I returned to work on a part time basis 17 days after my last Chemo, it's lovely to be back after nearly 3 months off, my colleagues make me laugh and it's good to have some structure and normality that doesn't revolve around hospitals. I'm doing three full days a week, tried to do two days in a row but this was a little too much.
Next week my husband and I have a mini break to Brussells booked, so something to look forward to, we are taking the Eurostar so should be an easy journey for me, I'm hoping I cope physically with the walking, tiredness is my enemy at the moment.
Pain, I've been a bit obstinate (those who know me won't be surprised by this) I feel like all through my treatment I had no choice but to pump my body full of medication, so I've been holding off on pain relief, silly move, the pain in my hips and legs really is too much, so day off today and I've taken some paracetamol and ibruprofen.
Alcohol, I'm still not drinking, this is massive for me, five months without a drink, I still miss it especially with Christmas approaching, I would normally be Christmas baking with a 'drop' of something, Christmas shopping with a break for a glass or two, wrapping prezzies with a nice glass of mulled wine, decorating the tree with a cocktail or three, can you see the pattern here? So it's about forming new habits and new traditions.
Hair, it's growing back at a fairly rapid rate, a mix of white and dark grey and curly. I didn't take to the wig, so wear a hat.
I think I've spoken before about cancer providing unexpected 'gifts' for my mum and I it was time together that I believe we would not have spent. For me, a lovely friend who I'd lost touch with has been in touch, we caught up over lunch and it was like no time had passed at all, I last saw her as her daughters first birthday approached, she is now five, I'm sad for the time we've missed, but grateful to renew the friendship, I got to spend a lovely day baking with them which just felt like such a massive treat, hard to put in to words really, I guess joyful is the best way to describe the day.
Confidence, this is the side effect I wasn't warned about, mine seems to have taken a bit of a beating, I think part of this is due to my chemo brain, I struggle with odd words, the other day it was 'lemons' I also took ages to locate my car in a car park.
By and large life is starting to return to a new normal, I'm not thinking or planning too far ahead but neither am I spending time worrying about my next scan or where/when this cancer will pop up again, taking each day as it comes and accepting that somethings are a little too challenging for now, seems to work.
