Kicking and screaming

The one thing about having a terminal disease is that you don't want to give in to it so I will, when the time comes, go out kicking and screaming. With this in mind it is always good to have a plan B if the current plan is not working. I hope upon hope that my current treatment does work and will find out if it does soon enough.

Meanwhile I have made noises to my Oncologist Dr. Riyaz Shah in Maidstone about the next step. He is very supportive and suggests that I have a talk with the Drugs Trial guys at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, Surrey. Dr Shah has got me my first appointment with them for the 6th November which was very quick. Both Dr Shah and my amazing Macmillan Nurse Sandra Wakelin have been so very supportive, they both always mention the positives in my condition and I feel blessed to have such good people routing for me.

Actually, apart from one grumpy Medic who I will excuse as being highly stressed at the time, I have found everybody I have come in contact with absolutely encouraging and willing to see me whenever I want to be seen, which is comforting if I am worried. Also they are more than willing to answer my numerous questions with infinite patience and concern. This includes The Prof.and his wonderful team in Frankfurt.

This is a picture I took in my garden last summer, the Bee posed obligingly for me!

To look at me you wouldn't know that I was ill, I look as fit as anyone else. The main problem at the moment is breathlessness, which catches me out every time if I have to go upstairs or up a slope. I can actually walk well on the flat and try a do an hour-long walk most days. Also I go swimming (when I remember my costume) maybe two or three times a month. It is meant to be weekly and I go with a couple of friends, but if they can't go I am not motivated or keen enough to go alone, so I don't, however we are going this Saturday.

We are also going to supper on Saturday to some very good friends and will meet up with other friends that we haven't seen for some years, so that will be nice.

My foray into currency speculation has backfired, the Euro has got weaker against the pound and I could have got a better rate if I had waited. Still, it is all a learning curve and I expect that over the whole Frankfurt treatment time I will come out about even on the rates; and we are only talking about a few pounds each time anyway.

Robert, my husband went to watch Arsenal play Liverpool last night and my son Stephen invited me over for a curry. I had a great time playing with Joseph, my grandson, and the food was good. Unfortunately Stephen's tonsils started to swell and get sore so I left as my immune system is down due to the Chemo in the treatment I am having. Still, it was a good evening. Also Arsenal won, so Rob was very happy.

I don't know if I have mentioned this but the drug trial I was on caused most of my hair to fall out. My hair is fairly straight normally so it was a surprise to find that the new hair has grown very curly. I now have a head of ringlets!!!. I don't know if it will stay curly or go straight again.