Monday 19th May
Song of the day: Love never felt so good - Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake
It's just another manic Monday....actually it turned out to be. In a previous life I would have laughed at what I now classify as busy but hey you are living in the present with what you know so this becomes your point of reference!
My throat was absolutely killing and I still hadn't got the much craved good night's sleep that I was after. Time to take action...call the GP! As it was Monday I knew it was unlikely that I'd get an appointment so I settled for a telephone consultation.
Then the doorbell rang - a package arrived from the ever wonderful Lisa Pratt......a tea parcel from Fortnum & Mason, complete with Earl Grey tea biscuits. Mmn!!! Plus a pic of Lisa having a cup of tea, which to her relief I won't share as she'd kill me! It was a delight to receive such a thoughtful gift, a great start to the week. I just need to save some of the tea so that I can share a cup with her at some stage! Thanks LP! xxx
Photo no.203 - tea time treats!
Less chat VW on with appointment no.1...pedicure! I think I mentioned last week that my new chemo drug is UV light sensitive so I've been advised to have my nails painted at all times...a hardship I know! There has been little flip flop weather but still, good to having matching toe and finger nail colours.
At the end of the pedicure, Hilary came round to introduce someone to me who is going through the same chemo plan as me. Of course we ended up having a long lengthy chat comparing side effects and handing over tips for dealing with them. It was lovely and of course we swapped numbers to catch up more often. As you know, I don't want to part of the cancer club and have kept my touch points with others going through the same thing extremely limited, as I've not felt the need due to having such amazing family and friends. Perhaps, this has been rather selfish as there are others out there who aren't so lucky and need the support. I need to reflect on this and see what I can offer.
During out chat Dr Ford called and after I described my symptoms, he concluded he wanted to see me. I love my GP practice as he cleared time so that I could go in to see him later that afternoon. There was some concern I might have neutropenia, which wouldn't be great as this means I don't have anything to fight any bugs, so a trip to Rosemead was added into my day.
I had thought I would have a bit of time before appointment number 2 but this was not to be due to a lot of chat but not to worry....I can find my way to White Waltham parish hall. Well thanks to sat nav I did just in the nick of time. Walking into the parish hall, I was greeted by an air of tranquility and serenity. Yep, that's right, yoga/ meditation time. Davinder is amazing and so, so calming. It was my first real yoga experience and I really enjoyed it. It's not often you have a full hour with your eyes closed and following someone else's gentle guidance. Leaving the stress of the day behind, blocking out the noises around you...bliss. Something to be repeated.
Post yoga, I had 15 mins to wolf down some lunch and do a bit of prep for my meeting with Dr Davis and then walk to Rosemead. Manic Monday! Dr Ford went through the usual tests of looking in my ear, throat, taking blood pressure etc. Without a blood test he seemed to think I was ok, as I wasn't shivering but asked that I got my oncologist to request a blood test to be taken later that afternoon. I left armed with another prescription for antibiotics...just in case. Phew.
Back home, another 15 minute window for final oncology meeting prep! Then my mum arrived to come with me to the appointment. I do accept at times that I'm a difficult being and I turn into a petulant teenager. I don't know why this happens but generally my poor mother bears the brunt, so thanks so much for putting up with me!!!
My appointment with Dr Davis was fairly uneventful this time. No examination, I guess due to having the MRI results. We ran through the Docetaxel side effects and discussed the upping of my steroid dose, which I'm now comfortable with. We also discussed my symptoms of the day and a blood test was requested. During the blood test, I started to ask Jane around rough timelines for surgery. As we know, I'm a self-confessed control freak but I would like to go on holiday somewhere in between chemo ending and surgery. I would also like to talk to Miss Predolac regarding what's going to happen re removal and reconstruction and discuss the options before deciding...I suspect she knew from the first consultation with me but still I would like this opportunity. Something to get more clarity on next time I'm in for chemo.
Back home, DW arrived back from work earlier than usual as he was flying off to Geneva early the next day for a conference. It's fascinating how different business sectors work. Aviation is a passion of DW's and the annual conference in Geneva is definitely a highlight. This year it was also an escape route for him for a few days. His company were exhibiting there, complete with some models.....so for fun I decided to model a few of the items! Not a private jet sadly.....Photo no.204 - TJB girl!
Photo no.205 - not sure about the cap and scarf look!
Photo no.206 - do I get the job?!
Those of you based in the UK will remember last Monday as one of the hottest days of the year. So after dinner I sat outside and enjoyed a summer's evening, complete with some summer berries!
Photo no.207 - a taste of summer
Then the phone rang...it was Dr Davis letting me know that my blood counts were fine and to hold off taking the antibiotics. Phew. It was a relief getting this before DW jetted off.
Photo no.208 - don't go DW!
Unless you're the person travelling, it's always sad seeing a packed bag by the front door ready for the next morning...I know it's only 2 days but this was the first time for us being apart this year. I just hoped nothing happened over the next 2 days...
Tuesday 20th May
Song of the day (LH): Latch
Song of the day (VW): Long train running - The Doobie brothers
I vaguely recall saying goodbye to DW at an early o'clock time but thankfully fell back asleep and got up at the lazy doors time of after 10...throat still sore and still feeling tired. Maybe the dream sleep will happen soon!
This week was like Christmas as another parcel arrived courtesy of the True's from Seattle! Mike and Jen moved there a couple of years ago and we miss them lots. Skype is good but DW and I are bad at planning Skype sessions with them so they are a rare event and to be honest it's not quite the same...still we are super excited that they're coming over twice this year! Whoop, whoop! We love you guys and can't wait to meet Parker! xxx
Photo no.209 - PJs, a snuggly blanket and decaf lady grey tea - the essentials!
You may think it's strange being sent tea from the US. For some reason, Twinnings don't make decaf Lady Grey available in the UK, so the US is the only source as far as I know. So it was amazing to receive such a great stockpile!
I went into work, probably foolishly, as I felt exhausted. Still as always it was great to be around my lovely team, so it was still a good boost. A text from Kim spurred me into action, as I needed to buy the ingredients and get back to cook for my house guest. We had a lovely relaxed evening and got into bed at respectable hour, as Kim had to be up early doors...due to this I did the stupid thing of watching something on iplayer, which of course woke me up...so yep, I ended up going to sleep much later than planned. Stupid girl! Plus, I always find it weird the first night DW's away to get to sleep. Grow up VW, stop being such a scary cat!
Wednesday 21st May
Song of the day (LH): Space Cowboy - Jamiroquai
Song of the day (VW): Blow your mind - Jamiroquai
One word for today. Exhausted. My throat was starting to feel better, which was a plus but overall I felt shattered. All of the broken sleep was catching up with me. The other thing that put me on edge was that my temperature was fluctuating around the 37.4 mark...not dangerous but if it had hit 37.5 for a couple of hours then action would be required. Typical with DW away!
I went into work, as best to be around people in case I needed help plus take my mind off of it. There was an Autumn/ Winter show and tell of the Waitrose Home new products, which was great to see. Walking back to the office (Waitrose HQ is like a mini village), I really could have done with finding a bed to sleep on but that was not to be. Rachel was keeping an eye on me and telling me to go home but I didn't feel up to driving at that stage. Thankfully, some lunch and a can of full fat coke later, I was feeling a bit better. I wanted to feel better as Kim and I were due to go to The Crown at Bray that evening for dinner....focus on the goal! I spoke on/ off with DW. He was keen for me to go into the hospital, his way of trying to help from afar. I thought this was unnecessary, as I knew that rest was the real remedy that was required.
I left work at 5.30pm...always a mistake as rush hour traffic was hit. Still I was home relatively early, so it was time for a pre dinner nap....could I get to sleep...no but eventually I did...
Photo no.210 - nap time...
Kim is being such an incredible friend. We had planned to have 2 girlie days but sadly this was not to be as the naughty auditors decided to descend on her company on the Wednesday, so bless her she had stayed with me the night before, got up at crazy o'clock and driven into Soho...had a full day of auditing and then came out to pick me up for supper. I must confess, I wasn't really feeling like going out but I wanted to treat her to dinner and in all honesty didn't feel like cooking...so we both had the perfect parfait and Kim had an awesome hotdog! Mmn! Sadly, we had barely a glass of wine each....next time we go things will be different!
Photo no.211 - hotdog time!
After a relatively speedy dinner, we headed home for mint tea and some sofa time before bed. I was feeling calmer as my temperature had made the right decision to descend, so it meant I could relax over night. Of course, the one person I wanted all day was in Geneva but normal life goes on...I decided I wanted a bed companion so DW was replaced with...
Photo no.212 - Little Miss S all tucked up!
Thursday 22nd May
Song of the day (VW): River deep mountain high - Tina Turner
The Homer hit factory sent a duplicate song from a while back...normal service to resume tomorrow!
A much better sleep was had...woohoo! Despite this my throat decided to niggle away at me...please go, you've had your time.
Where had the summer gone? There were monsoon type showers that morning and then this....
Photo no.213 - hail!
The original plan for today was that Kim, my mum and I would go to Bicester village and then go for afternoon tea. Given my energy levels were on the lower side, we decided to scrap the first part and just have a pre tea walk around Henley. There are so many lovely antique shops to squirrel away in, a great way to pass an hour, darting between shops in between rain/ monsoon showers.
Photo no.214 - very true!
After a soggy trip around Henley, we drove up to Danesfield House for afternoon tea and it was good!
Photo no.215 - sugary treats! The yellow one in the centre was the best...a passion fruit tart.
Photo no.216 - many teapots...I need to be careful though..too many afternoon teas and I'll turn into the lady on the table behind! ; ))
Photo no.217 - a tea with a view and finally some blue sky!
Photo no.218 - the ladies who tea.
Photo no.219 - I love this pic!
Photo no.220 - the afternoon tea ladies selfie!
We had a wonderful tea and drank many pots! Despite a sugar overload, we all felt able to walk around the grounds and go and see the spectacular river views. A definite recommendation for a good tea! I'm still on the quest for the perfect afternoon tea...all ideas welcome! On my list are the Pret-a-portea at the Berkeley and the Alice in Wonderland tea (apt) at the Sanderson...best get booking! Thanks to my lovely mummy for the tea, as she had received it as a birthday gift.
We'd had a leisurely tea and walk, so we didn't get back until quite late. Shortly after DW arrived home...slightly hot and bothered as the plane had been delayed for 2 hours on the runway in geneva without air con...hell! Still, it was nice to have him home. We all had dinner together and then Kim headed home as the kitties need someone to look after them (Emily had been doing it the previous days so don't worry no cat cruelty occurred!). I decided to peruse Facebook and realised we hadn't voted...it was 21.30 so we hot footed it to the polling station. Even if I haven't read every manifesto, I absolutely believe in casting a vote. It frustrates me that people take this right for granted and fail to do it. People have died, in the not so distant past, in order to get this and people in some other countries, still do not have the freedom to vote. It's not something to forget or not be bothered with. Rant over.
Friday 23rd May
Song of the day (LH): La La La - Naughty Boy feat Sam Smith
Song of the day (VW): Heaven help - Lenny Kravitz
Despite there being a song above from Homer, it has to be said this was his second attempt, as for a consecutive day he sent another duplicate song...time to pull one's socks up! ; ))
Enough was enough with my sore throat. At 8am I was called Rosemead surgery constantly until I got through...I even drove there after dropping DW at the station just in case I couldn't get through to ensure I got an appointment. But after several attempts I was through and got an appointment. Woohoo!
With my spirits high it was time for dancing in the shower to Higher by Jackie Wilson to boost them even further. So much fun and a great start to the day. Shortly after my disco session, I walked down to the GP surgery. As I was on a low immunity day, I loitered by the entrance rather than sitting in the main waiting area...it's a danger zone!!! Thankfully, I was given some antibiotics to help clear up my sore throat. I also asked about sleeping tablets to help me sleep, as this was still proving rather tricky. I've yet to take them but good to know that I've got some back up. I am so lucky to have such a supportive GP surgery, as I know this isn't always the case regardless of personal situation. Thanks Dr Hunter!
I spent the rest of the morning completing a media volunteer form for Breast Cancer Care. As I've mentioned before, I'm keen to increase awareness particularly with people getting in tune with their bodies, as often finding and acting on things sooner makes the biggest difference. We'll see what happens.....
Time to head into work for a delightful lunch date with Debbie. Due to various reasons we hadn't seen each other all week, so it was good to have a proper catch up. Something I've yet to mention is one of my sources of inspiration. This little lady is one of the bravest people I know of, she's called Ella Grierson and has battled way more than any person should, particularly as she's 6. Whenever I have low moments, I think of her and pull myself back together, as if she can do it, I blimin well can. It helps she has incredible parents as well, so really the whole Grierson family are the inspiration but particularly Ella.
Photo no.221 - inspiration
A good work afternoon followed, though I was feeling exhausted. Clearly although I wasn't sleeping terribly well, my body was still craving it...The good news was that a brief I had written had been well received by the various stakeholders, so a great end to the week.
I got home and crashed onto the sofa...sleeeeeepppp....well I had 15 minutes of power napping before needing to pick Daniel up. My own fault I should have left work earlier. We were heading to Rob & Ces' for a curry night. I had been craving a curry all week but right at that moment, I craved staying on my sofa more. Get off your butt!!! Thankfully, the power nap seemed to have done some good and I felt fine by the time I got in the car to drive...road users in Maidenhead will be relieved to hear this! The curry was amazing, just what was required to satisfy the curry craving. Ces had an amazing tomato relish, which went amazingly with my balti chicken and my 0% beer (yep, the antibiotics were the no drinking alcohol kind)...you know what happened next. We all waddled to the sofa complaining of full stomachs!
Arriving home, there was time for a peppermint tea and an episode of Great British Menu, as I could feel the zzzzzz coming on.
Saturday 24th May
Song of the day (LH): These are the days of our lives - Queen
Song of the day (VW): Don't stop me now - Queen or Barcelona
Queen day! I'm always torn with Queen...having Marmite days of whether I love them or hate them. Today was a love day!
The good news was that I had the best night's sleep for over a week..woohoo! Though the tiredness was still there so DW got some crankiness...sorry darling. We had a lazy morning and I started on operation blog catch up.
I had a wig wash planned so we decided to go to Parson's Green for a wander pre wig wash. Sadly this wasn't to be at the meters in that area are still coin funded and between us we had 10p, so drove down to Fulham Broadway instead to get lunch from Whole Foods and most importantly....some green juice! It's a mix of spinach, kale, mango, pineapple and apple...so good!
Photo no.222 - green juice! Yum!
I'm so pleased we found Chez Stephan, it's like going home to have your haircut. Everyone who works there is so friendly and feels more like hanging out with your friends. The weird thing about having a wig wash, is that normally when you're at the hairdresses you've got your head in the basin, enjoying head massage etc. Whereas with a wig wash you can relax while your hair is being washed. I took the time to browse a few magazines to get some inspiration of how I'd like my hair styled...thanks to a Miss Dior ad with Natalie Portman, I got today's inspiration and it meant flatter hair! I like my hair curly but it means that the crown has too much volume. This style meant it was flatter all over. Result!
I think I mentioned last time that Benoit had shaved his hair off. Apparently he's doing this all summer and then from 1st September is going to grown his hair with no cuts until next April. Aha! An opportunity....we decided we're going to have a hair growing competition...watch this space. I might have a head start as hopefully mine will (I really hope so) start growing from the start of August but we'll see! DW was waiting in the sofa area with a glass of wine...I was offered one but had to decline due to the antibiotics...d'oh! Still I wanted the sore throat to go. A fab way to spend Saturday afternoon.
Our dinner date that evening was at Chez Kim and Emily. I had been advised to wear comfy trousers so I knew a feast was being rustled up....!
Photo no.223 - new hair style and my first glass of non alcoholic wine......
Photo no.224 - my lovely DW...even he tried the non alcoholic wine but fairly quickly changed to the real stuff.
The non alcoholic wine would make a great sangria but as for tasting like wine, it did not. Still it was worth a try! So chef Wright definitely cooked up a storm. The pate was incredible, so much so we were all pretty speechless while we vacuumed it up. We were all sad when it had to end. A chicken and ham pie for main was great and the amazing cappuccino pavlova for dessert...apparently cheese was available but it was decided to stop to allow our bodies to be given half a chance to digest the goodness we had eaten. Sorry no pics available!
I also made a new feline friend, Shadow. Kim and Emily are looking after two cats who are in need of a new home (anyone interested, let me know). They're adorable, particularly Shadow, who is black with white paws and whiskers.
It was fabulous evening and for a second evening in a row I definitely knew I'd consumed more than was needed!!! Healthy eating to resume next week! Thanks to our wonderful hosts! Love you guys. xxx
Sunday 25th May
Song of the day (LH): Sweetest feeling - Jackie Wilson
Song of the day (VW): The beat goes on - Sonny & Cher/ 90s dance version
The best sleep for a long time had been had......it felt so good but it meant that we were running horribly late, as I had onions to macerate for the greek salad that we were taking to the garden party of the year! Shower, quick breakfast and a dash to Waitrose to get the rest of the ingredients....
Thankfully the sun gods were on Rob & Ces' side and it turned out to be the best day of the bank holiday, the following day winter returned. Salad made and remarkably a lawn mown by DW, we headed up to the party.
I was feeling slightly nervous about going, as I knew everyone there pretty much knew about the situation, I just hadn't seen them. As always, things are much better than you predict and I felt completely at ease. I think it was probably harder for DW. It was great to see everyone, particularly Celia and Charlie. Plus we got to learn a new skill from Dan and Britta...the Swedish game of Kubb. Surprisingly DW had never played this before but he's at home with any form of competitive game! It's great fun, though the rules at times seemed complicated but thankfully Dan was a great director of events so all went smoothly....next time Britta and I will win! ; ) Here's the link to learn more about the game...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubb
A great party as always at Hamilton HQ with amazing hosts...here's to next year! ; ))
So you may think that bank holidays are relaxing. Think again it means two Sunday night dinner to prepare as I have to do the same on the Monday. Mmn...this needs a rethink at some point. In any case, I was preparing dinner for DW and Luca this evening. Luca has been home alone for a couple of weeks, so I wanted to cook him a good dinner.
Debbie had given me Anjum's Quick and Easy Indian and I was intrigued by the chicken and chorizo curry recipe. Apparently it's from Goa that was under Portuguese rule, hence the addition of the chorizo...it was a gamble.
Photo no.225 - Anjum's chicken and chorizo curry with Karhai broccoli and a 0% beer
The gamble paid off...it was good. We even BBQ'd the chicken to get extra smokiness into the meat. The step is not required but as the sun was shining it felt wrong to not light up the BBQ!
Photo no.226 - a true bromance....
Photo no.227 - fromage!
Luca had found out about cheese club the previous weekend. Since becoming member #004, he's keen to make his place known so brought the most amazing cheese selection. Apparently Spirited Wines in Putney has now got a selection of French cheeses available. If you're in the area I would definitely recommend a visit as all of these were amazing, particularly the cheese on the bottom left...this had ash running through it. My favourite quote from Luca was that the crackers should only be vessels for the flavour. Very true, that's why I like a water biscuit. They were all incredibly stinky but so good....so good in fact this was all that was left. And yes, there were only 3 of us.
Photo no.228 - fromage leftovers....
Yep, we all felt pretty disgusted and proud of ourselves. That healthy eating programme will start. Not stopping there we also went for the Pastel de Nata, that Ferdy had given to us via Luca (grazie Ferdy!)...apparently there is a Portuguese deli in Vauxhall. I need to go!
Photo no.229 - the end of the dinner....
Even just writing this I'm feeling full and pretty disgusted with myself...still it was a bank holiday. Ah that old cliche! My only saving grace was the lack of alcohol so at least some calories were saved there!
Photo no.230 - true love
Grazie Luca for an evening full of love and laughter! We can't wait for a full Achilli-Welinder dinner when you all return from Italia!
So that was week 11. Another great week filled mainly with food events....week 12 you need to be healthier! Big heartfelt thanks for Kim mini breaking in Berkshire with me. Thanks to all of you who gave me bad food, shame on you! ; )) But I thoroughly enjoyed every morsel. Huge love to everyone, I hope you had great bank holiday weekend wherever you were! DW thanks for loving me at home and abroad, I couldn't do this without you. xxx
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