Anyone due to start chemo April 14??

[Wildpurl]

Thinking of you tomorrow Lovewine, I'm sure it will be OK but I can understand how you feel about chemo unit!

[Lovewine]

Thanks Rosie! Am quite nervous at going back to the chemo unit! Really fed up with hospitals now😟 x

[rosie14]

In the winter here I usually wear leggings and in the heat of the summer I tend to wear sun dresses as they cover up more of my legs than shorts!! I think you have to wear what you feel,comfortable in! I am just beginning to go into t shirts with short sleeves and 3/4 light trousers. Good luck tomorrow be thinking of you! X

[Lovewine]

No he wouldn't appreciate us old biddies at all!! And yes I am not a dress person at all- more a jeans and top! But am trying to be more adventurous in my wardrobe if nothing else! But then it's obviously not working as back went the jeggings!! Think I am stuck in a rut.

[rosie14]

Oh I see Lovewine no he may not appreciate oldies especially if they try to offer him advice!!! A whole month to get through before his trip poor you!
Hope the dress will be to your liking worth looking for a back up just incase!!!!

[Lovewine]

Hi Rosie, no it's just the older members of family going- mum, dad me /O/H ,sister , brother in law and elderly aunts!! Think it would depress him even more surrounded by the elderly, crying aunts!! Yes I am trying to get him excited about Rome, but he's not getting enthused as yet, he leaves on 30th of October, so not sure what will happen in the meantime! I have ordered a dress in the sale from marks and spencer to arrive Friday morning so hoping it will look ok, still may have a look around shops though tomorrow before hospital appointment!

[rosie14]

I suppose that he is mourning the relationship he once had is a step in the right direction Lovewine. He needs to start planning that trip to Rome with his mates! Is he going to the meal with you on Friday ?

[Lovewine]

Thanks for the reassurance tij, hope yours goes ok today too!! I always fret at something new and of course hospitals!!!!!

[Lovewine]

Yes Rosie, exactly what I was thinking too!! My appointment is 12.00 tomorrow, so thought before I go into hospital I might detour to local shopping centre and find something to wear!!
Still ongoing problems with son, he is now very sad and mourning the relationship they had instead of the one sided , cruel one that's he's got now, she's now announced she is going travelling after uni next year- no mention of him going too!

[Tlj63]

Lovewine, don't worry about an allergic reaction. The nurse told me she had never seen anyone react to it and you only had to stay for along time for the first injection to comply with the new licsencing agreement as it was a realitively new way to administer the drug

[rosie14]

Good morning Lovewine, I am sure you won't have an allergic reaction to herceptin you were fine with the chemo drugs weren't you? Oh dear we are behind the times here it would be much quicker to have an injection every 3 weeks!
It will be lovely to have a family meal on Friday I am sure the aunts won't cry when they see you they will tell you how well you look.
I think,this may call for a little retail therapy don't you?????

[Lovewine]

I seem to wake up early too Rosie! I read for a while in bed and drink coffee but can't get to sleep again! Very annoying. I think here herceptin was given intravenously until recently and now as Tij says it's in the thigh, I know compared to out other things it's not too bad- but now fretting about going tomorrow and hope I don't have an allergic reaction!
On a lighter note, we have been invited Friday evening to have a meal in local restaurant with about 10 family members ( some I havnt seen since sons wedding last September!) , 2 aunts in particular are very emotional and found my diagnosis very hard to deal with- not been a barrel of laughs for me either really!!!! O/H really hopes they don't start crying which I have to agree- I banned all crying right at the beginning from mum, sister etc- I told them if ime not bawling then I don't expect you lot to be either!! Of course I do in private and know they do, anyway need waterproof mascara just in case and have nothing to wear!!!

[rosie14]

Is herceptin always given by injection in the UK? It is given intravenously here for 30 mins!!!!!
Typical bank holiday here today and I am awake at 5.45am! Problems sleeping can't get comfortable in bed! Left side very sore underneath the expander I guess it's the muscle or tissue. I still have to have 2 more inflations on the left as well! Still got my stupid cough which doesn't help my discomfort at all!
Oh dear it sounds like I have got out of bed onto the grumpy step! Hope the rest of you have had a good sleep and are ready for your days!

[Tlj63]

Lovewine, I'm on my 6th herceptin injection. My injections are in my thigh. The first time I had to wait 6 hours on the oncology unit in case of an allergic reaction, the second time 3 hours and now just half an hour. I have mine once every 3 weeks and a heart scan once every 3 months.

[rosie14]

Yes could do without it Lovewine but it could have been so much worse!!! Hope your herceptin goes well on Thursday. I have to contact my oncologist who is back in the country on October 2nd to give him my latest heart echo to see if it has improved enough for me to have herceptin.

[Lovewine]

At last something that isn't as expensive as you think Rosie! Still could do without it though. How nice to find someone local you can meet up with who has been through the same thing and with the problems with expanders too, I am sure it will be a big help to you to hear her experiences. I have horrible brown nails too, they have all got deep ridges in them too, even with nail polish on they look awful.
Tij, I have my first herceptin on Thursday! Have to see oncologist just before my second injection too and then I think every 3 months! Not sure what follow up care is offered here, havnt heard anything about scans yet! Hope your injection goes ok without side effects, I have to stay in for 2 hours after it, what about you?

[rosie14]

Hi Tlj glad all went well with the UK trip and your sons return. Not long till half term now, will he be home for the week?
It would,have been good to haven't the CT scans that were offered by the oncologist I wonder why the surgeon didn't think they were all necessary?
Just heard from husband car is going to be about 1000 euros we were expecting double this! Should be ready by Monday!

[Tlj63]

Hi ladies
Hope everyone is feeling ok and not on the grumpy step.
I'm in the middle of a week of hospital visits. I saw the oncologist yesterday, the surgeon today and will be going back for herceptin injection tomorrow. Everything seems to be going to plan so far and now have a date in November for the removal of my implant port. The surgeon and oncologist can't decide how to manage my follow up. Oncologist offered me a CT scan of chest, abdomen and pelvis in 6 months time. The surgeon felt that was not necessary and suggested a breast MRI instead. Curious to know what regime everyone else has been offered.
I had a good trip to the UK with DS2 and then we returned home to a lovely weekend with DS1. He has now returned to the UK and won't be back home now until half term. It felt very funny leaving him at the airport to get on a plane without us. He was completely knackered when he got home on Friday, so hopefully we managed to recharge his batteries over the weekend enough to keep him going for the next few weeks.
Hope the car is fixed Rosie. Lovewine, I hope your son's troubles resolve, sometimes the thought of the breakup is worse than the reality.

[rosie14]

Well stone the crows! My nail friend has just sent me a text to say that one of her clients had a mastectomy in February and she has tissue expanders that she found very uncomfortable at the onset. I am meeting her for coffee on Thursday this is very exciting for me!!

[rosie14]

Good Morning Lovewine I still have my chesty cough form when I went into school 2 weeks ago so I am not too keen to go in although I need to. It's bank holiday here tomorrow, Cyprus Independence Day, I may go in Thursday! Yes only 3 weeks Saturday now until,daughter, husband and the 2 children come out. I am so glad I haven't got to get on a flight this half term!‘
Wildpurl,glad your boss has agreed to your new hours it's not worth over doing it after all we have been through!
I have just managed to get down to my toes to attempt to remove the nail polish on my toenails, purple, that has been there since the wedding at the end of July!!!! 4 of my toe nails have white marks on that look like paint. I took the polish off my nails also as it has been on just over 2 weeks and I have 3 very brown stained nails which make me look like a smoker!

[Wildpurl]

Morning all, back to full on work yesterday, still adjusting! The good news is that my boss has agreed to my reduced hours, which will hopefully kick in at the start of November.

Sorry to hear about your car Rosie, hope it can be fixed as it sounds like a real workhorse! Also sorry you are still in so much discomfort and hoping that things do improve.

Lovewine, how difficult for you to see your son so unhappy, but I daresay he will reach the right decision in his own time, it sounds like he is aware of the situation but still in denial if that makes sense.

Tulamo, totally understand about not wanting anything to delay the final chemo. I was paranoid! I think you will be OK though. Will be thinking of you.

Thinking of you too, Jackie

[Lovewine]

Morning ladies! Hope the car isn't going to be an expensive, long job Rosie! Are you going into school this week? It's not too long now until your daughter visits is it! How quickly the weeks fly past.
Tulamo, all the very best for your last chemo and I do hope you do not catch your little boys cold, what is the next step after chemo in treatment? Hope you get back soon to your riding, did you manage to ride at all during chemo? Well done if you did!!
Wildpurl, hope you have eased in slowly back to reality !
Lisa, cassie, Joan have good day, Jackie hope you are ok?
Tij, hope too you had a lovely weekend with your son, sad to see him go off again though, but great that he settled in well.
Everyone you that I missed hope all is well.

[rosie14]

Good morning everyone!
Tulamo sorry to hear your little boy has a cold and do hope that you don't get it! As you say the final hurdle and you don't want it delayed.
Yes I suppose we could have taken a branch and beat the car but it was rather sad when it was taken away on the break down truck. We are hoping it will be economical to repair as cars out here are not cheap. We purchased this one from our landlord of the school at the time 4 years ago it was 11 years old then. It is an ISUZU 7 seater that is very handy when we have family out and also for ferrying pupils around from time to time! My car on the other hand is a very small Proton which my husband calls a toy car! I have only had to 2 years from a garage and the body is coming away part of it is stuck on with tape now. It had clearly been in a crash that has been disguised at the time of purchase!
Hope you all have a good Tuesday!

[tulamo]

Hi guys,

Gearing up for my final chemo on Thursday, my little boy has started with a cold so praying I can avoid it couldn't bear to get delayed at final hurdle.

Rosie after all you're going through now the car breaks down wouldn't blame you if you did a Basil Fawlty and beat it up with a tree. Hope you get some relief from the dreadful expanders soon.

Cassie your daughters effort is pretty stunning 26 miles is a very long walk. I always feel very humbled these days when I hear of people fundraising for cancer research etc as it feels very personal now. My mum and sister both did walks over the summer I was very proud of my mum she did two miles aged 86 and having had a knee replacement in 2007.

Lovewine hope your son is able to take the step of walking away from this girl. I remember having my heart broken back in my 20's felt like the world would end but at least you csn start healing , thats why I hate it when people dont have the decency to be truthful and string others along it is cruel.

Joan sorry to hear about your nails  hope the last three hang on in there. The afro sounds extreme funny how these things must play on our minds and come out super weird in our dreams.

Wildpurl looks like you picked the right week for your holiday as weather up here in north west due to get wet and windy not so great for climbing up Snowdon!

Jackie its tough being so far from family I am in same situation. It must have been frightening hearing the path results but hopefully the chemo did its job by stopping the  nasty little blighters in their tracks so surgery could then get them all out. Are you to have radiotherapy too ?

Lisa you seem to be taking your return to work in your stride a bit scary that primary school kids are messing with fire alarms I wouldnt have dared do something like that when I was at school what are the parents reactions ?

I've not even started on the steroids yet and can't sleep so annoying as I feel so tired. My mouth felt reasonably ok today for first time just as due back for next treatment. Think am going to try sucking ice lollies this time have resisted to date as with cold cap on last thing I fancy is an ice lolly but if it could reduce the severity of the yukkiness or shortened the time it affects me it would be worth it for the last cycle.

Hoping to get back on my horse in a couple of weeks time really looking forward to it but doubt "Mr Ed" will share my enthusiasm. He is however a gentleman and usually looks after me, we will be taking things pretty slowly at first.

Must say goodnight everyone and take care xxx

[rosie14]

Evening All!
Lisa and Lovewine we haven't heard about the poor car yet I expect it will be tomorrow.
Lovewine if you're we're not happy with the jeggings I don't blame you taking them back hope you get on ok with the skinny jeans!

[Lovewine]

Hi Lisa, many apologies have to work most of tomorrow ready to catch up with herceptin jab on Thursday! Will definitely meet up at some point soon! Hope your job is going ok and you are settling in well back to some routine now, catch up soon!
Rosie, how annoying about the car, supposed looking on bright side it could have happened on the way there, hope it's not too disastrous news from the garage, cars are a costly business!
I think you are right in saying you won't feel properly comfortable until you get the implants in.
Wildpurl, hope you had a good day at work
Joan, how annoying about fingernails, just shows we get side effects from chemo all these weeks later.
Well I have had a very busy work day today, took jeggings back by the way and gone for a compromise and trying skinny jeans instead which I seem to be getting on with so far!

[rolicarpit]

Hi all

Hope you are all well?

Oh dear Rosie how annoying about the car - hope there's not too much damage ! Cassie sounds like your daughter should be very proud of herself.

Joan - you are right about managing to do things that usually take a a back seat, thats been a definite silver lining about this whole thing, Im trying hard to keep a balance in my life from now on.

Lovewine - just let me know if you find yourself available tomorrow, no worries if not, we can sort it out another time.

Hope it wasnt too much of a shock today Wildpurl after your holiday!

Have a good evening all

Lisa

[rosie14]

Hi Lovewine this is a really difficult time for you. Maybe one morning your son will wake up and realise the he has to take the bull by the horns!
DH car broke down big time on the way back from Nicosia today! There was a very Big Bang and then the gears wouldn't work!!' DH managed to get the car off the motorway and fortunately we weren't far out of Paphos. We couldn't quite make it to the garage and had to call the rescue service. We were supposed to be meeting someone in Paphos for coffee he was very kind and came out to where we we were stuck. The car was eventually taken away on the recovery vehicle to the garage and he took us home which was another 20 mins. DH has now gone back to get the dog who is boarding the other side of Paphos airport! We now wait with baited breath for the garage to ring with news!!!!
When he gets back we have to go shopping as the fridge is bare!
Still uncomfortable and sore and taking pain killers when it really gets me down which helps a little. I don't think I will get proper relief till the wretched things are out and the real implants in!
Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

[Lovewine]

Morning everyone, cassie your daughter did so well, good on her and all the others who did the walk!
Rosie, yes I am hoping son starts to see sense soon, for his own sanity if nothing else, he is so worn down with it all now. She won't discuss anything of any importance and think my son is very reluctant to push her in case he forces her into a corner and she dumps him, she definitely is calling all the shots in this very one sided " relationship". How are you today? Hope a little more comfortable!
Wildpurl, bet you have post holiday blues today, good luck back in the daily grind!
Happy Monday to everyone!

Jackie am thinking of you.

[rosie14]

Oh I have bee given my first bleep!!! It was only for the female dog word !!!

[rosie14]

Lovewine I am very impressed a 6 mile walk well done you! Glad your son went too it will do him good to be outside. At the girl has seen him and he may now begin to relise that she has become a bit of a **bleep**. Did they actually talk about the situation and what she wouldn't kiss him? I am with Joan I would like to give the girl,a good slap!
Joan glad you had a good day in Oxford. So sorry that you have lost 7 fingernails. I have some that feel quite sore and are lifting slightly and am hoping they won't come off. It seems crazy so long after
Chemo,and we are still having to,deal with side effects!!!
We are about 50 kms from nearest base Joan so,we shouldn't hear them taking off! We are about 20 kms form Paphos airport and we can hear the planes in the sky but not taking off.
A cruise liner rescued over 300 refugee Syrians from an overcrowded fishing boat in distress on Thursday and they refused to get off at Limassol,they wanted to be taken to Italy!!!! They did get off in the end and were taken to an army base in Nicosia after having medical checks. I find this very worrying as we get a lot of men especially come from the eastern block for very low paid wages here and I have to say that unfortunately there are more break ins than there used to be Cyprus was a very safe place to live a few years ago when we first came. Worrying times!
Wildpurl glad you got your washing dry! Hope you settle back into your routine well.
Cassie it sounds like your daughter got off lightly if she didn't do any training. Hope they raise lots of well deserved money for something that is so close to all of our hearts! X

[Cassie86]

Hi Ladies,

I had a lovely walk in  the park this morning in the gorgeous sunshine we are having at the moment, best to make the most of it while we can, I meet up with a work friend who has a little dog very cute.

My daughter immerged from bed at about 5ish this afternoon so I made her some well derseved dinner after her Shine Night walk of 26.2 miles, she has one large blister and some aches and pains but its to be expected, none of her group had any training or preperation, I did warn them. I am told the atmosphere was electric all the scientists from the Cancer research building came out in thier lab coats to cheer them on at 2am and they had set up a projector with a link to their twitter account with all the comments about the fund raising also the channel 4 building had some cheery signs up wishing all the walkers well.  I will be great to see how much all these lovely people have managed to raise, my daughter surpassed her target and may well double it yet as some are not keen to donate on line. Wish you all well, should get off to bed soon as at work  in the morning.

[Wildpurl]

Well done on your six mile walk Lovewine, I am determined to keep up the walking now. I had never thought of getting Herodotus on my kindle, what a great idea! He is one of my favourite authors.

All my clothes washing is dry and in the airing cupboard, there are some sheets and towels still on the line but I think I did quite well! Not looking forward to going back to reality tomorrow although I'm sure I shall soon adapt!

[Lovewine]

Joan, sounds like a lovely day in oxford- it's most definitely one of my most favourite places, last year we went around Christchurch college and the church and it's fascinating, plus I love " Lewis", and also " endeavour, so enjoy going in the " turf tavern" boddlian library etc !! And if course we always have a drink in the " eagle and child" and imagine the meetings Tolkien, Lewis etc had! I particularly enjoy people watching and eavesdropping on the oxford dons !
I also love the British museum, last year we all went to see the Pompeii exhibition there and it was really interesting, also love the Egyptology section too, Wildpurl, by coincidence my son downloaded Herodotus onto my kindle a couple of days ago as a recommendation, so will begin it soon. I also love the imperial war museum, would very much like to see the latest exhibition on the First World War, last time we visited we went into the holocaust exhibition and I was absolutely horrified and apalled at the cabinet containing the shoes of the victims and all the photographs etc, it really brought it home hard how truly horrific this time in history was and have found it hard to get it out of my head since. I followed a car with a sticker on back which read- " the more people I meet , the more I love my dog!" I think I agree sometimes!

[joan47]

Just got back from a lovely day in Oxford. Unfortunately our friends couldn't make it at the last minute but probably just as well because I hadn't checked out exactly what the exhibition was about. It turned out to be about the discovery of Tutankamums tomb and the process of recording rather than much about the tomb itself and although the artefacts on display were interesting there weren't many of them. We were Ok with that because we were lucky enough to go to Egypt a few years ago and were able to dead our eyes on the treasures into the Cairo museum but I think our friends might have been disappointed.

Wildpurl, the British museum is my favourite place in London. I always tried to fit in a visit whenever I was up there for work. Another good place for Egyptian stuff is the Finders Petrie museum at UCL. Chaotically organised but some wonderful stuff. Glad you had such a lovely holiday. Commiserations about the washing. Perhaps thinking about your next getaway will help to make you feel better about this one being over. Seven finger nails gone now. Only three more to go. Im resigned to them all going now, just hoping that all the toe nails don't fall off as well.

Lovewine. Well done you for managing your 6 mile walk. It's good that your son felt up to tackling it; when you're down exercise can be the last thing you feel up to. We'd probably all like to give this girl a good shake.

Lisa, glad work has gone well. I know what you mean about work interfering with social life. One of the few good things about all this has been the opportunity/necessity to do things and see people that normally take a back seat when you're working.

Cassie, what a wonderful thing your daughter and nephew have done. It must have been very moving to see all those people taking part. Hope you enjoyed your food fair and whatever you brought home.

Rosie, your meal sounds delicious. Glad you managed a bit of walking. Hope you manage to get a better nights sleep tonight. How near are you to the RAF bases that will be used for the attacks on ISIS? Will you be able to hear them taking off? It is such a worrying development and one wonders what the repercussions will be on the countries taking part.

Jackie, thinking of you.

[Lovewine]

Evening everyone, well we did a six mile walk today and am now very stiff legged! But quite pleased with myself. Son came with us as he is still very, very down, girlfriend situation not much better, he spent the day with her, spending more money on her for meals out, cinema etc and she wouldn't even let him kiss her or meet her new house mates- it really doesn't bode well does it, son can see all this for himself, but can't break away and is clinging on to whatever she chooses to throw his way, it's very one sided, I feel utterly helpless.
Lisa, would love to meet up again, I have to work Tuesday, if I have an easy work load( will know Monday evening!) I can meet you at wistow Tuesday afternoon, if not then certainly another day, like you said, not sure how I ever had time to work full time hours either with all the socialising!

Rosie, sounds a lovely day! Yes you are right I would definitely loved famagusta and all the history, my aunt lived there years ago, I think it was after they were posted there when my uncle was in the R.A.F , yes I too miss my dogs when go away!
Wildpurl, hope you have caught up with all your laundry, certainly been a good day for drying, it's been like a July day here! Apparently we are supposed to be having nice weather throughout October, that would be lovely.

[rosie14]

Well done indeed to your daughter Cassie you must be very proud of her hope she has a well deserved rest now!
Wildpurl glad you are back safely, an IKEA trip how lovely I love shopping there!
Glad the garden was ok your soups sound lovely!
Lovewine we went to Famugusta today you would have loved the old part it has a wall round it built in the 16 th century to keep the Ottermans out but it failed!
Hi Lisa the weather in Cyprus is still warm and sunny it has been very wild and windy today but it is a warm wind! It's dropped to the top 20's. You may need a cardigan for the evenings in another 3 weeks. I have been wearing sundresses and shorts still in the day. I think this may change in a week of 2 and I will be wearing 3/4 light trousers with sleeved t shirts!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday everyone. We will be heading home after visiting the ministry of Ed with some paper work for new members of staff. Missing the dog!

[rolicarpit]

Good morning everyone, it's a beautiful day here in Leicester, I can't quite believe it's nearly October, makes me realise what a whirlwind year this year has been, last time I looked it was January lol !

Wildpurl - glad you enjoyed your holiday, I'm very impressed you got up Snowdon, that must have felt great, it must be nice to know that your fitness and energy levels are recovering, I'm still struggling a bit with exercise, keep trying to play tennis on my drive with a training ball on a piece of elastic but my veins in my arm are still sore and restrict what I can do, although it's getting better.

Rosie - hope your rash is clearing up and don't blame you for the glasses of wine, think I'd have reached for it a long time ago ! Good to hear that you are getting to the last of your inflations and about to get on with radiotherapy, bet you will be glad when that is over as it sounds like you have to travel a considerable way each day. How is the weather in Cyprus, I'm hoping it's still going to be warm when we come in 3 weeks ?

Lovewine, sounds a bit of a whirlwind planning appointment for radiotherapy at least you didn't have time to worry about it, let me know if you fancy meeting for that coffee and cake at Wistow sometime, I'm not working tues this week if that's any good to you and if you want to meet for a natter ?

Jackie - sorry to hear that your path results weren't what you were hoping for, hope you are doing ok?

Joan - we are almost got tickets to bring up the bodies as well last weekend as there was a guy selling 2 for half price for the evening show but I just couldn't sit still anymore after Matilda the night before and the matinee of wolf hall, but I would definitely see it .... Matilda was brilliant, I'd go again...

Tulamo glad to hear you are doing ok with the chemo ... My mouth was always the thing that got me down too ... You just can't forget about it, even now I'm grateful for the fact that I can eat and taste anything I want in comparison to a few months ago, it's such a nice feeling when it gets better for the last time

Well, work has been going ok, 4 half days next week, can't quite imagine being full time, it's interfering with my social life lol ! I am enjoying it though, even though one of our new primary children set the fire alarms off 12 times in 3 days ... It's never a dull day at school!

Off to a food Fayre today, so will no doubt have something tasty for lunch and then roast dinner tonight ... Yum yum.

hope Cassie and Tlj are both well and that everyone enjoys their Sunday

Take care all
Lisa

[Cassie86]

Hi All,

My daughter is now tucked up in bed, she could hardly walk up the stairs ahh......

[Lovewine]

Wildpurl, our posts clashed, good luck with the washing!!!

[Lovewine]

Well done indeed to them cassie, I have some friends who also did the walk, let's hope in years to come there will be a cure for this awful disease.
Rosie, your food sounds very nice and the cake too, enjoy the day today whatever you are planning?!
Have a good Sunday everyone, Wildpurl, hope your cottage had a washing machine otherwise I can guess what you will be doing today!

[Wildpurl]

Morning everyone, we got safely back at about 6pm yesterday evening. We went via an IKEA on our route and bought some new duvet covers, a table lamp, glass tumblers, picture frames and other bits and bobs. Then stopped off in Worcester to see OH's brother and SIL. They haven't seen us since the funeral in Scotland in April, when my hair had just thinned dramatically, so I think they thought I was looking a lot better!

We had a takeaway for dinner and watched some TV - we watched a couple of movies while away but no normal TV, so that was nice and relaxing. This morning I have a mountain of laundry to get through, first load is in the machine. Luckily it looks like a great drying day here! The garden looks OK, OH is digging up our main crop potatoes today, also making roast tomato soup and roasting red peppers for the freezer. I am using up our summer squashes in a squash and ginger soup.

It's nice to be home but at the same time I am a little sad that the holiday is over, it was such a lovely holiday and I had been looking forward to it since half way through chemo! It really was just what I needed and has given me a real boost.

Cassie, such encouraging news about the fundraising and well done to your daughter and nephew for taking part.

Rosie, glad your infection is subsiding and that your inflations are nearly complete. Fingers crossed it all begins to settle down now and stop hurting.

Lovewine, I used to love going to the Egyptology section of the British museum, it is so fascinating! Have you read Herodotus' account of his travels in Egypt, he describes how the mummification was done and all sorts of details about the society of that time.

Jackie, I am sorry you feel so isolated, it is hard being a long way from your family at the best of times.

Joan, you seem to be keeping busy and are sounding as though you have a lot more energy. I hope the nails stop coming off soon!

Have good Sundays everyone

[Cassie86]

Hello Ladies,

Just waiting for my daughter to return from the Shine Night Walk marathon for cancer research I went to Southwark Park to see her and my nephew who lost his dad to lung cancer  Oct 2010 off, bless them both they had two other friends from uni with them on the journey. The slogan is "sleep can wait, beating cancer can't" and they all know someone who has been through or is going through this awful disease, it was really impressive over 33,00 people have taken part last night. My daughters group went with the striders.

My nephew was at lectures Saturday Morning and will be travelling back straight afterwards this morning he will be missing lectures this morning and re-joining them by midday, you have to admire the stamina at 25 we all felt unstoppable I guess! 

It has predicted if the fundraising continues at this rate there will be many more break throughs and more complete cures, well done to them all I say XXXXX Cassie

[rosie14]

Good morning ladies!
Lovewine the evening wasn't too bad! I managed to sleep for an hour in the afternoon. I had 2 glasses of wine with a fish meze. Followed fruits and a honey cake, yum!!! Got to bed at midnight but wasn't very comfortable so took more pain killers. Eventually got to sleep on and off.
Your cake at the coffee morning sounds delicious!
Wildpurl,hope you got home safely and your garden has behaved itself in your absence?
Tlj hope you had a wonderful weekend with you son. Joan and Jackie hope you are both ok and the Jackie you will get some answers to your worries this week. Jos, tulmano , Cassie and Nellie hope you are all doing well and anyone I may have missed!

[Lovewine]

Enjoy your evening Rosie! Hope you have a better night and can take some painkillers ! Had some lovely cake at coffee morning - chocolate and strawberry with fresh cream!!

[rosie14]

My wig is straight and black Lovewine my hair was mainly black when it first started coming through. Now it is duel tone black and steel!!!
I did have glass of wine last night and I also had one at lunchtime! We walked down Ledra Street had coffee in Cyprus walked across the boarder and had lunch in the occupied north! I had to keep sitting down but I made it. I am taking pain killers for the tissue expander problems it does make it more bearable. Had a bad sore night should have taken some in the night!
Hope the coffee morning went well I bet there were some delicious cakes!
We have come back to the hotel to rest before meeting colleagues tonight.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

[Lovewine]

Hi everyone, Rosie, can't get much better than having the queen visiting your area! Hope you had a glass of wine last night and enjoyed it! I would have loved to visit Egypt , but as you say far too dangerous now! I have always found mummies fascinating from bring a small child- remember mum and dad taking us to our museum and a mummy on display had 2 teeth poking through bandages and I was hooked! Have visited many times since and took my Boys too when they were children and they too became very interested in Egyptian history! I still pop in to the museum from time to time when parking to go shopping !!
I am off with O/H down to hairdressers in village for a macmillan fund raising coffee morning, don't think I will need a shampoo and set today though!! My hair is coming back awful- grey, brown,white and curly, my wig is blonde and straight!
Have a good Saturday everyone! Wildpurl, hope you have a safe journey home.

[rosie14]

Hi Joan hope you enjoy your busy weekend. DH and I went to Egypt 3 years ago before the trouble got really bad and visited Valley of the kings, the Tutankhamen museum in Cairo and had a visit to the pyramids. It's not the place to visit now and was pretty scary then. We used to hear gun fire going off but the guide assured us it was safe!!!!! It's a shame such an exciting time in history.
Sorry to hear about your daughters dog I guess they have to weigh up how old the dog is and likely recovery.
You all seem to have had a celebrity in your neighbourhood! When we lived in Plymouth we went to see a show at the theatre and Lesley Jeffrey's from Birds of a Feather, was in the bar in the interval and we got her autograph!!! DH had the Queen visit his school in Plymouth!
Lovewine good news about your eyelashes and brows they come back quite quickly. As my hair head increases so does the duel toning!!!!!
We get UK TV through an android box so I see these cancer adverts also.
Enjoy Saturday everyone!

[Lovewine]

You are having a busy weekend Joan! We are going to oxford to see Tutankhamen exhibition in 2 weeks! I love oxford and the ashmolean! My fingernails too are starting to come off , have lost one already this week, but on positive note my eyelashes and brows seem to be springing to life finally. I sympathise with your daughters decision regarding her dog, as a great lover of dogs I think it's very upsetting when faced with a very poorly pet and the right thing to do. Hope you are not too exhausted by your busy weekend, it will be good practice for Barcelona!
You are so right about cancer being all over the television at the moment, it does get a bit much, I particularly despise the macmillan advert with the miserable woman sat on her own In grim chemo ward, my chemo experience was nothing like that!

[joan47]

Jackie, what a distressing time you are having. No wonder you are feeling down. I hope you will be able to see your oncologist soon and get some clarity about the next steps. I wonder what your lady who has gone private means precisely when she compared the treatment available with what she was offered on the NHS. It may not have any relevance to your situation but make you worry unnecessarily. Hope the physio helps with your cording.

Lovewine, our claim to fame here recently is having the town scenes of Broadchurch (with David Tennant ) filmed here and the One direction video. I hope you're right about so s girlfriend really wanting to end it and she won't continue to torment him. Although he will be distraught at least there will be something concrete to deal with and comfort him about.

Rosie, hope the final inflation is not too uncomfortable. You are quite entitled to feel fed up, it has been such a long hard haul for you. 8.45 certainly does sound quite late.

Busy weekend ahead. Taking sister in law out for the day on Saturday, babysitting for the grandchildren that evening, then to Oxford on Sunday for the Tutankhamun exhibition . We also seem to have planned rather too much for following week. Not sure when we"ll have time to pack.

Bit of bad news this week: daughters dog has rectal cancer. So they have to decide whether to pay for an operation. Cancer seems to be everywhere. It seems you can't open a newspaper, switch on the TV or read a book without there being some reference to it. Am I just sensitised to it or is it getting more coverage?

Now lost 6 finger nails. Decided I really can't cover them all up with plaster so people will just have to think I bite my nails really badly. Dreamt last night that I woke up,one morning to find my hair had grown back very dramatically and I had an Afro!