I've just had a quote for travel insurance for my summer holiday to the Canadian Rockies. I thought I would see what both a single trip and annual policy would cost.
Only £18 for the single policy................... plus £456 to cover for breast cancer!
An annual policy was £1200 premium on top.
This is the company that I have gone to in the past who have previously been great with breast cancer inclusions - but they now have a new underwriter.
OK, so next port of call another company recommended by my online breast buddies and oh look at that..... after going through their medical screening they won't insure me for anything arising breast cancer related.
last port of call... insure pink (the bc friendly insurers). Their basic online quote for a 2 week policy was £70, but yay they cover breast cancer in that!
so do I pay £70 and cover every eventuality, or exclude the breast cancer. I think in this case I am going to pay the £70 to give me peice of mind.
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
There I am!
There I am! You could be forgiven for not seeing me. Firstly no-one reads those extra bits and secondly I am on page 6!
Anyway, as you can see Nationwide are going to donate 20p to Macmillan for every vote slip returned. They have a target of £250,000 - not a measly sum at all. Last year 979,340 people voted... which if the same this year would give £195,868 (oh i hope my maths is going to hold up here!). But, we can get more!!!! Last year they didn't have all the readers of my blog voting. So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to vote, get your family to vote, get everyone you possibly know who may have a Nationwide account to get their 20p's worth too.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Have you found me yet?
I've gone NATIONWIDE!
I was quite excited and suprised to find myself dropping through my own letter box today ;-D
I am also down to be in issue 27 of Pick Me Up magazine.... (i'll leave you to work out when that might be!)
There's going to be no getting away from me over the coming months!
I am sure I will be scanning the evidence and putting it on the blog for those who miss out.
I was quite excited and suprised to find myself dropping through my own letter box today ;-D
I am also down to be in issue 27 of Pick Me Up magazine.... (i'll leave you to work out when that might be!)
There's going to be no getting away from me over the coming months!
I am sure I will be scanning the evidence and putting it on the blog for those who miss out.
Saturday, 31 May 2008
A Closer Shave.
Well, I can now happily let you in on the magazine that I was going to be in (was being the important word!). Not anymore though, Closer Magazine have bumped me! They no longer want my story for some reason or other (which I am quite relieved about in all honesty).
However, I am now being passed down the food chain and my story is going to another magazine. This one is more of the "real life story" Take-A-Break style magazine - I am not even sure if it is glossy - and I feel much more comfortable that it has found it's natural place in the world. It will be 6 weeks before the issue comes out and anything could happen in that timescale.
I think I will feel a little less excited about talking to the media after this. The process has seen me sitting on a packed commuter train going home after work talking through my story with the writer on my mobile. It must have been quite odd sitting next to someone talking about "eating their own hair of their pillow". Also, the editors are not even sure they can keep the reference to Breakthrough's Charity Run and their website details in the article. That's only the main reason I agreed to it and despite my contact at Breakthrough's best efforts they are insisting that the word count is really tight. Surely they could cut some of the useless, stupid information they asked me about in the interview!
But the photo's have come through that they might use for the article. At the start of this process a photographer "popped round" and took some photos of me in the garden. He sent me copies of 6 or so, I could only find one or two where I was smiling. I expect they want to use photos of me looking rather disgruntled that I was unfortunate enough to get breast cancer. Here's a smiley one.
However, I am now being passed down the food chain and my story is going to another magazine. This one is more of the "real life story" Take-A-Break style magazine - I am not even sure if it is glossy - and I feel much more comfortable that it has found it's natural place in the world. It will be 6 weeks before the issue comes out and anything could happen in that timescale.
I think I will feel a little less excited about talking to the media after this. The process has seen me sitting on a packed commuter train going home after work talking through my story with the writer on my mobile. It must have been quite odd sitting next to someone talking about "eating their own hair of their pillow". Also, the editors are not even sure they can keep the reference to Breakthrough's Charity Run and their website details in the article. That's only the main reason I agreed to it and despite my contact at Breakthrough's best efforts they are insisting that the word count is really tight. Surely they could cut some of the useless, stupid information they asked me about in the interview!
But the photo's have come through that they might use for the article. At the start of this process a photographer "popped round" and took some photos of me in the garden. He sent me copies of 6 or so, I could only find one or two where I was smiling. I expect they want to use photos of me looking rather disgruntled that I was unfortunate enough to get breast cancer. Here's a smiley one.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Festival fun
This bank holiday weekend I went camping at a music festival. It was such fun, although slightly wet and cold at times (even with my 6 layers on!!!) - but that just adds to the fun (hmmmm!). I went to Glastonbudget; a Glastonbury style festival made up of tribute bands. My favorites were Guns 2 Roses, The Bon Jovi Experience and The Fillers. I certainly had a good bop around.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Today I received....
.. a lovely unique card in the post;
My friend Hanneke did the Race for Life the sunday before last. She and her international team of girlies ran/walked and raised lots of money for Cancer Research UK. The runners get to stick notes on their back if they have been touched by cancer or know someone who has been touched by cancer. Hanneke dedicated her run to me, as you can see. Her team then all signed the back with messages and sent it to me in the post. How nice is that!
My friend Hanneke did the Race for Life the sunday before last. She and her international team of girlies ran/walked and raised lots of money for Cancer Research UK. The runners get to stick notes on their back if they have been touched by cancer or know someone who has been touched by cancer. Hanneke dedicated her run to me, as you can see. Her team then all signed the back with messages and sent it to me in the post. How nice is that!
Friday, 16 May 2008
Selling Out
Well, I’ve gone and proved I will do anything in the name of charity. I’ve only gone and sold my BC-story to a well known celebrity gossip magazine, oh the shame!
Why have I done this, well I have 3 reasons;
1. Breakthrough breast cancer contacted me and wanted someone to speak to the media about their story and to raise awareness of breast cancer in younger women (a very worthwhile reason and if it encourages girls who find a lump to get it sorted then it’s a very good thing!)
2. By doing the article I would help promote Breakthrough’s 5K charity walk to raise all important funds (again, an important cause).
3. I would get a nice wadge of cash that I could donate to charity and give myself a warm fuzzy feeling (I am thinking Breast Cancer Care or the Willow Foundation - I will not look at shoes!!!!!)
I am not going to tell you when it will be or which celebrity gossip magazine (apart from it’s definitely at the trashier end!) because I would rather you all didn't look at it. But, I have decided that letting you all in on why I have done it is probably better than you all coming across it out of the blue. So if you are ever in a doctors waiting room or on a train journey with a magazine and you come across me in an article sandwiched between;
“Jordan's big botched boob job”
and
“My husband ran off with my sister-in-law’s-best-friend's-granny”
do please remember the 3 very commendable reasons above!
Oh, and remember, although it’s going to be written in the First Person, I won’t have written it! The freelance writer is going to do that after we have a “phone interview”..... I can just see it now ...“Dawn was only 29 and on her honeymoon when disaster struck and she found the lump that was going to change her life for ever……”. So that's it for me now and being the new face of breast cancer. I am going to be like one of those models who can’t be taken seriously because they once did a glamour shoot – there goes my high-brow media darling career flying out of the window.
Anyway, I better go – I have to go and fill out the application form for the Jeremy Kyle show :-D
Why have I done this, well I have 3 reasons;
1. Breakthrough breast cancer contacted me and wanted someone to speak to the media about their story and to raise awareness of breast cancer in younger women (a very worthwhile reason and if it encourages girls who find a lump to get it sorted then it’s a very good thing!)
2. By doing the article I would help promote Breakthrough’s 5K charity walk to raise all important funds (again, an important cause).
3. I would get a nice wadge of cash that I could donate to charity and give myself a warm fuzzy feeling (I am thinking Breast Cancer Care or the Willow Foundation - I will not look at shoes!!!!!)
I am not going to tell you when it will be or which celebrity gossip magazine (apart from it’s definitely at the trashier end!) because I would rather you all didn't look at it. But, I have decided that letting you all in on why I have done it is probably better than you all coming across it out of the blue. So if you are ever in a doctors waiting room or on a train journey with a magazine and you come across me in an article sandwiched between;
“Jordan's big botched boob job”
and
“My husband ran off with my sister-in-law’s-best-friend's-granny”
do please remember the 3 very commendable reasons above!
Oh, and remember, although it’s going to be written in the First Person, I won’t have written it! The freelance writer is going to do that after we have a “phone interview”..... I can just see it now ...“Dawn was only 29 and on her honeymoon when disaster struck and she found the lump that was going to change her life for ever……”. So that's it for me now and being the new face of breast cancer. I am going to be like one of those models who can’t be taken seriously because they once did a glamour shoot – there goes my high-brow media darling career flying out of the window.
Anyway, I better go – I have to go and fill out the application form for the Jeremy Kyle show :-D
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Developments on going Nationwide.
After sitting at my letter box and waiting for the postman to deliver ME through my letterbox, I contacted my contact at Nationwide and asked when I could expect to see it so that I could move away from the letterbox until it was time. She said that the AGM forms and Internet sites are now almost complete and voting starts in June - so it must be imminent. Plus they have invited me to go down to Birmingham for the actual AGM to see how much money gets raised by the initiative! Now, AGM probably equals boring.... but I am slightly tempted by the celebrity status - oooh perhaps I would have to collect a huge cardboard cheque like they do on comic relief ;-D
Sunday, 4 May 2008
18 month breast cancer survivor!
Now, I think this is how it works; I've reached the 18 months since diagnosis time point (well I will have in exactly 3 days). I am not sure whether you count from diagnosis or the end of treatment ... but I guess I am still here 18 months after my diagnosis, so that's 18 months of surviving since the unwelcome intrusion of that little lump into my life.
I am regularly giving myself a check over and apart from the odd "was that a lump, was that scar tissue dilemma" the boobs seem to be behaving themselves. I'm not reading too much into this milestone... and sometimes I do feel like I have a little internal ticking timepiece that's just waiting for a tapping on the shoulder and interruption to a very pleasant little life. And I am enjoying life at the moment. I am working 4 days a week (3 in work, one from home) and I am in a really great little routine. I feel like I am still challenging myself with this, just enough to stretch myself and feel I am slowly pushing up what I can achieve. I am getting into the exercise; Swimming, Pilates and the new goal I've set myself to get out and get at least a 15min-30minutes walk every day (not when I am swimming or doing Pilates of course that would just be silly amounts!). Then there's my exciting little vegetable patch and garden to be getting out in the sun to play with. After the disastrous fight with the slugs last year which resulted in about 1 lettuce and 1 courgette, I have decided to take a different track and am going down the Soft-Fruit route. I have raspberry, blackcurrant and blueberry bushes, strawberries and the ever increasing rhubarb-it really is very exciting (well I think it is ;-D). Oh, and I've been and had my first real hair cut and highlights. Well, hidden highlights - what the point of paying for highlights that you cant see is, I don't know - but the hairdresser made it sound really funky! Then I have had some new front teeth (I've had a nice new bridge at the front that I have been putting off for the last 18months!). And, yes, that's about it!
Things are just tickety-bo right now (which is probably why I've gone all quite on the blog front).
I am regularly giving myself a check over and apart from the odd "was that a lump, was that scar tissue dilemma" the boobs seem to be behaving themselves. I'm not reading too much into this milestone... and sometimes I do feel like I have a little internal ticking timepiece that's just waiting for a tapping on the shoulder and interruption to a very pleasant little life. And I am enjoying life at the moment. I am working 4 days a week (3 in work, one from home) and I am in a really great little routine. I feel like I am still challenging myself with this, just enough to stretch myself and feel I am slowly pushing up what I can achieve. I am getting into the exercise; Swimming, Pilates and the new goal I've set myself to get out and get at least a 15min-30minutes walk every day (not when I am swimming or doing Pilates of course that would just be silly amounts!). Then there's my exciting little vegetable patch and garden to be getting out in the sun to play with. After the disastrous fight with the slugs last year which resulted in about 1 lettuce and 1 courgette, I have decided to take a different track and am going down the Soft-Fruit route. I have raspberry, blackcurrant and blueberry bushes, strawberries and the ever increasing rhubarb-it really is very exciting (well I think it is ;-D). Oh, and I've been and had my first real hair cut and highlights. Well, hidden highlights - what the point of paying for highlights that you cant see is, I don't know - but the hairdresser made it sound really funky! Then I have had some new front teeth (I've had a nice new bridge at the front that I have been putting off for the last 18months!). And, yes, that's about it!
Things are just tickety-bo right now (which is probably why I've gone all quite on the blog front).
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Watch your letter box
Nationwide now have my photo (my usual PR shot - the one from the top corner of my blog... a little out of date on the hair length now though I suppose). I have also ok'ed a little paragraph outlining my breast cancer and why I support Macmillan. Just a few lines, but national distribution awaits me. So I guess it should be coming through letterboxes soon.
I've also had a nice long weekend in Dublin last weekend. James gets back from his conference there today (I flew back on my own and left him out there), so I should have some piccies to put up soon. I guess generally I've been doing OK recently; ticking along, going to work, that sort of thing. There just hasn't been much to come here and report on.
I've also had a nice long weekend in Dublin last weekend. James gets back from his conference there today (I flew back on my own and left him out there), so I should have some piccies to put up soon. I guess generally I've been doing OK recently; ticking along, going to work, that sort of thing. There just hasn't been much to come here and report on.
Thursday, 13 March 2008
The New Face of Cancer
Whoop Whoop!
I am to be the face of the Nationwide Building Society's AGM booklet due to be coming through a letterbox near you sometime soon. I am so excited. My face will be landing on the mats of Nationwide customers all over the UK (poor them!) to persuade them to return their AGM voting forms; for every form returned Nationwide will donate money to Macmillan Cancer Support and I am to be the face to persuade y'all what a worthy cause it is. Whoop Whoop!
I am to be the face of the Nationwide Building Society's AGM booklet due to be coming through a letterbox near you sometime soon. I am so excited. My face will be landing on the mats of Nationwide customers all over the UK (poor them!) to persuade them to return their AGM voting forms; for every form returned Nationwide will donate money to Macmillan Cancer Support and I am to be the face to persuade y'all what a worthy cause it is. Whoop Whoop!
Pull the Udder one!
Well, I just have to come and plug my friend Leigh (aka "one of the cows") fund raising activities. He is running a very long way for charity (52.8 miles including The Silverstone Half marathon, The London Marathon and The Great North Run). It's all in aid of a very fantastic cause; The Willow Foundation. Remember that charity that organised my amazing-pamper-extravaganza-weekend at Ragdale Hall (One of Europe's Top Health Spas no less). One of the most top things I will remember to have come out of my pants cancer diagnosis and something to keep me going and looking forward to. Well, Leigh is running to raise money for this charity to keep Young-un's like me in special days out. Boy does he have some money to raise!
So, here is the plug for his sponsorship site
www.justgiving.com/leighchurch
I don't think he is running it in costume - polyester and running a long way probably don't go together too well ;-D
Sunday, 2 March 2008
“Lydia", "Dawn", "Celia", "Rebeccah”
Its been a few days of intense highs and lows for me over the past few days.
I’ve been away on a works conference to Toulouse. It was good fun, oooppss sorry, very productive ;-D
Social events where the champagne flowed and much fun was had by all. I had such a great giggle, especially on the evening of the Wine Casino; where you had to bet on casino tables based around wine tasting to win chips for an auction of prizes at the end of the night. The girls and I won the top prize after I bet “one trillion dollars” – we didn’t have this amount of winnings but everyone around threw their chips into the circle to allow us to win – so touching. The title of this post is also related to this and is a totally in-joke; one of those you-just-had-to-be-there type of things. Oh my sides hurt from so much laughing. I would have had photos to put up on the blog to show just how much fun was had – but Lydia lost her camera on the last night – typical, she just wasn’t considering the blog potential was she! Nevermind, Celia to the rescue.....
I’ve been away on a works conference to Toulouse. It was good fun, oooppss sorry, very productive ;-D
Social events where the champagne flowed and much fun was had by all. I had such a great giggle, especially on the evening of the Wine Casino; where you had to bet on casino tables based around wine tasting to win chips for an auction of prizes at the end of the night. The girls and I won the top prize after I bet “one trillion dollars” – we didn’t have this amount of winnings but everyone around threw their chips into the circle to allow us to win – so touching. The title of this post is also related to this and is a totally in-joke; one of those you-just-had-to-be-there type of things. Oh my sides hurt from so much laughing. I would have had photos to put up on the blog to show just how much fun was had – but Lydia lost her camera on the last night – typical, she just wasn’t considering the blog potential was she! Nevermind, Celia to the rescue.....
Then there have been some breast cancer lows thrown in for good measure too. I heard some news about someone a few months down the line from me who’s cancer has returned. This has totally shocked me and made me very sad. It has just shown what fine a line it is from being fine one minute to facing it all over again the next. You just have to believe you will be one of the lucky one’s I suppose and carry on as though it’s gone for good. But, there is just no “All-Clear” when it comes to breast cancer and I guess that’s why I have been taking the discharge with a pinch-of-salt recently. So, in amongst the fun and laughter I have snuck in a few sneaky private tears (and some not-so-private in the Girls Loo’s on one of the social events, however, with a little help from my friends and some emergency Clinique makeup I was able to return to boogie the night away until 3am!!). Sometime I just think this breast cancer is just so unfair.
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
One MOT down since evil boob went bad.
Well, I have just been for my first annual breast MOT. That's my first check-up with the breast team and breast examination, or what I think I will refer to from now on as my annual MOT (I guess it sort of fits too; M.O.T = "maul of tit" - sorry couldn't resist).
All appears fine ;-D
I have to admit I had been a bit apprehensive about going. I had no reason to be; nothing had changed since the mammogram, I had no new lumps or bumps... so it was always going to just be routine.... but I had still got myself a little apprehensive. I only became apprehensive yesterday, up until then I just thought of it as routine. But after waking up Monday morning from a dream in which they found lots of tumours at a check up and told me I was done for (not a nice dream really!), I started to get apprehensive where I once was calm.
Obviously, no need to get worried. They are quite happy for me to toddle off into the real world and get on with things. They don't want to see me for another year.
What did I say when they told me it was just yearly check ups from now on;
"So, no-one will see me till this time next year.... really, no one........ no check ups, no scans, no nothing"...... Yikes, I am on my own, this really is what discharge means. It's sunk in now that that is a good thing and I know they are just at the end of a phone and at the first sign of trouble I can be right back in there.
Sunday, 17 February 2008
Rudding Park.
Last night we went out for dinner to the Clocktower restaurant at Rudding Park in Harrogate. I had been given some vouchers to go and have some Yorkshire Tapas as a end of treatment gift rom Ade and Sarah. So I saved them for a special Valentines treat and James and I went out for a posh meal. It was lovely. First we had a drink in the cool bar, then dinner in the retro dining room, followed by coffee in the comfy library. We did have the yorkshire tapas.... but as a starter so we could also sample the main courses and a pudding too.
I was so full afterwards! Yum, thanks guys.
I was so full afterwards! Yum, thanks guys.
Friday, 15 February 2008
Thursday, 14 February 2008
a weighty issue
hmmmm, I am coming to the conclusion that I might have been a bit niave in thinking that my chemo-weight would just drop of me after treatment finished.
Yes, the pills-from-hell (steroids) had made me water retentive and my face bloated like a big bouncy ball and yes, that went not long after finishing taking them.
However, I can't really blame the 2 stone that seemed to accumulate on my body during chemo on the steroids entirely. That was down to me being totally sedentary and eating like a crazy woman (well, some of that was due to pills-from-hell actually making me crave food to take away a funny taste in my mouth, but still there is no denying that scientific equation about calories in = energy out).
So I did think that once I stopped taking the pills-from-hell, stopped eating like a woman crazed, started being active in my daily life (let alone actually do some proper exercise), that I would see the weight just drop off me.
No! Despite having concsiously tried to eat healthily and sensibly since christmas and taking on a new love of (low-level) exercise - it ain't doing all that much. Yes, I am feeling so much healthier and more energentic and I am slowly tip-toeing down the pounds. But my BMI is still in the overweight category - Grrrrrrrrrr - although if I am generous with my height measurements I can just teter on the boundry with normal ;-D
Don't get me wrong, I am not unhappy with my weight and don't think I am actually all that fat (whatever my BMI score says!) and I certainly don't feel self-conscious anymore like I did with the bloated bouncy ball face. I would just like to be my old dress size and I guess it will just have to be a gradual continued effort to get there (no big suprise that then). I have read that many women think that Tamoxifen can make you put on weight and so that might be why I am not loosing much. But, I don't really beleive that - I think that is an excuse to explain away being lazy and fat!
Anyway, perhaps I should resurect the graphs and publish my weight for all to see - that would be an incentive to shift those pounds! I thought for the purposes of this blog entry I should also include some photos to illustrate me at the start and end of 6 months of chemotherapy - I think it is self explanatory which waist-line is which (I haven't selected a deliberately-horrible frumpy post-chemo one to prove my point or anything! honest ;-D ).
Yes, the pills-from-hell (steroids) had made me water retentive and my face bloated like a big bouncy ball and yes, that went not long after finishing taking them.
However, I can't really blame the 2 stone that seemed to accumulate on my body during chemo on the steroids entirely. That was down to me being totally sedentary and eating like a crazy woman (well, some of that was due to pills-from-hell actually making me crave food to take away a funny taste in my mouth, but still there is no denying that scientific equation about calories in = energy out).
So I did think that once I stopped taking the pills-from-hell, stopped eating like a woman crazed, started being active in my daily life (let alone actually do some proper exercise), that I would see the weight just drop off me.
No! Despite having concsiously tried to eat healthily and sensibly since christmas and taking on a new love of (low-level) exercise - it ain't doing all that much. Yes, I am feeling so much healthier and more energentic and I am slowly tip-toeing down the pounds. But my BMI is still in the overweight category - Grrrrrrrrrr - although if I am generous with my height measurements I can just teter on the boundry with normal ;-D
Don't get me wrong, I am not unhappy with my weight and don't think I am actually all that fat (whatever my BMI score says!) and I certainly don't feel self-conscious anymore like I did with the bloated bouncy ball face. I would just like to be my old dress size and I guess it will just have to be a gradual continued effort to get there (no big suprise that then). I have read that many women think that Tamoxifen can make you put on weight and so that might be why I am not loosing much. But, I don't really beleive that - I think that is an excuse to explain away being lazy and fat!
Anyway, perhaps I should resurect the graphs and publish my weight for all to see - that would be an incentive to shift those pounds! I thought for the purposes of this blog entry I should also include some photos to illustrate me at the start and end of 6 months of chemotherapy - I think it is self explanatory which waist-line is which (I haven't selected a deliberately-horrible frumpy post-chemo one to prove my point or anything! honest ;-D ).
Update: Romance isn't dead!
My hubby has just taken me to the poshest fish restaurant in town for a valentines supper... yes, that's the local fish and chip restaurant/shack in our village. Two haddock and chips (with bread butty) and a pot of tea for two. Ooooh arn't we romantic.
I am also eating out on Sat and Sun nights too... so I guess I can't really go complaining at the size of my waistline now can I!
I am also eating out on Sat and Sun nights too... so I guess I can't really go complaining at the size of my waistline now can I!
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Discharged!
I've been discharged from the oncologist.
"Go away - we don't want to see you again!"
Yippeeeeeeee. I am going to be followed up by my breast team and the lovely Mr Turton breast surgeon. I will next see him at the end of Feb and then I expect it will be 6-monthly/yearly from then on, with the obligatory yearly mammograms of course. But this years mammo was clear; no sign of recurrance. Jolly good.
I am picking up energy-wise as well. I have been using my recuperation days to go for small swims and I think it is making all the difference - it has been noticed that I am not so comatose in the evenings and am walking with a bit more of a spring in my step - including tackling the stairs at work! I still am pooped by my days in work, but they are working really well being alternate days. I am relucatant to increase this just yet because I would then have to sacrifice the exercise and I think that is helping me get better and it is really important to me. So slowly but surely I will get there. I still have my low days (like yesterday my limbs were tired and I hardly had energy to pick my feet up by the end of the day) but they are getting fewer and I am sure there will come a point where I just don't think about it.
"Go away - we don't want to see you again!"
Yippeeeeeeee. I am going to be followed up by my breast team and the lovely Mr Turton breast surgeon. I will next see him at the end of Feb and then I expect it will be 6-monthly/yearly from then on, with the obligatory yearly mammograms of course. But this years mammo was clear; no sign of recurrance. Jolly good.
I am picking up energy-wise as well. I have been using my recuperation days to go for small swims and I think it is making all the difference - it has been noticed that I am not so comatose in the evenings and am walking with a bit more of a spring in my step - including tackling the stairs at work! I still am pooped by my days in work, but they are working really well being alternate days. I am relucatant to increase this just yet because I would then have to sacrifice the exercise and I think that is helping me get better and it is really important to me. So slowly but surely I will get there. I still have my low days (like yesterday my limbs were tired and I hardly had energy to pick my feet up by the end of the day) but they are getting fewer and I am sure there will come a point where I just don't think about it.
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Slowing down again.
This fatigue is a strange thing. After the last post of throwing myself with energy into my work, today I am tired through to my bones and it has been all I can do to keep going and I had to resort to 2 hours asleep in bed and 2 hours snoozing infront of Shrek 2. I had good intentions to go to aqua aerobics as exercise is good for fatigue - but thats easier said than done when you are fatigued!
But, i actually now feel a little refreshed again and so hopefully can throw myself back into it tomorrow after an early night tonight (although these days every night seems to be an early night for me, ho humm)
But, i actually now feel a little refreshed again and so hopefully can throw myself back into it tomorrow after an early night tonight (although these days every night seems to be an early night for me, ho humm)
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Clinical Trials and me.
Well, I am throwing myself into work in the New Year. I still feel ever so tired and am sticking on 3 (reduced) days a week for a further 3 months until I can get into the routine of it. However, I have got a huge incentive to throw myself into work. I am going to apply for a Fellowship grant which would fund me for 4 years of research... but the best thing - I could do it part time! I am struggling to imagine working full time (very hard for a 30 year old career girl to admit!) and so if I could just get support to work 4 days with a Wednesday recuperation day in the long term it may help me eventually get there. So I am throwing myself into it and actually enjoying the mental challenge.
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Mammogrms and lumbar punctures
Well 2 more medical things done and dusted.
Mammogram done on Friday. Boy, they are painful things... especially where "evil boob" post surgery is concerned . Imagine a boob, put between 2 plates in a vice and squished flat until you think it can't possibly squish anymore... and then tighten some more. Then add in lots of "just move that arm there", "just relax that shoulder back", "just suck your belly in out the way of the machine" ;-D
Results in the post within 4 weeks. I am not too worried about this.
Lumbar puncture done yesterday. I didn't like it all that much. It was mainly uncomfortable and you don't feel much apart from a bit of pushing and crunching between my vertebrae. I got myself all crunched up into a ball and I had a very nice doctor come and do it. The pressure was normal, which is great - but means I went through it for what is probably going to turn out to be nowt. But as long as nothings wrong there then that's all that matters. The neurologists have now lost interest in my and it's just the opthalmologists tests to come now. Afterwards, I had to lie down for a couple of hours before going home. I then lay around some more at home and had James wait on me like old chemo days. He is good to me. I seem to have escaped headaches that can happen as a result and apart from some discomfort in my back (only to be expected after having a needle pushed into my spine!) I am feeling fine.
Mammogram done on Friday. Boy, they are painful things... especially where "evil boob" post surgery is concerned . Imagine a boob, put between 2 plates in a vice and squished flat until you think it can't possibly squish anymore... and then tighten some more. Then add in lots of "just move that arm there", "just relax that shoulder back", "just suck your belly in out the way of the machine" ;-D
Results in the post within 4 weeks. I am not too worried about this.
Lumbar puncture done yesterday. I didn't like it all that much. It was mainly uncomfortable and you don't feel much apart from a bit of pushing and crunching between my vertebrae. I got myself all crunched up into a ball and I had a very nice doctor come and do it. The pressure was normal, which is great - but means I went through it for what is probably going to turn out to be nowt. But as long as nothings wrong there then that's all that matters. The neurologists have now lost interest in my and it's just the opthalmologists tests to come now. Afterwards, I had to lie down for a couple of hours before going home. I then lay around some more at home and had James wait on me like old chemo days. He is good to me. I seem to have escaped headaches that can happen as a result and apart from some discomfort in my back (only to be expected after having a needle pushed into my spine!) I am feeling fine.
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Back to the medical stuff.
I am never too far away from the medical stuff. The last 3 months I have had the pressure in my head hanging over me without any answers as to whats causing it. Due to several unfortunate events, such as delays in referral letters getting written and failure of medical staff to contact me when they should have done, I am still waiting. I finally got into see a Neurologist and Opthalmologist just before my San Francisco trip. They both decided I needed some tests to work out whats what - but as they were not without side effects they left them till after my little holiday. I need an MRI to check the blood vessels behind my eyes for blood clots which they could treat with blood thinning drugs. They also want to do a lumbar puncture (YIKES) to check the pressure within my skull. But as the LP can cause headaches they left it till after my holiday. But then never contacted me to get me in and I had to chase them up to arrange it for me. So after several mis-communication problems I now have to wait till 8th of Jan to get this done. And of course now I have this hanging over me I am getting headaches and pressure pains in my head so am convinced all is not right. Oh well, I just have to wait. No word on the MRI at all yet.
It's also my first annual mammogram scheduled for the 4th Jan.
It's also my first annual mammogram scheduled for the 4th Jan.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
San Francisco.
Yay! I had a wonderful time and managed to get out and do sightseeing and shopping galore.
I was a bit worried that Jet lag on top of an already fatigued body would see me sleeping my time away in the USA. however, far from it - I felt fabulous! the time difference really worked in my favor so I was able to get up and out in the morning and do 2-3 hours of sightseeing or shopping each morning before flagging and heading back to the hotel to relax in front of movies or have an afternoon kip before meeting up with everyone for dinner and drinks in the evening. I did this every single day! woo hoo. The weather was so glorious - fresh and cool but so sunny and clear, it really gave my spirits such a lift. I loved San Fransisco and managed to pootle round on buses, cable cars and street cars galore to see the sights including the golden gate bridge naturally. James and I even managed to make a trip to Alcatraz which was really good and, the highlight of my whole trip, the Nappa valley wine tour. We went to 4 wineries, i sampled every wine on offer on the tour, and we came home with a cheeky little bottle of port to enjoy over the Christmas period. The tour was kicked off at Domaine Chandon, the Californian brother of moet and chandon and so I thoroughly enjoyed starting the day tasting 4 sparkling wines at 11am in the morning!.
You can find me on face book to check out my photos.
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
I'm oh so tired!
I'm struggling.
I just feel so exhausted all the time these days. Today it's 12 o'clock and I've just woken up and I will probably spend much of today in my PJ's. I am working Monday, Thursday and Friday which gives me Tuesday and Wednesday to recuperate mid week. I need it; a simple overnight sleep doesn't seem to recharge my batteries these days.
I seem to be finding it harder mentally to deal with than going through much of chemo (I am sure it probably isn't but that's how I am feeling right now). My body just isn't living up to my expectations and won't do even the simplest things... like staying awake on my second day in work on the trot on Fridays - I end up a walking zombie on these days with my eyes so sore, tired and squinty. Monday and Thursday's at least I can function - all be it sleepily, but Fridays I literally have closed my eyes and almost fallen asleep while walking into work. Now that's just weird!
I watched the Kylie documentary this weekend. Miss Minogue started her tour about 5 months from where I am now (so I have a few months reprieve yet before needing to start my own world tour!). It was reassuring to see even Miss Minogue got tired; she fell asleep on a rug straight after her first tour and the way she described how tired her body was at that point just rang so true. She described that time as a battleground with her own body - oh how I feel like that... mentally I am up for getting back on track but physically I am not quite managing it. It's just getting me so down.
I just have a couple of weeks left of battling on and then I go to San Fransisco and then it's Christmas and then I will be better! I WILL be.
I just feel so exhausted all the time these days. Today it's 12 o'clock and I've just woken up and I will probably spend much of today in my PJ's. I am working Monday, Thursday and Friday which gives me Tuesday and Wednesday to recuperate mid week. I need it; a simple overnight sleep doesn't seem to recharge my batteries these days.
I seem to be finding it harder mentally to deal with than going through much of chemo (I am sure it probably isn't but that's how I am feeling right now). My body just isn't living up to my expectations and won't do even the simplest things... like staying awake on my second day in work on the trot on Fridays - I end up a walking zombie on these days with my eyes so sore, tired and squinty. Monday and Thursday's at least I can function - all be it sleepily, but Fridays I literally have closed my eyes and almost fallen asleep while walking into work. Now that's just weird!
I watched the Kylie documentary this weekend. Miss Minogue started her tour about 5 months from where I am now (so I have a few months reprieve yet before needing to start my own world tour!). It was reassuring to see even Miss Minogue got tired; she fell asleep on a rug straight after her first tour and the way she described how tired her body was at that point just rang so true. She described that time as a battleground with her own body - oh how I feel like that... mentally I am up for getting back on track but physically I am not quite managing it. It's just getting me so down.
I just have a couple of weeks left of battling on and then I go to San Fransisco and then it's Christmas and then I will be better! I WILL be.
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