Shaka For Life

Sanctuary - Eyes Forward continued

2025-02-05T23:26:11Z

It's one week since I finished radiotherapy. The 'nearly' final part to my bilateral breast cancer treatment. I will have a further elective mastectomy later this year. In the meantime, I guess I am kind of entering the post treatment phase.&nb...(read more)

Six Million Dollar Man

2025-02-05T22:30:11Z

One of my favourite tv shows as a child in the 1970s was The Six Million Dollar Man - Steve Austin It just popped into my thoughts recently. For the youngsters... Steve Austin is a pilot who is seriously injured In a plane crash. The government spend...(read more)

Eyes Forward

2025-01-30T00:53:40Z

Yesterday, I completed 5 days of radiotherapy. This means that my (main) cancer treatment is now at an end. Almost a year to the day of my fateful mammogram. Timeline • Mammogram not sure of the date and I don't have the energy to fight thro...(read more)

There is Life After Chemotherapy?

2025-01-19T01:20:38Z

I completed 16 rounds (over 5 months) of chemotherapy on 12th November. Last Tuesday, 9 weeks later, I was in the shower, I had music playing and was singing along. I got a strange feeling, I had to pause and think about it. I then realised that the ...(read more)

Dear Shaka, it's ok...

2025-01-08T23:23:45Z

It really is ok: • To grieve the loss of life as you knew it.• To sorely miss your much loved African locs, which you nurtured for nearly two decades.• To miss your thriving private practice and financial independence. • To miss y...(read more)

Gratitude

2025-01-08T23:20:50Z

• I am alive • Successful mastectomy and lumpectomy in 2024, all margins clear • Survived 5 months of chemotherapy • Great breast prosthesis • I have the support of a loving fella, friends and family • I am managing part...(read more)

Happy New Year 6th Jan 2025

2025-01-08T23:19:22Z

2025 brings a new year, unlike any I've experienced before. In a few weeks it'll be one year since I went for 'that' mammogram. Tomorrow was meant to be the day of my 2nd mastectomy (elected), which would have completed my treatment f...(read more)

5 Things I wish I'd Known Before BC

2024-12-15T20:27:33Z

15th December marked 10 months since I received my BC diagnosis. Now, here I am: 1 mastectomy down1 lumpectomy down16 chemotherapy rounds in 1 further mastectomy to follow There are so many things I wish I knew before starting on this path. Here are ...(read more)

Signs of Life...

2024-12-15T20:25:02Z

It's been 3mths since I last posted here. Sorry if that sounds like I'm in church! I've no idea where to start. These past months have been hard. I finished 5 months of chemotherapy a month ago. 4 rounds of EC and 12 of Paclitaxel. The s...(read more)

Bye Bye EC. Hello Paclitaxel.

2024-09-04T16:44:18Z

I had my fourth and final round of EC on 8th August. It was a 2mth bumpy ride. After my second round of EC, I was struck down by severe and unrelenting headache of armageddon-like proportions. I did not think I could survive them. My second visit to ...(read more)

Trauma. Life. Breast Cancer. Living.

2024-08-18T20:42:29Z

This thing is so all-encompassing, so overwhelming, that I sometimes wonder if this where my story begins. Yet I know it isn't, cause I'm 59. I had a life before this diagnosis, before breast cancer. It was a happy life. A life I'd fought...(read more)

Am I Insane?!?!

2024-07-27T13:08:31Z

Update on my requested right side mastectomy. (Please see earlier post: Two Breasts. One Breast. None.) I first discussed this with my oncologist, who saw no issue with it and referred me to discuss with my original breast surgeon. My bre...(read more)

2 Weeks Lost to Chemo Gremlins

2024-07-22T20:08:41Z

After my first round of chemotherapy. I had nausea for 10 days. The meds, domperidone, did not alleviate it one jot. Despite the general feeling of, everything in my body being topsy-turvy, I was able to get on with my daily activities. Though my ene...(read more)

Am I Brave?

2024-07-07T17:37:40Z

I've lost count of the number of times I've been called brave, since I began this nightmare journey. I'm always left deeply discomfitted. Even though I'm not sure why. In the face of a bilateral breast cancer diagnosis... Is it brave ...(read more)

Two Breasts. One Breast. None.

2024-07-07T16:50:29Z

They tried to make me go to radiotherapy. I said no! No! No! In the weeks following my bilateral breast surgery, I waited to find out the verdict. Had the surgery managed to remove all of the cancer? Was there any spread to my lymph nodes? Had it spr...(read more)