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An Unexpected Update
We got an unexpected call from my oncology team, Friday evening to give us some news that niether of us were expecting. My scan had shown many small blood clots in my pelvis and lungs, and I needed to begin treatment, fast.
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The Final Cycle Update
Here it is, the final update for primary chemotherapy that really began in early July 2018 and finished on the 4th of January 2019. Before it began I knew it would be hard but it turns out nothing prepares you for chemo. We barely began and had to stop for me to have a colostomy. From then on we rolled with the punches. Stent changes and virus’ cost me good weeks and the pain from flares was like nothing I had ever known.
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Stay Cervix Savvy
It’s great to see so many people posting about smear testing and how important it is, but having been diagnosed in between smears, I want to remind you all to stay cervix savvy always.
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Chemotherapy Cycle Five Update
Well, there is quite a bit to update you on! A while back I was offered a bed in the local Sue Ryder hospice after a particularly trying flare period in one of my chemo cycles but I turned it down. It simply didn’t feel right at the time to leave home, my family, my beautiful daughters. I promised I would keep it in mind. Cycle number five came and followed the usual system of my flare beginning at day seven and while lasting a day longer than usual it passed as expected, but on Friday of the second week of chemo came an unexpected addition to the cycle, leading me to…
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One Year On
A year ago today I first heard the word “Cancer” from a Doctors mouth. She had examined me, told me she was “not happy” with what she found and after I had gotten dressed, informed me that it was highly likely that I had Cervical cancer. Since then my world has been a blur. Some days I can’t even remember how old I am, or what happened when because since then we have been on the medical treadmill that is fighting cancer. In that time I have learned two things:
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Chemo Round 4 update
Well! Hello there! It has been a while, hasn’t it? It’s been a particularly challenging cycle and it has sadly kept me from doing what I love most – writing.
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Newbury Cancer Care Trust
This is a little charity that is very local to me. They provide help to local cancer patients like myself. Anything from transport to and from the hospital, financial grants to help with anything that might be troubling you and two major feats of theirs include Rainbow Rooms and The Rosemary Appeal.
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A Really Honest Chemo Update – Round 3
I promised myself when I started this blog I would keep it true. That no matter what the reality of my situation was I would share it. Not because I want to aim to scare anyone, because I don’t, or even really to be “educating” people in what it’s like to be a cancer patient, because I’m fairly sure it’s one of those things you can’t really understand unless it happens to you – and please god none of you find out. But because, well, the internet is a place full of smoke and mirrors, where people only share what they want to share and that’s always the wonderful, beautiful…
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A Super Special Happy Mail!
My goodness. I am SO phenomenally lucky to have so many incredible people around me right now. I don’t want to sound like I’m overly gushing, but I feel so lucky. This Happy Mail has a bit more of a background to it. You see, the sender is a very courageous young woman whom I happened to be friends with at school. Her name is Stephie, and when I remember her at school I think of one of the bubbliest, most vivacious girls. We just sort of lost touch as everyone chose different colleges and different universities and all of a sudden there was adult life.
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Lucy the Dolly with a Stoma
During the week I had a visit from my friend Sam, she handed me a little gift bag with two little rag dolls in for my girls. Absolutely gorgeous little dolls with one fabulous feature: they both have little stoma bags. Just like me. I couldn’t stop smiling.
