A Date I Will Never Forget

Hi everyone. I couldn't let today pass by without a special post. To most it is Melbourne Cup Day but for me it is my 'D' Day - that is 'D' for diagnosis. Yes, two years today is when I became one of the seven woman a day handed a positive test for Breast Cancer. Some days I think where has the time gone and other days it feels like yesterday and it is hard to believe I have come so far.

How easily I have forgotten how rotten I felt whilst enduring chemotherapy and recovering from operations but I haven't forgotten all those people that were there for me and Darren. Supporting us, holding us whilst we howled our eyes out, encouraging us. Those people who gave practical help, taking me to appointments, cooking meals, bringing firewood and moral support. You are all angels in your own way.

I have met some amazing people and through my J'Beanies have made contact with so many more people who are fighting this beast. It has been humbling to be able to give them some support and be a listening ear.

Breast Cancer has changed me in so many ways and I know it's a horrible thing to go through but I think I am a better person after going through this. I look at life through a different pair of glasses now. I no longer sit around waiting for life to happen. I make things happen. I spend less time worrying about the less important things in life; I've stopped stressing over things that can't be changed because I know things will always work out one way or another. I spend more time with the people I love; I am devoting my working life to people who deserve it and not to those who are greedy with their time and money. I want to try new things that I have never done before - so to you Cancer, you may have taken my original breast but you did not take my spirit with it. I have stood up and fought you and you are gone from my life. Now I can move on with the rest of it. God Bless you all. xx

With Spring Comes New Life

I don't seem to be getting to blog much of late which means that I am extremely busy.

I have now changed jobs, Yes AGAIN. I didn't really feel that retail was my thing and felt that I could make a difference in a caring environment. I am now a caregiver. I go out to people's homes who are elderly, ill or have had an accident or operation and I help them with there personal cares, meals, cleaning, shopping, medication etc. I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is such a great feeling to be able to give something back to the community which helped me when I needed it. Having been through the BC journey I feel that I am looking at life from a very different angle. I have never been a money driven person but seemed to always end up working in that sort of environment. Now I finally feel like I am where I belong; to help people, to understand them and to be able to cheer their day. I am looking forward to doing some study to give me a qualification; something that at 48 years old, I have never had the opportunity to obtain.

I had my 2nd monthly checkup at the end of July and am pleased to report that I have a clean bill of health. I also had an ultrasound on my thyroid to keep an eye on things and once again, I have passed with flying colours.

The beanies are starting to get really busy again and I have had people ringing me from different organisations wanting to know how they can purchase them. It is so nice to be able to offer something pretty and practical for ladies going through treatment.

My Wonderful Life

Well finally I am able to find some time and update my blog. I have had it on my "To Do List" for the last couple of months.

As mentioned last time, I celebrated my 48th birthday in February. A few friends and family got together and went out for a lovely meal. For me, and I think a few of my friends, it was more than just a birthday. It was a celebration that I have come through the rough and out the other side and am here to celebrate another birthday. I will never again moan about getting old because quite frankly the alternative to aging is not an option. My daughters bought along a cake ablaze with candles which I quickly had to extinguish as it was creating a terrible hot flush.

Once we had finished at the restaurant we went out to the local bar and had drinks, drinks and drinks and danced the night away into the wee small hours. It was a great night. Bring on the birthdays I say, next big one 50. Party ideas already in the pipeline.

For those that don't know, I have a great new job. I started way back in March in a completely different role. I am working in customer service at our new local DIY warehouse in Paraparaumu. No more sitting behind desks for me. I am on my feet all day and have lost some of the weight that I accumulated during chemo. The position requires me to work every 2nd weekend but that is ok, I'm getting used to it now. Darren and I just make sure that we do something together on my weekends off. They are a really great team to work with and I am even on the Social Club Committee; they should be worried!!!

The beanies have slowed down a little bit but I am thinking that people are probably wearing normal, woolier hats now that we are in winter. I have been networking alot so I have most of the country covered now.

We are beginning to count down the months until our trip to the UK which is happening in April next year. We hope to have a stop over in Dubai as Darren is keen to have a look there and also once we get to England, we hope to go to Paris for a couple of days, which I am excited about.

As promised waaay back in my blog I said I would post a picture of my surgery areas as time goes on and they heal, so here it is. The tummy scar is still quite pink but the breast one is very feint. I still have no feeling in the new breast which I really can't get used to but otherwise I am great. My hair is well on its way to its former length and I have even started using the straighteners on it. My eyelashes still have to sort themselves out. Apparently it takes a while for them to resume their normal cycle of renewing themselves so every now and again I have patches where the new little lashes are pushing out the older longer ones, which creates an interesting look.



So all in all, life is great. I have had a new lease on life and am loving every minute of it.

All Done and Dusted

Firstly, a very belated happy new year to you all. Gosh, I knew I was a bit behind with my posting but didn't realise just how much.

Life has been so very busy, what with Xmas and New Year and all the birthdays following that.

Well I have been into hospital and had my thyroid operation. This took place on the 10th January and all went well. I was actually more worried about having this operation than I was any of the others. I think because the operation was going to take place very close to my face and there was a risk that my voice would be changed to a husky, quiet voice if things didn't go that well.
I was releived when I came out of the anaesthetic that my voice was still all intact. It has changed slightly in the fact that I can no longer speak in high tones or sing high notes (well, I couldn't to start with, so nothing lost there). With regards to getting out the cancer, the surgeon advised me at my check up two weeks afterwards that if we had left the surgey any longer, we would have been in real trouble because it would've most likely have gone into my windpipe and then my voice would have been dramatically changed, so hallelujah to that. There was no need to take the whole thyroid, just the side the growth was in, so I am very releived about that as if I had had a total thyroidectomy I would have to be on medication for the rest of my life which I wasn't keen on. The scar is healing up nicely and was cut in the crease of my neck so in a year it won't be visible at all.

On the 29th January I had my first check up with the breast surgeon, Dr Burton King. I was very nervous about this as I knew he would be doing an ultrasound on the reconstructed breast and the other one. Well I needn't have worried as everything is fine, there was nothing detected. I also had a routine mammogram on Monday of this week so a close eye is being kept on me. Not that there needs to be but it is comforting to know that I am being looked after and if there does happen to be a recurrence, then they will be onto it pretty darn quickly.

Well, I have started on my two year course of Tamoxifen (Estrogen blocker)and I must say the hot flushes are not pleasant at all, especially when I am trying to apply make-up and it is running off as fast as I am putting it on. But that is a small price to pay if it is going to help keep me in good health.

I have a new saying (which I read somewhere) It says "Don't wait until death looks you in the face, to start living your life" so I have taken notice and am living life to the full.

I have a lot of my energy back now and have started exercising again and eating healthy. My hair is a couple of inches long and you would never know of the ravages it has been through. My eyelashes had grown back nice and thick but I noticed in the last couple of days that they are thinning out again so I Dr Googled it and apparently that is quite normal after chemo. The eyelashes take time to regain their renewal cycle.

My beanies are going extemely well, although that's a really sad thing as it means more people are requiring chemo. Some people have bought them and then come back to me for more so I must be doing something right. I have met lots of lovely people through the beanies, some of which have really sad stories to tell but I accept that if I want to continue to make the beanies, then I will hear stories both good and not so good. It just feels good to be able to provide something nice for people and also to give them a little support where I can even if it is just a listening ear.

Next time I will post about my birthday and put up some more pics.
Ciao