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Good evening, 

It sounds like your various cats are giving  you the run around sister snail. If the weather with you is as bad as it is here they won't want to be outside. 

I hope Lucas has returned Lynda and that you are settling in ok.

Mark it sounds like you are having fun.

I went to the oncologist today and he has cancelled the rest of my chemotherapy,  I shall have herceptin for a year and he is refering me for radiotherapy. I have had 14 sessions of chemo and he doesn't want me to get worse neuropathy in my fingers than I already have. He is hoping that the tingling will improve. So I am relieved to stop the chemo but concerned to not have all the planned sessions. 

I need to celebrate the end of chemo

I think Jakki's energy and expendature thereof, especially on real* physical activity, is a marker for us all to attain too... and by 'all' I mean those who're not even having been ill of late! - well I'm in awe anyhow; before I got diagnosed, I had no symptoms etc, and, even 'back then' well beyond what I could have done!

pah... out drinking... its less how old you are, and more a 'state of mind';.   My family is all pretty heavy drinkers, - my Dad puts my drinking to shame and he's almost in his 80s, still works self-employed in a physical job as a gardender, and in the last five years had a heart attack, and due to divituculosis  had half his intestine removed... which sadly doesn't mean he's reduced his smoking or alcohol intake; I struggled to keep up even before I got cancer! - now, I'm 'letting down the side' as goes my family as I've gone a bit more sensible on the drinking, and quit the  smoking, the moment my consultant told me I was an ex-smoker... -  saying that, I think I still drink betterer than my Brother, who's ten years my jumior, even whilst I was on chemo! (OK I know... real bad, but I never entirely stopped drinking...  well, I quit the smoking  I can only be so* angelic you know...) - Mind, I did keep joking with  my Brother (please please say it is* a joke, that I needed him  to stay healthy and fit, so I could steal his bone marrow if ever I needed it!)... yeh... sorry... we've got a pretty dark sense of humour all round in   my  family... - my best/worst to date, is appologizeing to everyone for surviving cancer, and thereby breaking the until me, thus-far unbroken record of not surviving... hmm. oops. sorry that really is down in the depths of dark humor!

four pints of Guinness, a higher score on the first game than I've had in ages, but tailed off in the second, bowling tonight....

Wind!: gosh!; don't go outside if its anything like here, that is structural dammage level of wind I think... - hoping the house is still here in the morning!

well... hope everyone, including our feline population is OK this windy storm-swept evening...

slightly drunken hugs to everyone who needs them... which probably includes me.. I still get a lot more teary than ever I used too, just randomly (probably not helped by the beer.. yeh...), all the moreso since the  chemo ruined my tear ducts, so I can't even cry anymore... that still depresses me a lot, sometimes...

damnit! no, I was tring to be cheery there, honest!

well. got home. Straight upstairs, and out of the horrible trousers, back into leggings and skirt!- I fear my transvestism may be a terminal case! - I'm sure I don't recall that on the list of chemo side-affects!

Hi All,

Really windy here too, living at the top of the hill has good view advantages but definite wind disadvantages.

Carol, I imagine your house is very lively with all those cats, a little thing like an anaesthetic clearly won't keep Medusa still! How is Pud with all the girls now?

Talking of going out with mates for a drink; somehow I managed to get myself into a night out on Friday which involves men with very few clothes on! Not really my thing but I've been assured they don't come close, if they do I'm running! I did explain that I don't find it sexy-just scary but am looking forward to a few bevvies with the girls.

Hope everyone is well, left some shortbread, coffee, tea and hot chocolate if anyone is passing through on their way to bed xxxxxx

Just realised there are two more posts just reading then will respond they look interesting

Gillian, you've finished that is brill but I understand your worry about not finishing. 14 sessions is lots though and I know I was clear after 6 sessions at my mid point scan. I am sure your consultant is confident in stopping the chemo otherwise he/she wouldn't suggest it. I know there are mixed feelings but I hope you can enjoy your chemo-free time. When do you have a scan? Sending end of chemo hugs.

Mark, I am not very fast in my events but just love doing them, I really enjoy the social side of my club, we do lots of stuff together besides running, swimming in the river with head torches and the ladies night on Friday just a couple of  examples. They are a really good bunch and have been so supportive of me as I try to return to fitness. A few of us have just registered for the Anglesey half marathon, we are staying at the Premier Inn and making a weekend of it, we will probably spend the first couple of miles trying to run off hangovers! Your bowling sounds like fun, sending non tipsy hugs back xxx

Gillian, 

end-of-chemo-hugs, well done you! I know it's not as you'd have maybe wished but I bet it's given the cancer a great bashing! And on to radiotherapy plus Herceptin, cancer watch out, it'll get you for sure! 

Carol, a reet houseful of felines! My you must need Pud to keep them in a sort of order, or has he given up? 

Jakki, I too think you have boundless energy! Mark is obviously jealous of it! 

Just got back from a long rehearsal, our last one before the concert Thursday lunchtime, we get to rehearse with the orchestra, so it's a 7.30 till 10! Soooooo windy on the drive back home. Hope we still have a roof left in the morning! Certainly the trees in the OU grounds were throwing off more branches between start and end of rehearsal. Almost felt like I needed a hard hat! 

Stay safe, everyone....

hugs xxx

Gillian, gosh, you've been in this a long time (just having had a peek at your profile),   but 14 sessions of chemo! - Gosh... I was booked in for 6 cycles of the ABVD, the same as Jakki had, but, due to my clear interim PET that was cut down to 4 cycles. Also, talking of the neuropathy, as I got that too, rather bad, they removed the V (vinblastin) from my drugs, after the second cycle (so half way through), to stop it being any worse... - its not fun, so best anything which can reduce It I think; yes, so 6 cycles of 4 drugs, reduced to 2 cycles of four drugs, and then 2 cycles of 2 drugs,  folowed by my 15 fractionations of radiation that I was 'booked' in for, from the outset, and now, despite basically a lot less treatment than I first thought, I've had one clear PET (back in march?) and a clear CT now, err, about a month ror two back... - so, and i guess every cancer is differnt etc, but, basically every person's cancer, within a particular type is differn too;  I expect your consultants are working out carefully the best for you, and to achieve the right outcome, to rid you of this horrid thing... - yes, and I had endless arguements at one stage with my oncologist/hematologist, and radiologist, when I almost skipped out of doing the radiation all together... - the choices are never clear cut, which makes it so tricky, I guess for both us, as patients, and for our doctors/consultants too... - Do hope your neuropathy vanishes, mine reduced so much, I think, actualy, if I wasn't blind, and so reliant  on my sense of touch, I'd probably not notice I had any left to be honest... the residual affects of it, I get, are only an issue because I do so much involving solely my sense of touch!

have an extra (slightly drunk) hug...

More  positivily, any plans for what your going to do to celibrate the end of chemo? (assuming your feeling up to celibrating, I know I wasn't , back at the time!)

Right... something warm and filling to soak up my beer is needed I think... probably involving the vast amoutn of chees left in the fridge I need to  finish before Thursday, when I vanish off to my Dad's for a few days...

moomy - yes, just a little envious of Jakki's boundless energy... - but I've got my new-found more-than-teenager level of virility   now thanks to  my testosterone injections!- so making up for the lack of energy with that, even if it does end up leaving me utterly exausted yet still wanting more sometimes! haa!

Hi

Well done on the end of chemo Gillian,hope you enjoy a celebration

Pud goes in the kitchen for an hour while the girls use up some energy then he comes out again when they go to bed,he doesn't like them being in the house but till they're all well they'll have to be,mind you looking at Polly i don't think she's much fussed about going back outside,i've just been upstairs & Willow is trying to feed off Polly & she's letting her,never known that befor,mind you she won't have much luck as vet said once she'd been spayed she'd stop producing milk

So nice to hear you're doing so well & getting fit again Jakki,i wish i had half your energy,enjoy the girls night out on Friday,i went to one of those sort of events several years ago,not my cup of tea but i did enjoy a glass of wine or two

Hope all are well & not too damaged by lastnights winds,my cover for the girls to eat under is now the otherside of the garden & upsidedown but it's too windy now to go & retrieve it

Hope all are well as can be

Love & hugs

xx

Hi

I've just put a bottle of fizz & some strawberries dipped in chocolate in the fridge,i'm celebrating & want you all to join me,less than 4 months after starting my job i've been given a payrise & now have the title of cleaning supervisor,thank you all so much for being there for me when things looked so bad way back in June,you were the best mates anybody could have wished for & i love you all to bits

Any news on Lucas Lynda

xx