Today is not only the 1 month birthday of the blog, but I also received another four, yes four, presents. This marks 30 consecutive days of receiving presents. How can you ever lose faith in humanity after a straight month of presents, cards, well wishes and love from around the world?I didn't even think I knew that many people.
Today, I received a most awesome pacman stressball (he will be with me everywhere I go for times of stress), a chocolate hamper and surprise exploding balloon (nidge and tron, amazing, supporting my never ending steroid fueled feeding frenzy - some alliteration there for you - is always appreciated, lovely present, hopefully we can catch up soon, its been far too long), what looks like a very funny book (with a funnier card!) and a very generous voucher from Nick's colleagues (Nick will hate you all when he sees what it will be spent on). Today I also took my beloved pooch on his first trip to the beach. I had been meaning to take him for months and just never got around to it. Thanks cancer for giving me time. I also had Nick give me a '3 all over' to even out my scissor cut hair. It feels nice now, like a baby duck. Not that I've ever felt a baby duck. I'll add that to the bucket list. If anyone HAS a baby duck please get in touch.
The blog is now at almost 20,000 views. I'm really grateful to you all for reading, sharing, tweeting and generally spreading. If you remember (or read) from the start, you will know that when I was leading to diagnosis (those were some scary scary days - the days when I knew what it was but nobody would say it and instead they just kept sticking more and more needles and corkscrews in me and putting me through giant scanning machines) I took great comfort and great knowledge from the blogs of others. None however documented each day, none were outside the USA, none were female in their mid-late twenties. I not only wanted to add another blog, but add another blog filling one or all of those gaps.
The issues surrounding cancer and females my age are different to those of different age groups. In fact, I think there is a serious void in the entire 'cancer' world in general for people aged 20-40. We face different problems to other age groups, especially those much older. Fertility, raising a young family during treatments, being diagnosed while pregnant, losing our place on the career ladder and not to mention the 'it couldn't be cancer, she's too young' effect among doctors meaning many of us go undiagnosed for months or even years. This is if we even go to a doctor to begin with and don't just put our symptoms down to too many nights on the beer. Looking back, I should have gotten blood tests done at least a year ago. The signs were all there. My invincible 20 something mind just didn't see them. Another year, or half that, and I may not have been treatable, or worse, dead. It is so so so important to me to get the word out to anyone who'll listen that yes, it does happen to people our age, no, it is not the end of the world, yes, life continues around it and here's the day by day proof.
On a lighter note....My gorgeous sister modelling aforementioned pacman stressball.....
Today, I received a most awesome pacman stressball (he will be with me everywhere I go for times of stress), a chocolate hamper and surprise exploding balloon (nidge and tron, amazing, supporting my never ending steroid fueled feeding frenzy - some alliteration there for you - is always appreciated, lovely present, hopefully we can catch up soon, its been far too long), what looks like a very funny book (with a funnier card!) and a very generous voucher from Nick's colleagues (Nick will hate you all when he sees what it will be spent on). Today I also took my beloved pooch on his first trip to the beach. I had been meaning to take him for months and just never got around to it. Thanks cancer for giving me time. I also had Nick give me a '3 all over' to even out my scissor cut hair. It feels nice now, like a baby duck. Not that I've ever felt a baby duck. I'll add that to the bucket list. If anyone HAS a baby duck please get in touch.
The blog is now at almost 20,000 views. I'm really grateful to you all for reading, sharing, tweeting and generally spreading. If you remember (or read) from the start, you will know that when I was leading to diagnosis (those were some scary scary days - the days when I knew what it was but nobody would say it and instead they just kept sticking more and more needles and corkscrews in me and putting me through giant scanning machines) I took great comfort and great knowledge from the blogs of others. None however documented each day, none were outside the USA, none were female in their mid-late twenties. I not only wanted to add another blog, but add another blog filling one or all of those gaps.
The issues surrounding cancer and females my age are different to those of different age groups. In fact, I think there is a serious void in the entire 'cancer' world in general for people aged 20-40. We face different problems to other age groups, especially those much older. Fertility, raising a young family during treatments, being diagnosed while pregnant, losing our place on the career ladder and not to mention the 'it couldn't be cancer, she's too young' effect among doctors meaning many of us go undiagnosed for months or even years. This is if we even go to a doctor to begin with and don't just put our symptoms down to too many nights on the beer. Looking back, I should have gotten blood tests done at least a year ago. The signs were all there. My invincible 20 something mind just didn't see them. Another year, or half that, and I may not have been treatable, or worse, dead. It is so so so important to me to get the word out to anyone who'll listen that yes, it does happen to people our age, no, it is not the end of the world, yes, life continues around it and here's the day by day proof.
On a lighter note....My gorgeous sister modelling aforementioned pacman stressball.....
You are very welcome! Enjoy stuffing your face!! When you are up to it we should have a college reunion!
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