Restful Days

Just a short post to update you on how I've been doing health-wise since my chemo last Tuesday.

It has definitely been nowhere near as bad as it was the last time I had two weeks of treatment in a row.  I've been feeling weak & fluey - aches and shivers - on and off since then, but my temperature hasn't risen too much and my body seems to have tolerated it a lot better than last time round.  I have spent the last 3 days doing very little, just resting, reading and watching TV. Today was the first day I ventured outside since Tuesday & went for a walk around the block with Andrea.  Meanwhile Dave has been very busy all week with redecorating!!

Looking forward to enjoying the Easter weekend now and very much looking forward to a week off chemo next week :)

Great Weekend!

We had a great weekend with Charis and Claire!!  They had lots of different things planned, some were scuppered by the cold weather.....but we still have a great time together!  Afternoon Tea in Bath, Visit to the Jane Austen Museum, Trip to the Theatre Royal to see '39 Steps' and a visit to a local wildlife park to see butterflies, reptiles & meerkats, amongst others!

It was really lovely to see them for a few days and get to catch up properly :)  Thank you girls for all the chats, fun and laughs - it gave me such a great lift!!

And as an extra bonus we were even able to meet up with Ralph in London yesterday evening - it was so good to see you Ralph :)

We were back in London today for my second dose of chemo (Day 8).  It was a longer day as they were a bit short staffed this morning but we had stayed near Heathrow last night so thankfully we didn't have to get up at 5:30am this morning :)   I'll keep you updated on how I'm getting on with the side effects over the next few days as this was a very difficult one last time round.

Afternoon Tea in Bath

Visit to the Jane Austen Museum

Strolling around the centre of Bath

Comparing the Meerkats

Cork Girls Reunited!

It was SO good to see Charis & Claire yesterday!!  They braved the snow and blizzards on the way down from Birmingham and eventually made it to Swindon for 2:30am!  

We had a fabulous day together and we got to meet up with Russel, Katharine & Lowena who are just back from Sudan....It was amazing to see them again after so many years and to catch up with everything that has been going on in their lives.  Thank you all for a VERY special day :) 

It's snowing here again today so I'm not sure what the girls have planned for me?!

So Far So Good

I'm very happy to report that this time round I haven't had any major side effects from Tuesday's chemotherapy :)   It usually kicks in on Wednesday evening & I don't feel great until the weekend but so far I have been doing really well, just a few shivers this afternoon but my temperature is staying down and no flu pains as yet....hoping this will continue and that next week's treatment will be easier as well!!

So looking forward to seeing Charis & Claire tomorrow morning & spending lots of time with them over the weekend :)

Another One Down!

We're just back from London for my 4th chemo session.  I tolerated the Ice Cap quite well this time and we're hoping that the side effects from the drugs won't kick in too strongly this time round.  The chemo is given as a divided dose - Day 1 (today) & Day 8 (next Tuesday) and the last time round I really suffered after Day 8.  They have decided not to reduce the dose and will monitor how I respond both this week and next week before making any further decisions.

In the meanwhile I'm SO looking forward to Charis & Claire visiting at the weekend....it's lovely to have something nice to work towards :)

PS.  Congratulations to Steve & Ruth who not only made it all the way round 26 miles in Rome - they both did it in a Personal Best time! Well Done!

Happy Paddy's Day!

Happy St Patrick's Day!!  No major celebrations happening in Swindon but hope you have a lovely day back home & enjoy the parades!  It always rains on Paddy's Day so I'm assuming this year is no different?  It could be worse though...it was snowing here this morning!! 

Health-wise I'm doing so much better - I feel much stronger now and building myself up for chemo on Tuesday.  Dave, on the other hand, has been suffering from a lots of back pain over the weekend and is finding it hard to find any relief :( 

Thinking of Steve & Ruth running the Rome marathon today.....26 miles!!  You can do it ...you are both such an inspiration!! 

Turned A Corner

It has been a really tough 10 days since Gamma Knife treatment but I feel like I have really turned a corner in the last 2 or 3 days. I'm still not quite right and am still taking steroids but the swelling on my brain seems to have come down considerably and I'm able to do a lot more now....as well as think a bit straighter!

It's a very scary feeling not being able to express yourself and very frustrating too but I feel like I'm coming out the other end now. It's been really tough on Dave who needs to recognise the signs of another seizure coming on but thankfully the meds are doing their job & that hasn't happened!

Thank you so much to everyone who has been texting, emailing & praying for us during this time - it means so much :)

Getting There....Slowly!

First of all, Happy Birthday Dad - really sorry I couldn't be there with you this evening :(

I have been slowly recovering over the past few days but I'm still nowhere near where I should be.  This one has really hit hard and I'm struggling to recover but, having said that, I'm doing much better today.  It's the first time I've really been able to coordinate thoughts and emotions!  One week ago today I was just coming out of Gamma Knife treatment and feeling desperately sick.

But we are thankful to God that is all behind me now and, after some recovery time, I can start facing the next phase of my treatment.  I am so thankful that this was brought forward as I really couldn't have faced it today!!  Next treatment is on the 19th March.

Thank you SO much to everyone who has been texting, emailing, praying and sending cards - we have so much to be thankful for.  I just watched a film for comic relief and we are incredibly blessed by the hospital facilities here - in Africa they really are substandard and we have no idea how fortunate we are.

Home At Last

Quick update today to let you know that Sharon was discharged from hospital yesterday afternoon.  She is still on medication to reduce swelling in the brain caused by the treatment as this is still causing a few issues.  However, given a few days and the continued effect of the steroids, we expectantly look forward to her feeling her normal self very soon.  Also glad to report that no more sickness and much reduced level of headaches.

Blog will be back in the owner's rightful hands for next update :-)

Treatment Day

Here are a few photos from yesterday prior to the gamma knife treatment. (Purposely not close up photos).

The treatment was longer than we had expected and she was in the gamma knife machine (last picture) for nearly 4 hours!

Unfortunately, Sharon has been unwell since getting back to the ward with headache and sickness. She also has been having a few issues due to a bit of swelling caused by yesterday's treatment. As a consequence, she is going to spend another night at the hospital as she starts a short course of steroids to get on top of this and make her feel more herself.

Thank You to everyone who has been praying or thinking of us these past couple of days.

Gamma Knife

Friday night was Moroccan Tagine and Couscous - one of our favourites since we went to Morocco the year before last :)  Friday is traditionally the only day they serve couscous in Morocco & Dave was very excited about the dish....but even he didn't manage to eat it all in one go!! 

Healthwise I've been improving since the weekend but we have been taking things very easy in the run up to Gamma Knife treatment tomorrow.  Contrary to what the name suggests, there is no actual knife involved!! It's a series of shots of very accurate radiotherapy aimed at precise spots in my brain.  As there are quite a number of tumours, we don't know how long the procedure will take but I will need to lie still for a long period of time.  It's not painful but it is a long time to stay in one place....not that I will have any choice seeing as my head will be fixed in place! It will be an anxious wait for Dave as there's nothing he can do but wait.      

We're travelling to London this evening as we need to be there for 6:30am, the frame fitting is at 8:30 and the MRI scan is around 9am.  They will then plan the radiotherapy, go ahead with the treatment and plan to keep me in over night.  We are anxious about what tomorrow holds but have been praying much in the run up to this, along with many other people.