24 weeks have passed since my diagnosis – winter has been and gone and already spring is starting to make way for the summer. It’s mind-blowing (to me at least) to think that nearly half a year has passed. Time didn’t stop as I thought it might – and while some things have changed beyond recognition just as many have stayed exactly the same.
Perhaps in years gone by I might have felt sad that another six months had disappeared and allowed myself a moment of melancholy reflection about getting older. But since my diagnosis, I take every single day as a victory. There’s no good being sad about getting older when something like cancer comes along – you soon realise that getting older is the one thing on your to-do list that you’re not prepared to give up on just yet.
NUMBER CRUNCHING
Since my diagnosis I’ve had about three million* blood tests, two million** mouth ulcers, 82 steroids tablets, 30 stem cell injections, 21 blood thinning injections, 11 infusions of chemotherapy, 8 meetings with the oncologist, 3 infections, 3 mad dashes to the acute oncology assessment unit, 2 ultrasounds, 2 CT scans, one trip to accident and emergency, one hospital admission, one PICC line in, one (same) PICC line out, and a blood clot.
STILL STANDING
Whichever way I look at it, it’s been quite an adventure. And here’s the thing – I’m still standing!
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
The good news is that as of Friday, I’ve had the first six of my ‘weekly’ taxol/carbo infusions – this really is the home straight.
In an ideal world, I’d have six infusions over six weeks left to go, but in reality, and given my reaction to the Paclitaxel, I’m expecting a few more delays along the way. Either way, I’ve got six more chemos left to go. Whether it’s over six weeks or over more weeks is no matter. In fact, the only thing that really matters is that we are entering THE FINAL {CHEMO} COUNTDOWN.
MEANWHILE IN OTHER NEWS
Meanwhile in other news, we’re having another bank holiday in the UK so if anybody needs me I’ll be doing bank holiday stuffs like buying books:
And mowing lawns:
And chasing a reluctant and oh-so-wise-to-every-trick-in-the-book cat around the place trying to administer flea drops…..
Nothing else from me today other than to say I’ve got a couple of meaty posts planned for the next week or so. Stay tuned for my hot takes on fake cancer cures and the ghoulish ghouls who peddle them, whether breast cancer fundraising campaigns are too pink and fluffy, and how it feels to have a chemically induced menopause ON STEROIDS***
I’ll leave you, as always, with a little song and a promise to catch you laters, alligators….
Love you all lots like jelly tots xoxox
WeeGee xoxox
*Numbers are accurate at time of publication
** Ditto
***Spoiler alert. The answer is shit. It feels SHIT.
How do you eat an elephant? 