The highs and lows of living with a brain tumour.
Recently, there has been a deluge of messages* from people, requesting updates to this blog (*OK, about half a dozen people emailed to see if I was dead yet). No I'm not dead yet. So here's the plan - I'll issue a rash of short updates and then forget to do any more for another... Continue Reading →
For all my wanging on about this being a real time blog about having a brain tumour and what it's like to undergo treatment, I've left it way too late to write this post, but then when I decided on a real time blog I a) didn't realise how little would actually happen during treatment;... Continue Reading →
Right then. Where were we? Oh yes, it was the 4th April and I was due to start the third round of PCV chemotherapy but my blood platelets had fallen below the minimum level to be able to undertake chemotherapy, so I'd been sent home for a week to concentrate on growing some more. Truth... Continue Reading →
A year on from a brain tumour diagnosis, I reflect on having a big cancerous melon for a heed.
As chemo cycle 3 loomed, I began to sleep less and worry more, until I came to a stunning realisation: I don't like chemo. As revelations go, it's not up there with Archimedes or Newton's; it was designed to be a medical treatment, not a barrel of laughs, but thus far I had been steadfastly... Continue Reading →
At the first chemo appointment, the nurse had told me to keep a note of any side effects each day. Once the puking episode was sorted, there weren't really any side effects to note down for the rest of the first cycle, so I started writing down daft stuff like 'steam is more visible' (as... Continue Reading →
The first day of chemo started with a cup of decaffeinated tea, as prescribed by the safe foods list. It was of course, beyond rank. This whole chemotherapy lark better bloody be worth it, because as sacrifices go, decaff tea is up there with the worst of them. In the chemotherapy day unit, lots of... Continue Reading →
The first cycle of chemotherapy is scheduled to begin on the 10th January. Barring allergies, poor blood counts or other surprises along the way, I will have six cycles of chemotherapy, with each cycle lasting six weeks. If everything stays on schedule, that's 36 weeks. 252 days. It'll be mid-September at the earliest before I'm... Continue Reading →
Not today, Satan. Not today. 