In the last 3 months I’ve written plenty of things that should have made it on to my blog. Funny things, cancer-related things, non-cancer-related things. But they never seem to quite get there because I get distracted, or I get tired, or I worry it’s too negative, or I binge-watch something on Netflix. You’d think that not having to work would mean I had all the time in the world to be doing the things I want but it hasn’t really worked out that way. Continue reading
2017 was a hell of a year. A year of starting again in so many ways. And a year of adventure. At this time last year my scar from my surgery was still open in 3 places (still with 5 months of healing ahead) and the crushing heat in a stifling summer was killing me, as were the incessant hot flushes of menopause. I was learning how to manoeuvre in my old world in the new and strangely empty body I had brought back from hospital. Continue reading
I can’t believe it is almost Christmas Day. No matter how prepared you are somehow you always seem to get behind and in a rush. So many things to be done in addition to the every day stuff that needs to be done. And this year it seems I broke myself. Continue reading
Since having my ileostomy, packing for travel has required a little more planning. Before my recent trip to the US (more on that later in the week) a friend asked if I was packed and ready to go. “As long as I’ve got my passport and cash I’ll be fine,” I said. “And your shit bags,” he said. Oh yeah… Continue reading
There are a lot of milestones in life. The firsts. The lasts. The anniversaries. The befores. The afters. Some milestones stand before us all and others are reserved for the select few – the lucky, the unlucky. Today is one of those milestones for me. It is a year ago today that I was wheeled in to surgery to rid my belly of cancer. Continue reading
Part and parcel of dealing with cancer is tests – blood tests, CT scans, MRIs. In the space of about a month last year I’d had two CT scans, a PET scan, two blood tests, an appointment with a gynaecological oncologist, a colonoscopy, gastroscopy and a laparoscopy. I felt like a radioactive pincushion. Continue reading
As we sat down to eat our breakfast this morning, it occurred to Naomi and I that yesterday’s post potentially left some people thinking that, by me stopping chemo, death was imminent! Continue reading
It’s my body and I’ll do what I want to…
Sometimes, I really am really, really tempted to record a cancer/illness version of the 1963 hit It’s My Party. Continue reading
A year ago today, my world turned around forever. I started the day with a bit of tummy pain, expecting a CT scan to confirm possible appendicitis or a small bowel-related issue, and ended the day knowing I had cancer. Continue reading
Here’s hoping…
It turns out May is a milestone month for me this year. It was on May 19 last year I first found out I had a ‘gynaecological malignancy, ovarian in nature’. (No matter how many memories chemo steals, that sentence is burnt into my brain.) Five days later, I finally graduated from uni with my Bachelor of Communications. And six months ago today I had a massive operation to remove a cancer that was close to killing me. So to say it’s been a big year would be an understatement. And even though I have my girl and my little man, it has undoubtedly been the loneliest year of my life. Continue reading
