I can't believe it has been 8 months since I last posted here. A lot has happened and I feel like an update is still long overdue. I know most of my avid blog followers during treatment were friends and family trying to keep up with how I was doing, however I know from the snazzy visitor tracker that many were not and also that this blog still gets a shocking number of visitors who I can only assume are those nearly/ newly diagnosed who are, just like I once was, trawling the internet looking for any information (preferably in some way comforting) on what was about to happen to me. It is for these fellow hodgers that I feel this post is long overdue...
My last 8 months:
Oct-Dec: I learned that the no scan plan which worried me so much was the best thing that could happen. With no impending oncology/haematology visits, no impending scans and no constant monitoring of pseudo 'symptoms' in anticipation of these hospital induced tortures I found I could go hours or even days without thinking about Lymphoma. To the non-cancer patient this is no big deal. The rest of you will understand the significance. And the release.
Jan: I flew on an amazing trip to New Zealand to marry my wonderful now husband in the most beautiful place I have ever been. See exhibit A:
Feb: Returned from NZ and busied ourselves planning our Irish wedding celebrations
Mar: Irish wedding, a fantastically fun filled affair in one of my favourite locations with all my favourite people
Apr: We set off on our month long Asian honeymoon which ticked many of my world travel goals that I thought of during treatment. Being able to trek to Everest basecamp, climb the great wall of China, spend 3 days on the highest railway in the world etc. really reminds you how far you've come since those 'cant get out of bed' days.
May: This was the biggest achievement of all as this month brought the biggest victory in my recovery yet - it turns out pumping my body with toxic waste and exposing it to lifetime maximum levels of radiation had no effect on my fertility as this month we got our first glimpse of this new addition to our family who is due before the end of the year! See exhibit B:
September will be 2 years out of treatment. For those of you in the throes of it, take a look at how different things are one year later. The memories fade, the fear dissipates, the effects disappear and you're left with your life back. What could be better?
My last 8 months:
Oct-Dec: I learned that the no scan plan which worried me so much was the best thing that could happen. With no impending oncology/haematology visits, no impending scans and no constant monitoring of pseudo 'symptoms' in anticipation of these hospital induced tortures I found I could go hours or even days without thinking about Lymphoma. To the non-cancer patient this is no big deal. The rest of you will understand the significance. And the release.
Jan: I flew on an amazing trip to New Zealand to marry my wonderful now husband in the most beautiful place I have ever been. See exhibit A:
Feb: Returned from NZ and busied ourselves planning our Irish wedding celebrations
Mar: Irish wedding, a fantastically fun filled affair in one of my favourite locations with all my favourite people
Apr: We set off on our month long Asian honeymoon which ticked many of my world travel goals that I thought of during treatment. Being able to trek to Everest basecamp, climb the great wall of China, spend 3 days on the highest railway in the world etc. really reminds you how far you've come since those 'cant get out of bed' days.
May: This was the biggest achievement of all as this month brought the biggest victory in my recovery yet - it turns out pumping my body with toxic waste and exposing it to lifetime maximum levels of radiation had no effect on my fertility as this month we got our first glimpse of this new addition to our family who is due before the end of the year! See exhibit B:
September will be 2 years out of treatment. For those of you in the throes of it, take a look at how different things are one year later. The memories fade, the fear dissipates, the effects disappear and you're left with your life back. What could be better?
