Friday, March 08, 2019

Attitude and examination


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.

Links

·        Breast cancer care
·        CRUK cancer checks
·        Prostate cancer

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Photo: Carolyn Sheppard

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