Well, well, well..!

A year ago - 18 July 2023 - I found a lump. The day after my birthday.

The following 12 months have been weird, excessive, tearful and joyful.

Then I remembered that the previous 12 months were also weird, excessive, etc...and the 12 months before that, and so on throughout my adult life.

Maybe that is what set me up for dealing with the treatment and subsequent side effects!

In my last blog I mentioned that radiotherapy treatment was on the horizon. It has now been completed with only a few side issues. I am a little breathless and certainly more fatigued than I have been, but none of it compares to what I was feeling 6 months ago and it is not stopping me getting on with my life.

I have been back in hospital for half a day to assess my Adrenal gland and cortisol levels. I was initially put on steroids in October for my Thyroid as it stopped working. Then the Adrenal gland stopped producing cortisol. Then the steroids were increased when I had sepsis and colitis.

The thyroid is now being treated with a daily drug and I am on it for ever. C'est la vie!

The Sepsis was treated successfully, but the cortisol levels have consistently failed to impress...and so I remained on steroids. I have reduced the dosage over the last 6 months from 70mg/day to 4mg/day. Yesterday, they told me my gland is almost back to normal which means I can be weaned off the steroids. This needs to happen relatively slowly but I should be steroid free within 4-6 weeks.

Of course, it may be too late but I am planning on getting a late call up for the Olympics given that I should now be able to pass the doping test!

If only I can get the breathing thing sorted !!

So there we go.

I have declined further treatment offered by my consultant. My body appears to be cancer free and the extra treatment is simply a 'belts and braces' offer. The Medics understand my refusal to risk further damage to any of my organs or glands and have supported my decision.

I will have further appointments every 3 months for the next year, and will then go onto an annual assessment for 5 years. The odds of remaining cancer free are in my favour.

I am over it now. I don't think that I thought I was in mortal danger at any time during my treatment, although I am told it was a little dodgy from time to time. And to be fair, some of my 'thinking' was not of the intelligent and clear variety.

My previous hospital experiences have all been related to sports injuries. Broken bones or torn muscles (a common theme for an Olympian wannabe). Being sick has been very different. There is little control, and certainly less understanding on what is happening with and to one's body.

Apart from the sepsis moment, I felt an awareness at all times and asked questions when I could and always received an honest and frank answer. But I did not always understand the answers.

I did not know I had sepsis. I have very little recollection of the first 5 days in hospital but I know they spoke to me. They probably told me the diagnosis, and they tried to keep me informed on what was happening to me. But it was a blur.

I suspect that was a good thing.

Now, I want to get on with my life. Last week I rejoined the golf club. I walked and played 18 holes in the blazing sun and nearly had a heart attack, sun stroke and dehydration. But I did it.

The next time I played I took a buggy. I am obstinate but not entirely stupid.

I have seen my family. Played with the kids.

I am over my cancer. But our family is not. Throughout this entire treatment, I have had to watch my brother fight his own, more serious cancer battle mostly from a distance because we have both been immune-suppressed.

I can now be with him; nag him, help him and love him the way only siblings can.

Our little sister can breathe a little easier now I am out of the woods but the fight goes on.

I cannot express enough thanks to those that supported me throughout this treatment programme. You know what you did for me and you know who you are.

I thought I would finish my tale with a list (not complete but I cannot remember everything). Makes interesting reading.

Diagnosis	Treatment	Treatment
Triple negative breast cancer	Mammograms x 2	Electrocardiogram x 1
Thyroidtoxicosis	Biopsies x 3	Blood transfusion x 1
Anaphylaxis (Iodine)	X-rays x 11	Iron transfusion x 1
Neutropenic sepsis	MRI x 4	Magnesium infusion x 1
Anaemia	CT scans x 4	Potassium infusion x 1
Colitis	Nuclear scans x 2	Vitamin D infusion x 1
Pneumonia	Chemo bags x 16	Saline bags (litres) x 16
Deep vein thrombosis	Immuno bags x 16	Antibiotics (litres) x 4
Pulmonary embolism	ECG's x 8	Fentanyl
	Blood samples x 83	Morphine
	103 hospital visits	20 nights in hospital
	Breast surgery x 1	Plus thousands of pills

Onwards dear friends. Onwards!