Daily Mamo (.) (.) January – April 2019

Get it? Mamo / Memo? I crack myself up. So I’m going to try to attempt to do this thing. A weekly(ish) record of where i’m at. Might be good. Might be dull. All feedback welcome (be gentle).

 

Tuesday 30th April 2019

Today I helped launch the #CHANGE AND CHECK campaign with ITV Lorraine it’s basically a sticker which goes on changing room mirrors. So far John Lewis, Monsoon, David Lloyd and Asda have taken it on!

Wednesday 20th March 2019

So today I started my tamoxifen medication. This is to make sure that my body doesn’t produce any estrogen because that’s the monkey that my cancer likes to dine on. I’m really nervous about this medication…i’ve heard awful things. Do let me know your experience with it if you’ve ever taken it!

Monday 18th March 2019

Whoooop!! I’ve finished radiotherapy today. I wrote on the wall in the treatment room and officially signed myself out of this major cancer treatment. I can’t tell you how happy I feel. I’ll still be in and out of hospital every three weeks for the rest of 2019 but at least the big gun treatment is done with. My lovely pals Anne and Ali kept me company today and then we went for lunch to celebrate x

Friday 15th March 2019

So today is my penultimate Radiotherapy session! It’s still going pretty well. I’m definitely more sore and tight across my chest but it’s really manageable so far. My friend Annemarie was keeping me company today as after radiotherapy I was straight back in the chemo suite having my 3 weekly Herceptin and Perjeta treatment. Halfway through I developed an allergic reaction to the perjeta so was given a healthy dose of antihistermine which took the rash right down but sent me fast asleep!

Red nose day was chaos at school today with crazy hair and school discos!

Thursday 14th March

Flying through these radiotherapy sessions now. Feel like the end is in sight. Mark came with me today and I was hit quite quickly afterwards with tiredness so it was straight back home to bed for a bit before school pick up. Belle had a bedtime story session at school but I had a funny turn there so had to head home. This hasn’t happened too often through my whole treatment so i’m feeling pretty chuffed about that. Below is pic of my cat Hermione who has come to find me every time i’ve had to have an afternoon nap 🙂

Tuesday 12th March

What an unusual day. Started the day at 8.30am at the radiotherapy suite. Then it was straight into Central London (Grosvenor House Hotel no less) for the TRIC awards ceremony. My boss, the gorgeous Lorraine Kelly was awarded a lifetime achievement award so we celebrated her deserved win. I managed to sink two glasses of champagne. Radiotherapy what?!?! Was I even being treated for cancer this morning? Today proved to me that life goes on and it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.

Yay! I’m officially half way through my treatment. Only 7 more to go. It’s flying by and is genuinely so much easier than any of the chemo malarky.

Tuesday 5th March 2019

My lovely jubbly friend Laura has come from Liverpool today to accompany me to radio. I’m feeling knackered so the company is gooood.

Monday 4th March

The radiotherapy machine is broken so they can’t treat me today. Quite a relief because i get a day off!

Friday 1st March 2019

Yay! I’ve finished 1/3 of my radiotherapy sessions. It’s really been an awful lot easier than I thought. I’m tired and feeling slightly sunburnt but it’s pretty manageable so far. Apparently, it’s accumulative so I may be writing something completely different this time next week.

Monday 25th Feb 2019

Today is day 1 of Radiotherapy. I arrived at 11.15am and was there for about 40 minutes. The actual ‘zapping’ time is a matter of minutes. The time is mostly taken up by lining my body up to match the beams on the machine. It’s really straight forward and the staff are lovely. It’s completely pain free. Afterwards i’ve been feeling a tightening sensation and a slight tingle but nothing major.

Friday 22nd Feb 2019

It’s Herceptin and Perjeta day at the hospital. This is the drug I have to have every 3 weeks. It takes about 4 hours in total. I’ve been getting quite a few side effects from it, mostly joint pain and chronic diarrhoea.

Wednesday 20th Feb

It’s half term! Took the kids to the Jurassic Coast today and went fossil hunting. Life is good on days like this 🙂

Thursday 14th Feb 2019

For Valentine’s day  I went to the radiotherapy suite to have a CT scan (tres romantic). This is to map out where the beams are going to go when I start the radio treatment (25th Feb). It was completely pain free. I just had to lie half naked on a hard table with my arms in stirrups. The nurse drew various dots on my chest and put a wire across my mastectomy scar (so it showed up on the scan)  and then I was sent through the non-claustrophobic donut shaped machine. Quick and easy. Whole appt took about 40 minutes. Wish all appts were as simple as this! Then I went straight on to my daughter’s parent teacher meeting at school.

Wednesday 13th Feb 2019

Time for my final boob inflation before radiotherapy. My surgeon injected another 70ml of saline so now my fake breast is ENORMOUS! This is to make sure that the skin expands sufficiently for when I start radio because the radiation will make the skin contract. The hope is that by the end of radiotherapy the breast will be the same size as my old school one. Your skin changes after the harsh treatment and will become less pliable. It’s not comfortable when you have your skin stretched but it’s not hideous either – it’s just not comfy but you get used to it.

 

Wednesday 6th Feb 2019

Quick boob check up today with surgeon. Loads of menopausal symptoms which I could frankly DO WITHOUT.

Monday 4th Feb 2019

Herceptin day today. Wired up for about 3 hours. What a complete shock to the system after SUCH an amazing holiday. Still at least I had company with my sister-in-law Cathie. Then we went for some lunch afterwards.

Friday 25th Jan 2019

Being completely YOLO and naughty and heading to the Maldives today for a week of R&R. Who cares. I need something to keep that smile on my face right!?

Thursday 24th Jan 2019

I’ve decided to cut my hair off today! My bald patch has grown through so I want my hair to be all one length. I’m so grateful that the cold cap kept my hair in such good condition and the regrowth is thick! So i’ve gone fairly short. My kids think i look like a boy. I however am McLoving my new hair washing regime. Wash and go ladies. Wash and gooooooo.

Tuesday 22nd Jan 2019

So a letter has arrived today confirming that i’m FULLY MENOPAUSAL. Help me please!

Thursday 10th Jan 2019

I have an update with my oncologist today. We discuss radiotherapy and decide on a late February start date. It’s a pretty intensive but informative meeting. I was hoping for high fives now that chemo is over but it was fairly serious discussing the possibilities of recurrence. I leave feeling like I should have taken someone with me because I didn’t absorb everything they told me. I’m so happy with my oncology team though – they’re so reassuring.

Wednesday 9th Jan

I visit my surgeon today for a reconstruction update. I am still having my breast skin expanded so I have another pump up. I leave feeling like i’m smuggling a beach ball in my bra! My scar is healing so well. I’ll be having my nipple made later on in the year when radiotherapy is out of the way.