Interesting articles and links

There are a couple of articles I've found which I would like to share.

http://www.notanotherbunchofflowers.com/

Not another bunch of flowers was set up by Anikka Burton. She was diagnosed with an aggressive, locally advanced breast cancer in 2011 at the age of 33 and during treatment wrote a blog to help others. 
You can read this at http://chemoforbeginners.com

The Vagenda is a feminist online magazine launched in January 2012. 
A blog entry posted on July 10th - The Bald Truth, caught my eye and here is the link http://vagendamag.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-bald-truth.html
twitter.com/vagendamagazine

A recent article written by Paula McGrath and Katy Watson for BBC News What's up, Doc? How comic strips are improving bedside manner. 
Here is the link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25112785

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25112785

I came across this article, which is really thought provoking and worth a read.

 http://judesthinkin.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/the-coping-dance-cancer-and-mental-health/

Cured - But at what cost? Long term consequences of cancer and its treatment: Macmillan, July 2013.

Cancer and its treatment often leaves a gruelling physical and mental legacy for many years afterwards. It begs the question - do we really understand the true cost of being cured?

At least one in four of those living with cancer - around 500,000 people in the UK-face poor health or disability after cancer treatment http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Documents/AboutUs/Newsroom/Consequences_of_Treatment_June2013.pdf

Source: http://www.bettymagazine.org.uk/blog/coppafeel-boob-week/

http://www.coppafeel.org/Page/BoobCheck

Tampon Crafts

Last week I sold my new Rene of Paris Monofilament Marie wig on Ebay, it just wasn't me and the Hubster hates me with straight hair. I sold it the very same night I posted it - so I was super happy :)

After the revelations of the tampon toupee and sharing with you tamponcrafts, I found this little gem on ebay. I very much doubt a sale anytime soon :(

You can enlarge the picture by clicking onto it

Alternatively .... With spirit gum!

Ist FEC Chemotherapy cycle

Tuesday 10th of December 2013 - Treatment Day
Day 1 starts tomorrow of FEC cycle


Lets Shizzle the FEC out of this little f****er (Grrh face).

http://wallpicshd.com/new-kick-ass-2-hit-girl-wallpaperfull-hd-dekstop.html

However this is how I felt ....

I came home and took my first anti sickness tablet and went straight to bed. I felt sick and really cold. I couldn't get my head warm and wrapped various items around it. I felt like I was dealing with the most hideous hangover, the one where you have no headache, just feel sick and muzzy. 

I had anti sickness injected into the cannula before being administered the chemotherapy drugs, this is along with the drip (infusion) of salt water (saline) into the cannula. This felt really cold and I could feel it flowing up my arm.

I then had two x 60ml of E (Epirubicin) which is the red liquid and is the drug that causes the hair loss, this is the common side effect.

I then had two x 40ml of Fluorouracil, which is a colourless fluid which is also known as 5FU.

And 20 ml of  C - Cyclophosphamide

I then had an injection of anti sickness injected into the saline bag at the end of treatment.

The day after

I have 5 anti sickness tablets to take at 7am and breakfast/lunch time and evening and an injection every morning for the next 7 days to boost my immune system, to reduce the incidence of neutropenia and increase my white blood cell count. This can cause hair loss and lower back pain which is connected to the production of cells in the bone marrow.

At the moment I am bordering on a fever so I am checking my temperature every hour to make sure its not above 37.5c, earlier it was 37.4 but has since come down, so no need to contact Shropdoc yet.

Days 10-14 is when if neutropenia is going to occur, will happen and that brings us to 20th- 24th of December. 

Next cycle starts the 2nd of Jan, with blood tests on New Years Day.

www.rainbowresource.com

Superbeast

My Superbeast trucker cap(bringing sexy back)


I was about to describe my friend Miche and then decided to let her do the talking and copied her About Me from her company website. http://superbeast.co.uk

What I will say, is that Miche was and still is, the hippest person I know, with her finger permanently on the pulse. Cool Hippy Chick who used to spin some stonking tunes.

I'm a designer, chillie lover, cap lover, cat lover, countryside lover, they call me Mr lover lover. I have too many trainers (I know, you cant have too many) Im turning into a fish geek and still own 1210's.

And there you have it! If you have any questions or requests I'm more than happy to help... watch this space for the baby truckers that are coming soon. Supercool cuteness overload coming up!

Love Miche x

AND another shameful selfie getting ma WIG ON

Pre Chemo Assessment Monday 9th of December

I went all grade 3 on my hair on Saturday to go with my cancerous grade 3 BC and my shameless selfie was photo bombed 
(verb - to drop in a photo unexpectedly .. to hop into the picture, right before it is taken. 





I'm still laughing about the hairdresser on Wednesday asking me if I would like to take some of my cut hair trimmings off the floor (before being swept away) to glue onto a cap, so it looks like I have some hair sticking out. Don't get me wrong there are some fantastic chemotherapy hats out there with hair attached, but OFF THE FLOOR!

I was looking for an appropriate image, one that closely resembled how the hair would have looked and stumbled across this. 

Tampon Toupee  http://www.tamponcrafts.com/toupee.html

You can find some wonderful projects at www.tamponcrafts.com (NO SERIOUSLY)

Mum picked me up this morning at 9am (Urrgh *The insomnia kid jumps into car)to attend a Pre Chemo Assessment at the Lingen Davies Centre. I would have liked the choice to attend or decline this appointment as there wasn't any kind of assessment involved. I can understand how helpful it would be for people who haven't been able to bring themselves to research or read the wealth of information on the Macmillan website. BUT I am very aware of the side effects from research and from my oncology appointment on the 14th. Lets just bloody get cracking shall we...

The results I have waited for since the second week in November are still lurking in some wormhole, so I've bought this book to assist in relocating them.

I was shown to a wipe down PVC armchair (which I presume is in case I piss myself with excitement at the impending proceedings)and then the nurse explained that I was there to see the ward. Strangely enough it's the same view when you look through the window from the outside. 

Hey girls, hey boys,superstar DJ's
Here we go

You can stick me on a plastic chair in the middle of the carpark, it makes no difference to me where I'm going to be sitting. 

No guided tour, no exploring... 

I made some comment about hair loss and the nurse said "well you've got nice short hair", 

Like yer since Wednesday and I showed her the photographs before the chop (she seemed suitably unimpressed)

Really is there not a degree of sensitivity that should be applied on a cancer treatment ward (evidently not - luckily I'm over the hair now). Even my Mum who often tells me I'm rude or too honest in critique thought so and that's saying something.

A very strange morning and I'm glad to be home.

The Little Princess Trust - Hair donation

After another night of allusive sleep, I managed to nod off for about an hour or two and woke up after having a drink down the local with Richard Gere and having a guided tour of his house - go figure.

I had to put a considerable amount of effort and warpaint on as I felt as rough as a butchers dog + I wanted to look my best for the photographs - if truth be known. 

13:45
I think this quote is particularly apt.


Couldn't quite bring myself to having my head shaved today - I had an emotional moment ;)

Thankfully Rachel came with me and after having a little wee from my eye, asked me to reason with myself to why I actually needed to shave my head at this stage. It was great to have that support and I was with Rachel when she shaved her head in support of a young girl diagnosed with leukemia and also donated her hair to The Little Princess Trust, so it seemed fitting, that she was there with me.

BUT 
Donated two ponytails of hair to The Little Princess Trust and raised £132.60 through my Justgiving page. 

Here is the evidence.

And the end result

And then we posted it

Rachel x

I had a lovely soak tonight, washed my hair with my favourite Aussie shampoo and got into my fab ROAR PJ's which Sam T bought me a couple of weeks ago.

Sam here is the photographic evidence(with added double chin I might add)
x 

Why I started this blog

With this diagnosis it has presented many challenges, particularly as the information you receive as part of this process is given in bite size chunks which you are informed about at each stage of the cancer pathway. This unfortunately gives you time to scare yourself shitless with the amount of "stuff" lurking on the internet.

I eventually gravitated towards sourcing my information from Macmillan and Cancer Research UK. 

It's a waiting game and you often feel left in the dark, lost in the system and often trying to piece the information together.

Source: Google images/http://rapgenius.com

I was also thrown another curve ball, in that the chemotherapy may render me infertile and I may hit early menopause after treatment, the percentage of patients who this affects is extremely high, In fact its probably inevitable. We had three eggs mature enough to be collected induced by fertility treatment and only one egg fertilised overnight, so we have one embryo frozen.

"Only good quality embryos will survive the freezing and thaw process."

There are significant differences that may occur in an age related `natural’ menopause compared with a treatment-induced menopause and I suspect I may need some advice on how to cope with an early menopause or the menopausal side effects of treatment *she says through hot and cold sweats*

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/05/cancer-diagnosis-fertility-baby-ghost


I joined a forum, specifically for people recently diagnosed with breast cancer, mainly because I didn't want to inflict the boredom of the subject on my friends and family anymore, with how I was feeling. I thought this would be a positive tool in helping me to share with others about how it was effecting me personally and emotionally, support others, source diet tips etc. I had a couples of responses to the group thread, but didn't feel any connection, for me this is working through a process - It just hasn't been the positive experience I thought it should/would be(I think I'm of the Jennifer Saunders ilk).


I've found having a supportive husband, family and friends a far more positive experience.


Real life, real love and real conversations

I have been following a couple of blogs on the wonderweb which I have found inspirational, informative and full of hints and tips in coping with the treatment and how to deal with the side effects and these have been invaluable.

After being diagnosed with cancer, each journey is different, individual in every sense, some have better coping strategies than others, some have side effects others not so much, treatment plans vary depending on a multitude of factors. You have to find your own path.

I'm off to hug a tree ♥