It's been a while since I've posted an update to you all so thought as I have today off from work, it is the perfect opportunity!
Having got my tattoos for radiation, I was going into it thinking it would be sooo much easier than chemo..... and how accurate I was! I had 25 treatments in total over a five week period so it was a daily visit to the radiation clinic and luckily I got the early morning appointment most days which was great! While there were lots of other patients not happy about going daily, to be honest, I was feeling pretty good throughout, so I was just happy to be well enough to get up each day and be out of the house!
The first four weeks was really quite good although my skin did show signs of burning from about the beginning of week four. I have to say that it did deteriorate severely from there and on my final few days, it was extremely painful.... that said, I was speaking to another lady having treatment and her skin was absolutely fine..... so once again everyone is different!
My skin needed to be dressed on the final few days and by the end, I couldn't bear to touch it.... it looked like raw flesh.......so I did feel pretty sick in the last week, only because I think my body is still pretty low post chemo, so as it was trying to repair the skin damage, I think it had an impact on my overall immune system; that said, it was a doddle compared to chemo!!! I felt sick for about a week afterwards but then started to feel much better quickly!
One week on post radiation, my skin has healed remarkably well and much quicker than I envisaged. I did use a cream called Flamazine post treatment which worked wonders with the dressings and two salt bathings a day (highly recommend).
The final few days of radiation were very emotional for me. The past 8 months has been such a challenging time, but as there have been so many day to day challenges, I have been living for the day.......at the end of my treatment, it really hit me just what I have been through for the past several months, and the reality that it was all coming to an end, was such an amazing feeling!
It still feels quite surreal to sit here and think about everything that has happened as today just a week after treatment, I'm feeling pretty good. I even managed a 5.5km jog at the gym this morning so I am so happy about that!
I'm back at work for three days this week and while work is really tiring for me, I am enjoying getting back to normality and getting the 'Alannah' wardrobe out again!!!
Each and every day right now I feel sooooo lucky to wake up and feel good and I hope I can live in this moment and enjoy each and every minute of life for a long long time......
xx
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Iridology- Healthy Digestive Principles
Here are six basic principles that everyone can follow to ensure you have a healthy digestive system according to my iridologist:
So I am going to try this out for a few weeks (actually when I looked at my eating habits, I have been doing completely the opposite to these e.g. not eating meals but snacking on fruit and raw food until dinner all day which I thought was healthy!!!) and see how I feel so watch this space.......
I am now going to have a cooked breakfast of eggs with veges, a lunch of protein and salad (or left over dinner from the night before) and our usual dinner.......less the glass of vino! And no more snacking for me!
I hope this is useful to everyone however, I have read that the digestive system changes after chemo so I think this is really helpful and relevant to chemo patients.
Here's to healthy digestive functions and great health and wellbeing!
xx
- Allow 4-5 hours between meals to allow for proper digestion. This equates to eating no more than three meals a day (so don't snack and only drink water or a cup of tea on occasion in between these three (substantial) meals)
- Avoid overeating with any meal
- Do not drink fluids with your meal (exception is where half a glass of water is needed to swallow supplements). Generally it is best to wait about 2 hours after meals before consuming water
- Thoroughly chew your food into paste before swallowing. This is because your digestive system is only effective at breaking down food chemically not mechanically.
- Limit eating cold or raw foods (e.g. fruit, salad, raw veggies). It is preferable to eat cooked meals although one raw meal a day such as salad is fine (but always have protein with it).
- Manage your stress levels as stress will tend to decrease your digestive function by influencing your nervous system.
So I am going to try this out for a few weeks (actually when I looked at my eating habits, I have been doing completely the opposite to these e.g. not eating meals but snacking on fruit and raw food until dinner all day which I thought was healthy!!!) and see how I feel so watch this space.......
I am now going to have a cooked breakfast of eggs with veges, a lunch of protein and salad (or left over dinner from the night before) and our usual dinner.......less the glass of vino! And no more snacking for me!
I hope this is useful to everyone however, I have read that the digestive system changes after chemo so I think this is really helpful and relevant to chemo patients.
Here's to healthy digestive functions and great health and wellbeing!
xx
Exploring Iridology
Well it's been a while once again since I've updated you so I am already one week into my radiotherapy treatment and so far so good........ I am going every day (not wk ends) for five weeks and while it has been a bit of a shock to the system to get up and be somewhere by 8.10am every day, it is a far more easy and pleasant experience compared to chemotherapy!
My focus for the past few weeks has been on rebuilding my body and gaining strength and endurance......so what better way to achieve this than to go to the gym every day and do a taxing workout for more than an hour????!!!! hmmmmm well after doing this for two weeks, I realised that my progress has not really improved.....so have decided to taper back the gym visits and convert to walking around our hilly streets for about 30-45mins instead! And I'm pleased to report that I am feeling better from this already! So word of advice, don't overdo it after chemo! I think it would be a natural instinct for most people to want to get out and rebuild themselves as quickly as possible but for me, hard exercise (jogging and hill walking for one hr) has not aided my achy bones or ability to breath!!!
At a visit with my kinesiologist a few months ago, he told me that I had 'freaky eyes' and that I should see an iridologist...... so I waited until after chemo deliberately and went along to my first appointment yesterday! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was an enlightening and worthwhile experience!
Basically, he said that even before chemo, I had anaemic tendancies in that my red blood cell count was only 122 and it should be around 140. This means that I am lacking in quality red blood cells and that my heart was working harder to pump the quantity of blood needed to get adequate oxygen around the body...... (so I'm not sure how I managed to do those half marathons!!!)
The causes of anaemia can range including hormone disorders, blood loss (due to chemo), dietary deficiency (lack of iron, B12 or folic acid) and chronic diseases and symptoms can also vary including fatigue, pale skin, weakness and tiring easily, headaches, loss of appetite etc.....
In addition to this diagnosis, he observed my eyes and told me that my constitution type is Bilary (for a quick overview see http://www.positivehealth.com/articles/vision-and-eye-sight/601 ). While this is a strong constitutional type, it also comes with a few weaknesses including digestion problems, liver and gall bladder deficiency, asthma tendency, food allergies and low blood sugar levels.
The most important finding was that he told me I have leaky gut syndrome......there are many resources available to research this but one of the best explanations I found is here: http://www.ei-resource.org/illness-information/environmental-illnesses/leaky-gut-syndrome-(lgs)/
So in essence, I am now detoxifying my body and taking a series of additional supplements which he explained will help my digestive system become healthy... he also gave me some rules to stick to which I'm going to put as a separate post as I think they are INVALUABLE to everyone! (as he rightly pointed out, we are not taught HOW to eat but these are basic tips which I'm sure we have all seen before but succinct and practical).
So it was a very useful and positive session and I am hoping that if I am very disciplined (oh yes and I've been told not to drink alcohol at all for a few weeks so now I have NO treats left in the world!!!) that I will be feeling much better, be rid of hot flushes (which he's given me a supplement for and says I should be rid of them in 2-4 weeks) and have more energy which all sound very appealing to me right now!
Check out the rules for healthy digestion in my next post and have a cheers on me when you're enjoying your next cold beverage!!! (oh what a thought in this steamy hot weather! YUM!)
xx
My focus for the past few weeks has been on rebuilding my body and gaining strength and endurance......so what better way to achieve this than to go to the gym every day and do a taxing workout for more than an hour????!!!! hmmmmm well after doing this for two weeks, I realised that my progress has not really improved.....so have decided to taper back the gym visits and convert to walking around our hilly streets for about 30-45mins instead! And I'm pleased to report that I am feeling better from this already! So word of advice, don't overdo it after chemo! I think it would be a natural instinct for most people to want to get out and rebuild themselves as quickly as possible but for me, hard exercise (jogging and hill walking for one hr) has not aided my achy bones or ability to breath!!!
At a visit with my kinesiologist a few months ago, he told me that I had 'freaky eyes' and that I should see an iridologist...... so I waited until after chemo deliberately and went along to my first appointment yesterday! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was an enlightening and worthwhile experience!
Basically, he said that even before chemo, I had anaemic tendancies in that my red blood cell count was only 122 and it should be around 140. This means that I am lacking in quality red blood cells and that my heart was working harder to pump the quantity of blood needed to get adequate oxygen around the body...... (so I'm not sure how I managed to do those half marathons!!!)
The causes of anaemia can range including hormone disorders, blood loss (due to chemo), dietary deficiency (lack of iron, B12 or folic acid) and chronic diseases and symptoms can also vary including fatigue, pale skin, weakness and tiring easily, headaches, loss of appetite etc.....
In addition to this diagnosis, he observed my eyes and told me that my constitution type is Bilary (for a quick overview see http://www.positivehealth.com/articles/vision-and-eye-sight/601 ). While this is a strong constitutional type, it also comes with a few weaknesses including digestion problems, liver and gall bladder deficiency, asthma tendency, food allergies and low blood sugar levels.
The most important finding was that he told me I have leaky gut syndrome......there are many resources available to research this but one of the best explanations I found is here: http://www.ei-resource.org/illness-information/environmental-illnesses/leaky-gut-syndrome-(lgs)/
So in essence, I am now detoxifying my body and taking a series of additional supplements which he explained will help my digestive system become healthy... he also gave me some rules to stick to which I'm going to put as a separate post as I think they are INVALUABLE to everyone! (as he rightly pointed out, we are not taught HOW to eat but these are basic tips which I'm sure we have all seen before but succinct and practical).
So it was a very useful and positive session and I am hoping that if I am very disciplined (oh yes and I've been told not to drink alcohol at all for a few weeks so now I have NO treats left in the world!!!) that I will be feeling much better, be rid of hot flushes (which he's given me a supplement for and says I should be rid of them in 2-4 weeks) and have more energy which all sound very appealing to me right now!
Check out the rules for healthy digestion in my next post and have a cheers on me when you're enjoying your next cold beverage!!! (oh what a thought in this steamy hot weather! YUM!)
xx
Sunday, January 16, 2011
One week on...... post chemo
While it has been a really sad week for all of us here in Brisbane, I must admit that I have felt slightly selfish and guilty as my focus has continued to be on my wellness......I have desperately wanted to help post flooding but with all of the contamination issues in the clean up, I would not be wise to go anywhere near it...... instead I put my 'domestic goddess' hat on and did quite a bit of cooking for the troupes in at work this week.....so hopefully that will make their life a little easier and more enjoyable as they continue the challenging clean up operation! And hopefully they enjoy the taste of my cooking which is not one of my fortes!
I got to the gym three days last week. My oncologist has said that weight bearing exercise will make a big difference to my recovery and achy bones so I hit it with strong determination last week and managed three 45-50 min hill sessions on the treadmill, which I was pleased with given it was still my recovery week!
I had the week end off but have just got in from my first weight training session for six months! Oh what a feeling it was....... my strength has obviously suffered but it was not as bad as I thought and I now hope that it doesn't cause achy bones!!!
While the achy bones have only been in my legs, I have definitely felt a massive difference on the days where I exercise so word of advice to other achy bone sufferers; exercise makes a difference! (Pilates has also helped post surgery, particularly with gaining strength in my arm/chest)
I have been quite surprised at how well I am feeling after those eight gruelling treatments.... I continue to take a high volume of natural supplements every day as well as omit wheat, dairy, soy and gluten from my diet and I really believe that this combination of advice from my kinesiologist as well as regular exercise and a positive mindset has got me through this as well as possible......
It is such a relief and comfort that soon my eyelashes, eyebrows & hair will grow back and I will be feeling strong in a few weeks time which will be amazing!
While it felt like living hell on so so many days, now that I'm out the other end, I feel a great sense of happiness, perspective and gratitude for how I am feeling today........and I always remember that there are millions of people far worse off than I.......
xxx
I got to the gym three days last week. My oncologist has said that weight bearing exercise will make a big difference to my recovery and achy bones so I hit it with strong determination last week and managed three 45-50 min hill sessions on the treadmill, which I was pleased with given it was still my recovery week!
I had the week end off but have just got in from my first weight training session for six months! Oh what a feeling it was....... my strength has obviously suffered but it was not as bad as I thought and I now hope that it doesn't cause achy bones!!!
While the achy bones have only been in my legs, I have definitely felt a massive difference on the days where I exercise so word of advice to other achy bone sufferers; exercise makes a difference! (Pilates has also helped post surgery, particularly with gaining strength in my arm/chest)
I have been quite surprised at how well I am feeling after those eight gruelling treatments.... I continue to take a high volume of natural supplements every day as well as omit wheat, dairy, soy and gluten from my diet and I really believe that this combination of advice from my kinesiologist as well as regular exercise and a positive mindset has got me through this as well as possible......
It is such a relief and comfort that soon my eyelashes, eyebrows & hair will grow back and I will be feeling strong in a few weeks time which will be amazing!
While it felt like living hell on so so many days, now that I'm out the other end, I feel a great sense of happiness, perspective and gratitude for how I am feeling today........and I always remember that there are millions of people far worse off than I.......
xxx
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
FINALLY I have conquered Chemo! Post chemo 8...
It feels rather strange to be posting an entry on my blog on a day where our city is about to reach unprecedented flood levels but I know that there are friends across the globe who check in to this and I'm sure you are curious to find out how the final chemo went!
Today is day 5 and I am very pleased to say that I am feeling as well as possible after 8 gruelling sessions. Friday was such an exciting day for us and while I was dreading yet another treatment, I was also extremely excited that it was the last time I would sit in the very depressing chemo ward!
The haematology section at the Wesley is very busy but on Friday for my last session, I had a two hour wait before I even went in..... I have to say we were pretty frustrated as I hadn't eaten much and by the time I got in, I was starving, which is not a good start when having chemo (I have always felt better when I have a proper lunch beforehand) but it was the last one and nevertheless, I was dead excited!
My veins decided to hide at the mere site of any needle so after two failed attempts, the new nurse got the hot towels out and she had the choice of two very average veins.... thankfully it went in successfully into my hand on the third attempt; boy was I relieved!!!!
My red blood cell count had gone from 101 to 116 which is a massive improvement and meant I didn't have a blood transfusion; thank goodness! My white blood cell count on the other hand had gone from 7.1 to 2.6 so my oncologist was called and asked if he wanted to proceed....... thankfully he agreed that as I've been feeling ok, he was happy to proceed; PHEW!
The really added bonus was that I only had the half dose of Docetaxel and I cannot tell you how thrilled I was about that! We left the hospital and celebrated by having take away fish & chips (grilled of course!!!). We know how to live it up hey??!!!!
I have been feeling pretty terrible since Friday however, with all of my supplements and absolute rest, I am feeling slightly better each and every day....... I don't yet have the energy to get outwardly excited however, inwardly I am beside myself with excitement!
I have conquered chemo!!!!!
Thank you so much to everyone for your constant messages and well wishes....... I just cannot tell you how much this has cheered me up every single day and I am now really focused on getting well and feeling better each and every day....... my oncologist did say it would be around 5 months until I'm back to completely full health, but I should be feeling much better than I have throughout chemo in about a month which is fantastic!!!
On this day where our city is preparing for the biggest floods it has ever experienced, I hope that all of my friends are safe and that we get through this unbelievable natural disaster!
xx
Today is day 5 and I am very pleased to say that I am feeling as well as possible after 8 gruelling sessions. Friday was such an exciting day for us and while I was dreading yet another treatment, I was also extremely excited that it was the last time I would sit in the very depressing chemo ward!
The haematology section at the Wesley is very busy but on Friday for my last session, I had a two hour wait before I even went in..... I have to say we were pretty frustrated as I hadn't eaten much and by the time I got in, I was starving, which is not a good start when having chemo (I have always felt better when I have a proper lunch beforehand) but it was the last one and nevertheless, I was dead excited!
My veins decided to hide at the mere site of any needle so after two failed attempts, the new nurse got the hot towels out and she had the choice of two very average veins.... thankfully it went in successfully into my hand on the third attempt; boy was I relieved!!!!
My red blood cell count had gone from 101 to 116 which is a massive improvement and meant I didn't have a blood transfusion; thank goodness! My white blood cell count on the other hand had gone from 7.1 to 2.6 so my oncologist was called and asked if he wanted to proceed....... thankfully he agreed that as I've been feeling ok, he was happy to proceed; PHEW!
The really added bonus was that I only had the half dose of Docetaxel and I cannot tell you how thrilled I was about that! We left the hospital and celebrated by having take away fish & chips (grilled of course!!!). We know how to live it up hey??!!!!
I have been feeling pretty terrible since Friday however, with all of my supplements and absolute rest, I am feeling slightly better each and every day....... I don't yet have the energy to get outwardly excited however, inwardly I am beside myself with excitement!
I have conquered chemo!!!!!
Thank you so much to everyone for your constant messages and well wishes....... I just cannot tell you how much this has cheered me up every single day and I am now really focused on getting well and feeling better each and every day....... my oncologist did say it would be around 5 months until I'm back to completely full health, but I should be feeling much better than I have throughout chemo in about a month which is fantastic!!!
On this day where our city is preparing for the biggest floods it has ever experienced, I hope that all of my friends are safe and that we get through this unbelievable natural disaster!
xx
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Day Is HERE - FINAL CHEMO DAY!!!!
I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent lying in bed, usually in tears, wishing for this day to come..... and I'm feeling so overjoyed, relieved and grateful that it is here. Today is my final chemo day and at 1.20pm today (7 January 2011) I will be enduring the last session of poison entering my body which is such an amazing feeling.
While I still have my radiation treatment, my hormone follow up treatment and reconstruction to face, I am still so happy that I will never have to feel so terribly sick hopefully ever again!
I am still dreading today's treatment, mainly because I will need a blood transfusion if my red cell count has gone down one point and I had a half dosage on my last treatment because of my feet being so sore, so I will be very devastated if I have to go back to the full dosage today as I know my feet will get infected if I do....... they are still very tender and will not recover until post chemo but I would love for everyone to cross everything and hope that I get the reduced dosage today.........
I am so excited by the prospect of now starting to recover. For the past 3 treatments, I haven't felt much change over the three week period as my body is always so tired and weak so it is going to be amazing to not have to go back for chemo from now on and gradually improve my strength and fitness.
I am also very excited about my hair growing back; it is very hot wearing a wig during this heat and humidity so I cannot wait to have my own short 'do'!!! It will be exciting to have eyelashes back too as my eyes have been quite painful for the past few treatments.... so I will welcome them back with open arms.....
As for the hot flushes, which have now become quite unbearable, I never want to feel them again after this recovery; I now have much more empathy for every woman going through menopause! It is hell!
I know I have said this to all of the people that are closest to me but I am lost for words when it comes to expressing my gratitude and appreciation for the love, kindness and support that everyone I know has shown to me during this journey. I could never have done this as well as I have without the constant reminders of how much you care about me and love me so thank you......(I sit here crying as I write this bit)
It's a momentous day and one that I'm both dreading but feeling very excited about......
Let this day be the beginning of wellness for all of us.........one of my friends has just said she's going to eat chocolate today and hope that I can taste it too........what a treat and I'm very much looking forward to that Shannon!
At about 5pm today I can FINALLY say 8 down, NONE to go!!! What a feeling it will be!
xxx
While I still have my radiation treatment, my hormone follow up treatment and reconstruction to face, I am still so happy that I will never have to feel so terribly sick hopefully ever again!
I am still dreading today's treatment, mainly because I will need a blood transfusion if my red cell count has gone down one point and I had a half dosage on my last treatment because of my feet being so sore, so I will be very devastated if I have to go back to the full dosage today as I know my feet will get infected if I do....... they are still very tender and will not recover until post chemo but I would love for everyone to cross everything and hope that I get the reduced dosage today.........
I am so excited by the prospect of now starting to recover. For the past 3 treatments, I haven't felt much change over the three week period as my body is always so tired and weak so it is going to be amazing to not have to go back for chemo from now on and gradually improve my strength and fitness.
I am also very excited about my hair growing back; it is very hot wearing a wig during this heat and humidity so I cannot wait to have my own short 'do'!!! It will be exciting to have eyelashes back too as my eyes have been quite painful for the past few treatments.... so I will welcome them back with open arms.....
As for the hot flushes, which have now become quite unbearable, I never want to feel them again after this recovery; I now have much more empathy for every woman going through menopause! It is hell!
I know I have said this to all of the people that are closest to me but I am lost for words when it comes to expressing my gratitude and appreciation for the love, kindness and support that everyone I know has shown to me during this journey. I could never have done this as well as I have without the constant reminders of how much you care about me and love me so thank you......(I sit here crying as I write this bit)
It's a momentous day and one that I'm both dreading but feeling very excited about......
Let this day be the beginning of wellness for all of us.........one of my friends has just said she's going to eat chocolate today and hope that I can taste it too........what a treat and I'm very much looking forward to that Shannon!
At about 5pm today I can FINALLY say 8 down, NONE to go!!! What a feeling it will be!
xxx
My first tattoos
Yes, you read it here; I now have four tattoos!!!! (only kidding)
I had my radiation planning meeting this week which went well. I had the CT scan and they marked me with four very small tattoos....... I was curious to find out what they were actually going to do so made sure I had the full run down before the needles went in..... basically, they put a dollop of ink on each point and she then put a big needle into each point, ensuring the ink went at least two layers under the skin...... thankfully there are three on the one side (which is still numb so I didn't feel a thing) and one on the other which did hurt!
So I've decided to keep my tattoo free body as I wasn't at all enticed by the pain!
Radiation begins on 27 January and will take place every day for five weeks........ I'm hoping it will be a breeze compared to chemo!
I had my radiation planning meeting this week which went well. I had the CT scan and they marked me with four very small tattoos....... I was curious to find out what they were actually going to do so made sure I had the full run down before the needles went in..... basically, they put a dollop of ink on each point and she then put a big needle into each point, ensuring the ink went at least two layers under the skin...... thankfully there are three on the one side (which is still numb so I didn't feel a thing) and one on the other which did hurt!
So I've decided to keep my tattoo free body as I wasn't at all enticed by the pain!
Radiation begins on 27 January and will take place every day for five weeks........ I'm hoping it will be a breeze compared to chemo!
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