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Hair today, gone tomorrow
I think everyone knows that one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. But knowing something is going to happen and actually experiencing it are two very different things. I was walking past Rochester Cathedral earlier this week when I saw a little boy, probably about four or five years old,…
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Little wins and #LittleLifts
When people talk about “little wins”, they often mean the obvious things: getting through a difficult appointment, reaching a treatment milestone, or ticking something off the list that once seemed impossible. But sometimes a little win is much smaller than that. Sometimes it’s simply getting home. After my unexpected hospital stay, I was allowed home…
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Positivity vest
My positivity vest has worked!! 🎉 I can go home around 5pm… Honestly, I am so very grateful to be allowed home at last, and I got all teary when the oncologist said I could 🥹 She is reasonably positive that this was a one-off, and that things should be much better next time. To…
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Settling in
Once again, I could not sleep. So, around dawn, tentatively stepped outside the confines of my room for the first time since I arrived and peeped into the little garden across the corridor – there was a tiny finch in the tree singing its little heart out 💛 Breakfast review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆A definite improvement on yesterday:…
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First chemo: Days 5–7 – One Step Forwards…
NB: These posts are written from notes I made at the time. Some days they are reflections; some days they are simply a record of getting through the next hour. Previous The next few days became a lesson in not getting too excited by small improvements. Day 5 began much as the previous ones had…
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First chemo + 4: A very long day
NB: These posts are written from notes I made at the time. Some days they are reflections; some days they are simply a record of getting through the next hour. The honeymoon period seemed to be over. After feeling reasonably OK for the first few days, things really caught up with me overnight. The stomach…
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First chemo + 3: An unexpected trip to A&E
NB: These posts are written from notes I made at the time. Some days they are reflections; some days they are simply a record of getting through the next hour. Previous After a dreadful night dozing on the sofa, I woke around 5:30am feeling weak, exhausted and nauseous. My throat was painfully sore – possibly…
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First chemo + 2: It’s starting to catch up
NB: These posts are written from notes I made at the time. Some days they are reflections; some days they are simply a record of getting through the next hour. I think I managed to pace myself reasonably well today. I did a little work, had a nap when I needed one, did some ironing,…
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First chemo + 1: The fear was worse than the needle
The day after my first chemo session was, surprisingly, not too bad. I felt OK throughout the day and was able to do most things as normal, which felt like a small victory. I knew the treatment effects might not appear immediately, so I was cautiously optimistic – but also aware that I was still…
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First chemo: Almost uneventful (and that’s a good thing)
My first chemotherapy session was, thankfully, almost uneventful – which, in this situation, is exactly what you hope for. The staff were lovely and guided me through the process. They started with an injection into my left thigh, followed by an attempt to insert a cannula into my left arm. Unfortunately, that one didn’t cooperate,…
