24 September - Sunshine & Showers

Thursday 24 September.
Here we are just back from 11 days in Spain. Well - the best-laid plans went astray! I had the horrid Neulasta jab on the Thursday after chemo and started taking the pain relief straight away. Didn’t have any bone pain over the next few days at all. Having played (gently) in the mixed invitation at LGC and felt a bit off by the end of the day I threw stuff into a bag when I got home and called it ‘packing’.

I was very tired by about 9 pm and went to bed, as we had to be up at 3.45 am to catch our 6.25 am flight. When I woke up I felt awful. Incredibly tired and with more of the ‘bleugh’ feeling than I had experienced before. I managed to get in the taxi but was feeling even worse when we got to the airport. The flight was a nightmare – I kept falling asleep but every time the cabin crew came with food or drink I woke up feeling queasy. Suffice it to say that I really don’t remember a lot of the trip. I fell asleep on the plane, in the baggage hall, at the car rental counter, in the car on the trip to La Manga Club and finally on top of the unmade bed in the apartment. Basically I stayed in that bed for three days. I couldn’t eat much and had poor C running around finding things that I thought I wanted like crunchy nut cornflakes (not available) and apples (something I rarely eat). I slept most of the time but had a really upset stomach and I am not sure if that was the Taxotere, the Co-codamol or the Senokot. Spain was very hot that first week so we kept the air conditioning running the whole time. I’m not sure what I would have done without it. Eventually I emerged and started eating again and by Thursday was able to play a bit of golf but had to have a ride on Scooter. By Saturday I was fine and firing on all cylinders although I looked whiter than i have ever looked out there before - I was slapping factor 50 sun block on because chemo really makes you sensitive to the sun. The rest of the holiday was great with some lovely food and great wine (Yes, I could taste it).

The golf was a bit patchy but was just coming right when we got to the last competition yesterday. Sods law being what it is, we got rained off and had to go out to lunch with the friends we were playing with instead. Such hardship!

The whole thing has taught me that after the next and thankfully last chemo session, I will simply take paracetamol and give in gracefully by crashing for those crucial days – probably Sunday to Wednesday.

But I do have a little treat in store…I’m off to Venice with a girlfriend on 22 October to celebrate no more chemo!!

The wig behaved perfectly and managed the heat without any problem. I was impressed.

26 August - I learn that I am not superwoman.

Wednesday 26 August - Feeling a great deal better but still not 100% right. So for the first time in many months I have cancelled my golf game today. I am simply going to fuddle about, read and rest.

When I got up yesterday I was worried because I still felt ghastly but as I was scheduled to be an observer referee at the Southern Regions Girls Amateur Championships, and I knew they were desperately short of people, I forced myself to get in the car and drive to Worplesdon. By the time I got there I actually felt OK and the gentle walk around the course wasn’t a problem. A few undemanding rulings and I was beginning to feel we were back on track.

But I am tired. So today I give in……Only temporarily mind you!

One thing this has highlighted is that Dr S and I are going to have words next time I see him. I am not prepared to go through this again especially as we are due to fly to Spain four days after the next chemo and I have every intention of enjoying my holiday. Somehow we will have to come up with a solution – whether that be ditching the Neulasta injection or finding something whizzy in the pain relief cupboard.

24 August - I spoke too soon.

Monday 24 August. I feel like s**t. And am having to work from home again because there is no way I could stand the commute. I thought I would get away with the worst of the Taxotere side effects but I haven't. I have 'Bone Pain'. This means simply that all my bones ache like hell. It is a common side effect of the chemo and the Neulasta, the drug they give you to boost white blood cell count. As a result I haven't been able to sleep much, am swallowing Ibruprofen and Paracetamol as quickly as I can and wanting to sleep. It will pass and I probably over did it at the weekend by playing two rounds of golf. I've learned. Next time I will only play one round - with a buggy - at the LGC mixed open.

19 August - 4th Chemo

Wednesday 19 August – 4th Chemo session. Arrived in good time and convinced the path lab to get the senior Phlebotomist to take the bloods. No problems this time.
Everything goes well and as a bonus I don’t have to have the steroid injection so no feeling as though I am sitting on a hedgehog!

As a new twist I have to have an injection of another drug at my local GP surgery 24 hours after the chemo to boost my white blood count. Apparently this is normal, not anything particular to me. So I am given a hypo to take home and keep in the fridge overnight.

BUT THE BIG NEWS IS….. we finally have the result of the HER2 test and it is negative so I don’t have to have another year’s worth of 3 weekly infusions. This is fantastic news for me from a logistical point of view and for getting back to normal.

I confirm with Dr S that we can start radiotherapy in November when I am back from a scheduled long weekend break in Venice with a friend and that I will start Hormone therapy in the form of Arimidex a couple of weeks after chemo finishes.

I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.