Fifth chemo today

Well, its been a week and I guess I have slowed down alot.  Energy levels are generally lower and I am listening to my body to take it easier. 

The weekend was spent at home, except for a morning catch up with my friend and colleague Fei and her family at the park.  Sunday was a gorgeous day and the kids loved the opportunity to run and play.  Thanks to Fei and Jack for the coffee and lunch, and it was nice to meet David and Christopher.  Jessica and Brooke had a great time playing and riding their bikes.

I caught up with Galderma team in the Hunter Valley for the "christmas in July" on Monday night and it was great to reconnect with everyone and meet the new team members.  Time flies and I'll be back in the saddle before you can say "hi-ho Epiduo, away!"

Wednesday was a rest and relax day.  I had a quick lunch with my lovely friend from Uni, J and baby Tabitha, and spent most of the day chillin at home.

Thursday caught up with my sister-in-law Jo, and my mum - Brooke spent the day with Charlotte and Poppy Rose.

Chemo day five has rolled around and I'll be heading to the day clinic at mid-day for my blood test, appointment with Dr Harris and to have my "usual order of fluro-orange" at the juice bar. More later,,,,

It's been a quiet week

Mostly it's been a down week with regards to energy, I guess the chemo treatments are catching up (Dr H said they would accumulate).

However it hasn't been all rest and no play - I had a lovely breakfast with some Galderma friends and colleagues on saturday morning in the sun at the coonabarra café.

Ian

Shannon and Surekha

Charlie and Susan

Saturday evening I got the weekly phone call from my German Dr friends, who were pleased to hear that everything is on track - so pleased that it was a good enough excuse to have a beer at midday for them!

Jan and Katrin talking to me from Germany

Tuesday morning breakfast with my friend Justine from NZ, before a quiet day at home.

Justine

Wednesday was a quick visit to sheridan's, pleasantly surprised to find the gorgeous James (sheridan's hubby) also at home, who was ever-so-happy to look after us both with coffee and cake delivered to the couch where sheridan and I were solving the worlds problems!

Thursday, a quiet day at Saratoga with my lovely sister-in-law Jo and where the coussies charlotte and brooke got to do a lot of bonding! Amazingly it was a relatively relaxing day as the little one's entertained themselves.

Friday (today) has been my crash day ,,,, energy left me and white cell blood count rejuvination obviously kicked in. I have struggled with an ache in my head today. Nothing a handful of panadol and lots of sleep got sorted.

Very quiet weekend planned.

Four DOWN, and home relaxing

Meeting with Dr H was short and V sweet.  Comparison of the first cat scan with the one done after 3 chemo sessions shows a massive shrinkage.  Dr Harris made the comment that the first lesion was the same size as being 20 WEEKS pregnant! bloody hell!  Now the lesion size is probably smaller than a fist. Yippee!

She was very pleased with the progress, as am I.  There have been no complications which is great. Still some lesion to go, so the chemo treatment will be finished and radiotherapy will be decided upon at that point.

After my meeting with Dr H it was off to the juice-bar for some fluro-orange.  The girls knew I had arrived today - as the caramel-chocolate slice was spotted early on the morning tea room table! Thanks again to Veronica making this for me! I did attempt making the slice last weekend and it ended up in the bin ,,,,, there really is a knack! Anyway - all went OK, canula was in first go and the drugs got pumped in quickly. 

 

Not feeling 100% after today's session of chemo. It has affected me differently again! So I'm taking it easy and will leverage all the anti-drugs necessary to ensure I remain on top of things.

I have a breakfast date tomorrow, can't miss that!

!Number FOUR chemo treatment today

No blogs for a while, I keep forgeting to take photos, and well it's prety much all the same - I've been feeling particularly great this week and have been enjoying the company of my family and friends - eating my way to another kilo or two of 'love handles'.

Currently waiting to give blood for white blood cell count, and then got to have a chat with Dr H about how thing are progressing and future plans for treatment. Update later!

Another great day

Monday was a quiet day at home, with a visit from Nana and John who are back from travels in Canada and Alaska.  We had dinner and a couple of wines, and caught up on the trip and how things have been going here while they were away.

Tuesday, Brookie was at home today, she's on antibiotics for a bacterial infection in her throat.  Glenn stayed home also to help out with the baby-sitting - I had a lunch date! 

Caught up with my friend Maddie for a bit of japanese for lunch and a good old chin wag about kids and life!  Great to see you, and we gotta do it again soon for sure! And I'm getting slack with the photo taking thing - I'm just too relaxed!

Chemo on Friday, and I really try not to think about it - cause it's starting to give me the creeps.  While I manage to get through it without too many hassles (I know I'm very lucky) it does make you feel different and the thought of all those bags of drugs getting pumped into me kinda turns-my-stomach just thinking about it.  Anyway, I get through it better than most and bounce back quickly, so I'm going to stop complaining.

What to do tomorrow is a much more interesting subject - I have a free day with nothing planned (yet) who know's what I'll get up too - but I'm sure it will be something.

Wow, can't believe it's Sunday already

Friday was time spent with my friend Nadine and her two lovely girls - Jemima and Chelsea.  We sat around and chatted while the girls amused themselves outside on the bikes and inside with dress-ups.  Congrats Nads for the great marks - HD's all the way, you worked hard for it!

Saturday was "cousie" day - Corynne and Zara visited, then Giles and Charlotte, then Babette, Ryan and Imi came over for dinner.  So the day was again spent eating and relaxing, and Jessica and Brooke had a fantastic day bonding with their cousie's!

Other than some sleepless hours with miscellaneous aches and pains - I'm doing OK and running at about 80-90% health capacity - which is typical for most people sick or not - so I can't complain.  I am a little over taking medicines ,,,,,, but otherwise doing just fine.  Waiting to see Dr H this Friday for her interpretation of the cat scan and a more detailed discussion about the remaining plans for my treatment.  Running up to Friday, I have a diary full of activities to keep me busy! (As usual!)

Today is a quite day, and it's nice to still be in PJ's at 11am!  We've watched a movie (Old Dogs - thanks to uncle giles) and are just chillin out today - Brookie has cough/cold that includes lots of mucus ,,,, so we are keeping ourselves quite for an optimal recovery opportunity - she needs to be well enough for preschool on Tuesday - I have a lunch date! (LOL)

Thursday, lunch and movies

Thursday was an easy day with my friend Jo from the Central Coast - who took the day off work to deliver a slab of her famous 'chicken lasagne' and hang out at Westfield for the day.  Lunch was quick and delicious, and off to the movie "Grown Ups" which I thought was absolutely crap!  Wouldn't even recommend getting it out on DVD! Very disappointing indeed. 

Anyway, I'm feeling fine and getting ready for an early night.

Wednesday, quite day at home

Tuesday I got the "midway" CAT scan and will talk to Dr H about it next week.  I must say I was a little surprised at how large it still was, about the size of a grapefruit - which is not as big as a "leg of lamb" I hear you say - however, I was expecting it to be smaller - ??maybe nearly gone.  Anyway, "reality check", I won't worry about it now and I'll wait to see what Dr H thinks next week.

Tuesday afternoon was coffee and catch up with my friends Surekha and Nicole from work - lovely to see you girls ,,,,, then off for a quick Thai dinner with Kirsty from highschool and a movie - Eclipse (It's our "get out of the house" time!)

Wednesday started with a black-out across the Hornsby area - which shocked the girls (no TV or lights) and got us all out of the house in good time this morning.  I'm chillin today.  Time to make a sandwich and a hot cuppa, and have a go at my "lymphoma-slayer" artwork - which has gone on hold due to "lack of time".

Week 7 begins with continuing nausea

Have battled nausea all day today, that aweful 'watering in the mouth' and 'off-tummy' feeling. I have taken the anti-drugs, and they may have helped but the feeling hasn't completely gone. Only goes when eating, which I can still do well (strangely). Have disappeared into bed for the afternoon.

We had lunch with great poppa, great nana (gt's grandparents) and poppy jack at kingsgrove. We enjoyed a 4 course lunch including trifle straight out of the 1930's! Delicious! The girls especially enjoyed icing and putting sprinkles on cupcakes.

Special thanks to vicki who is away at the moment but busy making and posting me beanies for bedtime wear.  I'm staying in bed and out of the way to see if a bit of rest can get me back on track.

Sunday was Moscow Circus day

Unfortunately for GT, all 3 girls woke up in a bad mood sunday morning. There were tears, tantrums and a bad temper to deal with, and poor glenn copped it all. The drive to warriewood started out very frosty indeed, but soon thawed out with milkshakes and cheese & bacon rolls. The circus was great, GT got to star as the clown's assistant, which jessica thought was very funny. Brookie was concerned that the clown had daddies sunnies, and wasn't sure if he was going to get them back! I liked the bikes and the statue man, glenn liked the gymnastic girls, jessica liked the ponies, and brookies favourite part was the chocolate milkshake!!!

Back home for a nana-nap, and all were in a better mood for Imi's arrival, quick chat to her dad chris, and babby and ryan arrived for the pick up.

Interestingly today was the first day I have suffered nausea, which got worse as the day went on, and a headache as well. The anti-drugs maybe worked,,,, not convinced they did, but will keep it up if needed.

Gene Wilder talks about non-hodgkin's lymphoma

Well, I'm surfing the web this evening and found this interview with Michael Parkinson and Gene Wilder that I thought was interesting and another person's experience with non-hodgkin's lymphoma.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiKdTtzVK_U

Week 6 coming to an end!

Saturday started with a relaxing morning laying around in bed with family, then up and at-em for ballet and swimming lessons.  Back down to the rifle range to say hi to the gang, hopefully when soccer concludes and if I'm still feeling as strong as I am now - I'll get down there again to get a new focus and pop off a few rounds! 

Home for needle to boost white blood cells (thanks to the lovely Yve who is my local, personal nurse - every needle-fraddy-cat needs one!) And baked an apple loaf for the circus "snacks tub" tomorrow!  Then GT went off to soccer - won 8-1, and MK and the girls ducked over to Lollypop Land at Frenchs Forest to hang out with the Foate's - Olivia and Jessica go way back to preschool days! 

Left overs for dinner and the kids are finally in bed.  Couple of G&T's for MK and a crownie or two for GT and then we will be off to bed also!

Bloody hell - no photo's again!  I've got to get myself sorted!

THREE down, and a relatively easy morning - home early!

Off to the JUICE BAR today for #3 of six chemo treatments, still the same special "Fluro Orange".

White blood cell count was good.  Will have a CAT Scan next week (Tuesday 9.20am for all those who need more details!) to check progress on the cooking of the "leg of lamb"!  Dr Harris seems happy with progress, I still have 10 numb fingertips - so she knocked back on the dose of the drug that causes this and we'll see next visit if things have changed. Cough pretty much gone.

Nothing remarkable to report about the morning - all went well, took the nurse 2 goes to find a nice, juicy vein.  Again the slice from VR went down a treat!  Home by 2.30pm, so I can't complain today!

Happy days, all things considered!

A day at home with friends

Can't believe I forgot to take any photos! Anyhow, thanks to Maddie, Hazel and Finn for visiting - and for the lovely chocie cake and flowers! Elana and Bella, it was fantastic to see you after toooo many years! The girls loved the banana cup cakes and their cookie! Looking forward to catching up again soon. VR thanks for the visit and slice-donation,,,,,I'm off to the juice bar tomorrow, and the nurses will appreciate it! Thank you sooo much! Had a nana-nap this afternoon and feel refreshed.

Wow, another great day, can't believe how I'm feeling - very blessed to be so well considering.