Every third
Wednesday we go out for the day. We drink tea, eat biscuits, have lunch, play board games and often laugh quite a bit. We meet some lovely people and chat about all
sorts of things.
 |
| A pleasant outdoor area at the hospital |
And during
all of this, Sheena is having her chemotherapy.
The side-effects vary, and sometimes the treatments for the side-effects
have side-effects, but as you can imagine it is not a pleasant process.
But we make
the best of it. I’m not having chemo – this poison is not being pumped into my
blood – but we share the experience to an extent. I always go with her. Some folks turn up and sit for the day on
their own, no one to accompany them during their treatment. We often share our stash of sweets, I offer to
make tea, or just chat. Some folks just sleep, some leave with huge
smiles, knowing it is their last day of treatment. Some wander past as they are shown round
and are fearful of the unknown. We were like that just a few months ago. And then
it becomes normal.
Attitude is
key. I cannot express enough how Sheena’s positive attitude makes the
day - and the treatment - bearable. For her it is the start of feeling really bad for two weeks and
feeling fine again just in time for the next treatment and a repeat of the
whole cycle again. For me it is seeing what effects the chemo has on her, and
how it changes our lives – for now. Even at her lowest, she can see through to the future and to when this is all over.
The good
news is that there are just two more left – one next week and then one in
April. After that there are other treatment regimes to come but reaching the
end of chemotherapy is a most welcome destination that is now almost in
sight.
The staff
at the hospital are amazing. Their positivity and kindness – the nurses and the
support staff – goes a long way.
At the
start of her treatment Sheena posted on social media about her condition and
what lay ahead. She also encouraged friends to do those self-examinations that
so often can lead to a diagnosis that enables life-saving treatment. To my
knowledge, at least three people ended up needing to be referred due to something
that they found. Her willingness to share and be open about her cancer has
probably saved more lives. Cancer
Research UK say one in two of us will experience cancer, so please give
yourself the best chance you can. Do the self-exams, go to your screening
appointments, and if you have any worrying symptoms go see your doctor.
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