cancer

Falling down with the roller coaster

Things have just taken a bit of a dive bomb this week unfortunately. This is a quick update to fill you in. I’m sorry to those I didn’t contact personally yesterday. As you can imagine, it’s difficult to be on the phone (especially when you have a hearing impairment like me!!!) making individual calls. Just be assured that it’s not that it’s not my preference. I have hundreds of relatives (literally) and that’s without friends. I LOVE YOU ALL xxxx So I hope you’re OK with reading my update here. If not… well… erm… too bad to sad? I’m harsh but you know it’s my humour.

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Last week when I went to have chemo and saw the oncologist she could feel and measure the breast lump. This seemed a little odd given that it hadn’t been ‘felt’ for 2 months by either of us. If it wasn’t for the ultrasound we could have decided it had disappeared.

Over the course of the next week it became sore like it used to be and by Tuesday this week I could grasp it in two fingers. To add to it, I can feel two more sore lumps nearby. So I phoned the clinic expecting the usual ‘it’s just normal don’t worry’. They made an appointment to see the surgeon for the next day (yesterday). I taught year 10 at Luther College as part of my Artist in Residence role in the morning which distracted me very nicely!

The surgeon felt the lump and very quickly said ‘yes it’s growing back’. She thinks one of the other lumps is a cyst but is a bit dubious about the other. I don’t have all the answers… because I forgot to ask the questions but hopefully I can fill in the gaps over the next few days. Here is what I know right now (for those who like bullet points ha ha).

  • The tumour isn’t responding to the current chemo and because it’s a very aggressive cancer type it is growing back as rapidly as it shrunk
  • I MAY stop the chemo (oh please!!!) but I don’t know for sure until the surgeon speaks to my oncologist
  • I will have a biopsy on the 4th of Sept of the other two lumps
  • If the other 2 lumps have cancer cells I will need to have a mastectomy
  • I am booked in for a lumpectomy on the 10th of Sep and if the biopsy is positive they will do a mastectomy instead (with full breast reconstruction at the same time)
  • I will find out if it’s a lumpectomy or a mastectomy on the 8th when the biopsy results are analysed and my doctors have had a meeting about it
  • I will have all lymph nodes removed because some are swollen (need to query this today when I phone them)
  • I need to see a plastic surgeon about the reconstruction at some point but I can’t imagine how that will fit in between the 8th and the 10th
  • I don’t know what this means for the clinical trial. Perhaps I’ll be kicked off it. Not the first time I’ve been kicked out of something.

So that’s about as much as I can tell you right now except that I’m feeling OK and not daunted at all. I’m always happy when there is action. It’s when I get patted on the head and told not to worry that I worry.

In reflection

You may feel (like many do) that perhaps I should have had it removed in the first place. This is a total fallacy, especially for my type of breast cancer (triple negative breast cancer) and given that it is so aggressive. Remembering that I had a CLEAR breast scan in October 2013 and 3 months later I had a golf ball sized cancer growth. If I had had it removed prior to chemo, I would have had chemo delayed for a couple of months while I recovered. In the meantime, any floating cancer cells in my system could have established themselves in my body. Once that happens it is incurable (with breast cancer, secondary cancer can’t be cured). AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR DAT!!!! Chemo killed all those little suckers and now I’m just left with the tumour to deal with.

But now… let’s get that sucker outta there!!!

I’ll update you when I get the next saga of news so watch this space. As always I appreciate your prayers and interest very much.

 

Don’t you love the roller coaster?

Have you ever felt like you’re on a roller coaster? This 3 weekly chemo sure feels like it. I seem to have one week at the bottom and two weeks climbing back up to the top. It reminds me of one of my favourite movie scenes. Watch the clip it’s only short. 

Would I prefer to be on a roundabout? Would I appreciate my ‘good days’ if I was? Probably not… but it’s tempting to say STOP I WANT TO GET OFF! 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Last week I was a LOT better than the episode before. I still had stabbing pains in the stomach from the legendary ‘chemo irritated stomach ulcer’, nausea and brain fog galore. The dexamethasone keeps me awake all night so I’m tired all day. I can’t remember anything from the day before (serious!!!!). BUT this is a whole lot better than the last dose and by the weekend I was pretty good. So I’ve now got the knack of juggling the drugs and keeping my week free of appointments. I also know not to attempt to drive the car. That leaves me 2 weeks of party time. Well… in my own little ‘foggy party girl’ way. Back to running on the treadmill tomorrow:)

Splinter fella

If you think I tease my husband too much… then you don’t know him or the MFB. They don’t know the meaning of ‘enough’. The MOTH had 2 weeks off with his splinter injury and was dreading going back to work because he knew what would happen. Those guys are the masters of teasing. Not that the MOTH doesn’t love every minute of it of course. Attention is attention after all!

He arrived at the Firestation, with his little black plastic finger cover that the hand specialist told him he had to wear over his finger. Prior to that day he wore that cover for about 4 hours total so this was all a show for the guys at the #15 Firestation.

He walked in the door and discovered all the walls and windows in the station covered in signs such as these (below). His chair had a ‘splinter free zone’ sign on it. He arrived in the mess room for breakfast to find that all of the firemen were wearing black tape over their middle finger in sympathy.10609127_10152376518354506_1913811945_n

THEN… the ‘peer support’ team from headquarters called him to ask if he needed any support for his splinter. Obviously ‘somebody’ put them up to it. His mate Graham was limping and explained that he had a splinter in his foot. So on and so forth… all day… all week… until…

Will he ever hear the end of it? I think not. Meanwhile… he keeps giving everyone ‘The bird’ and thinks he can get away with it if he says ‘I’ve got a splinter’ at the same time.

What about MY finger?

My finger nails are doing weird things. I have a massive dent in one fingernail and a lump where the nail is buckling under my skin. Any sympathy out there? No. My doctor said it was normal and my nail will probably fall off. OK. I’ll just deal with it. After all, it isn’t a splinter is it?

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In all fairness… Col has been such a honey during my time of illness I don’t know what I would do without him. He is a tower of strength and support and our relationship has grown so much closer through the storm. I can’t thank him enough and wish that everybody had a best buddy to be married to like I have.  It’s times like this that I really appreciate him. Love you honey!

Just so you know, sometimes I’m pretty grumpy too. I know that’s hard to imagine ha ha.

Chemo information

I received an email from Healthline.com this week asking me if I would put a link to their chemo information and the 19 common side effects.  So there it is! I’m doing my thing for Healthline (whoever they are). They believe that people need to be aware. Hmm. I am in two minds. I think it’s pretty scary to read but I also like it’s honesty. So much of the information for patients is sugar coated. I’ll let you decide.

Wow I’m glad I didn’t read that before I started. I have almost all of those side effects but it seems worse when you read them than when you have them. Strange but true.

The splintered Wood

10603176_10152348560474506_144051450_nThis story will prove to you that a splinter in the finger is more serious than cancer… or anything really.

Last Tuesday, the MOTH begrudgingly went out into the garden to do some major pruning, which he hates. After an hour or so he arrived at the door with a sore finger. He thought there might be a splinter in it but I couldn’t see one so I put a bandaid on it and he went back out and continued. Nice try Col… I know you don’t like gardening but that’s a pretty lame way of getting out of it.

The next night he asked me to see if there was a splinter in there and if I could cut it out. I got out my craft knife and sliced across it but he couldn’t take the pain so I put detol on it and a bandaid and he went to work the next day. I made an appointment at the doctors for him for Friday morning and off he went.

The doctor took a look at it and said ‘I think you’d better go to casualty. ‘But it’s just a splinter!’ Colin exclaimed.

Casualty at Maroondah had many people in it apparently. He met a man with chest pain and got chatting to a woman sitting next to him who had a broken ankle. Guess who got taken in first? Colin with the splinter in his finger. He kept saying ‘but it’s just a splinter!’ but the medical staff could see the serious nature of the injury.

Most of you know that he is the only person in the world who doesn’t have a mobile phone. So the woman (patient) sitting next to him took this photo and sent it to me with no explanation. I received the photo and thought ‘WHAT????’ I was incredulous. Why are you in plaster up to your elbow with an IV in???? Well I would have asked this but of course, he doesn’t have a phone so I couldn’t.

The doctors were very concerned. They told him he needed two lots of surgery and to stay in hospital for 3 days. He would need at least a week off work. So I went in to casualty to see the poor man with the splinter. This was a little problematic because I had my car as well as his parked in 2 hour spots at the hospital and it was 3 hours before we were meant to go away on our family trip.

In casualty, the MOTH was creating a circus. A nurse had growled at him and told him to sit still because he was wandering around, the other medical staff were all looking ‘amused’ at the performance he was making about the splinter. He was behaving like Croc Dundee in New York. Having never been in hospital in his life, the novelty was wearing very thin.

After a short while, the porter came to take him up to the wards. Colin held his arm up and said to her ‘I’ve got a splinter!’. She was most concerned and offered to get a wheelchair.

So he settled into bed with a TV and a paper and INSISTED that I went to Rosebud without him. I felt a mixture of amused, sad that he missed out and incredulous… even annoyed at the amount of fuss they were making. He was fasting for surgery and like a tiger in a cage so it wasn’t too difficult to wave goodbye.

Ashlee came and helped with the cars and Soph and Jarrod drove me to Rosebud where we all worried ourselves sick about the splintered finger.

 What was all the fuss?

Apparently the splinter was near a tendon in his finger which could give him a stiff finger or at worse he could lose it because the infection could eat it away. They were talking plastic surgery, skin grafts and so on. Later that night they took the splinter out under local anaesthetic and cleaned it up. No plastic surgery or skin grafts and the wound looked fine. Apart from them putting the anaesthetic into the wrong finger all went well, According to Colin the splinter was 20cm long. Given that it was going across his finger which is 1cm wide that’s what remarkable (said with a touch of sarcasm). He spent 24 hours on an IV drip and then DROVE himself to Rosebud to join us. He has no plaster now but his ‘rude finger’ (middle one) has a big bandage on it and he very rudely sticks it up at us at any given time. He announces frequently that he ‘has a splinter’ and can’t possibly get himself coffee, water or any other thing and needs to sit in a chair all day.

PLUS… the district nurse is coming every day to change the dressing (!!!).

I am almost speechless. It seems like a candid camera episode or something. Do I sound unsympathetic? Well part of me wondered if there was missing information and perhaps I should be worried but I just couldn’t find it in myself. My brave fireman had a splinter and it just seemed so… well… trivial. He told the nurse it was worse than my cancer and she agreed! Of course he thinks it’s as funny as the rest of us and it’s now his talking point whenever we meet people.  So glad I haven’t got a splinter like he has he he.

I’ll leave you with my favourite YouTube clip which will amuse most of the women in this world…

 

Living life with perspective

1a560329b6ffb045b286c8521d85c720-1I’m all ready with my armour on to tackle the next chemo sucker due on the 19th. In many respects I’m not getting as many symptoms on this chemo as with Paclitaxol but with my current stomach problems the next and final 3 hits are going to be a challenge. I’m so glad they are only 3 weekly now and that I get time to recover, unlike before when chemo was every week. I feel much better now and even drove the car! Whee! I am concerned about my concentration on the road. My brain is getting worse and worse. There is so much fog in there I feel like I need a personal assistant. If you see me on the road clear outta the way.

I’m soooo excited about this weekend. All 8 of us (kids and partners) are going away for the weekend and staying in a big house. A house full of noisy extroverts and a boisterous staffy pup named Angus is just what I need ha ha. Marley is staying at home where he will remain calm and not bark all weekend. Hmmm. We are so blessed to have AMAZING next door neighbours who are also very close friends. We only have one house adjoining ours so it’s just as well they are so tolerant of ‘Sir Barkalot’.

This little chapter of my life isn’t all about fighting cancer. It may sound odd but I have gained more positives from having cancer than negatives and my purpose in life feels crystal clear. It’s not about bucket lists and last wishes or a feeling like I am going to die… it’s just about prioritising what’s important. That’s why I am excited about the weekend. Spending time with my amazing family and their partners is going to be wonderful! I just love how they have developed as adults and that they all get along so well. They spend time together even when Col and I are not there which warms my heart. In fact, it was one of the partners who organised the weekend so it’s nice to know they aren’t dragging their heels to come. Us mothers just love harmony in the nest:)

Oh and I managed to run 3k on the treadmill yesterday without throwing up my cookies. The gym team are very grateful I’m sure he he.

 

A funny thing happened on the way to a party

Jen2For some weird reason, my hair all fell out and then began growing back again. For a while I shaved it off but then I left it. It’s white and soft like baby hair and now about 2cm long. It’s very sparse so you can still see my scalp very easily but even so… it’s hair. The even weirder thing is that everywhere else my hair has gone and isn’t growing back. I haven’t shaved my legs for months. Yay for that. I’ve alway done things differently to everyone else ha ha.

I usually spend 3.5 seconds doing my makeup but my personal assistant (daughter) has kindly made it her duty to prepare me for the public eye when it comes to special events.

In this case it was an engagement party. As you can see (above), she did a pretty good job of the eyebrows, although according to her (and me) one eye brow is just plain odd. It’s quite challenging even for her to get it right. Today Sophie glued fake eyelashes on me even though I’m not supposed to wear them due to the particularly frail state my skin is in from the chemo. Then came the wig. Voila!

So off I went to the party, trying desperately not to blink furiously and/or to wipe my eyebrows or eyeliner off while navigating the way in the car for the MOTH. My wig was in my eye so I flicked it furiously out of the way so I could see the GPS instructions. Oops. I soon discovered that my eye lashes were glued to my wig. Now I had one corner of the eyelash hanging off and no idea how to fix it.

A quick SMS to Sophie resolved it. It all seems so simple when she says it like that…

Screenshot 26:07:2014 8:11 pm-3

 

 

I’ve been microchipped

Last week we stayed at Rosebud for a break and for 2 of the days I had an art retreat by myself. On the Tuesday, however, we had to drive back to Maroondah so I could have a titanium chip put into the tumour (providing they could find it). After much hoo ha with the ultrasound, they found the tumour and eventually put the chip into the middle of it. Now when they do surgery, they will be able to find the area to remove.

I can’t run away now because they have a remote control to bring me back to base. Just kidding.

If you want to read about the tagging there is a short article here: http://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=101026

The radiographer also found two swollen lymph nodes under the arm and in the breast. I’ll find out more on Tuesday when I start the new chemo treatment and see the doctor. Hopefully I’ll discover the size of the tumour (which is too small to be ‘felt’) and what’s going on with the lymph nodes. Hopefully the nodes are just another weird thing to add to my list.

I’ve been feeling pretty good this last week. Running on the treadmill at the Rosebud resort and with running group today and not needing nanna naps for the past 5 days.  I created so much artwork in Rosebud I almost couldn’t find my way to the bed at night for the mess. Loving it!

Swinburne investigation

My lovely friend Elaine is pioneering an investigation into the number of women from Swinburne who have or who have had breast cancer… possibly any cancer at all. It isn’t a witch hunt, but an investigation to see if there are links. Elaine has medical background and has made contact with the right people, composed documents and permission forms etc. So if anyone out there would like information please let me know. Elaine is doing this out of the goodness of her heart and I just want to thank her on behalf of all of us who are too distracted to do it ourselves. Bless her cotton socks!

Goodbye grumpy pants

Grumpy pants from the last post has left the building. Today is ‘feel good Thursday’ so I’m writing this before the chemo kicks in again tomorrow he he. Then you won’t have to listen to the whinging again.

Chemo, coffee and carousel horses

Chemo, coffee and carousel horses

I spent the last chemo session having a chat to my beautiful sister. She got to share my world with the lovely nurses and other BC patients in the ward and time sure went quickly having her to chat to.

Hooray! I still have normal blood!! My white blood cells were 5.2 and red 5 but my sister and I were both a bit vague about the exact number. The nurse said they were all within normal ranges though so that is a good thing after almost 4 months of having it attacked by the DRUG. Thanks so much for all your prayers… it’s working… of course!

I suspect I had a bug last week and that is why I felt so ghastly. Next week I will be half way through the chemo and will begin the ‘big bad AC drug’ in 2 weeks. From my calculations I have my last chemo ON MY BIRTHDAY. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not but what a way to celebrate! The surgery will be 2 or 3 weeks afterwards and then 6 weeks of radiotherapy. I suspect there will be a gap after surgery to heal the wound before radiotherapy so I think we will be up to Feb/March before finish time. Now I can start counting the days down to chemo finishes.

On a more sobering note…

It’s all very well for me to be upbeat and enthusiastic after 4 months of treatment but it’s very sobering when you discover your work colleague from Swinburne (one of 12 with BC) is now in palliative care. Josie has had breast cancer for 13 years now and that is a long time for her to keep that spring in her step and gorgeous twinkle in her eye. She is such a sweety and has blessed all who know her. Big hugs to her and her family xxxooo

 

 

 

The hairy nose enterprise

Hooray I’ve finished cycle 3 of the Paclitaxel chemo. One more cycle (4 weeks) to go and I switch to the AC chemo for another 4 rounds. Everyone tells me that will knock me around more but I have my fingers in my ears. La la la.
So far no nausea and other than two tooth fillings (one root canal) done without anaesthetic, I’ve been feeling pretty good. I have the odd Nanna nap, although now that I have a new bed I’m getting a much better night sleep. Boo to the latex one!

Food tastes weird for a couple of nights after chemo. Everything I eat on chemo night puts me off it forever. I will never face Taco Bill or Parmas again.

I’ve got the chemo routine down pat now. Each week I manage to get the canula put in my left arm so that I can draw pictures. The veins in my right one are much better and the nurses look at them longingly. I’m pushing my luck as far as I can.  Here’s a picture of my routine. It’s enough to make you jealous isn’t it? You can’t see my Kindle but that’s my standby when I’m not chatting to the lovely people in the turban factory.

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I’m off to spend a week in a timeshare resort with the MOTH, given that I have next week ‘off’ chemo. It’s right next to a golf course so I can’t imagine what he will do with his time. As well as that, we are planning a trip OS next year and that is giving me a good goal to head towards. The MOTH and I plan to do an unguided trip to Europe (again) and meet up with a group of our good friends in Tuscany, Italy for a week. It’s such an exciting thought I can’t wait.

Being the creative soul that I am, I’ve made an invention. Having no nose hairs in my nostrils means that they run without warning at 1000kph. As well as this, I have no filter for bugs or pollens which I have always been sensitive to. So I’ve invented a nostril wig for chemo patients. I might cut up one of my wigs and create little mini ones. Do you think it will take off?

I pinched this illustration from my children's book... 'Maggie Magee and the giant sneeze'

I pinched this illustration from my children’s book… ‘Maggie Magee and the giant sneeze’

On a final note… One of Colin’s work crew wrapped up a “Ferrari’ (in Christmas wrapping paper) for me because he said Colin would never buy me one. If you read my first couple of blog posts, written when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer that will make sense. Actually it’s a yellow Lamborghini but who’s complaining?

MS fun walk/run

Some of our ‘Are we there yet?’ team did the MS fun walk/run on Sunday to support our dear friend who has had MS for 21 years. She is such a trouper. She walked the 5km’s, taking regular rests like a good woman and made it around the whole course. I’m so proud of her!

Cheif running MOTH

10440853_10152212061764506_6969246208604146620_nThe MOTH decided to be my jogging partner (with a little prompting) because Sophie couldn’t. Given that he hasn’t run 5k since the MFB recruits in 1904BC he was a little dubious. His crew at work told him that they would have the MICA unit ready for him.

In typical fashion, he ran the 5k without even getting puffed out or looking at all exerted. He still had his jacket on to keep him warm. I was conscious of keeping up with him the whole way even though I’ve been training my butt off! Grrr. To top it off he went through the finish line one second faster.

The only consolation is that he is walking like a 99 year old man today and has lost the spring in his step. I do appreciate him coming with me and it was just as well he did!

 I found my boundaries

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First aid in the background just in case

My oncologist agreed that I should keep up the running while I’m having chemo but not to run until I can’t get my breath. Oops. It wasn’t the MOTH needing resuscitation it was me! I got to the 4k mark and felt very weary so I began to walk but after 5 steps I got dizzy so started running again. For some reason I wasn’t dizzy when I was running. I had run 5k on the treadmill twice during the week so it wasn’t a big challenge.

I got over the finish line and suddenly couldn’t breath so had to take a trip in the wheelchair to First Aid. That kind of took the elation of going through the finish line away. Boo!

By the time the medics got to me I was breathing fine but giddy so they did blood sugar, oxygen tests and blood pressure. I think they were excited to use all their equipment ha ha. My oxygen levels were down but they came up again when I took deep breaths. It’s amazing how that works. I have no idea why that happened but I guess I’ll chat to them at chemo tomorrow or ask one of my running friends for advise.

The best part of the First Aid tent was that Rosie and I managed to do a strip tease behind a blanket and change out of our wet tshirts.

Thanks to Tony for driving us all in. We had a lovely warm coffee and a free tour of the city afterwards. I can’t wait for the next one! Next time I’ll take it a little more easy.

 

Good thanks!

10347187_10152183012219506_1541027296625629266_nWhen people ask me how I am I say ‘good thanks’. That’s the standard Aussie response but what I mean by ‘good’ is… ‘all things considered… I’m good’. If I wasn’t on chemo and was asked the same question maybe I’d say ‘not so good’. I don’t usually launch into details because there are people around me suffering far more from various illnesses. Besides, I am feeling good emotionally and that’s a significant thing. In 2 months time I change chemo drugs to ‘AC’ and this could reduce my blood count dramatically. I will have 12 weeks of it, so I’m preparing my body to be fit and healthy by eating right and exercising regularly! At present, my blood count is still normal and the tumour has shrunk to the size and width of a long grain of rice so thank God for that!

Here is my pity party list for those who want to know what ‘good’ means…

  • I can’t sleep due to insomnia and night sweats which are every 30 minutes. This is due to ‘THE PAUSE’ not the chemo, now that I’m off HRT. 3 months ago I slept like a log. Here I am now, writing this blog post at 4am. Boo!

 

  • My brain is really struggling with ‘chemo fog’ as well as ‘THE PAUSE’ causing brain malfunction. It exhausts me to make every day decisions. Cooking tea is a major drain on the grey matter. I’m so glad I’ve made my life uncomplicated! Being self employed means no sick leave and my job requires lots of brain power because eLearning projects have strict deadlines and can be very complex. The threat of litigation looms over my head if projects are not completed to an agreed standard. So work is out of the question. Boo!

 

  • My sinuses are picking up allergies and causing problems due to the thinning of the skin (everywhere) and the hairless nostrils. Bleeding and congestion issues have been mostly resolved by putting vitamin E inside the nostrils each night. I know that’s TMI but some of my readers have cancer and details can be helpful!

 

  • Although I have no nausea, my food tastes weird. I have to ask people if my cooking is funky because it sure tastes that way.

So overall, that’s not too bad is it? As I say… I’m good!

 Balancing acts

10377159_789271297763330_542149322412441886_nLife is fairly self indulgent right now. I have ‘rest time’ blocked in most days so that I don’t over do it. I am not putting my hand up for things which I know will create stress. What? Not doing 1000 things at once? No study, art, work and play? Usually that’s what I thrive on. SometimesI feel listless without the challenge factor, but mostly I’m happy in my little foggy world. I’m so glad I have my art and it’s been selling quite well so that helps pay for materials. My social calendar keeps me pretty busy and I don’t have to use my brain too much for that:)

I’m managing to keep myself healthy and to maintain my fitness level. On Sunday I’m off to run the MS 5k fun run with my dear friend who has had MS for 21 years.

I’m not being a hero, I am a fighter by nature. I am also contrary, independent and stubborn, which is the flip side of being a fighter. The MOTH will verify this without thinking about it for more than 3.5 seconds.  I know that all cancer patients deal with their illness differently, there are 100s of different chemotherapy drugs which have various side effects and also different types of cancer and different types of breast cancer as well. I would hate to think people felt inadequate or compared themselves to my story. My story is my own and I recognize that we all tick differently and our bodys respond differently. My first response to anything is to fight. Not necessarily the right response!

To begin with, I was already physically fit (for a 53yo female) and ate a healthy diet. I don’t drink alcohol very often and I don’t smoke. I also boosted myself up with supplements prior to beginning chemo. So my starting point was high therefore I’ve managed to maintain good health up to now. If my starting point was low, no doubt I would be struggling a bit more than I am. I’ve found it important to know my limits and listen to my body!

Loving my 3 sisters

The sisters

Last weekend I escaped to Sorrento with my 3 sisters for our first time away together ever. It was an amazing weekend and I loved having time to just chat, laugh, soak in the hot springs, eat and shop with them.   Getting there was a challenge. Firstly one sister had an abscess which resulted in surgery to have a molar removed the day before we went away. With a mouth full of stitches and in pain, she soldiered on!  One of my other sisters had a chest cold but wasn’t infectious. As well as that, I broke a molar off on the Wednesday and had it filled the day after, which is a bit of a big deal when you’re on chemo. Hooray for them and the tough genes! It was a miracle we made it but it was definitely worth it.

Embracing the bald

Day 1 of my bald badness

Day 1 of my bald badness

I’m taking a photo a day of  my lovely bald head in different hats, wigs and so forth, of which I seem to have in abundance. Many of them are costumes I’ve scavenged from around the house. I might make a fast paced movie at some stage. Why? Because I want people to know that losing your ‘vices’ isn’t so bad. Hair loss is a fear a lot of women have and I was not looking forward it at all but it can be quite liberating or even amusing. Sometimes it can be just plain weird.

Day 2 embracing the bald

Mothers day classic fun run
Our fundraising

Our fundraising

Last Sunday was my first ever fun run and although I never understood why it was named ‘fun’ I discovered a euphoria and sense of achievement foreign to me.  Although I did the 100k ‘around the bay in a day’ cycling event once before, running has more of a sense of ‘togetherness’.

Our team page raised $2,450, and to add to that, individuals in the team raised over $1000 combined so that’s a huge effort. Thanks so much to those who donated. Without your donations I would not be on this clinical trail right now.

The doctor told me not to run until I am breathless, but it’s ok to run until I can’t talk. Well as if that would ever happen!!! I can always talk. I managed to run the whole 4k apart from the big hill on Anderson St (which I power walked) and I stopped for 2 drinks. My timing was 28.21 which I did without becoming breathless so I was very happy with that. An average of 7.1k per hour. Not my best but certainly not something to  complain about!

Before the run
After the run with family
Being interviewed for stardom

The Wood Hood team

The day began at 5.15 am (after going to bed at 11.45 pm the night before). Rosie, Sophie, Jess and I were driven to the city by the MOTH. The traffic was very quiet which was unexpected. We had agreed to jump out of the car close to St Kilda rd but on approaching Swanston St, the MOTH was deep into a long story. I interrupted him and asked if this is where we should jump out. ‘Yes’, he said ‘jump out here at the lights’. We were all taken by surprised and jumped out of the car and watched him sail into the distance. Ooh. It was cold and none of us had a jumper or jacket (apart from Rosie). Having been told not to get cold by my dr this was a vague worry for me. We were an HOUR early so we wandered around pretending to be warm and wondering how on Earth we would find the MOTH afterwards, given that we hadn’t arranged a meeting place and he doesn’t own a phone!!

So while we were waiting, an enterprising  journalist noticed my fantastic hair do (or lack of it) and asked if she could interview Sophie and I. We prattled on for 5 minutes, talking about how the money raised from the run contributes to cancer research. Given that I am on a clinical trail, this kind of treatment wouldn’t be available to me without the funding and this is why the race is so important.

I’m still not sure what the video was for but if anyone ever finds it please let me know. I want to get myself ready for the red carpet.

Sophie ran with me for the whole race. I can’t explain how lovely that felt. We both clocked in EXACTLY the same time to the second and it was such an emotional feeling running through the finish line with her by my side.

Most of the team caught up with us afterwards, including 2 of my lovely sisters and other family members. Some of the team ran or walked in other races. I’m so grateful to everyone who raised funds and contributed to the day.

I ate sugar and carbs all weekend to celebrate. My bad? After 3 months without it I was out of control.

Like a MOTH to the flame

So here is the question you’ve all been waiting for. Did we find the MOTH  (Man Of The House)?

Just like all moths, he is attracted to the flame. He is so worried that I will say ‘if you had a mobile phone this wouldn’t have happened’.

He spent time at the finish line. He watched Rosie, Janet, Jess my sisters etc all run past. He got a tear in his eye watching old women and pregnant mothers run past. BUT… he missed Sophie and I all together. How? We were running so fast we were just a flash, I explained.

He did manage to find us though which is always the way, lucky for him.

Chemo news

Chemo art

Chemo art

I’ve finished cycle 2 and they have stopped giving me cortisone altogether now as I have no nausea or allergic reactions. Woo hoo! I actually feel quite human today after having a sleep riddled with ‘night sweats’ but not the ‘wide awake’ night that I normally get from cortisone. I ran 3.5k on the treadmill to celebrate.

Now I have a one week break and then start my final 6 cycles (each cycle is a block of 4 weeks).

The good news is that the tumour appears to have vanished and at the next appointment in 2 weeks time they will discover that for themselves.

A happy dance is happening here:)