It has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now to update the blog. But, as tends to happen when you have things other than cancer going on, I just never got around to it. I love having things other than cancer going on! The final push came in the form of a check in email from someone who I have never met, but who brought so much light to 2012 for me that it reminded me of my promise to keep the blog up to date and not become one of the cancer bloggers who disappear when there's no bad stuff to tell.
The biggest and most relevant news is that I had my 6 month check up (so 7 months post chemo) and my scan showed NED (no evidence of disease - oh how I love ned, my next dog has already been named, Ned is a great name). The week leading up to, and the 5 days post scan, were HELL. I literally imagined every symptom you can have with Hodgkin's including all the ones I didn't have on initial diagnosis and convinced myself it was back. The consultant puts my 'scanxiety' down to the turbulent time I had around the mid way check up scan that some of you may remember revealed remaining disease and bought me 2 more months of chemo and moved me into the 'least likely to be cured' box. My bloods last week showed a few levels on the upper limit of 'normal' but, the day after the test, I came down with the most horrendous flu/chest infection/everything infection that totally knocked me down for a week so I'm putting my high white cell count down to the fact that it was fighting off the mother of all viruses. So, I'm signed off from stabbing, scanning and poking for 6 more months unless I develop any symptoms. As that will be my 1 year post treatment scan they want to do a PET instead of a CT to make 100% sure and, all being well, it'll be CTs from there on out.
In other life news, during our holiday in Mexico last month while scuba diving, Nick proposed - wedding planning time! I joke that I tested out the 'in sickness and in health' thing a little early but at least we know we've got that one down. Pretty sure we can put the 'for better or worse' thing down as cancer too so that makes two of them. This marriage thing will be a piece of cake. One of my mid-treatment decisions was that I needed to do a round the world trip, ticking some of the bucket list places. Round the world honeymoon? Yes please!
It is also worth mentioning, while we are semi on the subject of scuba diving, that I had been told that scuba diving post ABVD chemotherapy may not be safe. As the Bleomycin (the B in ABVD) damages the lungs, there is an increased risk of lung complications at depth, breathing pressurized air. I had decided it was something I would just never do. As amazing as diving is surely it isn't worth the death risk? So, when we were in Mexico and Nick was so insistent that I went diving, I was a little concerned he was trying to get rid of me. After a couple of days of nagging, I decided to get in touch with the consultant to get his thoughts. He felt that as I had no specific lung issues during chemo (meaning nothing other than the shortness of breath that is par for the the course) that I would be fine, but to stay shallow (15m) and be extra vigilant. So, for all you ABVDers who long to swim with the fishes, don't write it off. You may still be able to go.
The hair is coming along nicely. Definitely looks like a very short haircut now as opposed to hair growing back.I have dutifully attached a picture taken FAR too early this morning for the purpose of this blog (I generally don't take early morning photos, or any other time photos, of myself) but you get the point:
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I have taken to wearing hairbands - helps with the 'butchness' of my hair. The flowerier the better. Butch people don't wear flowers in their hair right? Sometimes I feel like one of those baby girls whose parents have stuck a bow to the side of their head so people know they're a girl. But hey, I'm not complaining, my hair is growing and growing, I HAVE HAIR. I have learned my lesson a hundred times over - I will never again complain about hating my hair.
So that's it, no more news. Life back to normal. Work, home, dog, holidays, weekends, housework, car troubles, laundry, I love it. There is a lot to be said for the mundane. And for Ned.
The biggest and most relevant news is that I had my 6 month check up (so 7 months post chemo) and my scan showed NED (no evidence of disease - oh how I love ned, my next dog has already been named, Ned is a great name). The week leading up to, and the 5 days post scan, were HELL. I literally imagined every symptom you can have with Hodgkin's including all the ones I didn't have on initial diagnosis and convinced myself it was back. The consultant puts my 'scanxiety' down to the turbulent time I had around the mid way check up scan that some of you may remember revealed remaining disease and bought me 2 more months of chemo and moved me into the 'least likely to be cured' box. My bloods last week showed a few levels on the upper limit of 'normal' but, the day after the test, I came down with the most horrendous flu/chest infection/everything infection that totally knocked me down for a week so I'm putting my high white cell count down to the fact that it was fighting off the mother of all viruses. So, I'm signed off from stabbing, scanning and poking for 6 more months unless I develop any symptoms. As that will be my 1 year post treatment scan they want to do a PET instead of a CT to make 100% sure and, all being well, it'll be CTs from there on out.
In other life news, during our holiday in Mexico last month while scuba diving, Nick proposed - wedding planning time! I joke that I tested out the 'in sickness and in health' thing a little early but at least we know we've got that one down. Pretty sure we can put the 'for better or worse' thing down as cancer too so that makes two of them. This marriage thing will be a piece of cake. One of my mid-treatment decisions was that I needed to do a round the world trip, ticking some of the bucket list places. Round the world honeymoon? Yes please!
It is also worth mentioning, while we are semi on the subject of scuba diving, that I had been told that scuba diving post ABVD chemotherapy may not be safe. As the Bleomycin (the B in ABVD) damages the lungs, there is an increased risk of lung complications at depth, breathing pressurized air. I had decided it was something I would just never do. As amazing as diving is surely it isn't worth the death risk? So, when we were in Mexico and Nick was so insistent that I went diving, I was a little concerned he was trying to get rid of me. After a couple of days of nagging, I decided to get in touch with the consultant to get his thoughts. He felt that as I had no specific lung issues during chemo (meaning nothing other than the shortness of breath that is par for the the course) that I would be fine, but to stay shallow (15m) and be extra vigilant. So, for all you ABVDers who long to swim with the fishes, don't write it off. You may still be able to go.
The hair is coming along nicely. Definitely looks like a very short haircut now as opposed to hair growing back.I have dutifully attached a picture taken FAR too early this morning for the purpose of this blog (I generally don't take early morning photos, or any other time photos, of myself) but you get the point:
.JPG)
So that's it, no more news. Life back to normal. Work, home, dog, holidays, weekends, housework, car troubles, laundry, I love it. There is a lot to be said for the mundane. And for Ned.
