Linda keeps us updated with her breast cancer treatment this month…
Well I am sitting here thinking about what to write after finishing my last Radiotherapy session this morning, having had 15 treatments attending Addenbrookes Hospital every day (excluding weekends) since 30th June.
Yes, I caved in…eventually! To say that I am both physically and emotionally tired is an understatement, but more importantly totally relieved that all the chemotherapy and radiation treatments are now over with! I understand that the Radiation is cumulative and therefore the side effects are likely to get worse before they start to get better over the coming weeks. I have been tired towards the last week or so, particularly in the afternoons (like now!). However, I did manage to drive myself to the Hospital pretty much every day. I have religiously used the ‘burn cream’ that has the ingredients Hypercal, Arnica and Cantharis on my chest area and my collarbone area and don’t seem to have been too badly affected in terms of skin changes. However, on the second week I started to notice a big patch of skin on the back of my neck and shoulder area getting very red and itchy. When I mentioned this to the Radiographer, low and behold I was told that this was common and that it’s the radiation dose penetrating straight through my body! If I had of known this was likely to happen, I would of course used my cream from day 1! As it stands now the area is pretty itchy and raw so I am using the gel from my aloe vera plant as well as the cream. Enough said on the whole Radiation subject I think – I have complied with the NHS conventional treatments so I can at least say I have done as I’ve been told, even if it was more through fear than belief!
Moving forward for the next few weeks I will carry on with using the cream and taking my homeopathic radiation protection remedy as well as the herb tinctures and drinking my Essiac Tea and Matcha Green Tea plus taking the regular supplements on a daily basis. I mentioned in one of my earlier articles about the Eat, Drink, Move, Think short course that I attended run by Claudina Caaveiro at Neal’s Yard. She is running a Summer Cleanse course that starts at the end of July for a few weeks, which will tie in nicely to helping me detox from all the toxins and get my health back on track moving forward. There is also Part 2 of the EDMT course starting late September, which will follow on from the first course covering some more interesting topics. Nutrition is still something I want to learn more about, and as I had to give up my course last year I will look more into progressing my knowledge on this subject which I feel is the most important part of keeping yourself healthy and free from a lot of disease.
In August I have booked myself into the Lifehouse Spa & Hotel near Frinton. They offer a recovery break, which is 2 nights of complete relaxation for those in post-cancer recovery or still undergoing treatment and for anyone recovering from illness, stress burnout or bereavement. This was my birthday present to myself and I’m hoping that I will be able to relax and chill out for a couple of days and enjoy their recovery treatments that are included! I will give my feedback next month in case anyone else going through an illness may be interested in booking. Speaking of birthdays, I’m generally not a fan of celebrating them each year, but this year I spent it with some very good friends and enjoyed an early evening of dinner and drinks (just a couple!) and have decided after everything I have been through since last October, that all my future birthdays will be celebrated and I’ll be thankful that I am alive and well to see them!
I’ve been quite busy socially this month even with all the radiation on a daily basis. A dear friend got married earlier in July and I was invited to celebrate the 2-day event. I found it quite amusing to turn up to the wedding wearing my short bobbed blonde wig and then the following day, which was the blessing; I wore my long brown wig. It tickled me that some of the people I sat with on the first day, didn’t recognize me the following day! I probably confused the photographers too.
My hair is definitely growing back now, albeit as I mentioned last month, very salt and pepper in colour. Its also pretty wavy now, but I do hope that in the not too distant future, it will revert to how itwas! I have been brave over the last few days and gone without wearing my wig or scarves too – mainly to Addenbrookes hospital andathome. Not quite brave enough to venture into Bury just yet without the headgear!
In terms of appointments back at the West Suffolk I am due back to both the Breast Clinic and Oncology around October time. I think they will want to carry out a mammogram at that stage. However, I have taken the decision and been for Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging at Bury Natural Health. Thisisa non-invasive, safe technique for detecting and monitoring many injuries, conditions and breast health. It is a safe and effective additional diagnostic tool for checking breast health, detecting inflammatory conditions or monitoring a treatment progress for injuries. It detects abnormal changes in the body, which may lead to a more serious disease, before any symptoms are noticed. Thermograms may indicate abnormal activity many years before the condition can be seen by an anatomical test, so they fill a gap in clinical diagnosis. While X-rays, CT Scans, Ultrasound and MRI are tests of anatomy; Thermography is unique in its capability to show the function of living cells. It has also proven to be a very useful complementary procedure to other medical tests. It has its advantages as it’s non-invasive – no contact with body, no exposure to harmful rays. It’s important to understand that Thermography, just like Mammography, does not diagnose cancer, but allows you to track your own unique thermal pattern over time and alert you to any changes taking place. Thermograms are also an invaluable tool for women with breast implants to monitor their health. I will continue with these on a regular basis and should it show up anything abnormal, will of course get clinical advice and have the necessary scans.
I mentioned in my last article that I would be raising some money for the Macmillan Unit by selling off a lot of my dresses. I have started this process via my Facebook page with some success, but still have many dresses that need to be sold! I have pictured a few of these in this month’s article and if any ladies out there are interested in knowing more detail about these and lots of other day time and evening dresses that I have (predominantly Size 10 & 12), then please get in contact with me via email on bindy1707@gmail.com where I can email images over to you. All proceeds will be going to the Macmillan Unit and I need to clear a lot of space in my wardrobe (not for more clothes, but to make space for a desk to work from!)
As I am pretty much at the end of the journey in terms of the treatments for my breast cancer I will probably write one more main article next month and summarise the experience to date. I am sure the team will let me add a paragraph or two in the future just to keep you up to date with any future developments and progression!
‘Having had cancer, one important thing to know is you’re still the same person at the end. You’re stripped down to near zero. But most people come out the other end feeling more like themselves than ever before’ – Kylie Minogue
