Chemo day 1

I continue to feel very weary.  I got up at 6am for ondansetron (anti-sickness), and at 7am for chemotherapy pills. 


At 9am, an electrician was due to come and give me a quote for the shower fuse, and he came early; he arrived in the middle of my egg Florentine, which left me later with an unbroken egg and a cold breakfast.  The good news is that he will do his best to investigate the problem, and (hopefully) fix it.


I go straight back to bed and sleep most of the morning.  I go for a medium length walk, and sleep in front TV in the afternoon.


Evening ondansetron was remembered late, so I now have to wait a bit before taking metoclopramide (anti-sickness) and senna (laxative).


Day one out of five is nearly over.  I want it to pass quickly!


lots of love
Sarah xxx

Hospital appointment

With a lift to the hospital, I was there close to 9am.  Blood taken by a nurse, I sit on the "green chairs" to await my appointment.  The usual pattern of the morning repeats itself: have appointment with doctor, wait on the green chairs for confirmation that my blood tests are ok, go to pharmacy to "collect" prescription, be told to return in 45 mins to an hour.  I do not leave the hospital until after 12.15 pm.


My news:

• scan in a few weeks, and then in three months;
• return in a month for check up and scan results;
• advised to go to complementary therapy on an evening once a week, for massage or acupuncture;
• I must not start running, until my stiffness and pain has reduced.  Pilates, cycling and swimming are good activities (low impact).  Swimming in a few weeks, once my low immunity phase has passed.

I am very tired.  I slept in the afternoon.  Parents' evening tonight - all good. 


love to you
Sarah xxx

Chemo starts tomorrow

Sorry for the long delay - I had no phone and no lap top.  My phone is now fully functioning, and I am still getting used to my computer.


I wrote my BLOG last night, and lost it!  Tomorrow brings my appointment with consultant, and my giant prescription of pills.  I start taking them on Thursday.  My mum will arrive on Friday and if I follow my usual chemo pattern, I will decline into overwhelming nausea from that point onwards.  This is my sixth month of chemo, out of six.  I can't wait for it to be behind me! 


My consultant will tell me tomorrow, what will happen next.  My questions are:

• acupuncture trial - can I go on waiting list?
• pay in  Martha's fundraising money,
• ask for results of last blood test,
• what happens next?

Gotta go to bed
Love you all
Sarah xxx

Temporary phone and no laptop

Hi there, I am using Martha's lap top, which I am starting to get the hang of.  I can't get the hang of my temporary mobile phone.  I have gone from key board to predictive texting, and it takes me too long to write a text.  I also do not have any phone numbers.  Come back old phone!  If you receive a text from me, do not be offended if it is very brief!

Healthwise, I remain tired and in need of regular sleep.  Ed and Mary are visiting, and we took the girls to the "elephant pool" (Manchester Aquatics Centre).  It is my week of low immunity, so I chose not to wait in the pool for them, and Ed and I went to eat.  I became so tired, that I had to go and sleep in Ed's car, in the car park.

Wishing you a good week.  I head to Bristol, tomorrow, for my Mum's 70th.

lots of love
Sarah xxx

I.T. crash! No phone and no lap top!

On the mend :)  I have shaken off the nausea and started eating properly again.  Sleep remains a priority.  My mum took me to Aldi (big day out!).

My phone (which was already seriously "under the weather"), has gone barking mad!  It jumps about like someone else is using it.  The screen changes from the welcome page, to someone's address, to music download etc.  It is scarily fast, and scary to see.  For a few moments this morning, I managed to copy all my data onto my lap top.   Phew!

Short lived relief!  My laptop has now conked out.  As I am writing this, I am tensely wondering if my Blackberry has infected my computer.  I could not access the internet, and my screen said it was a problem with Norton.  Martha's laptop takes me to Norton help line number.  An hour long call later (which was free), I discover that the phone operator (in India) is not from Norton, but ESURE, and after a thorough diagnosis of my computer, I have loads of things wrong with it.  Earlier in our friendly conversation (which included me sharing that I had a brain tumour), I thought that they were Norton and they were going to fix it; now, I have been given a large bill by ESURE.  I declined of course.  Mildy satisfied to have a printed diagnosis of computer ailments, I am also really annoyed that I have wasted my time.  My computer is currently dead.  I couldn't even open microsoft word.  I do know someone who can help me.

I am dependent on Martha's computer, for now.  Do not text me or use my mobile number.  Use my email address and home phone number.  Thanks loads.

Time for bed
Good night and have a good week ahead
love you all
Sarah xxx

End of chemo

Hi there,
I am still feeling poorly, but looking forward to the nausea lifting.  I haven't done anything except sleep, and see Martha and Katy leave to stay with family.  I took the last dose of chemo yesterday, but its effect always lingers.

Hoping everything will be good tomorrow (for you and me).
Bonne Nuit
Sarah xxx

chemo day 4

From Louise's 40th :)

 
These are fallen trees

These are fallen trees after the storm.  I have lost tiles from the roof of my house, too.  The trees are on my (currently shorter) meadow walk.

 

I have started being sick again.  Being optimistic, I was hoping to avoid it, but the nausea continues to overwhelm me.

Have a good day :)
lots of love
Sarah xxx

Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple has died, aged 85.

Feeling OK.  I have spent most of the day asleep, but no real nausea yet.  Loads of anti-nausea pills instead!!!

Have a good week
lots of love
Sarah xxx

Chemo day 1

Hi there,
I had a fantastic weekend at Louise's 40th.  I couldn't stay up late - first night there and I stayed up until 10 pm, and I didn't get up until 2.30 pm the next day.  Or maybe it was just getting a night away from the girls!!!
I have started chemotherapy again today.  Fifth session out of six, so the end of the treatment is in sight.  I feel ok.
lots of love
Have a good week
love
Sarah xxx

All ok :)

Hi there,
Windows fixed - no more breeze.   Loads of phone calls about chemo, because this is when I would have been taking it.  Instead, I am packing for my weekend in Wales.   I am back to sleeping in the day again, but it is diminishing with time.

I am unlikely to BLOG for the next few days.

Chemo starts on Monday.  The fifth out of six - nearly there!

Have a good weekend.
Lots of love
Sarah xxx

Chemo all ok

Good trip to hospital today.  My bag of drugs were ready when I went to collect them, so made it out by 11.30 am.  Beautiful weather on the way in; pouring down on the way home.  I won't take them until Monday.  I will be in Wales for the weekend, celebrating Louise's 40th. 

Have a good day tomorrow
lots of love
Sarah xxx

shower and shoes

Another good walk this morning.  The snowdrops are peeking out.  This is the first one I have seen so far.

I phoned British Gas, and I have arranged for my meters to be changed to smart meters.  Given that my electrical supply to the shower is flammable, this seems like a practical way forwards.  I have nearly finished clearing the shelves that block the gas meter, in the cellar.  Installation is booked for the last Friday of half term.

I have also been able to further reduce my payments - I was in credit.

Katy and I went to the podiatrist.  We travelled on the bus, and returned home with new orthotics.  Katy's are higher density.  She has hypermobility, and the doctor recommended that maybe I should try her in boots.  I will look, on line, to search for any that also look like school shoes.  I do not want to send her to school in walking boots, or basketball boots - I want her to wear the proper school uniform.

This evening, Katy went to cubs, and returned home as a seconder.  She is very proud.  I will sew her badge on tomorrow.

Martha has completed her homework (phew!).

There is something missing from my day - can you spot it?

lots of love
Sarah xxx

All Ok:)

I made a good roast dinner today for the three of us and Katy's friend Ella.  Katy and Ella played well together - they made cakes (on their own), went roller blading in the park, (and snuck to the shop for dangerous blue stretchy sweets covered in killer crystals).

Martha - one homework left to complete.

Both girls are swimming well.  

I haven't had a proper sleep - only a twenty minute "lie down".  I am going to struggle to stay up beyond 9 pm.

Have a good week ahead

lots of love

Sarah xxx

Millionaire Shortbread

For Helen - the Millionaire shortbread, TAKE 2!

Anna's recipe.  Gert Lush!

I had the most beautiful walk this morning.  Clear blue skies, I was blinded by sun in my eyes from the sky and the river Mersey.  The frost had thawed.

Later in the day the weather was cold and wet - a terrible contrast.  My thoughts that we may go to the park were banished!

Martha has stuck to her homework timetable, written her thank you cards, and written, rehearsed and performed a comedy sketch.  Katy has been rehearsing her "In the Jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight" guitar duet with Polly.  Chorlton's got Talent competition takes place on Tuesday, and both girls are excited about this.

Have a good weekend
lots of love
Sarah xxx

All OK :)

I went to the cinema today to see August: Osage County.  Meryl Streep has had an Oscar nomination for it.  It is about family relationships.  The funny part of our trip was my friend got really concerned that she had taken me to see the wrong film.  She nudged me a couple of times to say she felt really uncomfortable and if I wanted to leave, we could.  It turned out that she was worried because Meryl Streep's character had cancer.  It really wasn't something that was in my mind, and I wasn't bothered by it afterwards, either!

My window man didn't turn up today either.  My window cleaner came about 5.30 pm (for payment) and said "windows" and I momentarily thought he had come to mend my windows, and was incredibly late!  Not so, but, we both had a laugh about it.  Apparently, my window mechanic was stuck at a job in Warrington.  This has "happened" two days on the run.

My shower fuse popped yesterday.  I (luckily) had decided not to wash my hair, but I was covered from neck to toe in bubbles, and had to wash standing up in the bath.  When I removed the fuse (in an old victorian fuse box), there was evidence of burning!  I have got to call an electrician to come and help me with this.  We won't be using the shower until this is mended.

My friends from Trafford came over in the evening.  We went to Yaki Soba and had a lovely meal together.  Thanks girls!  We also swapped secret santa presents, which was fun too.

I have a morning to myself, which is nice.  I am going to cook mushrooms hollandaise (because I don't have any Spinach), and go for a walk in the sun.  We have a beautiful frosty morning.  All the cars are covered in a thick frost.

Have a good weekend
lots of love
Sarah xxx

Welly blisters

So much trudging through the mud!  I now have blisters on both feet from my welly boots.  Anna gave me a gift of thick socks today, which was very kind of her.  I finished making the millionaire shortbread :)

I attended a briefing for parents on the SATS tests for Martha.  It is all so scary!  She has to start revising from now on.  I feel sad for her because I want her to enjoy her last year in primary school, and it all looks very serious for her.  She has made up a timetable: her activities, revision and homework.  I was very pleased with her earlier.  However, I have just found a piece of homework in her bag, that she failed to tell me about (or remember).

Katy has been making Top Trump cards about tudor monarchs.

I "waited in" for the double glazing people to come and finish mending my kitchen windows.  They called me at the end of my hour to apologise for failing to attend, because the fitter was in Warrington.  They are booked to come tomorrow.

lots of love to you all
Sarah xxxx

All ok - I will blog later :)

shortbread

Hello there.  Morning walk in rain again.  With a sore ankle I wore trainers, and took a puddle free route.  It was a much shorter route, but drier to the feet.  

At home my ankle deteriorated - it was painful to walk, and slightly swollen.  Ibuprofen and Ice and Once Upon A Time DVD and it started to recover.  I can't remember who gave me the video, sorry, but I am enjoying it.

Later, and more mobile, I try to make Millionaire Shortbread.  Here is my first attempt at shortbread!

An old church friend came round to visit.  We had a good catch up.

Martha was too tired to go swimming.  Katy went and came back pleasantly tired.

Love to you all
Sarah xxx