A postcard from Corfu!

Having a lovely time here in Kalami. Weather is just right, not too hot but glorious enough. Kalami is perfect, a small village nestled in a hillside bay with just 3 tavernas and two bars to sample. The pace is very slow and just what we were after. We have mainly been eating olives, drinking Mythos Greek beer and relaxing! Occasionally we take the boat taxi to neighbouring Agni bay taverna for dinner. Later in the week we plan to hire ourselves a little boat and go pootling along the coastline to find our own deserted beach. It's just heaven. The aches and pains I have recently been troubled with have all but gone.... perhaps I better relocate to the Mediterranean (James says this is a very good plan).
Right I better get back to that sunshine, there is more serious relaxing to be done.

All is not lost...

I've been into work today and had a 3 hour lab meeting talking hard-core science. Phew my brain hurt. All might not be lost on the old paper publishing front and when I get back to work I can focus on finding out what data I've got and throwing myself into getting a paper published too.
Anyway, today reassured me that it was good to get back into work and think about work things. Admittedly my 3 hour science marathon meant that I had to come home and do a 2 hour sleep-a-thon. Not to worry, it's just a tired week this week - anyone would think I've had a big party or something.
I am due to start back properly the first week of October and have arranged to start on 2 days a week.
Hmmmm now just 2 weeks left of rest and recuperation.... I better get started.

Returning to work

I have been in to see the Occupational Health doctor today who advises on my fitness to work and my scheduled return to work. Today was a bad day to arrange to do this as I am SHATTERED this week (for obvious post-party reasons) and so when he asked lots of questions about how I was feeling, I answered all the wrong answers and it came across as though I was still an invalid and pretty tired-out by daily tasks.
He advised me I shouldn't be too optimistic about getting back to work before Nov/Dec time. By the end of the appointment I was almost shaking him and saying "look how well I am, look at what I can do each day"... but by then he was already convinced.
Admittedly, there is a world of difference between pottering around the house and actually going to work. And just going in to see him today has whacked me and I have crawled my way home on the train and back to the sofa and the good old lap-top to pour out my frustration. But I have to get back on that horse sometime. I know it won't be easy but I had hoped that today we would work out a plan for what hours I should work etc. I guess the fact that I nearly felt like crying (Tamoxifen again!) at the thought of not being able to start back to work in October must mean I am pretty ready for it.

Plus I am feeling pretty depressed and don't actually know what I am going to do when I get back to work because while Dawn was away doing "breast cancer" it looks like the scientific world hasn't stood around and waited patiently for me to get better and my work has already been published in a really good journal while I have been off sick (and not by me obviously). Dammnnnation!

Cod Liver oil capsules

Well, this blog has finally come round full circle and here I am again talking about Cod Liver Oil capsules. This time I am not attaching them to my nipples (see the very first blog entry for an explanation of this), but I am starting to take them as a dietary supplement in an attempt to lubricate my joints from the inside.
I am really quite achy and stiff, which I think has been much exacerbated by me really going for it at the weekend. Hence, I have been very tired and slept quite a bit for the last 2 days. But, it was worth it.

I have also got myself another repeat prescription of the lovely Tamoxifen. However, I am trying out a different brand this time as the pharmacist tells me that different manufacturers' brands give different people different side effects and it's one of the drugs that they end up buying in separate brands for different people. I am going to have a go with Nolvadex D made by the original manufactures before their patent expired and any tom, dick and harry could make it. It's meant to be purer and I am hoping it will get rid of the body aches. we will see. I would also like it to stop playing havoc with my hormones making me an emotional wreck and prone to teary outbursts for no apparent reason.

Mmmmmm, Hog!

Well, even if I do say so myself; we throw a good party!!!!!

What a wonderful day for it (almost too good as Tweed is a hot fabric to wear). I can happily announce that although my diet may consist of large quantities of meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the next few days, we have very few left overs from the hog roast. We managed to work our way through at least 120 Hog Rolls (not including any meat consumed in pitta, french stick or the absence of bread product). If you didn't go home from my party stuffed and unable to eat another thing then you didn't enter into the spirit of it quite franky :) My good husband selflessly consumed 7 Hog rolls! and thanks to those of you who took a hog-roll with you for the long journey home.
It really did mean so much to have so many good friends there with me and I enjoyed the party so much. I did even shed an emotional tear when the last person left the next day after having so many of you pop back round to consume even more of the meat for us.
Thanks to the little team of "My B*tches" who continued all the little jobs which needed finishing once I had excitedly got distracted by something else.
For those who had to leave before the best costume prize-giving ceremony, the results were as follows;


Best Townie was awarded to Moira for the maximum amount of burberry one person can wear (you enjoy that Lambrini!)




Joint winners of Best Country were Zoe (Scarecrow) and "The Cows"











Best Fusion by a clear margin of course went to Dave and Ben.





I also have a cheeky late-breaking prize announcement












"The Lord and Lady of the Manor"

So Excited!

Oh, I am so excited I can hardly sit still. I really can't - and as for sleeping I am far too excited to do that at the moment.

Why am I so excited? because I am going to have an end-of-treatment party (if you haven't had an invite - get in touch!). It is hopefully going to be a huge turning point for me; I will have a party, go for the final push on the R&R on holiday in Corfu and then be totally ready to put the last year behind me and start a new phase and get back to work. Hoorah! I really have needed to take these few extra weeks after finishing radiotherapy to build up my confidence that I can do normal things again and have the energy to survive them. Now I am ready to move on!

Tamoxifen is still going fine. I definitely am suffering with joint aches and stiffness from the tablets... i.e in the little joints of my toes and fingers and mainly my knees - but that I can cope with now that I have some energy back (with a little help from strong pain killers to help me sleep at night).