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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 + 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,…
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Captured!
The next few days became a whirlwind of tests and appointments at both the main hospital and local community clinics. Looking back at my diary as I write this, I attended six separate appointments in the space of just ten days. Before long, it became a logistical challenge simply keeping track of where I’d been,…
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Lots of words I sort of recognised
My appointment to see a breast surgeon duly arrived through the post a couple of days later. This time, my husband took me to the clinic on the Monday morning and we listened together as, the breast surgeon explained that my “poached quail’s egg” was in fact a 30mm grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma that…
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“D’you think it’s cancer?”
At the time of writing, women in the UK are routinely invited for free NHS breast screening at some point during the three years after their 50th birthday, and then every three years until they reach the age of 71. Breast screening uses a test called a mammogram, which takes two quick X-rays of each…
