So, we've completed treatment.
No more chemo, no more radiation.
Except that Dr Doom says last week - did Tim talk to you about ongoing chemo treatment?
WHAT THE F*CK???????
at this stage of the game there is no way in hell I would have more chemo!
Still struggling with nausea, cramps and fall out from the radiation 'burns'.
Maybe once all this goes away I can make a better decision lol.
It's not a lot of fun this recovery. I think maybe they could just knock me out for a week until everything heals so it wouldn't hurt.
One of the biggest issues is the emotional roller coaster leading up to getting the results after recovery.
What if the treatment hasn't worked? What then? What if it has but it is remission and it could come back any time?
How do you plan for a future you might not have? and how do you plan for a future you may have around these extra bloody chemo treatments?
So now we are 7 weeks into recovery, and I have been for a scan and seen my specialists.
The news is on the good side. There will be a need for another scan and visit to confirm the goodness.
I have learnt so much on this journey and at some stage I hope to share some of my insights.
Thank you for being with on my road.
Saturday 28 September 2019
Friday 9 August 2019
Just Shoot Me.....
I've been labouring under a really freaking big misapprehension for all of my life.
I thought I was strong - lol
I thought I could deal with anything and everything life could throw at me - now I know better.
I have carried and delivered three kids - and brought the little darlings up - a complete doddle compared to what I have done in the last 5 weeks. There's still one more week to go.
5 Treatments
30 Chemo tablets
9+ days of constant fatigue
9+ days of constant nausea
9+ days of constant cramping
14+ days of very bad 'sun burn'
not to mention the whole toileting thing.
I feel like that flayed creature under the train station bench in the final Harry Potter book.
After a major meltdown last weekend where I swore I wasn't continuing with treatment - it didn't help I was weening myself off opioids - I determined I will finish my treatment - I hope it's all been worth the effort.
I look at the chemo tablets every morning and heave - I know I am poisoning my body to make it better.
I pray to all the presiding deities and the universe that I never have to do this again.
As long as there is mashed potatoes and gravy I shall survive!!
I thought I was strong - lol
I thought I could deal with anything and everything life could throw at me - now I know better.
I have carried and delivered three kids - and brought the little darlings up - a complete doddle compared to what I have done in the last 5 weeks. There's still one more week to go.
5 Treatments
30 Chemo tablets
9+ days of constant fatigue
9+ days of constant nausea
9+ days of constant cramping
14+ days of very bad 'sun burn'
not to mention the whole toileting thing.
I feel like that flayed creature under the train station bench in the final Harry Potter book.
After a major meltdown last weekend where I swore I wasn't continuing with treatment - it didn't help I was weening myself off opioids - I determined I will finish my treatment - I hope it's all been worth the effort.
I look at the chemo tablets every morning and heave - I know I am poisoning my body to make it better.
I pray to all the presiding deities and the universe that I never have to do this again.
As long as there is mashed potatoes and gravy I shall survive!!
Friday 2 August 2019
Be kind, rewind
Last time I blogged I discussed my return to South Australia.
I left that blog with 'let's see what the future holds'.
let me tell you what has transpired and how that future unfolded......
It's been a very interesting time
My job is interesting and the people I work with even more so.
I have had a wonderful 18 months or so of whale watching, balloon riding, flying a plane, wonderful degustations at fabulous restaurants, yacht sailing and fishing from a tinny.
There's been regular fly in fly out to Queensland to see Mother....and a few car trips of course.
The last car trip to see Mother was for her birthday/Easter 2019. We did some stuff for her about the place. You could see life was becoming evermore a struggle for her, oxygen 24/7 and little energy for eating or doing anything - no quality of life. There was a trip to Mother's specialist here and she told the specialist she had had enough and she was tired.The specialist discussed palliative care options.
Mother seemed happy with information she was given and we had a good chat about it on the way back to her place. Shortly after HR and I returned to our respective homes. A few days later Mother rang and asked me to come back up. When I got there we discussed her options further and settled on a plan of action. Ultimately Mother passed comfortably 3 May and was cremated a week later.
On my return home I decided to seek some medical advice re some pain I was experiencing on my groin area. I had been seeing physio, chiro and Bowen therapy about it to n avail. I had spoken to m gp about a lump in the area but she said there was no lump there and to go away. The lump was a 10x6x4 cm tumour. A secondary tumour. Three weeks after losing my Mother I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer.
I am currently 4 weeks into a 6 week treatment - chemo tablets day and night and radiation therapy 5 days a week.
I know that there are people out there with worse regimes and not so bright outcomes (there is no cure for me just contain and control) but I have to say I am tired of being tired, tired of feeling nauseous every time I think of food and tired of feeling so helpless. At least I am managing to get to work each morning for now.
I have the best people in the world on my team. My oncologists, the ladies who administer my radiation, the reception ladies, my co workers, my family and friends. There are people out there who do not even know me but the positive energy they put in the world that comes my way is amazingly helpful.
Anyway, 10 more treatments and 4-6 weeks recovery and then we shall have tests to see what damage has been done to this cancer.
I shall update in the fullness of time!!!!
I left that blog with 'let's see what the future holds'.
let me tell you what has transpired and how that future unfolded......
It's been a very interesting time
My job is interesting and the people I work with even more so.
I have had a wonderful 18 months or so of whale watching, balloon riding, flying a plane, wonderful degustations at fabulous restaurants, yacht sailing and fishing from a tinny.
There's been regular fly in fly out to Queensland to see Mother....and a few car trips of course.
The last car trip to see Mother was for her birthday/Easter 2019. We did some stuff for her about the place. You could see life was becoming evermore a struggle for her, oxygen 24/7 and little energy for eating or doing anything - no quality of life. There was a trip to Mother's specialist here and she told the specialist she had had enough and she was tired.The specialist discussed palliative care options.
Mother seemed happy with information she was given and we had a good chat about it on the way back to her place. Shortly after HR and I returned to our respective homes. A few days later Mother rang and asked me to come back up. When I got there we discussed her options further and settled on a plan of action. Ultimately Mother passed comfortably 3 May and was cremated a week later.
On my return home I decided to seek some medical advice re some pain I was experiencing on my groin area. I had been seeing physio, chiro and Bowen therapy about it to n avail. I had spoken to m gp about a lump in the area but she said there was no lump there and to go away. The lump was a 10x6x4 cm tumour. A secondary tumour. Three weeks after losing my Mother I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer.
I am currently 4 weeks into a 6 week treatment - chemo tablets day and night and radiation therapy 5 days a week.
I know that there are people out there with worse regimes and not so bright outcomes (there is no cure for me just contain and control) but I have to say I am tired of being tired, tired of feeling nauseous every time I think of food and tired of feeling so helpless. At least I am managing to get to work each morning for now.
I have the best people in the world on my team. My oncologists, the ladies who administer my radiation, the reception ladies, my co workers, my family and friends. There are people out there who do not even know me but the positive energy they put in the world that comes my way is amazingly helpful.
Anyway, 10 more treatments and 4-6 weeks recovery and then we shall have tests to see what damage has been done to this cancer.
I shall update in the fullness of time!!!!
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