Hello All – from Veronica

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Hello all, great to hear your news, Josie, Mary, Lorraine. I’ve been waiting to hear from the other girls before pushing that ‘Reply to All’ button, but haven’t (does anyone know anything about Lynn) so I thought I’d try out Lorraine’s knack of using the website. Hope all are as well as can be, and having a good long weekend. (Seems to be an excuse for a prolonged booze up & choc binge though!) Lots of love to all, from Veronica

Hi Everyone

I’ve been thinking of you all and thought I’d say Hi. The last message I came across was from Mary. How’s the new chemo going? I hope you’re not feeling too bad and that the ‘chemo brain’ hasn’t hit you! Veronica, that’s great news to hear. And Lynn, how are you?

It’s coming towards a year since we were at Penny Brohn. It’s amazing to think back a year, all that has happened! I’m keeping well (I hope!). Still check ups at the hospital and have decided not to take tamoxifen. I have bouts of extreme tiredness, now and then, which I can’t decide if that’s due to the menopause, or after effects of radiation! Or whether it’s just me.

It’s been a year since I was first diagnosed and when my mum died, so I suppose, I’ve come through a bit of a watershed. I feel  happier now and in lots of ways I’ve made peace with myself. Although, I still feel guilty indulging in a big slice of cheesecake now and again. But I’ll have to kick that habit; feeling guilty, I mean, not giving up cheesecake!

Thinking of you,

Love from Lorraine xxx

Happy New Year everyone – hope it’s going to be the best it can be.

Thinking of you all

love from Lynn x

Good wishes to all from Veronica

Hello everyone, this is just to wish you all a really happy Festive Season, and to hope that all goes well for you now, and throughout 2009.

Lots of love, and happy memories of last May when we were all at Penny Brohn!

Christmas cheer

Hi everyone
I hope you are all feeling good and looking forward to Christmas. I will be doing family stuff, which will be lovely, and savouring every moment. This time last year I didn’t know if I’d see snow and christmas again – and here I am! I saw the surgeon who reckoned that the cancer in my liver is not likely to cause trouble because of where it is and that to operate would pose a greater risk.
I saw the oncologist last week and he said that the only drug left will make me pretty poorly (I knew that) and that only 20% of people respond to it. When I asked what they got for it, the answer was an average of 2 months! So I said no thanks as I am feeling pretty well now and I want to enjoy it for as long as possible. Tonight at 11pm my sister and I leave to go by coach to Luxembourg for Christmas markets there and in Germany. We arrive in time for dinner tomorrow night, have 2 whole days there and set off back on Thursday morning, arriving back here about 4am…
I hope your party goes well Lorraine – I will be with you in spirit! I have started planning my divorce party – I’ve based it on a book I bought before I got married (1964)called ‘The Good Housewife’s Encyclopaedia’ (I also bought ‘The Good Cook’s Encyclopaedia’ so you can see how committed I was). The games are based on the things I didn’t do right…did you know you clean a fur coat by covering it with warm bran and fig dust, leave it for a few hours and then comb it? Or how to get red ink out? (spread it with mustard, leave 30 mins, then wash). No wonder I went wrong! Everyone will have to wear 1964 clothes. As the court claimed they didn’t receive the last set of papers (they lost my sister’s for 19 years) I won’t get my nisi until Tuesday and then have to wait 6 weeks and a day for the absolute so it will now be the end of January – which will be a nice time to have a party. And a friend of fifteen years – widower – has suggested we get engaged after that so we can have another party! It was a frivolous suggestion – at least I think so! That was just after I’d bought the candles and single flower vases I want at my funeral service – almost everything has been arranged and the service is sorted with this wonderful interfaith minister. Wish I could be there! So everything will soon be in a drawer and I can get on with living! I’ve now got to compose a letter to put in my christmas cards – for the people I’m not in regular contact with and don’t expect to see again – to say I’m still here. Last year I sent a goodbye letter…
Merry Christmas and a great new year for you all
love
lynn xxxxxx

Party Time

Hi Mayeights,

It’s great to keep in touch and catch up on your news. I’ve been off the radar awhile, just doing boring stuff, like sorting my life out! Ha! If life can ever be boring…! How’s your divorce party plans coming along, Lynn? Whatever you do, make sure he’s young and goodlooking. I’ve decided to have a party too, not a divorce one, but a big one nevertheless. Some of my family are coming over from England, the rest can go……. I’m quite excited, and also nervous. Just don’t mention the F word. I wanted to thank everyone for all their support and kindness over the past year, and a birthday party seemed a good idea. So if anyone is able to take a weekend break on 12 December in freezing, frosty Leitrim, I’d love to see you, of course.

I may have been lapsing on the diet front, you know, the odd bit of cheese and yogurt….. and wine! But I’m sticking with the juicing. It has been a great way of getting through all our apples from our trees. I particularly like making the beetroot juice. The colour is stunning, but maybe it’s because it bears a striking resemblance to the the other red stuff! And the biggest bonus is the rest of my family are happily taking the drinks as well. When I say happily, Rowan does grumble a bit….

I’m due to see my consultant next in January for a check-up. I still haven’t started taking Tamoxifen which they’ve recommended I do.

Thinking of you all and wishing you loving kindness,

Lorraine

biopsy results

Hi Mary

How did your fat aspirate biopsy go? Did they find amyloidosis? Is there anything else they can do about the neuropathy?

Keep up the broccoli (haven’t done it myself, yet..) Whatever is working for you and keeping the myeloma at bay seems good to me.

I’m hoping to get my decree nisi soon!!! I’ll have a divorce party when it is all finalised. If anyone has been to one I am open (and desperate for) ideas!

Better go and get ready for Strictly Come Dancing… My sister and I, and the son who lives with me are going round to my son and daughter in law’s to watch it and have a meal while  the two sons have a jam session together and generally sneer at our taste…!

Let me know how you are doing.

love

lynn x

veronica the trailblazer

Hi everyone

Veronica has done so well with her surgery I have just composed a letter to my surgeon to ask if I could have liver surgery too. My tumour markers have gone up again – from 22.5 to 41 (normal is under 3) – which they say is a mild rise. They wouldn’t do it a year ago as it was also in my lungs but it is only spreading slowly and if I could do without extremely painful emergency procedures if it spreads into the bile ducts and causes blockage – well, that would be better! Especially if it was when I was abroad on holiday….

Spain was lovely to the heart and head anyway although not the body – I broke a tooth right off on the way to the airport – eating fruit and nuts -so ended up having treatment at a spanish dentist’s! Plus my knee and back went into meltdown so walking was difficult…and the beds were hard …and being a vegetarian in Andalucia is very difficult … and there were mozzies! But it was worth it for the wonderful things we saw the Alcazar, mezquita and Alhambra. Fortunately I was able to get help when I got home particularly with a spiritual healer, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) therapist (can’t praise it highly enough)- and dentist (extraction to follow)! So am just about knocked into shape, can walk normally,in time for Venice on the 2nd November….at least there won’t be mozzies, (probably just floods) but there will be pasta and pizza – will have to have a little cheese or die of lack of protein!

I hope you are keeping well Veronica – your son sounds pretty special. And Lorraine, I’m glad you are finished with that chemo and are feeling more like yourself again. I often think of you Mary and hope your life is getting easier – what a challenge you have on a daily basis! Keep strong! And Josie – I hope you are really enjoying playing that netball – and no pain! And that you are keeping well, Mel. Has anyone heard from Edith?

It was a lovely week – so sunny and warm, in more ways than one!

love to you all

lynn xxxxxx

cancer and holiday insurance

Hi everyone

A friend from our local cancer support group sent me this link which may interest some of you if you are thinking of travelling, whether you are in remission or not.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/cancertravelins/
I am feeling fine now – the divorce papers have been sent already. The son affected by the enquiry from my estranged husband thinks I overreacted and it’s a common male uncertainty… he is so like his father!  At least I’ve got science on my side. Neither of them can understand why it wasn’t reasonable to ask the question!

I am off to Spain on Wednesday the 8th and so looking forward to it, although it means I miss an episode of Strictly…any other fans out there? I know that’s the date of Rod’s funeral but will think of him and you all. Is anyone going? We are all so scattered round the country.

Keep well everyone – so glad you are making such a good recovery Veronica.

love

lynn x

email from Rod’s daughter

Hello All, I’ve just got back from a week’s housesitting, and have only just seen my emails from that time, so have only just heard abour Rod.  How very very sad I feel.  This is his daughter’s email which she has asked me to put on the website:

.hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } Hello everyone,

I am very sorry to say that Rod passed away yesterday (26/9) at 7.15am. It was very unexpected-he was supposed to be coming home next week.Rod loved the Penny Brohn course and gained a lot from attending. The funeral will be the week after next week in Windsor, Berks. It would be wonderful if you could attend-he talked about everyone from the course with much affection and happiness. We completely understtand however, that everyone is dealing with this horrible disease so understand if attending is not possible. Should you wish to attend, my email address is rebeccaeumor@hotmail.com

Many thanks for giving dad such happy memories.

God bless and good health to you all.

Rebecca

Josie has sent everyone the details of the funeral.  I won’t be able to go, but will be holding everyone in my heart.  Love to all, Veronica