Leveling Up For The Boss Fight - My cancer journey

Hello friends! I thought I'd give a bit of an update, as I went back to work this week! For those that don't know, I work for the Co-op (major UK food retailer, which is a co-operative, owned by its members). I had been in regular contact with my line manager (that should be plural, as they had changed, but that wasn't an issue) throughout my treatment, and we had discussed a phased return to work, before going on a training course when I'm ready, to take up my new role as store manager.  For those that have just stumbled across my blog, I'll give you a little bit of context about me and my job. At the beginning of the year, a job opening was posted for a store manager position. I applied and in February, I had an interview.  Another job opening for a different store was advertised, and that interview carried over for this store as well.  In March I was informed I didn't get the first one I had applied for, but the second was still awaiting another applicant/s t...

Hello friends! WHAT A WEEK!   This time last week, I was given the all clear for my diagnosis of stage 3 cancer. I'll be honest, but it didn't really kick in when I was told. I was happy, but it hadn't really sunk in. After I posted the blog, and the messages started to come through, that was the point I started to realise that the battle was over. I still have hurdles to overcome.  For example, continuing to get stronger, returning to work, overcoming the chemo brain, increasing the control of my toilet habits, controlling my SAD symptoms, continue to attend the regular check ups and remembering to take my HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) tablets. However, what has this year brought me, apart from the shit storm that was the pandemic effecting everyone in its own way?   I've learned that despite getting one of the most scariest diagnosis', I remained positive for the most part and had confidence in the NHS, providing me with amazing care.  I'm really not one t...

Hello friends! It's been an eventful couple of weeks for all of us.  England went into its second lockdown, "Lockdown 2", on Thursday 5th, I also had a phone call to book myself in for the PET-CT scan.  The earliest appointment they had was on Wednesday 11th for 8am.  I thought that slot was perfect, as I'll just wake up, rock up to the scan and by the time it was done, I'd be ready for breakfast.  Remembering I had to have only water for 6 hours before the scan, I was happy.  However, it would mean I'd have to wait at least a week for the results. A couple of hours later, they called me back, saying they had a slot available on Saturday 7th at 5pm.  The lady who called me earlier, must've noted how happy I was for the call, and I had told her I was waiting for the call and wanted the results of the scan. When she called back, I jumped at the chance, as I would stand more chance of getting the results sooner.  I rocked up at 4:30pm as they had asked if...

Hello dear reader. Last Thursday was the 3 month, post treatment appointment to discuss the MRI scan I had 12 days previously.  The MRI scan itself was fine.  I wasn't nervous about it, as I had plenty of them before.  The doctor performing the scan was the brother of someone I used to go to school and college with.  So that was a fun conversation. However, patient confidentiality means he won't mention anything to his sister. I had my appointment letter come through to see my oncologist, for a telephone appointment.  Part of me hoped that meant good news, as all other appointments, apart from my diagnosis, were all calls.  I didn't have the feeling of dread, like I was expecting, although my brain was going into overdrive.   However, the day before the appointment, I had another letter come through with a change from telephone to a face to face appointment.  I had been preparing myself for the possibility of Round 2, but having a last minute...

Hello friends! Thank you for dropping by to read my blog post.  If you're new here, I've labelled these by week, to make it easier to navigate, and there's also my own personal FAQ   (opens in a new window), in case you want a brief update.  I thought I'd post a little update, as things are starting to happen.  These last four weeks I've been trying to build stamina through exercise, have less chemo brain, improve my bladder and bowel movements, and battle anxiety for going outside.  I've also had more energy for cooking and baking.  I've also struggled mentally at times, especially as SAD season is kicking in. For those that aren't aware, I live with something called SAD, Seasonally Affected Disorder.  This is also known as the "winter blues", but I'd like to point out, for some, it can be far more complex than that sounds.  For me, I struggle with my energy levels when there's very little natural day light, which in turn has an impact...

Hello friends! Thank you for stopping by and reading another update.   A couple of weeks have passed since my last post, and progress has been slow, but there's been good progress.  However, I've been getting myself frustrated as I've felt I should be further along than I am.  I look well, but inside I'm still recovering.  This is me, post home work out this week.  My dog was glad I had finished so she could snooze! On reflection, I've got a hidden illness.  I may look fine, but I'm still recovering from my body taking a battering.  It's almost 2 months since I finished my brutal treatment, I really shouldn't be so hard on myself.  Before anyone messages me, I'm being sensible, and listening to my body.  I'm not pushing myself so much that I'm going to make myself unwell. I went for a walk by myself, which is probably the first time this year, to a local woodland spot.  Normally this walk wouldn't trouble me, but this is moderately ...

Hello friends! It's been an odd couple of weeks.  I'm eating well, apart from when it was super hot.  30+ degrees in Britain, what's that all about?!  I can roam like the rest of you, but I really don't want to.  I guess I've been shielded from the world for so long, I'm not sure I want to see what's outside. I was thinking of a couple of things I would like to go out and buy, then I ran through all the pros and cons then I chickened out.  It saves me money, it's not something that's vital, and let's be honest, I need to ease my way back into the wide world, after being away so long. The last 7 days have been challenging.  For those that don't know, I live with something called SAD, Seasonally Affective Disorder .  My body struggles to function during the wintery months, which does include really bad weather days.  Symptoms I experience include struggling for sleep, low mood, lethargy, change of appetite, low self-esteem, less sociable and la...

Hello friends! I've left publishing this post until the evening (currently it's 4pm), as I wanted to wait until I had my call with my oncologist.  Covid made the appointment turn to a phone call, which has been the story for my whole cancer journey, with exception of seeing the gynecologist when she confirmed I had cancer. We discussed how I've been over the last 4 weeks, and overall, she's happy with the progress I'm making.  Especially so in terms of side effects, or more importantly the significant reduction of them.  She's suggested I have an appointment with my GP, due to my early menopause symptoms (waking in the middle of the night to cool down, as well as experiencing hot flushes during the day).  There's no hurry to get that booked, she recommended in the next month or so, as I'll be susceptible to osteoporosis.  She has also requested an appointment to be booked for an MRI in the middle of October, and then I'll have an appointment with her...

Hello everyone! The past week has been fairly quiet.  I'm still making low progress in getting back to "normal".  I'm starting to feel more "me" and less cancer patient.  So much, that I posted a selfie on instagram when I felt the best I have for probably for the whole year. This time next week, I will have seen my oncologist, and I'm hopeful she will be pleased with the progress.  There's still a way to go.  I'm stretching myself in terms of activities, as I need to know my limits.  I'm back to walking laps in the garden.  I'm also doing some cooking with my other half.  However, I do find it quite draining, both mentally as well as physically.  I'm under no illusions that my body is still recovering from the severe battering it had. I'm being careful, and will have to be more so when my other half is at work.  However, each week I'm making better progress on the previous week.  I keep looking back at what I was like during ...

Hello everyone.  I hope you're all doing ok.  This blog is going to be a little different, where there will be two posts.  This one is the usual weekly summary blog.  I'll then post another with the FAQ's on.  I'll put the link at the bottom of this post, so you can go straight to it.  However you can find it by just visiting the homepage  https://cancerbossfight.blogspot.com/ .  So the last 7 days I have slowly been improving.  The urine infection has finally gone!  The problem when you have cancer treatment that includes chemo, fighting infection is difficult, so this one took longer than your average human!  However, my toilet habits are still the phrase "when I've got to go, I've got to go!", although the frequency isn't as much as it was, and my stools are finally less Niagara Falls (Yes, I've purposely made those descriptions blog reader friendly, not in my standard tone!). My energy levels are improving, although after each a...

Hello, and welcome to my personal frequently asked questions about my life with cancer.  Disclaimer - I am not a medical professional, and you should in no way treat the below as a substitute for professional advice.  If you're unsure about anything that effects you, please see a medical professional. The below is FAQ's about my cervical cancer experience so far.  For those that haven't read my blog, or have recently discovered it, most of what I write below, has been mentioned in my blog posts.  I've documented this as a FAQ for those that may have missed some posts, or just want a refresher of how I've managed my cancer treatment.  Everybody is different, and treatment may vary from person to person, however, some people may find my experience useful for their own journey, or supporting others with a cancer diagnosis. Pre-diagnosis When did you know something was wrong? It wasn't more of something was wrong, but something didn't feel right.  I started get...

Hello! I'm not sure this will be a long blog, but to be fair it's not about how much I write, it's documenting my cancer journey.  If anyone reads it, it's a bonus.  If anyone finds it helpful (apart from myself), even better!  On that note, what have I been up to over the last 7 days? I've spend a little more time in the garden, sitting, taking photos or throwing the dog's Kong tennis ball for her. I also got to see both my parents for the first time in months.  We socially distanced in the garden, and had a catch up. I also had the energy to bake some scones, with some preparation work done by the other half.  I was exhausted afterwards, but it was very rewarding.  I need to know where my limit is, so I know how much to work on.  Also, eating cake is a good way to put weight on.  I know, breaking news!  Sorry Cornish friends, I'm in Devon, so it's clotted cream, then jam.  When I'm allowed to visit you, I promise to do jam...

Friday 3rd July was my last treatment, and it was a weird occasion.  It was my last brachytherapy treatment, and I looking forward to having the last spinal block!  All the team were as friendly as usual, and one of the team was a fan of F1, in particular Daniel Ricciardo.  It was nice seeing her, and having a chat about the upcoming season. A perk of the spinal block, is that I get to take my phone in with me so I can listen to podcasts or music.  When you're stuck on your back for several hours, listening to audio books or music is best.  Friday I chose to put on Radio 5 Live so I could listen to Free Practice live!  The coverage wasn't great, as an example, they'd react to something and a little while later remember to tell us what they reacted to. Anyway, I had a different anesthetist, who knew of the challenges with me.  He was ever so nice, talked through everything he was doing, was super quick with the injections, and was the best spi...

Can you believe we're now in the month of July?  I certainly can't.  I know this year has been a weird one, so far it's felt like this year as been slow, but also flown past.  That sentence makes no sense, but that's how it's felt.  For me, a lot has already happened this year, but at the same time with my treatment, it has also felt slow, especially when I've had days where I've just needed to sleep, or haven't felt well. This past week, all I've had is my brachytherapy treatment. My body is very slowly, starting to recover day by day.  I'm not needing to nap as much, and my appetite continues to slowly improve.  However, I do get tired very quickly, and need to sit down a lot.  My brain is becoming more active, and finding it a bit easier to concentrate.  I know that sounds like a weird thing to say, but I hadn't really noticed it until recently.  My progress is paused for the days I have my treatment due to having nil by mouth, and then ...

This week has seen the start of my final treatment, brachytherapy.  I've mentioned this in a couple of previous blogs, but now I'll explain all about it. Brachytherapy in the crudest terms for me is having some tubes inserted into my cervix (under spinal or general anesthetic).  These tubes are directed to the cancerous cells, and then connected to a machine which sends radioactive material in these tubes through a ball bearing, to kill off the last of the cancer. Firstly, my treatment sees me travel to Bristol, as the hospital I've been having my current treatments, doesn't have this facility. Treatment is over 4 days, on Tuesday and Friday this week and next.  It's a long day, which starts with no food from midnight, and only drink water until 6am.  Travel up to Bristol for around 8:30-9am to start preparation. Tuesday was my first treatment, so the team run through things and ask if I have any questions.  I go to theatre, to be given the spin...