BREAST CANCER EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
We've added these breast cancer videos by popular demand. Take a look. Let us know what you think of them:
folks are strange
Well I'm well on the way to the finishing line now. First dose of taxotere was last week and, touch wood, all seems to be well. It does give you strange aching muscles and joints, not the usual 'i've overdone the exercise kind' but bizarre pains in joints and muscles that don't actually exist. Three or four days of tiredness and now I'm back to fighting fit......Well, you know what I mean.
The fab news is I have a head of hair to rival Kylie! All be it mine is a revolting mousy brown with rather a lot of grey in it, but who cares, it's hair.I refuse to acknowledge it may fall out again but if it does it will be the bald look for me. No more wigs or scarves, ever. I try to convince myself I look elfin but I must be the only 40 something grey haired elf ever to have lived. It is lovely to have eyelashes and eyebrows again, it's amazing how excited I get about these things!
I was just thinking the other day how peoples reaction to the dreaded C diagnosis is far from predictable. People I thought would run a mile, only to say 'see you when you're better' have been absolutely amazing-helping with kids and work and generally being amazing human beings and friends. On the other hand there are the people who I would have bet money on about being supportive who have disappeared from the horizon only to phone once in a while and say their terribly sorry but they have a lot on their plates! I'm guessing it's fear of something so horrible touching their lives but if this has taught me anything it's to never to ignore someone who is going through something difficult or awkward . This may all sound very dramatic but a few kind words always make a difference.
A friend of mine lost a child some time ago and yes you,ve guessed it, she has been one of my main sources of support and above all laughter. She has a way of cutting through all the crap and just asking the right questions at the right time. It's so refreshing to be asked all the questions nobody else dares! She really is a star and she cheers my days with her straight forward approach to the dreaded cancer.
Now on the subject of the Christmas party dress. My idea this year was something that would cover me from neck to toe-not very sexy but there is nothing more off putting than a slipped or indeed missing prosthesis. And lets face it after a few festive tipples tht could the scenario! Help is at hand. On a shopping trip to Edinburgh I found myself in a shop called Hobbs where a very charming shop assistant persuaded me to try on a rather daring wrap dress. Now bear in mind I am the wrong side of forty, vertically challenged and have had too many children ever to call myself svelte but WOW! AMAZING! This dress (with cami underneath obviously!) made me feel something approaching sexy. So of course being a woman I bought two! Roll on Christmas- one problem solved! Marjory
Labels: cancer-support, chemotherapy, hair-loss
Have you found this article helpful?
Thank FEC it's over !
Well - thats's me finished with FEC and relatively unscathed. Mild nausea and tiredness but nothing to grumble about.
My hair never did fall out completely so Gordon helped me shave the remnants last night and I now have a beautiful smooth head - no more jaggy stubble - hurray !!
My eyelashes and eyebrows have only thinned a bit and not fallen out so I can cope with that but it did give me a good excuse to spend lots of money on posh makeup today - which cheered me up no end.
My next appointment at hospital is for a "simulator" which - despite sounding like something I would refuse to go at Alton Towers theme park - I'm assured has something to do with lining up the radiotherapy beams and ... wait for it ... tatoos !
So - four weeks of radiotherapy and four sessions of taxotere and then I'm done (a year of herceptin excluded of course)! Roll on - doesn't time fly when you're having fun !!!
Marjory
Labels: chemotherapy, epirubicin, hair-loss, radiotherapy
Have you found this article helpful?
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
Have you found this article helpful?
