How Are We All Today?

Good morning Sarah! 

I hope your wait goes smoothly and with a positive outcome. 

I am on week 2 of 4 waiting for results. I’m filling my time with the gym and completing 300,000 steps for Maggie’s centre, work, being a mum and a wife

Enjoy the book, what’s it called if you don’t mind me asking? I’m a huge reader, always looking for new suggestions ! 

Jen xxx

Hi Sarah, hoping all goes positively for your family member.

Im due to have my second round of chemo on Thursday so am in a sort of semi isolation entirely of my own making as I don't want to risk catching something and not having treatment as planned!  Hair started falling out in great clumps in the shower the past two mornings so will get hubby to buzz cut it later to make this more manageable.  Oddly I wasn't upset about it this time round, just seeing it as a nuisance.  Felt really awful for about 6 days after my last chemo but then started to feel a lot better and even managed to be working (from home).  Don't get me wrong, I'm still feeling pretty weak and having to have frequent sit downs but was thankful to be feeling more like my normal self and have been sleeping better which always helps.

Had PET scan last week so hoping to hear from oncologist about the results of that and fingers crossed the cancer hasn't spread anywhere other than my pelvis. What will be will be!

Wx

Hi Jen

Wow! That’s an incredible number of steps-well done, and a great cause. I’m very impressed. Hope that your results are really positive when they come in-the waiting is so stressful.

My book is called “The Passenger” by Ulrich Boschwitz, and my friend said it was really good so she thought I’d enjoy it. I’m really interested in the Holocaust and this book is the story of a Jew escaping from Berlin, and his journey. It’s fiction but very readable I’m told. 

I find it really hard to concentrate these days so don’t read nearly as much as I used to, but looking forward to 5his one!

Sarah xxx

Hi Welly

Wrote a reply and the site logged me out, so trying again! Thank you-I’m a positive thinker, we both are, and worrying won’t change any result, so we’ll just get on with it like we get on with everything!

I never lost my hair, so can’t imagine how I would feel about it-my hair is very short so I’ve always thought it might not be so traumatic for me as it is for some ladies who have long thick hair. But I’m sure it must be tough going through it again. Getting your hubby to do the buzz cut gives you the control over it going I guess-I understand it can give you a sore scalp as it falls out? 

Glad you’re getting some decent sleep-it makes things a bit easier I think, and it’s good that you’ve been feeling better. It’s a tough regime as I understand it from other friends, so it sounds like you’re coping well in the grand scheme of things. Working from home is a big achievement I think!

Hoping that your pet scan results are really good and there’s no spread-I was so worried about that when I was waiting for my results when I had my recurrence, and the relief was immense when my results were as good as they could be at that point. Fingers crossed you get the same.

You come across as having an amazing attitude and brilliant approach which is so helpful going through this stuff. Hope your chemo goes smoothly this week, and you cope with the effects as well as possible. 

Sarah xxx

Thanks Sarah, yes the hair loss isn't great but it is what it is.  I dealt with it in two stages, firstly got my chin length bob cut into a pixie crop by my hairdresser and will get hubby to take the rest off now it's coming out in handfuls.  You're right, I've had a really tender prickly scalp for a few days. I have quite thick hair so at the moment it's just massively thinned but I did go completely bald last time. I wasn't keen on the wig I had so mostly just wore hats. 

Last time my hair grew back exactly as it was before, same colour/texture/thickness etc.  So no weird curly grey as people were always keen to predict!! Hope I'm as lucky this time around

My mum always coloured her hair, but it would have been very grey if she hadn’t. She lost it twice through chemo and it grew back brown and curly each time which was so strange!

I hope your hair will recover as well this time round, and grow back as it was before. Fingers crossed! 

Sarah xx

Hi Sarah..  I really hope all turns out well for you and sorry you are going through yet another worrying time.  I am doing ok but the brachy kinda knocked me sideways for a couple of days this week.  Feeling much better today though, thanks for asking.  I have had a lovely crafty weekend and now getting ready for our hotel stay tomorrow and Tuesday for the final brachy, Yay!!  Enjoy your book, sounds good, and relax!!  xxx

Hi Jen, sorry you are on the waiting game as well but at least you're halfway through and keeping yourself very busy.  I am so impressed with your steps and that you can go to the gym.  I can't imagine being able to do that at the moment.  Not that I go to the gym.  I am walking a quite intensive mile every day and that's quite enough for me at this stage! Have a good week ahead xxx

Hi Welly, you seem to be handling this so well.  In my head I have often gone through the scenario of losing my hair before I knew what my treatment would be.  I even thought maybe a huge henna design on my scalp and big earrings!  Then reality hit and I knew I would never be bothered to keep up with all that and settle for a scarf.  Luckily it didn't come to that but I'm so impressed with how positively you're dealing with this.  I will keep everything crossed for your pet scan results and pleased to hear that you sound to be coping with the chemo ok.  Have a good week xxx

I hate the waiting game, I think we all do don’t we Snowbird?! 

I have a PT at the gym, I need that or it would just never happen. I have put on a lot of weight and it’s starting to get me down however more importantly I am sick to the back teeth of everything being a struggle. Just the little things like hanging out washing, bringing shopping in from the car etc…. So no more! My PT is focusing on core strength and that’s what I need. 

The steps are a challenge however I’ve raised just short of £800 for Maggie’s which is amazing, it’s a carrot to keep me going, despite my battered feet! 

how are you getting on?

J

xxx