Ding Ding... Seconds Out ... Round Two !!

Thursday 9th May 2024 : 10.45am - Round 2, Cycle 1

Finally, I have my hair back, finally I have my photography mojo back, finally life seems to be returning to a bit of normal (albeit no "finally" in the weight loss department) but Oh No ... life was just jesting.

My last update was September last year when I reported on the results of the August scan. Well I'd been trundling along with life, back into some semblance of normality and then over the course of the last few weeks, I started noticing niggles. Tummy pain, shortness of breath, but put it down to the ongoing drug regime for my Dermatomyositis and the Menopause (blame everything on the menopause) but the niggles persisted.

A trip to the GP to see if we could effect a "quick fix" and it became apparent that things were maybe not as simple as hoped for. Referral back to the oncology department who very quickly decided that a further scan was in order - from No Symptoms to Symptoms = Scan.

Last Thursday was two weeks since the scan and Andrew and I were sat in my Consultants room at Weston Park ..... with the dreaded tissue box and two additional nurses - you know that what's coming isn't going to be good news. And it wasn't.

The micro dots on the August scan are now worthy of some Chemo treatment. So Lungs, Peritoneum and one sub-clavicalular Lymph node, watch out, we are coming for you.

The last time round was pretty horrendous and the plan is to go at it full throttle but to re-asses after each cycle. We may need to adjust dose or change regime but we are aiming for 6 cycles.

When I was told I had cancer, the first time round, there is a gut wrenching fear of the unknown, how would treatment work, how would i respond, what would it be like, this time there is a quiet acceptance, a calm before the storm but a degree of trepidation knowing what is likely to come.

My brain has slipped into "practical mode". Bottles of water, packets of Senna, (a spreadsheet for recording bowel movements or lack of - this is a BIG issue) Bonjela, comfortable clothes and my crocs. Pack up's for treatment days, things I liked to eat and things I didn't, books, crosswords and a chance to watch a 3 hour film that Andrew has no interest in watching.

We take the positives - I responded really well to chemo last time, and all things being equal my oncology team are confident that it will be the same outcome this time round....