Tuesday 22nd August - Tuesday 29th August 2017
What a great few days we had in Norfolk! The weather was beautiful! We had the most relaxing time, and spent some of it on my uncles yacht taking in the scenery of the broads - wonderful! We spent the late afternoons and evenings reading or chatting over a glass of wine - perfect!! On the way home on Saturday 26th I took Sam to see the house where my Grandma and Grandad used to live and then we went onto the church where they are both buried. It was lovely spending a bit of time thinking back to my childhood and holidays at their house!
Sunday 27th was a good day - Reno's brother and his wife came over for dinner and a catch up! It was lovely to see them as it had been a while!
Monday was a busy day converting the smallest bedroom into a study!
Tuesday 29th August - 1st radiotherapy treatment day of 15! Woke this morning feeling very apprehensive about my first treatment. Reno came with me and once in the radiotherapy department I changed into the gown I had been given, we were called through to a consultation room where a member of the radiotherapy team went through everything with us - what to expect whilst actually being in the treatment room, what side effects may or may not (hopefully!) occur - and I was given a list of my next 14 appointment times - 9.30 am each morning! After asking if we had any questions we were once again asked to wait in the waiting room for about 10 minutes. I could feel my nerves building as I was called through to the treatment room, but, as usual, I needn't have worried because both members of the radiotherapy team who would be treating me were so kind and reassuring. First of all I laid on the 'table' and the mould that had been made when I had my CT scan was placed under my shoulders and head. Gently they helped me get into the exact position of the mould and then several measurements were checked using a laser beam, my tattooed dots and pen marks that they were adding in today!! After about 10 mins everything was set and I was asked to keep very still, the team would be leaving the room, a few more checks would be completed remotely and then the radiotherapy would be given. First of all I thought I might count to make the time pass quickly but that became boring so I then focused on a spot on the ceiling which I thought may be a money spider!! When the spot didn't move I decided to try and work out what the music was that was playing in the background!! But I was interrupted - the team were back in the room with me and it was all done and I hadn't even realised!! Not sure why but I expected to feel something.......................I didn't feel anything at all! I thanked the team saying I would see them tomorrow and went off to change ready to go home!
I am thankful that the treatment has now started because I can now put the first day of the treatment behind me and focus on the last day!
I spent the rest of today doing light chores at home before putting my feet up this evening in front of the TV!!
A quick update on my nails - I have now lost all but one of my finger nails so I can now concentrate on paying attention to the very short new ones so that they will hopefully grow healthily. However, as I guessed, my toe nails now look like they too are damaged and will also eventually come off!! Already know that this won't be as bad as losing the fingernails because I can cover them with socks put them in a shoe and hey presto! out of sight, out of mind!!...........Well that's the plan anyway!
Tuesday, 29 August 2017
Monday, 21 August 2017
The past week and a bit!!
Friday 11th August - Monday 21st August
The past 10 days have been once again reasonably quiet, but I did have my heart scan on Friday 11th August. I admit to feeling a little concerned about what the results would say as I have been slightly more breathless lately and when I lie down at night my chest often feels quite tight. But , anyway, the scan procedure all happened as it should and the nurse who did the scan said she would ensure the results would be with the oncology department on Monday 14th in the morning so that they could decide whether they would give the Herceptin or not.
After a fairly quiet weekend I went to have my dose of Herceptin on 14th. I had been waiting all morning for the phone to ring and for the person on the other end to say that my heart scan results had deteriorated since my previous scan and they would be unable to give me Herceptin but that hadn't happened thankfully! I was even more surprised when just before my Herceptin injection the nurse told me my heart scan results had actually improved since the last one! The reading had gone up from 55% to 61%. Hurrah!! I needn't have been concerned at all. The injection this time was quite painful and I was glad when it was over! The following morning my leg felt like I had badly pulled a muscle which caused me to limp! This only lasted a couple of days then it was fine.
On Tuesday 15th I was bitten by some kind of insect on my left arm whilst walking in the woods. I knew that I had to be careful of punctures to the skin on that arm due to a couple of lymph nodes being removed, but although the area went red to the size of about a 50p piece, and slightly warm I wasn't unduly worried as I already had an appointment for the next day, to see the doctor about extending my sick certificate.
On Wednesday 16th I went to the doctor who has given me a sick certificate until November 16th, whilst there I mentioned the bite and he gave me an antibiotic cream and told me to draw round the redness with a pen and to come back the following day if the area had got any bigger as I would need to be seen by the hospital! Fortunately the cream did the trick, the area did not increase in size and after a couple of days the bite mark had completely disappeared!
On Thursday 17th Sam and I went to the school to collect her AS Level exam results........ I am so proud of her as despite the year she has had, she has passed in all 3 of her subjects! Well Done Sam!
On Saturday 19th Reno Sam and I went to Beccles to visit some relatives who surprised us with a boat ride from Beccles to Geldeston...........inspite of a heavy shower we really did have a lovely afternoon followed by a meal at Prezzos!
Today, Monday 21st August, has been spent at home with Sam and I getting ready for a few days break in Norfolk staying with my Uncle and his partner. We are going tomorrow morning and coming back on Saturday 26th. Unfortunately Reno has to work but I expect he will enjoy the peace and quiet!!! It will be so nice to have a change of scenery and some 'chilled out' time before my radiotherapy starts on Tuesday 29th August.
The past 10 days have been once again reasonably quiet, but I did have my heart scan on Friday 11th August. I admit to feeling a little concerned about what the results would say as I have been slightly more breathless lately and when I lie down at night my chest often feels quite tight. But , anyway, the scan procedure all happened as it should and the nurse who did the scan said she would ensure the results would be with the oncology department on Monday 14th in the morning so that they could decide whether they would give the Herceptin or not.
After a fairly quiet weekend I went to have my dose of Herceptin on 14th. I had been waiting all morning for the phone to ring and for the person on the other end to say that my heart scan results had deteriorated since my previous scan and they would be unable to give me Herceptin but that hadn't happened thankfully! I was even more surprised when just before my Herceptin injection the nurse told me my heart scan results had actually improved since the last one! The reading had gone up from 55% to 61%. Hurrah!! I needn't have been concerned at all. The injection this time was quite painful and I was glad when it was over! The following morning my leg felt like I had badly pulled a muscle which caused me to limp! This only lasted a couple of days then it was fine.
On Tuesday 15th I was bitten by some kind of insect on my left arm whilst walking in the woods. I knew that I had to be careful of punctures to the skin on that arm due to a couple of lymph nodes being removed, but although the area went red to the size of about a 50p piece, and slightly warm I wasn't unduly worried as I already had an appointment for the next day, to see the doctor about extending my sick certificate.
On Wednesday 16th I went to the doctor who has given me a sick certificate until November 16th, whilst there I mentioned the bite and he gave me an antibiotic cream and told me to draw round the redness with a pen and to come back the following day if the area had got any bigger as I would need to be seen by the hospital! Fortunately the cream did the trick, the area did not increase in size and after a couple of days the bite mark had completely disappeared!
On Thursday 17th Sam and I went to the school to collect her AS Level exam results........ I am so proud of her as despite the year she has had, she has passed in all 3 of her subjects! Well Done Sam!
On Saturday 19th Reno Sam and I went to Beccles to visit some relatives who surprised us with a boat ride from Beccles to Geldeston...........inspite of a heavy shower we really did have a lovely afternoon followed by a meal at Prezzos!
Today, Monday 21st August, has been spent at home with Sam and I getting ready for a few days break in Norfolk staying with my Uncle and his partner. We are going tomorrow morning and coming back on Saturday 26th. Unfortunately Reno has to work but I expect he will enjoy the peace and quiet!!! It will be so nice to have a change of scenery and some 'chilled out' time before my radiotherapy starts on Tuesday 29th August.
Thursday, 10 August 2017
The past 10 days
Tuesday 1st August - Thursday 10th August
Quite an uneventful few days as I had no appointments until Tuesday 8th August!
Tried to have as near to 'normal' time over the past few days, doing the things that Sam and I would usually have done during school holidays. It's been a bit strange because Reno has now changed to a night shift and sleeps until lunchtime. On Wednesday 2nd we called to see my manager at work to let him know how my treatment was going and also to say that it looks unlikely that I will be back to work before October. Then Sam and I did a bit of shopping followed by a lovely lunch at Notcutts!
On Thursday 3rd Sam had her driving test and I am pleased to say she passed! So now, although I can drive again, it's rather nice to be chauffeured around by Sam!! During the afternoon we went to the Suffolk Food Hall where I had arranged to meet a friend, (who I had not seen for around 35 years!) for tea and cake. It was lovely to catch up on what we had been doing on life's journey over the years.
On Saturday 5th we had Reno's brother and sister in law visit for a couple of hours, which was lovely and on Sunday we all got up early so that Sam could go on a beach hack from the equestrian centre at Hollesley through the countryside to Shingle Street along the beach and back again. Reno and I enjoyed the walk and watching Sam - the weather was perfect and we finished the morning off with a cream tea for lunch at Wyevale!!!
In myself I have been feeling very well although I still get some aches and pains from the area of my operation - the healing process internally, apparently, will take some time. I have now lost 5 fingernails in total and the other 5 look likely to follow suit quite soon - it will actually be a relief once they are all off as it is so easy to catch them whilst dressing etc. I feel like I should have shares in Elastoplast with the amount I am using!!! I have learnt though that using disposable gloves to do just about anything is quite useful! The tingling and numbness in my fingers and feet continues as does the sensation of feeling icy cold at times but I know this could last for a while yet!
On Tuesday 8th August I went for my CT scan in preparation for my radiotherapy treatment. The nurse called me through and we spoke for quite some time about the treatment, what exactly was going to happen and she asked me about my concerns. She also explained about the three 'dot markers' that would be tattooed either side of my rib cage and one in-between my breasts that would be permanent but tiny, so that the treatment would always be lined up and targeting the right area.
As I previously thought, tiredness is very common and the ribs can be weakened by the treatment so I just have to be aware of that in case I should fall on that side in the future! It is also essential to take care of the skin around the area the treatment will be given, by using aqueous cream and avoiding anything like deodorants that can irritate what may be already aggravated skin. My concerns for any affect on my heart were reassured as it was explained to me that once my Heart Scan is done on Friday 11th August the whole team will discuss the results along with the CT scan results and weigh up the risks against the benefits of the radiotherapy - should they feel that the risk on my heart is too great then the radiotherapy would be cancelled. I was assured that as I had already had chemotherapy and surgery and I have already had some of the doses of Herceptin, the recommended radiotherapy treatment would only be given if the benefits outweighed any risk.
We then went through to the scanner. It was very difficult and quite painful for me to put my left arm in the position that was required for the scan, however, because the radiographers need you to be comfortable they have all sorts of equipment and ways to get around any problems with restricted movement! They put a special pillow under my shoulders neck and head, asked me to raise my arms and put my hands on my head in a way that was comfortable to me and then extracted the air from the pillow which is now my 'mould' to use for the duration of my treatment. The actual scan then only took about 3-4 minutes. Once the scan was done the 'dot' tattoos were done - all I will say is those dots are the only time I will be tattooed! How people even endure an initial beats me and as for their whole arm or any other body part!.........I don't even want to think about it!!!! The garment I wore for the scan was then given to me to wear for each treatment and I was told that my first of the 15 treatments is scheduled for 29th August which means the final one will be 18th September.
Now I know the dates I can get myself focused for the next leg of this journey I have been on!!
Wednesday and Thursday have been 'just another day' pottering around!
Quite an uneventful few days as I had no appointments until Tuesday 8th August!
Tried to have as near to 'normal' time over the past few days, doing the things that Sam and I would usually have done during school holidays. It's been a bit strange because Reno has now changed to a night shift and sleeps until lunchtime. On Wednesday 2nd we called to see my manager at work to let him know how my treatment was going and also to say that it looks unlikely that I will be back to work before October. Then Sam and I did a bit of shopping followed by a lovely lunch at Notcutts!
On Thursday 3rd Sam had her driving test and I am pleased to say she passed! So now, although I can drive again, it's rather nice to be chauffeured around by Sam!! During the afternoon we went to the Suffolk Food Hall where I had arranged to meet a friend, (who I had not seen for around 35 years!) for tea and cake. It was lovely to catch up on what we had been doing on life's journey over the years.
On Saturday 5th we had Reno's brother and sister in law visit for a couple of hours, which was lovely and on Sunday we all got up early so that Sam could go on a beach hack from the equestrian centre at Hollesley through the countryside to Shingle Street along the beach and back again. Reno and I enjoyed the walk and watching Sam - the weather was perfect and we finished the morning off with a cream tea for lunch at Wyevale!!!
In myself I have been feeling very well although I still get some aches and pains from the area of my operation - the healing process internally, apparently, will take some time. I have now lost 5 fingernails in total and the other 5 look likely to follow suit quite soon - it will actually be a relief once they are all off as it is so easy to catch them whilst dressing etc. I feel like I should have shares in Elastoplast with the amount I am using!!! I have learnt though that using disposable gloves to do just about anything is quite useful! The tingling and numbness in my fingers and feet continues as does the sensation of feeling icy cold at times but I know this could last for a while yet!
On Tuesday 8th August I went for my CT scan in preparation for my radiotherapy treatment. The nurse called me through and we spoke for quite some time about the treatment, what exactly was going to happen and she asked me about my concerns. She also explained about the three 'dot markers' that would be tattooed either side of my rib cage and one in-between my breasts that would be permanent but tiny, so that the treatment would always be lined up and targeting the right area.
As I previously thought, tiredness is very common and the ribs can be weakened by the treatment so I just have to be aware of that in case I should fall on that side in the future! It is also essential to take care of the skin around the area the treatment will be given, by using aqueous cream and avoiding anything like deodorants that can irritate what may be already aggravated skin. My concerns for any affect on my heart were reassured as it was explained to me that once my Heart Scan is done on Friday 11th August the whole team will discuss the results along with the CT scan results and weigh up the risks against the benefits of the radiotherapy - should they feel that the risk on my heart is too great then the radiotherapy would be cancelled. I was assured that as I had already had chemotherapy and surgery and I have already had some of the doses of Herceptin, the recommended radiotherapy treatment would only be given if the benefits outweighed any risk.
We then went through to the scanner. It was very difficult and quite painful for me to put my left arm in the position that was required for the scan, however, because the radiographers need you to be comfortable they have all sorts of equipment and ways to get around any problems with restricted movement! They put a special pillow under my shoulders neck and head, asked me to raise my arms and put my hands on my head in a way that was comfortable to me and then extracted the air from the pillow which is now my 'mould' to use for the duration of my treatment. The actual scan then only took about 3-4 minutes. Once the scan was done the 'dot' tattoos were done - all I will say is those dots are the only time I will be tattooed! How people even endure an initial beats me and as for their whole arm or any other body part!.........I don't even want to think about it!!!! The garment I wore for the scan was then given to me to wear for each treatment and I was told that my first of the 15 treatments is scheduled for 29th August which means the final one will be 18th September.
Now I know the dates I can get myself focused for the next leg of this journey I have been on!!
Wednesday and Thursday have been 'just another day' pottering around!
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