Beating Breast Cancer

Too tired.....

As I said after my last Herceptin....I'M KNACKERED! Thank you to all the other Herceptin recipients who e-mailed me to say that I'm not abnormal. I seem to spend most evenings dozing off and feel washed out during the day.

On a happier note, my eyelashes are starting to grow back in again but I am aware they may fall out again. Joy. God, I'm feeling a bit sorry for my self today. Can it be the thought of Herceptin tomorrow? Or just longing for a European vacation? Bit of both perhaps.

Sorry to be less than cheerful. :-(

just joking :-)

Labels: about-marjory, breast-cancer-symptoms, chemotherapy, living-with-cancer

posted by Marjory @ 9:22 AM 3 comments

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Fabulous Day

Well I've just had the most amazing day. It started with Gordon and I meeting the lovely Mr Butterworth who is the plastic surgeon I was referred to for breast reconstruction. The surgery of choice is the Tram Flap-fantastic. As I mentioned before you achieve reconstruction from removal of fat and skin from your tummy. A tummy tuck!!



Now, like most woman my age I have a bit of a spare tyre but I was delighted to hear from the man himself that I barely have enough fat on my tummy for the planned reconstruction ( find that SO hard to believe!) so on no account have I to lose any weight between now and the op. As I was about to embark on a diet to lose about ten pounds this was music to my ears. Imagine, no guilt at over eating, then a nice surgeon removes all the said fat and gives me two lovely breasts!!



As he shook our hands and said he would be in touch nearer the time, I said I couldn't wait and was looking forward to it. I think he must think I'm a bit odd.

Then I set off to Maggies centre at the Western General in Edinburgh. The young woman's group I go to had been invited to take part in a 'Look Good....Feel Better' class. This is a company that work with woman who have had cancer and what they do is give you a make up lesson and a goodie bag which contains AMAZING products.....dior, chanel, estee lauder.....the list is endless. What a treat!

Needless to say I came home feeling amazing. What a day.

Labels: about-marjory, cancer-support, living-with-cancer

posted by Marjory @ 4:40 PM 0 comments

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Work, children and puppies

The summer holidays always bring a mix of emotions. A strange mixture of time away on vacation and sitting around keeping the house ticking over while the older kids worry about impending exam results.

This summer Ally (20) and Amy (18) are both working hard to save some cash for University next year. Peter (14) has found a new lease of independence and spends most of his time in Edinburgh with his friends ( constant cash handouts!) Poor little Anna is only child left and shes wondering why the house is so quiet-so am I to be honest. I look forward to dinner time when the house reverts back to a shambolic mess.

However, the house may be reasonably quiet but a my Labrador puppy called Poppy - I know - Poppy the puppy , ridiculous - is doing what puppies are supposed to do, chewing, chewing and more chewing.

Who wants a quiet life? Not me.......

Labels: about-marjory

posted by Marjory @ 2:26 PM 0 comments

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Life gets back to normal....or does it?!

Well, after a long absence from blogging I'm back. Where have I been? Just getting life back on track and having much needed down time. Not sure life will ever be back to 'normal'. My idea of normal has changed over the past year, but I think for the better. There's nothing like a cancer scare to make you appreciate life and all it has to offer. The phrase 'don't sweat the small stuff' is my new mantra.

It's now a few months since I finished chemo and I feel great. My hair is growing back, my energy is returning and all things considered life is pretty good. On the subject of hair....I said way back that my biggest dread was my hair growing back grey and curly....well it has and guess what? I don't care, its hair and I love it. Another added bonus is that my eyelashes have grown back thicker and much longer-not suggesting chemo as an alternative to mascara but it did it for me. I've even tried taking a spoonful of manuka honey every day but I'm not sure it's doing me any good.

I'm now on Herceptin and more than half way thro' my years course. Doesn't seem to have much in the way of side effects for me so can't complain and have even relaxed a bit about cannulation! I get my Herceptin at home and its all very relaxing compared to hospital.

I had my first annual review with my surgeon this week and was quite uptight about it although I didn't really understand why. Then it hit me....the dreaded waiting room and just being in the same clinic where I heard the worst news of my life was enough to turn me into a jibbering idiot.

Anyway, after a chat with my surgeon I have decided on a left mastectomy and bilateral reconstruction where fat and muscle is taken from my abdomen ( yes, a tummy tuck, how cool!) and shaped into breasts ( even more cool!) Can't wait.

Oh, nearly forgot. Treated myself to a black lab pup. She is ten weeks old and is causing chaos. Shes eating her way around the garden, chewing the carpets, terrorising my older dog but guess what-we're all crazy about her.

Marjory

Labels: about-marjory, herceptin, living-with-cancer, mastectomy, reconstruction

posted by Marjory @ 8:59 AM 1 comments

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I'm Back

Hey - back in action - after a long lay off.

Sorry for causing mass panic in all my regular readers.
A combination of normal life resuming and software problems means that I haven't been able to post for several months. (Bloody computers !!)

Anyway - all sorted now so expect lots of updated news in the next day or two.

Also - unashamed plug: (groan ... I know)
Long suffering Gordon has been working on his "day-job" and attending to his other websites as well as struggling to resurrect this one.

Take a look at them if you're interested in Frozen Shoulder or High Blood Pressure
Feedback welcome .
More soon.

Marjory x

Labels: about-marjory

posted by Marjory @ 6:53 PM 0 comments

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It's Over - Well, Almost !!

It's over! Had my last dose of poison on Wednesday and I simply can't believe the horrors of chemo are over. Only 15 more herceptin to go, but who can complain, they're given at home and so far so good - no side effects.

Have spent the day doing normal 'Mum' stuff and just enjoyed lovely meal with Gordon (which I thought he deserved) - a few glasses of wine and I have to say feel pretty good. Am struggling against steriod come down but am aware it's last time so much easier to deal with. I'm afraid blogging over Christmas was always going to be a struggle.

Organising Christmas for eight children was fun but tiring and I did dinner for the family. I can honestly say it was the best Christmas ever, fun and laughter ( with me snoozing in corner) is what we will all remember-fantastic. Hogmany is a big thing in Scotland and I can honestly say I have never had a quiet one.......until this new year.

Somehow the opportunity arose about 8pm that we could be on our own and we took it! It was fantastic.....until of course when the bells sounded and I missed the whole thing, kids, neighbours, mess, etc, etc. Would I do it again....god, yes! Well .... maybe not. I can honestly say to anyone out there reading this and about to start their journey, for some of us it's really not too bad. I've managed to keep on with my normal life without too much disruption and I think what I want to say is that life goes on.

I'm aware that may sound very smug since I'm through the worst but it's not meant to. It's not been nearly as bad as I first imagined and I'm no super woman, just a normal woman and mother. I think the best advice, and I hate giving it, is be yourself and ask for help when it's needed. But you know something? I can't wait to get back to being ME again. I've been on hold for eight monthes now.......take cover!!

Marjory xx

Labels: about-marjory, chemotherapy, herceptin

posted by Marjory @ 3:03 PM 0 comments

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Oh what a beautiful day!

Just taken an hour out of a busy day to walk my dogs and it felt so good to be healthy and full of life. One of my kids just asked me "mum ... when do puppies open their eyes?" - made me all mushy but I guess getting another dog at present is not really an option. I'm so lucky to live in such an amazing part of the world and to walk in the countryside thro' field after field in the sunshine reminds me how precious life is and how important my fight is.
Life really feels good today and as far as chemo tomorrow - bring it on!

Labels: about-marjory

posted by Marjory @ 3:04 PM 1 comments

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Too busy to blog.......

Well it's been a while since I posted a blog which is bad, but good as the reason is I've been too busy. Sounds lame I know but it's true!

I've now had my second dose of FEC and will have the third next Wednesday. I've just about lost all my hair but not quite. I thought I would wear my wig all the time but since we seem to be living in tropical conditions (yes...Scotland!) I have taken to wearing much cooler, and I think quite fetching, bandanas.

The first two treatments have gone pretty well I think. I start to feel tired and sick about six hours after 'the hit' and just go to bed to sleep it off. The next day I feel a bit better then better still the next day, and by day 3 or 4 back to normal. I've not had any side effects so far (fingers crossed!) apart from a slightly sore arm from the epirubicin.

The one thing that did happen was that my pre chemo bloods came back with a very low-0.97-neutraphil count. This panicked me but the nurse on the phone reassured me and said just to come in slightly early the next day and they would recheck it. By the next morning it had risen to 1.72, boy was I relieved as the cut off for chemo is 1.00, so the chemo went ahead as planned. At least I'm prepared if it happens again.

My eye lashes are thinning.........NO!!!! Can cope with the rest but really want to keep them, or maybe it's just I know I'll be useless at the false eyelash thing.

Talking about eyelashes that reminds me of the most recent Kylie interview.

Now, i ask you? Yes she's had breast cancer, yes she's had chemo and yes it's horrible but not once did she acknowledge how hard it must be for all the other women out there who have money worries, or who need to work full time, or who have kids who need looked after.

Or come to think of it have a team of Chanel stylists to stick on their false eyelashes! I still think that Kylie is great but as a fellow breast cancer sufferer the interview left me saying ' come on Kylie, get a grip' - ( sorry to any die hard Kylie fans! )


One of the positive things to come out of this is that Gordon and I have decided to change our diets. We've cut out dairy products and are increasing natural soya products and are now eating mostly unrefined foods. We decided to do this after reading material about the low incedence of breast cancer in China and the thoery being that they eat no dairy but a large amount of soya.

Gordon has had problems with high blood pressure for years and it has fallen dramatically since starting this diet hey - Fab or what! So he wont have a stroke and I wont get breast cancer again.....well thats the theory. It does make me feel I'm doing something positive though.

Anyway, life goes on as normal. My daughter passed her driving test today and believe me, I've had a lot to worry about recently but none of that compares to the worry of your child hurtling around the country side in a metal box! Still, does mean somebody else can do the shopping run.

Labels: about-marjory, chemotherapy, epirubicin, hair-loss

posted by Marjory @ 1:57 PM 1 comments

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Breast Cancer - You're Having a Laugh

Finding the funny side of breast cancer treatments

As I suspect many of you reading this will know only too well - it can be hard to see the funny side of things when you and your family are coping with breast cancer and its treatment. The disease has a habit of taking over your life when in fact you should be striving to ensure that the very opposite is happening.

Writing a regular blog- by the way - is a mixed blessing in this regard. Writing regularly about not getting obsessed with cancer has a habit of making you ... well .... obsessed with cancer .. damn it!

But it's also true that keeping things in perspective and having fun in your life is crucial.

Laughter really is the best medicine - proven time and time again in countless medical studies. Laughter also works to boost your immune system when it's at a low ebb.

So ... how do you find the funny side?

You could start by taking a look at Miriam Engelberg's site - Cancer Made Me A Shallower Person

Miriam has taken her breast cancer experience as a stimulus and in many ways an inspiration to create an off beat and irreverent look at life from the perspective of a breast cancer survivor. It's all done in the form of comic strips - some of them directly about breast cancer and others about her wryly observed looks at daily life and its absurdity.

She also writes a blog as a day to day diary of life and how breast cancer can affect it.

Well done Miriam - we love what you're doing.

Labels: about-marjory, cancer-sites, cancer-support

posted by Marjory @ 2:09 PM 3 comments

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Breast Cancer News Updates

Keep up to date with breast cancer news

You might have noticed that we've added a link at the top of the page and a link on the right to our newsletter - and you might be asking what it's all about?

Marjory and I have decided to offer a simple newsletter service to those of you who might want to keep in touch - either with Marjory's progress or with Gordon's regular postings about new developments in breast cancer treatment and about breast cancer issues in general.

Here's how it works. If you add your name and email address in the boxes provided then your details will be kept in a secure database. Only Marjory and I have access to it so your details are safe.

You'll be sent an email asking you to confirm that you want to receive information from us - this is to ensure that someone else hasn't entered your information without your knowledge. Follow the simple instructions and it's as easy as that.

Our system is automated to send you a regular update email once every few weeks - this will let you know about the newest items that we've posted on this website. From time to time we might drop you a note by email to alert you to new breast cancer news or important new information.

You can choose to remove your name from the newsletter list at any time.

Please sign up and give it a try. You can always change your mind if you don't like it

Click here for more details

Gordon

Labels: about-marjory, cancer-support

posted by Marjory @ 1:09 PM 0 comments

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