Hi all, a bit of an update on Mrs CJ's fight against cancer.
After her mastectomy in early Jan the news that came back from the node clearance wasn't brilliant, they found small amounts of cancer in the nodes and therefore had to remove the rest. She went back in for a second op 3 weeks after the first op to have the remaining nodes removed. She'd started to recover fairly well from the first op but the second knocked her back big style and she's just about getting some decent use in her left arm now. She's having physio to clear the cording in her arm and to get the movement back into the limb again. It's coming together slowly. She starts radiotherapy in a week or two then we can get on with the recovery without the problem of more treatment getting in the way.
The radiotherapy isn't local, none of the big treatments have been in our local hospital, so she has a 60mile round trip every day for 3 weeks for this last bit of therapy, luckily we have lots of supportive friends who have offered to take her on the days I'm working.
So we're on the last leg now, hopefully we can get thru this bit and get back onto an even keel. We may even get to go camping again some day.
------------- Coming soon to a campsite near you, Jake, Mrs Jake, Little legs, Bosdog the Doodle and Olly the Cavachon.
2014:
August: Scarborough, High Yedmandale. Not tenting though, using one of their lovely holiday homes!
Looking positive and things heading in the right direction.
Hopefully you can get that tent aired and get a good break when your wife feels up to it.
All the best..
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
Me too carperjake, it is so exhausting, one of my clients has breast cancer has lived with it now for over 6yrs, no mastectomy, had all the treatment, lost her hair etc. She will be on chemo for the rest of her life, she has it in tablet form now, 3 weeks on 1 week off.
Few side effects but they are worth it as she is living a normal life, she's retired and has several other things going on to but you wouldn't know it!
Im sure that your wife will feel much better once she has completed her Radiotherapy, she will feel quite tired and sometimes the area can become sore in what our daughter described as a feeling of sunburn, but about a month after treatment and things get more like normal again and the soreness goes away.
Have they not offered your wife the chance of a years course of Herceptin, the new 'wonder drug' in the fight against breast cancer, or a 5 year course of Tamoxifen? Our daughter is going through the 3 weekly cycles of Herceptin at the moment, the first dose was too high for her and really knocked her back for a week or so afterwards, but the new dose has left her feeling fine, her hair is growing back nicely, and shes looking forward to a Holiday with her husband in Devon at Easter.
Theres a much better chance of a full recovery and many good years ahead after breast cancer now than when my mum had it in the 1970s, better treatments and aftercare have given sufferers a more positive future, hopefully your wife will return to leading a fairly normal and happy life in the years to come.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
Such a worrying and exhausting time for you both. As you say, nearly done with the 'big' treatments. I expect that will be a very emotional time.
BTW (and you probably already know this) but Herceptin is only effective for about 1 in 7 cancers. The cancer is tested to see if it is receptive and Herceptin is only given if it is. This also applies to Tamoxifen etc but about 3 out of 4 cancers are receptive.
OH Nan was diagnosed with breast cancer at 57 (I think) had various treatments throughout her life. Most recently a chemo course given over a longer than normal period due to her age.
She passed away Sunday, she was 101!!!!!
And cause of death wasn't the cancer.
------------- Shelli
Campers do it in the mud!
Hubby says we can
Carperjake, my mum drove herself to her Radiotherapy treatments, an hour each way, but it affects different people in different ways. For her, the legacy was that she had to do gentle stretching exercises for the rest of her life (well into her 70s) as there was a risk otherwise that she'd tear the muscles in her arm. Your Mrs will just have to sit and watch you put the tent up with a nice drink in her hand! it'll be tough...
Lots of things crossed that the radiotherapy is kind to her and sorts it out. My aunt had lump & nodes removed, chemo and radiotherapy and then tamoxifen several years ago and she is now discharged and just has her routine mamograms.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Mrs CJ cancer update.
