Today I got the results of my mid-chemotherapy CT scan, but before I tell you them I’ll tell you about the test for whether or not it is possible to treat my tumour with Herceptin. It turns out that the tumour does not over-express the HER2 gene, so there is little point in treating it […]
Cancer and its treatment are changing me. I was moved to write about all the changes when I wrote recently about how my sense of taste has changed. My body seems to be changing all the time, and so does my mind to some extent. It’s quite fascinating to watch the process, as long as […]
By Gillian When Christopher was made redundant last year, I had a long list of jobs around the house that needed doing, and part of the deal we made was that he would use his increased leisure time to do more DIY and general house repairs (we have a Victorian cottage, which is anything but […]
After last weekend’s excitement, this week has been much less stressful. The nausea has been well controlled, but I haven’t slept well, although it hasn’t stopped me getting things done. The consultant gave me a clean bill of health on Monday, so we were able to get home in the morning, having stayed overnight in […]
I have loved the taste of marmite for as long as I can remember. I know that it is a polarising flavour — people either love it or hate it — and I love it. Or at least, I did. Recently my tastes seem to have changed, and my morning toast and Marmite has become […]
My experiences this week seem to have affected people quite strongly, much more strongly indeed than I imagined they would. Three separate people have contacted me to express their horror at my plight, and to offer support. I am immensely touched by the amount of concern that people are showing towards me, but I do […]
Having written about a chemotherapy hospital stay, I think it’s time that I also described having my 5-FU bag changed, as that is the other side of my regular chemotherapy treatment. Once a week I travel to Worcester to meet the oncologist and report weekly progress before the bag that delivers my 5-FU and the […]
By Gillian I thought I’d give my version of the events on Sunday, as I am convinced that Chris can’t remember half of what went on! We’d had a really good day on the Saturday. I had been worried about Chris standing for hours in the queue for the Hoard, but the vast majority of […]
What an interesting week! Definitely not straightforward at all. It started with a late entry into hospital for the 3rd cycle, continued with a lovely week of visits with friends and a weekend away, and ended with another unexpected visit to hospital. The 3rd cycle start itself was uneventful, except that it was the first […]
I’ve noticed that my food doesn’t taste very good in the first few days after the start of the chemotherapy cycle. I think it must be due to the dexamethasone (steroids) that I mentioned yesterday as being so good at controlling the nausea as well as maintaining my good mood. Last night’s burger and chips […]
