Tuesday thoughts...

We are continually faced with great opportunities which are cleverly disguised as unsolvable problems.

Margaret Mead


It's Tuesday and so it was chemo clinic today. As always I got more than intravenous drugs from it. Firstly we all had our usual chat while waiting to see the nurse/doctor for bloods to be taken etc. We are all getting closer to the end of our treatment and we agreed that we would miss our Tuesdays, truly. I hope that we all meet up again outwith the clinic and I think that we will. We heard about Yvonne's daughters wedding on Saturday, and how the sun come out after much rain. Norma talked about her struggle to climb the stairs to her flat and we advised her to speak to someone at MacMillan who can advise and help her fight her case to be rehoused. We were also able to offer her some tips on how to do her shopping online as she is struggling with the physical demands of getting to the shops lately. Janette talked about how she had been feeling emotionally and we all listened. This and many other little chats are what makes chemo clinic much more than bearable. I also got the opportunity to learn more about the lovely woman I mentioned in another post, who liked my bid for freedom in the wig/scarf department. When I met her that day I found that she held an attraction, there was something about her. A very dignified woman with a lovely aura. Today I know why I thought this. She was keen for me to know that she has been living with secondary breast cancer for 20 years. Wow. She was my hope today. I am looking forward to talking more to her and finding out more about her journey. These are the things that keep us going.

I also exercised my new philosophy of taking full responsibility for my care today. I have been having quite a lot of pain at the site of my surgery recently. Now it is probably just the aftermath of a fairly big operation and possibly some of the numbness is wearing off and therefore I am feeling things more. However, I can't afford to be complacent this time around and so I asked to be examined. I also ensured that this was put into my notes so that each time that I see someone, the documentation is there and followed up. It's what we need to do unfortunately. It's also really good to be open and honest with experiences with others you meet as these experiences can help. I guess we go back again to my big point in all of this that knowledge is power. I am feeling good tonight, I have a more powerful belief in my future. This whole cancer crap really has enriched my life in the strangest of ways.