Early in Remission

Hi Sparky2 a wonderful place and the Sutor Creek Restaurant is the place we always go.

Hi Mike 

Hope you had a great lunch and the dolphins turned out for you they are some of my favourites and wonderful to watch.

.... by focusing on what i need to deal with and how i move forwards  and improve my life in manageable pieces without these external distractions...”  this is extraordinary that you highlighted this line as i was mulling over this last night myself and in particular the word "distactions" seems to speak to me in context, with reference to Ellie building the snowman without limitations and concerns for external issues.  This has taken my thinking further in terms of dealing with the "pieces" or issues that recovery brings.  Ellie was able to build her snowman and complete it which others may have found difficult to do if they were not focused like Ellie becuse they would have been weighed down by the limitations brought on by allowing themselves to be distracted by external issues. The lesson here is that this is the approach that needs to be taken when dealing with our "stuff" by refocusing the mind onto  the issue in hand and tuning out from from the noise of external distractions we are, therefore, able to retune and focus on working on our issue with a better chance of successfully resolving it.  

My understanding is that the task of tuning out from distractions can be an issue in itself but with practice can be overcome in time.  This is so important as without learning to do this first we can end up not fully resolving our issues and creating more issues for ourselves further along.

This has certainly giving me plenty to think about and helping me to  think of what headings to write down for my goals for recovery. Again, your analogy of the "cairns that define our journey and mark our move to freedom....." aptly puts the essence of how to deal with recovery in a manageable way by focusing on what recovery is truly about - Healing.

I hope the party is in full swing and going well.

Have fun

Good afternoon Ourgirl,

Yes, it was a lovely day out yesterday and the food, as always was great including the muscles...... and the dolphins did come out to play.

It’s times like these that do consolidate the ‘life’ that is available to live and drives our passion to not let ‘stuff’ crowd out living to the full.

Yes, your line “.... by focusing on what i need to deal with and how i move forwards  and improve my life in manageable pieces without these external distractions...”  did actually impact me powerfully, so thank you for posting this as it means a lot to me.

Having been on this cancer journey for so long we can get blinded to what is actually available to us (to us all) that will enhance, build, flourish, heal, encourage, rebuild........... ‘life’

I am actually surprised to see the effect that posting about a simple thing like Ellie building the snowman has had and more so now that I have looked at what this developed into.

Being “weighed down by limitations” is defiantly a real thing and one that is way up the list of stuff that we need to take control over and build life on. It’s a continual challenge.

Being “distracted by external issues” is a real challenge but learning from others who have walked the walk and putting stones in the cairns is a positive way to move on and see the progress.

Yes the morning party was great and Ellie was in good form and yes we had lots of cake, games including pass the parcel

No snow up with daughters but the mountains are still covered but a very frosty and beautiful day for a walk before lunch, then the Cup Final as Son in Law is a Villa fan so I do hope he gets another birthday present

Keep well and keep climbing x

Good afternoon Mike 

So glad your day went well yesterday.

I agree about consolidating " the ‘life’ that is available to live and drives our passion to not let ‘stuff’ crowd out living to the full."  Having a cancer diagnosis has certainly steered me to re-evaluate what's important and what's not important and to become more discerning about the difference between the two.   Day's enjoying the natural things in life along with family definately come into what's important.  My appreciation for this is reinforced these days and i find i have less tolerance for what's not important and i am gradually letting some stuff go as a result, although i would say this is very much a work in progress as it does fall in the area of "distractions ".

Thank you for all your guidance and encouragement, thus far, it has really helped me in such a constructive way and the analogies used have greatly helped to cut through and shatter alot of the jumble in my mind.  

Mentally, i struggle due to fatigue and also the entire impact the last two years have brought onto my stress levels and this effects my ability to function cognitively at the moment which is frustrating to say the least.  Concentration and finding the right words to use is difficult and takes longer for me to articulate to others currently.  Working with forming pictures in my mind enables my thinking processes to operate more effectively.  This is a very useful tool.

I truly appreciate that you have found a personal benefit to our discussions as i do think  the power of shared experience empowers us all to help ourselves with support, guidance and encouragement at the highest level, which is enormously insightful and constructively powerful, it is off the scale.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend with your family.  We too have been listening to football on the radio as my husband is a United fan

All the very best to you

Hi Ourgirl,

I do hope you are behaving yourself....... interesting day up north today.

I am in the middle of having all my bloods ready for my Late (Stem Cell Transplant) Effects Appointment (Video Conference) 4 years 4 months and 18 days post my second Allo Stem Cell Transplant.

Got a letter from GP today informing me that I have Impaired Glucose Tolerance or in other words Pre-diabetes!!....... Follow up blood test and review in a year.

Causes:

Being overweight or obese - Very slightly overweight.

Not eating a healthy or unbalanced diet - Not this one.

Doing little physical activity - Not bad - but it is winter.

Having a family history of diabetes - No

High blood pressure - No

High cholesterol - No

You developed diabetes during pregnancy.................

Stem Cell Transplant - The gift that keeps on giving.

Hi Mike

Haha i am doing my best

My goodness that is a strange one.  How perplexing considering the causes which you don't fit into. One thing it confirms is you are not a stereotype, perhaps an enigma but most definately unique! Which is a very good thing in my book and certainly not a bad place to be!

I do hope all goes well for you for your Late (Stem Cell Transplant) Effects Appointment. Please let me know how you get on.  It is interesting your appointment is by Video Conference.  I am guessing you must be much further away in Inverness from your hospital in your part of Scotland? Thankfully this is where technology can be so effective.  

Keep being your unique self

Yes an odd one..... but no bigger than any of the hurdles I have had to negotiate in the past years.

I think we are all rather unique in our own special and beautiful way. 

We live on the East edge of Inverness  and only 10mins drive from the main hospital. But my Stem Cell Transplant Unit is in Glasgow so a 8-9 hour round trip by car through the Cairngorm Mountains and at this time of year we are talking lots of snow.

During my two Stem Cell Transplants we must have done the journey 30 - 40 times, but once the main treatment was complete appointments were moved to Video Conference.

The Video appointment was at my local hospital and was supervised by my Macmillan Heamatology Specialist Nurse Consultant, my obbs and bloods were all done first thing and within an hour the results had been put onto the Scottish Medical Computer system and both my Glasgow Consultant and us two in Inverness could see them..... very efficient.

The great thing was my Inverness SNC was able to do all my prescriptions so no need to see any of the Inverness Consultants.

This late effects Video Conference will be straight to my Lap Top...... we are very advanced on the Highlands 

Good morning Mike

Absolutely agree re "we are all rather unique in our own special and beautiful way. "  i always find it an enriching experience with those who i come into contact with.

My hospital journey is a 30 minute motorway trip depending  on traffic and nothing in comparison to yours to Glasgow and the scenery is not as beautiful either.  I have met many people over the last two years travelling similar distances as yours.  It is amazing what courage  is found to overcome the obstacles, whatever they are, to do what needs to be done on this path.

Wow, everything is incredibly well co- ordinated medically and it is impressive the speed of the results from your obbs and bloods.  Team work at it's finest and it must be very reassuring when dealing with the complexities of cancer too.

As you say, you are certainly "very advanced in the highlands"

i wish you a very good today

Good morning Ourgirl, it's a beautiful day up north so I feel a good walk coming on this afternoon.... clear some of the winter cobwebs away and a coffee in the middle.

We all do what we have to do to navigate this crazy cancer rollercoaster. I call Stem Cell Transplant my Magical, Mystery Tour...... Magical in what they do, a total Mystery how it works and most definitely a Tour...... full of twists and turns.

We do have a reasonable good system up North and on the whole my records should be available anywhere in Scotland including 111 if required....... An old school friend (now a Sir) was the one who pioneered the use of technology in the Scottish NHS many years back.... one of my claims to fame..... the other is I made new windows for the Queen over 30 years back for her little home in Scotland lol (see picture below)

Yes the journey does to Glasgow was a pain but we always went down the day before and stayed in a Hotel that was on the grounds of the Hospital and a good o=part of this was covered by the health board. So we could leave mid morning and get back up the road before it was dark especially during the winter months.......but the journey can be rather amazing.

Have a great day.

Hi Mike

Your photos are fabulous.  My Dad, a Welshman and a very keen walker, went on a walking holiday many years ago in the Cairngorms and absolutely loved it.  It really did make a very lasting impression on himand the pictures he took were amazing to live near them and have access to such beauty is something else.

It really is incredible the advances today through research and development that have been achieved and to continue to be in cancer treatment - it does bring hope and gives encouragement i think. People with pioneering vision and heart for this are mightily valued.

I love your anecdote re making new windows for the Queen  - 30 years on i am sure they will be still standing and she is stil looking pit of them

I do hope you enjoy your walk and coffee.  We too are about to venture into our local woods - first time in several days as it's been torrential rain and hailstones.  So, we have a dry day, a bit cldy but the sun is there.  You are right about clearing the cobwebs, i always feel invigorated from a walk mentally.  It is definitely therapeutically good for the soul

Have a great walk and a great day