My busy social calander

What have I been doing in the past couple of weeks.

A big first was going to my beautician, I am working my way through her treatment list, and had my first ever pedicure. When my husband got home I found out why I have never had a pedicure, he does not like painted toe nails. Well tough I am off this summer and wearing some lovely sandals that need a little more decoration.

I have been fitted with my prosthetic, which is an eye opener to my cup size. I don't think it is reflective though as the operation was to the chest wall and I have to be built up to fit the bra. So not a chicken fillet!!

Popped into the office and had lunch with what of the team there was. Some were off on their jollies, others were working at other sites. Those that were there it was great to see and catch up on their adventures on the Race for Life walk. (See previous blog).

I caught up with another friend at Toastmasters and was the Grammarian for the evening with a well used word as words of the day go. In case you want to use it the word was Edify - be an uplifting moral or intellectual influence on. We were also treated to what I hope to be an International winning speech.

Went down to Brum to see friends and family. We timed it well as a cousin was celebrating a biggish birthday and we could spend some time with them at their open house B-B-Q. We got to catch up with other family members and not at a funeral which has been the case over recent years. We then watched England's opening match at friends with friends. Pizza delivery was well timed and those not into football or who would disrupt the match were sent out to get the curries and chip shop take aways. We finished the weekend with a lovely lunch with our kind hostess, as unfortunately the host was at work.

I have also caught up with some very old friends, that is friends of long standing. It was a PowerTalk Topics Contest at Cheshire Communicators. I didn't do a bad show even if the topic was sooooooooo not me. In the end there was a worthy winner.


I had a fabulous and quite unexpected lunch with a friend and caught up on all the gossip, not that I am one to gossip. I even went to the Trafford Centre without buying anything (wonders will never cease).

Most importantly of all I now have something to watch in the daytime. The start of the World Cup heralded my summer. We will not talk of England, but I do think it will end in tears, whose and how I won't say, it just won't be pretty. Still to come is Wimbledon my days and weeks are planned.

Third treatment and beyond

The accumulated effect is really taking hold. Not that I have been or felt sick as such I have had other digestion issues. They say about constipation and diarrhoea but to happen one after the other in a couple hours is the strangest of things. Once one has clears then the other comes with vengeance and also keeps me up in the middle of the night. I am now up to at least 3 months of not sleeping a whole night through.
As soon as the house starts waking up, that is my husband makes his way to the shower room I am awake and then dose until he either leaves or within an hour of his departure, at 06:30 is a little early if you at home all day. Then I go to bed and still can not settle properly, either knowing which side to best sleep on or just to get comfortable.
I have taken to having the laptop on and watching catch up TV or listening to iTunes on shuffle (which can come up with some surprising selections.) I have blogged on this already and some of the other things that I have been doing, but when you can not get comfortable or are very tired it takes on a whole new meaning.
I am thankful for people posting things on Facebook or emailing me just to break up my thoughts, which this time round have been very depressing. It does not help that my neighbour is now going for an operation - I wish her well and will be there for her as she has been there for me. I have been close to tears but this time I have actually spilt some, which is not me. I don't want to be like this and have tried to be 'brave' for everyone but sometimes it is just a step beyond what I can do alone.
I will not be able to talk to my mom and pops for the next couple of weeks, they are going on a cruise round South East Asia, I think this will be a strange thing as I have enjoyed being able to switch on my computer and within a couple of minutes my Skype rings and I have a chat with mom, either face to face or just voice. Either way it has been useful to know that they are there.
Well I have rounded the corner and will have a weekend to do stuff and full packed two weeks which I am sure will make for interesting blogging. I have lunches planned, days out, the theatre, visits from colleagues and of course more time to play on my computer.

Friends

This has been an interesting time as you can tell. It would have been a lot more awful without friends and I want to thank all those who have taking the time to write cards and send them, take time out of your day and busy schedules to visit me, even to the expense of bringing flowers, chocolates and other goodies.

The past couple of weeks I have been building up my trips out.  I have now finally got back behind the wheel of a car and went to the Trafford Centre shopping, you will be pleased to note that I was joined by another driver just in case it was too much or I could not cope with it, I have now bought a hat and will require a few more as I don't want to get bored of it or that it appears in too many photos over the summer.

I have also been to two National Trust properties.

• Quarry Bank & Styal Estate
  Here we followed various school groups round and played around ourselves with the hands on exhibits.  Very enjoyable as all National Trust properties are.  We also visited the newly opened gardens.  They were handed over to the trust in 2006 and opened in 2008, there is still work to be done but it was a wonderful spot by the water.  It will look lovely as the various flowers bloom, at the moment they are limited to the Snowdrops (those that are left), a myriad of Daffodils but not enough for Wordsworth me thinks and the odd Crocus.  There was a view of things to come with a lonely Tulip on show.

• Dunham Massey
  Our first stop at Dunham Massey was the restaurant for a light lunch.  We also went on one of the guided tours around the house.  When we mustered at the meeting point I bumped into an ex-work colleague from the paper, which was a shock.  We chatted and swapped a little gossip, as you do.  The tour was really good and informative of the family and the development of the estate.  On our way out we then saw the local inhabitants feeding.

Feelings

I am unsure if I have been handling this cancer thing right.  With everyone saying how positive I am and that I seem to doing well.

Then I watch a couple of interviews with sports MEN who said that when they were diagnosed with their cancer that they did not remember the journey home or sat in the car at the hospital and cried.  I did neither is there something wrong with me?

I must admit that I am just getting on with it and will probably forget about what happened when I get to the other end or at least the bad stuff and remember the laughs along the way.  I have always been a positive person, well we do have our off days, but in the main I try to see the positive side of life.
I have discussed this with friends and they say that it is just that the examples I have shown are MEN and not women who seem to be stronger and cope with pain and these sorts of things in different ways.
Any way I am staying positive and will just get on with it.

Home

Left Hospital yesterday and had a really good nights sleep. Will write about it later.  Thanks to those who took the time to visit me, comment on my status on Facebook and sent me cards and messages.  It is nice to know that people care.