful messages of support I’ve received by phone, text, card, email and Facebook. In the past two weeks these have increased exponentially as the blog has been shared and brought home to friends and strangers the situation I’m in. So I’d like to thank everyone for your good wishes, kind…
Chemo Mark 2 started today. My breast cancer twinnie calls this Plan B. It’s been a very long day and I spent almost 9 hours in the Big White Chair being walloped by the three new drugs plus humongous bags of fluids plus the usual anti-emetics. Entertainment was provided in the form of a steady…
I’m having a lazy Sunday morning in bed. The electronic babysitters are fully engaged (thanks, tablets and smartphones). Joey is lying next to me watching Angry Birds cartoons. I just adore this cheeky little monkey. He is so soft and cute and wraps everyone around his little finger. He is super clever, super flirty and…
Here are some of the paradoxes that are haunting me at the moment. Sleep is a blessed relief from the horror of our situation. So I want to stay asleep. But I want to spend every second with my family as time feels so limited. So I want to stay awake. Anxiety and fear freezes…
I was going to start this blog entry by saying that we are adjusting to this new reality. But I’m not sure that’s quite right. Certainly the tears are slowing up although they are still catching me unawares from time to time. But the horror of the situation isn’t fading. I have a constant knot…
Genghis is in my liver. There are multiple spots. Chemo is starting ASAP. The prognosis isn’t great but there are people who stay stable for a good while or whose mets shrink. It is even possible for the mets to disappear completely, though unlikely. My onc has said to plan for the worst but prepare…
I have been in a very dark place waiting for the results of my scans. I have been convinced that I will get bad news from the doctors. I have been convinced that my time is running out. I have been filled with tremendous sadness for my husband and kids, for my parents and in-laws…
Genghis is back. I think. I’ve got another tumour. It’s just by where the first one was and it’s another fast growing one so chances are it’s a local recurrence. The chemo didn’t work. So now I’m back where I was six months ago. Scans to make sure it hasn’t spread. I hope. Waiting for…
Lots of people who have had cancer talk about the fear that haunts them – the fear that it will come back. Books have been written on how to cope with this fear and there appears to be a whole sub-segment of the counselling profession giving support and strategies for how to put The Fear…
Yesterday I made an appointment to see the plastic surgeon that Mr Al-Dubaisi works with. My Floyd isn’t a cancer specialist (not sure there is such a thing in the plastics world) but he does seem to get all of Mr A’s private referrals so I guess he knows a thing or two about breast…
Yesterday I had a post chemo appointment with my oncologist and then an appointment with my surgeon. I have so much respect for these guys. http://www.spirehealthcare.com/ImageFiles/Bushey/Consultant%20photos/Prof%20David%20Miles.jpg David Miles is just amazing. He is calm, funny and hugely intelligent. He is direct and clear. He examined me thoroughly and said how pleased he was with how…