Things you wish you had know!

My Insights 1. It is good to have a pity party but don't make it a habit. Pity parties must include a solid friend and preferably a glass of wine 2. Make sure your counselling skills are up to date believe it or not you will spend more time counselling others to help them cope with the news. When you have it, you have to face it head on! 3. Prepare for the worst side affects, stock up that pharmacy cupboard but being blissfully in denial can take you a long way 4 get a loyalty card with your pharmacy 5 go to a make up salon and ask for advice, use your cancer card and you should come out with a stack of freebies! 6. Drink lots of water helps pump up the veins for those needles 7. Take photos of your transformation, when you look back you realise how far you have come and how much better you are looking 8 tell friends how they can help you and tell them how they can help you better be open and transparent with them. 9 be prepared to lose a friend or 2 along the way. Know that it not you but they are having issues coping with it 10 watch your diet particularly on dexomethasone I wanted to eat everything I didn't eat normally eg cakes, KFC mcdonalds. 11 be careful self diagnosing Dr Google isn't always right. Go to reliable sources 12 don't try and become an oncologist and try and interpret your scans unlike me who thought I had a massive tumour in my lungs turned out it was just my heart sitting perfectly in the right place. 13 when getting a wig make sure you take it to a good hairdresser for a proper cut so it looks natural. I found a hairdresser that donates her time to go with women to choose the wigs and then cuts them. Best thing I ever did 14 practice putting on false eyelashes nothing worse than having them slightly off kilter which happened to me when I was in an interview ...how embarrassing. I didn't get the job as I think I looked a bit like bride of chucky at the time. I am now much better with make up 15 when penciling in eyebrows they should sit 3 finger widths from your brow to avoid that constantly surprised look 16 find a registered lymphodema physio and learn how to do lymph drainage massage 17 live life, enjoy today you may not be able to control the cancer but you can control how you feel about it