THE HALFWAY POINT

At last I have climbed the hill and have reached the half way stage of my Chemotherapy. It’s been a long steep climb. Hopefully, the journey on the other side of the hill will be a gentle slide down, and move more quickly than the upward climb. I go in on Thursday August 20th for treatment number 4.The cocktail of drugs in my Chemo will change this week. ‘Taxotere’ is the new drug. I believe it attacks the bones, the muscles and the skin. The first three treatments attacked the digestive system and inner organs. The likelihood is that my body will ache with the ‘Taxotere’. I will wait and see how badly it affects me. I was hoping to have a hit at badminton before the 'Taxotere' but I've missed out. I feel I need the need the exercise so badly.
I went to see Jill Ainslie, the radiotherapist a week last Monday. She was wonderful, and explained everything that would happen during my radiotherapy treatment. They have decided that my course of radiation treatment will run for 5 weeks, not 6 weeks, and I will begin a month after my Chemo has finished. I will have to go every week day for 5 weeks. Before my first session I will have a CT scan, and 6 tattoo dots, so they can hit the same spot with accuracy each time I go for my treatment. The actual treatment is painless, but Jill tells me I will get pain in the areas of surgery, and I will feel very weary. The weariness can continue for quite some time after the treatment. Hopefully, I will be feeling better by Christmas. It is a long journey!!!! I get very weepy....often. I cannot look at my bald head in the mirror. I think that losing my hair has been the worst thing for me. I look “The Victim”, and of course, I am! I always swore I would never see grey hair on my head. I will have no choice but to watch it slowly grow back....grey!
Life has been quiet since I last wrote. We have had no visitors staying with us. We did go out for dinner with Kerry, Gary, and friends Paula and Barry on our wedding anniversary on August 5th. We enjoyed the best Thai meal I’ve had since my visit to Thailand, and this was at our local Thai Restaurant! I’ve done my usual coffee mornings with friends, and we celebrated one of the “girls” birthdays with a luncheon last Wednesday. So my social life continues.
Joelle and Andrew have just rung and told us that they are expecting a baby in mid February. Colin and I are overjoyed. We have been waiting patiently for a long time to hear this news. In fact we had decided that perhaps they didn’t want children. We are very happy for them. Bernie and Harry (Joelle’s Mum and Dad) will be ecstatic. Good news always lifts the spirits.
Here’s hoping the next three weeks go quickly.