Chemo finally over!

It's kind of weird that this is my first blog, but I wanted to share my chemo journey.

This morning I have had my 6th and final chemo - yay!!! Of course I have the next week odd of side effects to get through so I'm aiming for Good Friday as my celebration day.

To everyone just beginning, I wanted to let you know while chemo is not fun, I have found it doable, especially with lots of support from friends and family.

My first chemo was on 16th December and I have had 3 FEC and 3 taxotare - 3 weeks each appart.

Luckily I have been able to work during treatment - my work have given me days off around treatment and allowed late starts early finishes as I have needed. I kind of thought I would feel more normal with a normal routine and have worked for the same company with most of the same staff for 10+ years so work has been a safe place with plenty of support, hugs, cups of tea and best of all a positive cheer squad who daily tell me how wonderful I am (amazing how lovely that is). They also tell me I'm looking tired and to go home (which helps with the not pushing yourself too hard).

I have also found that the side effects almost differ from day to day, and luckily I have not had them all at once. I like to think of them as my daily bonus.

So I have got through the diagnosis - stage 1 - with floods of tears at work mainly as my daughter was doing year 12 exams at the time and we didn't want to tell the children until exams were over, so the poor kids were told on the Friday mum's got kind of bad news and by the way the op is on Monday, although in retrospect the had little time for worrying so it was hard on one hand and easier on the other.

Then the operation - stage 2 - not too bad.

Now chemo is mostly done - stage 3 - crappy and hated having to have stuff put in me that made me feel sick and crappy especially when before that I felt terrific and fit and well - oh the irony! But it is definately doable.

So now I get a little rest (4 odd weeks), then stage 5 - radiation - will start. It seems like such a long journey especially when I think ahead to how long it will be to start feeling less tired but when I think how far I've come from the mamogram on 28th October 2011 to now and how fast time has gone, I know that the radiation will be hear before I know it and over (hopefully) just as quick.

I am now looking forward to a long weekend with my husband in the city to relax and recharge before radiation starts, and then a weeks holiday in August/September as a treat for when it is over. And next year a New Zealand trip for our 25th wedding anniversay. I'm plan my treat trips when I'm home after chemo.

So good luck all my fellow travellers may we all live long and healthy lives cancer free after this!

Jane xoxo