First of all, I’m sorry I haven’t been keeping up with my blogs as regularly as I could however I have just been too busy! Which most of you I hope will be pleased to hear… I have had the most amazing two weeks but also a very tough two weeks. After my 3rd chemo I eventually felt like myself again after a few days and had some amazing days out in the sun like Hogganfield park, Loch Lomond and many nice wee restaurants for a spot to eat. I would like to mention a very special gift I got off of my teachers and peers at school, it’s a beautiful book filled cover to cover with get well wishes which I will treasure forever. I can’t thank everyone enough, especially Mrs Gordon for an amazing day and all the effort she put into creating it. In the first week I was loving it, in the second week when I got chemo 4, not so much. This is now cycle 2 day 15 (10/07/2018), again I had my chemo anxiety but when I was there I was fine, I had one of the teenage cancer trust rooms which has just been renovated and it was absolutely gorgeous with a big mural of trees on the wall, your own bed and own tv. To say the least the show “Can’t pay? We’ll take it away” helped me survive my chemo this time lol. The dreaded cannula wasn’t too bad this time, it went in fine and behaved itself, however now there is a bruise where it was and it’s just tender. I also got the most amazing foot massage off of a volunteer and the beaten and she literally was a miracle worker, exactly what I needed after roughly 3 hours of chemo. Now as many of you know I was due to fly to Zante on the 11th so this chemo could not have come at a worst time my heart literally breaks at the thought of not spending this week with my besties in the sun, but I hope they had the most amazing time and we can book up as soon as I get the all clear for next year. So, something was different this chemo, I knew I was going to feel extra down and sad however I just wasn’t myself at all and it really became a challenge to walk about or get out of bed. This is when it was time to call the cancer helpline, this wasn’t my first call for help nor will it probably be my last as that is just the reality of having an immune system which doesn’t like to work well because of chemo, however this helpline really can be lifesaving and is a great resource for us patients even just to seek advice. So me and my mum called on the 12th of July as I had developed this nasty rash, could hardly walk due to having such little energy and a sore throat, overall extremely fatigued so it’s always best to phone just to be on the safe side however whilst phoning you always have to consider they will send you to hospital right there and then and that is exactly what they done. It’s crazy how in a blink of an eye I can fall ill and just need to be admitted immediately and it destroys my plans for the next few days. I stayed in hospital from the Thursday to the Saturday morning and was treated for tonsillitis which we think my rash was related to but also the possibility of scarlet fever. My rash got increasingly worse over the next few days and it was insanely itchy which was so frustrating. I eventually plucked up the courage to go to the gym and seek advice on what I can and cannot do as steroids in my chemo have not helped with me gaining weight and overall, I am that weirdo who misses the gym? So, a class I loved previously called body balance is what I opted for and by god I cannot recommend it enough, it made me sweat more than any cardio session, but my flexibility has literally disappeared. But with regular classes I will eventually get back to my goal. Body balance is also great for your well-being mentally as there is a lovely relaxation section at the end. So that is basically everything to catch up on and my next big appointment is my second pet scan which is on the 23rd and this will determine how well my chemo is working and if all the “lights” (as previously mentioned in my previous blogs) have went out then I can drop the jag in my bum however if the chemo isn’t working as well as it should it will need to be upped. However, we shall deal with that when it comes to it, taking each day at a time.
I will leave you all with one of my favourite quotes at the moment “Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is keep going when you really feel like giving up”