Living with cancer
I carried on working and we did get on with life …
In June, I did my second cycling century, 109 miles to be precise, I went out with my besties. We rode from Fife up to Pitlochry and back to Fife. It was a fantastic day the weather was kind to us. We cycled through some lovely scenery, and heck, the hills weren’t too bad.
We met up with more friends who were on holiday, had lunch with them, and then set off home.
I’m was delighted I have another century under my belt!
September 2019
In September 2019, I noticed my bike fitness was off. I’d had a cold, and it left me with a cough that was annoying and wouldn’t go away.
November saw me very unfit on the bike, and it wasn’t just the change in the weather. I couldn’t explain it. I wasn’t keeping up with my bike buddies, and I struggled with my indoor cycling too. In addition, my stomach was tight, and my breathing didn’t feel right.
I got full quickly at mealtimes, and the cough was still there and beginning to disturb my sleep.
Things had changed had my Lymphoma had become active. I decided to wait for my December appointment, which was only two weeks away.
Bloated and coughing, I could feel a lump in my abdomen on the left side. I had started to feel unwell.
I could no longer sleep lying down. I propped myself up with pillows which helped me breathe better. I was only getting a few hours of sleep at a time, definitely not pleasant, and it did play on my mind. So, I started listening to meditation music, and it helped, and I would drift off to sleep with my big headphone still on my head.
This was my last outside ride with my bike buddies of 2019.
December 11th 2019 Haematology appointment
I met with my consultant. He checked me over and agreed he thought there was a mass in my stomach; some of my other lymph nodes were bigger too. He said we needed to get a CT scan done urgently.
I was struggling to breathe, and he could see that, so he booked me for a chest x-ray there and then.
For the first time, I felt I had Cancer.
My abdomen was getting bigger, and it did look like I was pregnant.
The CT scan was on December 27th 2019, and the results would be at the clinic on January 3rd 2020, the results were to be fast-tracked through the system.
It always makes me chuckle that you have to drink so much water beforehand to help with the scan, which is fine; it allows the dye to show up better, but I was feeling so full it was hard. The dye always makes my mouth feel like you’re sucking a metal sweet, and then when it reaches your bladder, it feels warm like you’ve peed yourself; thank goodness it’s only a feeling.
Christmas 2019
Christmas was fine. We parked everything as best we could. I didn’t do much as it had slowed me down considerably. But I still manage wee walks with Maise and Gracie.
We had Christmas dinner out, an Indian meal with family and friends, and I managed to eat enough to enjoy it. It was great to spend time with them.
New Year was enjoyable. We decided to try a walk-up Maspie Den, a small hill in Fife not far from us. Well, I didn’t think I would make it, but sheer bloody-mindedness and hubbies strong-arm got me up. There were plenty of stops, and gravity got me down. I love a challenge, especially with a reward of a roll and sausage and coffee at the end.
LifeTides 