True hope at christmas....

Hi all,
The post today is about anniversary's or in my case cancerversary here's a link to an article written in the New York Times by someone who also shares a cancerversary and here's how he celebrates it and what it means to him, an excellent piece of writing well worth a read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/fashion/Cancer-Survivors-five-year-Celebration-Day-known-as-cancerversary.html?smid=pl-share

I found this article brought a warm fuzzy feeling the kind that an open fire on a cold winters night can bring in a word comfort, its hard living with an incurable stage IV terminal disease, each year that passes makes you become more and more complacent in your life. The first year I was like a raw nerve on tender hooks every time I was called by the hospital or scanned then as the years progress I'm finding myself falling back into the happy blissful complacent place I was in before all of this shit started. Of course you never really forget its always there everyday I'm reminded in some small way that I have this disease I suppose its part of our innate capacity as human beings for survival that we shove the shit under the carpet and to coin a phrase keep calm and carry on.

True hope is the message carried in the article and whilst no one knows why we got cancer we can be grateful for riding the shit storm and coming out the other side albeit not smelling of roses but still in one piece. We are after all still here, still breathing and living if there's one thing we should all do and that is to live in this perfect moment this second in time, enjoy and love the life your living.

....... Merry Xmas everyone.......
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Fun in the Sun....

Its been a while since I posted mainly due to the arrival of summer in all her glory, living in South Devon we are spoilt for choice when it comes to gorgeous beaches and plenty of messing around on the water, so as you will of gathered I have been playing and enjoying myself instead of moaning and feeling depressed, its true the weather really does play an important role in your mental health. I've spent a fair few hours swimming in the sea (it really was that hot!) the sea salt worked wonders on my poor arm, I got bitten by another horse fly and reacted very badly too it, my whole arm swelled up luckily not my affected side but unfortunately the side the nurse has to stick the needle in for my Herceptin, so I got a week off the stuff to allow the arm to heal and just in case it turned into septicaemia! Horse fly's are utter bastards!

As far as planet Cancer is concerned I have some shocking news my best friend's sister in law aged early 50's was diagnosed with Lung Cancer which by the time they had found it had spread onto all of her bones it took two weeks from being diagnosed to her passing, everyone is left in complete shock she leaves behind 3 daughters the youngest is 15, its crazy shit and it doesn't get more scarier than that.

As far as my cancer is concerned I'm ok at the moment, I've been and seen my Onc. who agrees with me about the dammed Tamoxifen, I kid you not when I say I've put on 4 stone!!! this is just crazy weight gain never before have I been this big I was always a size 8!!!! so this along with my very very achey cramped legs and feet have made my Onc. request a ton of blood tests and if they come back ok then she really will have too do something about the Tamoxifen I have way too many side effects and she told me that if I am post menopausal then I have a far greater choice of hormonal drugs to try, an appointment is booked for the results at the end of August and as always I will keep you informed. Another slight annoyance is an itch on my left breast (I had an itch on my right breast and then found advanced BC!) its gone today and I'm praying it was just something itchy in my top that was annoying me of course it doesn't help being so blasted hot and bothered (hot flush central) I now sleep with the fan pointing at my face and I am happy to report it works yipeeeee!!!

That just about wraps it up for today's post of course I will keep you all informed about results etc but in the mean time enjoy the remainder of the summer and treasure those blissful moments. xxx