It is a while since I posted here. I have had a long nine months of chemo, with surgery half way through that and then 25 sessions of radiotherapy for the last month and a half. I have finally come to the end of my treatment. I go back to the Oncologist in three months time. He will see me every three months for the next two years and then every six months for the following three years then yearly for the rest of my life. I arrived home yesterday, bringing with me neutropenia after my final chemo two weeks ago. I am armed with masks and am housebound for the next couple of weeks. I am to go back for bloods in two weeks. Hopefully my nutrophils will have increased in that time. I have seen more of the inside of hospitals than I ever wanted too recently. I am now through the other side and it is now onwards and upwards. I am off work for the next year and am considering taking early retirement on health grounds. In the meantime, I am going to work on learning now to live WITHOUT cancer.... Oooohhhh that feels good to say.... It is going to be tough not worrying that every twinge and ache is the dreaded C coming back, but it has to be done. I will continue with my hobby of painting and craft, which I fell in love with whilst staying at the Lodge in St. Luke's. I used to paint years ago, but abandoned it with my busy working lifestyle. I am now finding that I love art and it helps me relax a lot. I wish all of you out there all the best with your treatment and that you too come to the light at the end of the tunnel. Love to you all. Lainey66 xxx
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Lainey66
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Thank you Sandy. Im just working on my final part of my blog now. I wish you well in your treatment and a healthy wonderful future xxx
Dear Lainey
I'm so pleased you are at the end of your treatment & a hard road you have travelled. I hope you can now start to get life back to the new normal. I have just had my first year follow up with the BCTeam & l'm back to see the Oncologist next month.
🙂 Art is good mental therapy, particularly when you enjoy it🙂
Reaching the end of treatment is definitely a relief, inevitably something continues to lurk at the back of the mind but, shut the door on it and enjoy being free of the treadmill of hospitals, lose yourself in painting👍😊xB
I'm so pleased for you that you've come to the end if your treatment, maybe use your 'housebound' treatment for planning lots of treats for yourself and perhaps looking on the net for a short break, I feel that you and your husband deserve it, love and hugs for positive hospital appts for the rest of your life xxxxx
High fiving you as we speak!! I wish you a healthy, happy future xx
Lainey I know it's been a roller coaster ride but you have ridden it and got off at the other end well done relax now and enjoy your me time good luck xx
Hello Lainey. It's a tough old ride isn't it?! I'm so happy the end is insight for you, despite neutropenia. I hope you have some celebrating in mind 😊🍹🎉
So glad you've reignited your passion for art, sounds fabulous.
You will have to start practising saying, "I had cancer but now I have finished treatment and I'm just living a preventative lifestyle".
So pleased for you Lainey! Please keep in touch on this site - it is for cancer survivors as well as cancer patients! It will be great to hear how you get on. x
Forgot to say - "Go for the early retirement!" I retired a few months ago and I feel great. It alleviates the feeling of guilt I had that stemmed from being 'long term sick'. I always felt my work colleagues were carrying the burden of my absence, although they were always (& still are) very supportive. xxx
Well done, it is a bittersweet feeling to finish. I felt that I should be celebrating, champagne and party, however it was quite scary how quickly life went back to normal routine. Enjoy the year off, if one thing we learn through this process is life is for living. Thank you for sharing your story with us throughout, it was good to identify those funny moments with someone who would also laugh about things. Good luck for the future.
Congratulations on coming to the end of treatment - it's strange when it finishes isn't it? I am glad you have found something you love doing. I took early retirement and did some classes in the local college. One of them was art and another was photography - they are quite a good fit together. Anyway, however you fill your time, enjoy every minute and take good care of yourself.
Well done, and a big high five from a fellow survivor,...I'm 4 years clear, and would love to get back into art 🎨 it's on my must do list, it's been so long, big hugs xx
Isn't it a wonderful feeling to have finished all the treatments? Now the only way is up. I had results of a CT scan yesterday after radiotherapy and it was completely clear. After my previous treatments, I started playing the piano again which is so relaxing. Hope your neutrophils quickly increase again and you continue to enjoy life to the full xx
Hi Lainey I am so so pleased for you that you have reached the end of this hard chapter. You've not had the easiest journey compared to some of us and have held your head high throughout. You have been a true inspiration to us all and kept us amused with your thoughts and your blog. I look forward to reading the final part. You can now start the rest of your life so embrace it and live life to the max, you are a true Surviver. Love Mel xx😃
Hi Lainey - I have read your final blog and your artwork is lovely - as is your family. You are lucky to have them. It is amazing that you have refound your love of art and that you are pursuing it. I am absolutely delighted that you are at last cancer free and I hope you can in time feel able to enjoy that freedom.
We had talked of meeting up at an irish cancer society event in Sept... Let me know if you still wd like to do that - though I wd totally understand if you merger wanted to hear the word cancer again. you can pm me on Facebook - Bernadette Manning...
And I wish you the very best of luck into the future. Ask the best xxxxx
I finally found another one! (my name is also pronounced Laynee!) 😁
I take my hat off to you sweetheart, I had what I like to call my light bulb moment on 12/06/2016 and realised the only person who will scrape me from the bottom of this midnight black pit is me! If I wanted change (I knew for a couple of months I had hit rock bottom but couldn't face it and didn't know where to start) I actually started with physically putting more light in my life as I had hidden in my bedroom for the whole of February, so for the first time since the June 2015 I opened my bedroom curtains. I so am proud to report they have not been closed since, I have mentally and physically detoxed myself and I feel like I look back at a familiar strangers life when I think where I was only a few short weeks ago. I am so pleased you have found the fun and spark in life, you hold onto that with everything you have and just let the brightness increase and like a door slowly opening in a pitch dark house it will creep along every crevice and corner and chase the dark away. Your painting are wonderful! I wish you the best of luck and will check in on you once in a while.
Ah hiya Lainey , I'd lots of periods of nuetrapenia during my treatment and almost a year after my last chemo my bloods have only normalised last month !
Great to be finished your treatment at long last !! Onwards and upwards and to hell with cancer !!
I am chuffed to bits to hear you are on the mend. You kept me going when things seemed dark at times on here. I have had my reconstruction now had a few set backs but now girl i'm looking. I'm looking forward to the tattoo over the scars next year. I will show you them when finished. You have done so well keep that smile going its infectous oops spelling to us all.
Hi Amanda, lovely to hear from you. I have the final sitting for my tattoo completion next Monday. I will be posting photos next week. I am so happy with the progress so far. I have my three month Oncology review in two weeks in Monday the 19th. I am delighted you too are on the other side - It's been a hell of a ride hasn't it. Not one I would recommend 😜😜 you take care and I look forward to you sharing images of your tattoo too xxxxx
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Almost at the end of treatment
