Canada to India.....Australia to Cornwall.....Singapore to Hong Kong.....From the West to the East.....From the rich .....to the poor.....Victoria loved them all........

What do you do when you find a post that was started.... not finished.... added to and then neglected? ..... I found this entry today, I'd forgotten about it. But here it is anyway as it continues to tell the story of one moment in time - albeit almost 3 months ago now.



I've been feeling very melancholy this week. It's a little tough at work at the moment.... although I'm pretty sure I'm not alone there. It a tough market for all mining services companies .....
I had an appointment with Dr Ben. All good (as usual) .....afterwards  I went for my Zometa infusion. I thought maybe I was almost finished with these, but it appears I will continue with Zometa for quite a while (like the next year or two). Not that it is an issue for me at all. But it can mentally be difficult sometimes to sit in the chemo ward having an infusion. That constant reminder that  you're not "quite" free of it. It's a lonely place on the chemo ward. I've recently changed to a new one at a different hospital. It's very close to work so I can walk there from my office and be back at work straight afterwards. However the vibe is different at this one.  It's just a bit quieter..... and darker. I took work documents with me to pass the time. It's much easier to actually get some work done at hospital than in the office - no interruptions or phone calls !!
The other thing that affected me was the sad news of a very close friend losing her dad suddenly. I'm not going into it here as it's not my place to. But needless to say, it reminds me of how precious life it and how devastating it is when you lose a parent..... it's made me constantly think of mum. I guess when you start thinking about all the fun and frivolity of the Christmassy weeks ahead, you automatically think of family too. (well I do... I'm lucky I guess)
Which does lead me to happier moments.... like Christmas.... pressies...... mistletoe & wine.... I just LOVE Christmas. I love the decorations, the lights, the parties, the gifts, the laughter, the food. Please don't get me wrong. I know there are people less fortunate in the world. There is sickness, war, poverty and all sorts of awful happenings around our globe..... but I am an extremely lucky person and I am going to appreciate that fact by having fun and making the most of it. I am bringing back Advocaat !!!(If I can find it)
                                                 
                                                                  {insert 2 weeks later}

So that was 2 weeks ago..... I forgot to click on "publish" and there it sat, just a little lonely post.
It's been a busy couple o' weeks ! Work has remained the same..... tough. Christmas is well & truly underway. The decorations are all up, three trees and twinkling lights everywhere. We had our annual Christmas party. Entertained a few friends who ate their way through 25Kg's of Meat in Hot Roast Rolls. But some sad news..... I wasn't able to find the Advokaat !! devo.... but Christmas isn't here yet, there is still time to hunt for some.

Tell the bar that we don't want no glass .... Just bottles and i'm buying everybody one each ........ Yes so bring the Veuve Clicquot ....... D about to hit the big 3 0 ..... Party like it's Carnival in Rio ...... Life's too short, Danny Devito ...... Yo, we live, we die, we give, we try, we kiss, we fight ....... All so we can have a good time .......

Hellloooooooo !!
For ten years !!!
It feels like it has been that long since my last post. It's funny how caught up in life I have once again become now that the drama has passed. It's like it never happened. Last year is definitely just a distance memory. I've even stopped saying things like "just think, this time last year ...." It briefly comes to mind, but is just as quickly dismissed as more important things come up.

Vancouver

Life is back in the fast lane. I have started traveling again (for work) Had a quick round-the-world stint to Vancouver - London (incl. a quick weekend at "home") - Dubai - Perth. Although the final legs took their toll on me and I came home with sore throat and head cold. But other than that all good. Not to mention the new suitcase I had to buy so I could fit my purchases in !! Note to self... buy a bigger suitcase for next time and take nothing !!

Dream situation !!

I have to have a rant though.... this morning I was on the way to work and this cyclist was all over the road. Weaving in and out of cars.... when he felt like it, he was on the footpath, when he didn't he was on the road.... and then, because my wheels went over the short starting point of the bike lane (literally a 15M long bike lane) he whacked my car roof and abused me. Needless to say my middle finger went straight up. My gutter mouth shouted abuse at him and I carried on. But it's one of those moments that leaves you fuming. There were so many things I wanted to shout at him. Like "make up your mind if you want to be a car, pedestrian or cyclist ...... you twat" or "you look like you've sharted in those ridiculous bike pants..... loser" but the one thing that cyclists have over us is that they can be off pretty quick and they all look the same so you can't report them.

Rant over.
 It appears I might be aging !! WTF ?? Yes how could that happen? I ask myself the same question every single day..... for the past 7 months I've had a pretty bad case of tennis elbow. Now for those of you that know me, you will understand. I mean, if it wasn't for my passion for school and work I would have been a tennis superstar !!  And my prowess on the tennis court on a regular basis has left me with a poorly elbow. I've been on anti-inflammatory pills every day, tried acupuncture, massage and physio, but nothing has helped. Dr Ben sent me for more blood tests and x-rays but nothing. So he referred me to a rheumatologist. I have now had further blood tests, another set of x-rays and an ultrasound. And guess what?.... it's tennis elbow !!!! I also have a touch of osteoarthritis in my hands, which is basically bought on by age !!! $1000+.... thanks for coming !! I could have looked in the mirror, checked out the crow's feet and given that diagnosis.......
On a brighter note though, my blood tests continue to be amazingly normal. Dr Ben couldn't stop grinning at my last appointment. I think I'm actually his poster child !!

So going backwards in time again, my work trip had some amazing moments. I was able to spend a weekend at "home" with my bro, sil and family. Unfortunately dad was away so we had to have a party at his house without him. I was able to catch up with friends who couldn't make it to our wedding in Jan. People that I grew up with and also helped mum in her last few months. It was also the anniversary of mum's death while I was there. I was soooo nervous about getting to England. I hadn't been back since before "everything". Last time I was there was Dec2011 when I surprised mum with a visit because she was sick. I was scared about the feelings I would have when I got there. I spent the first two hours of the flight from Vancouver to London crying under a blanket because I was petrified. But when I got there it was all good. It was not scary, it wasn't awful, it was nice to be home. It didn't feel strange..... On the Sunday we went to mum's "memorial place" it's not really a grave, and besides I could hear mum in my head saying "Don't know why you're going there, I'm not sitting under the ground waiting for people to visit !!" But I wanted to put some flowers there, and my sis had asked me to take some tulips, so I did. It was a gorgeous sunny day. The kids ran around the church gardens and it was happy.
So after a few sunny tears, we decided to hit the pub for some lunch. Perfect and just what mum would have wanted us to do !! After that it was back down to London for more work.....
.... and after that I flew home... via Dubai !! OMG what a place !! It was amazing. My besty lives there so she picked me up and showed me around. I have never been to a place like it. The shopping... the buildings.... the service !! LOVED it..... needless to say my new suitcase took more of a beating !! If you ever get to go to Dubai, you must go out to "Brunch" on a Friday..... I can't tell you any more...... just do it - you'll thank me.
Next stop is our honeymoon !!! I cannot WAIT !! 2 weeks in Koh Samui..... sun....sand and Thai food - what more could a girl want. Not to mention a wedding too. It's going to be amazing, I just know it. It cannot come soon enough.

 

But in the mean time, it's back to work...... as I type my hands are aching and my tennis arm hurts................................... but that's just old age !!!

(Go West) Sun in wintertime ….. (Go West) We will do just fine …..(Go West) Where the skies are blue ….. (Go West, this is what we're gonna do) ……

Date Night - Celebrations

It's been an inordinate amount of time since my last post !!  My last post was remission day !! Although I had been for a bone marrow aspiration and had to have one last set of bloods done just to make sure. The aches and pains haven't really gone away. My left foot is gradually losing feeling. I just have pins and needles and numbness in it now. Dr Brad said this was a result of the Thalidomide. Peripheral Neuropathy ..... I was surprised it had come so late. I stopped taking the Thalidomide in July, so why numbness now? Another question for my next appointment I guess......
I stopped wearing hats a few weeks ago. The weather is getting warmer and I just couldn't be bothered any more. After surviving the supermarket fiasco, I figured it couldn't get any worse than that so now I am the proud owner of a head of "bum fluff" as my dad calls it !! It's actually quite liberating once you get used to it. Nothing messes up my hair and I don't have to worry about colour, styles, humidity etc etc. !!! I just rub some sun screen though it and walk out the door.
So .... on Friday 19th October 2012 (which would have been my nana's 110th birthday) I went back to see Dr Brad - hopefully for the last time. We walked into his office at 9am (for our 8:30am appointment) and sat down. And he had the BEST news ever !! Everything had come back clear !! The bone marrow was good. My bloods were all normal, my Kappa results were 11 (they were 402 when I was diagnosed) The news was amaze balls !!! Totes amaze balls !!! I actually got up and hugged Dr Brad. He was also beaming from ear to ear. So that was that. All over.... he said he was very proud of me (such a nice Dr) and that he couldn't have been happier. I know not everyone gets as good a run as I have had. I've been extremely lucky for it all to have gone so well.
Next step is to go back to Dr Ben. Dr Brad was going to send the final report back to him and said to make an appointment soon - within the next 6 weeks - for a follow up.

When I walked out to reception and they asked if I needed a follow up appointment with Dr Brad I almost screamed "NO !! I DON'T NEED ONE, I'M IN REMISSION AND AM DISCHARGED !!" The girls on reception were all happy too. I had my Zometa appointment so Dirk left to go back to work and I went through to have my infusion. This will have to continue for a couple of years. But I don't mind that. If it keeps me healthy and strong I'll do anything. I may have to go on a maintenance drug.... Dr Brad thought maybe back on the Thalidomide, but after telling him about my numb feet, he said to really think about it and discuss with Dr Ben. As this was probably the cause, he wasn't sure it would be a great idea as it could continue to get worse.
I've also started back at work - in my new role too - Global Sales Manager !! Sounds very fancy hey !! Hmmm... I'll let you know just how fancy in a few months !!! It's been really full on since I got back. I'm still doing parts of my old job PLUS the new role all in 3 days a week. So I'm not sure if the total exhaustion is coming from my transplant or just plain old "back to work" !!!  Probably both if I'm really honest. But so far it's going OK.

Food at 1907

There has been a little bit of celebration too. Dirk & I went out for a fanTASTic meal on the night of 19th. We used one of our Engagement pressies (a voucher) for a restaurant in Perth called 1907 - OMG wowsers.... it was gorgeous. Great food, great company (my fiancé) and great service. We loved it. New fave restaurant I think.
Cricket is also back on, which means there have been a couple of catch up's at the club !! And then there's just the day to day celebration of life itself !! (a good excuse methinks) But I've realised that I don't have the capacity to drink as much any more. I just need to remind my brain of this fact before I fall over !! A challenge for me...... I totally blame my parents though.... its a genetic thing !!
Other than that, wedding plans seem to be coming along. I'm still not sure if I have everything covered or not. We went out to the wedding venue last weekend to chat about the day. I must admit, it's all seeming a little too easy. I'm pretty sure I must have forgotten a whole heap of things.... I guess I'll find out on the day.

Mexican Night - Ole !!

But I just can't wait to have the family here. Soooooo excited about it all. And not just my family, but all of my friends. People I haven't had the chance to see for a while. My besty from school, my cousins from the US, Uncle Alan, my gorgeous friend Maxy and her new little girl, not to mention my besty bridesmaid who was booking her ticket yesterday (YAY) from Dubai..... and then just everyone. I'm not going to bore you with my guest list !!!
Dad is on his way to us now. And this is one person I can't wait to see. It will have been almost one year to the day since I last saw him. I went back to UK last Dec to surprise mum when she was sick. I just turned up on the doorstep and rang the bell. They didn't know I was coming. That was the last time I saw dad, and that was also when my back pain started to get really bad too...... it's amazing what can happen in a year !!! But just to see everyone is beyond exciting for me at the moment. Just the thought brings tears to my eyes.
Just 63 days to go.......

Special Friends..... in stripes !!!

When I get older.... loosing my hair..... many(?) years from now.....Will you still be sending me a valentine............Birthday greetings bottle of wine?......

F*#K Multiple Myeloma T-Shirt

I've been sitting here with an empty blog space for a couple of days now.... Over the weekend I stumbled across another blogger and started to read his experience. The reason I started to read was because he was young and started on the same drug therapy as me. So I thought it would be good to compare notes... anyway, after starting at the beginning of his journey and reading on, his journey became more complicated. His stem cell transplant was unsuccessful and the cancer came back aggressively and more vigorously than before. So the next step for him was stem cell donor - they found a complete match from his older brother and he went through the same process (albeit a little more painful than the first time) only to be told that it was rejected once again - he was also suffering with shingles, infections and graft vs host disease. His prognosis is 12 months..... The guy is amazing and has maintained strength and a sense of humour throughout. But no matter how you look at it... it's a scary thought. Another reality check I guess.

And YESSSSS I know... it's just one person and there are so many other successful stories, I know all that, you don't have to tell me. It just caught me off guard, I thought I was about to read about a similar story to my own, and be able to gain some insight into the stem cell therapy and his experience through it all. He's an amazing inspiration and I'll be following his blog now, as his journey continues. For anyone interested here it is Sean's Blog

Other than my reading, our weekend was delightful. Friday night was pizza night - yum - and a quiet night watching the telly. Saturday we got to lie in until about 11am !!I started cycle4 of my chemo, then we made hot cross buns - which were absolutely delicious (yes in the Thermomix too) and more TV shows and relaxing. Saturday evening we went over to friends place for a delicious dinner. Unfortunately for Dirk it was a fantastic piece of salmon.... excellent for all of us that eat fish !! Dirk doesn't eat seafood... oops (sorry Jane, he didn't want to say anything !!) He ate half of it, and all of the salad and veg, and actually said it wasn't that bad, but I think it was a little bit of a struggle for him. Luckily the company and the conversation were fantastic so it didn't matter. And then there was dessert and choccies <drrooollll> !! Back home at midnight to swallow some more pills (Thalidomide) and off to bed. (sleep came later)

Sunday was similar to Saturday - except Dirk did a lot more than I did. He washed the cars, cleaned the back deck, we washed the pups and I did the washing. Had some Thai take-away and watched more TV.

Sleep has been a bit hit and miss again recently. Late nights and then finding it hard to wake up at 7am for work. Most of the time, Dirk attempt once or twice to wake me, but if he doesn't get a response, just leaves me to sleep. Which is ok most of the time, except I have some early morning meetings on some days and have been late a couple of times. This isn't a good thing as I hate it when people are late for my meetings, so I can't now be doing the same thing. I either have to get Dirk to whack me out of bed or change my meeting times.... but the latter could be hard as some of the earlier meetings are with other regions so are planned around their time zones.... looks like the whacking scenario is the only way to go - I can hear Dirk cheering at that  opportunity !!

Looking back at the blog I was reading over the weekend, it's got me thinking about why I was drawn to it.... my friend at work pointed out that maybe there was a reason I read the blog. I think there was / is. And I think I need to stop procrastinating over what I am going to do and start acting on these things.... like my diet options. I haven't really changed too much yet, I've been thinking about it, but haven't done anything. If I am going to beat this disease, I need to give my body every available chance. I need to eat the right foods, boost my immunity and get serious about putting the right things into me. So this is my new focus. Good energy and immune boosting foods and supplements. Another thing that I realised after reading Sean's blog, was that this is serious.... it's not going to go away.... as yet there isn't a cure. It was a wake up call to me. I need to face this head on and think about my future - my long term future !! So that's what I intend to do.

I'm off to the shops now... time to stock up on a few things. I'm not going to go full on into it, as knowing me I'll fall off the health nut wagon in about 3 days !! But I'm going to start introducing healthier options and think about what I'm eating and drinking from now on. Start thinking before reaching for the high sugar biscuits and cakes and decide if this is going to feed cancer or attack it..... watch this space......