Archive for the cancer treatment Category

What Is Normal Now?

On November 2, 2014   /   Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   25 Comments
What Is Normal Now?

This week brought me a fresh dose of reality when I had another two days of my regular treatment. It has been six weeks since my last session, as we slowly look to stop this regime, which has continued for nearly three years. I have had more than two years of fortnightly sessions which has now had the optimum effect and we need to slowly stop it and then see if my body is finally clear of graft v host disease (rejection issues.) Slowing sessions has enabled me to have more personal time, and my health has been good, so I was starting to forget about my issues for a bit. I have been able to do lots of exciting things in relation to my work, so my mind has been

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Do You Know Your Limits?

On October 26, 2014   /   Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   10 Comments
Do You Know Your Limits?

This week I have been absolutely consumed by my work, the highlight being my session working with health professionals at St Georges Hospital in London. I was really delighted to be invited to attend some training days and help the staff understand better some of the psychological and emotional issues that people affected by cancer may face. It was a very lively session that we all learned from, and there were several suggestions that came from it, that hopefully may be introduced in the future. I have been working towards improving communication channels between patients and professionals, and although it has taken a long time I can see that we are heading in the right direction. All of this has made me think that my own plan was to stop all

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Do We Need More Diversity In Support?

On October 19, 2014   /   cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   15 Comments
Do We Need More Diversity In Support?

As always after a conference, the following few weeks are busy. People getting in touch who have found my work for the first time, and others looking to arrange more talks. These days it is not only what happens behind the scenes but also the contact through all of my social media channels. My website gets more readers, and people want to contact me through Twitter and Facebook too. For large presentations I estimate one month of work. Two weeks to prepare and present, then two weeks to deal with the work afterwards. I am not complaining at all, and am only too happy that people want to learn from my story. This week I am going to throw open the question of inclusion and diversity within cancer support. It is a subject

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How Much Do You Value Your Time?

On October 5, 2014   /   cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   10 Comments
How Much Do You Value Your Time?

  This week has been a particularly busy time for me, as I needed to write several pieces and also deliver a presentation in London. There are times when I have so much work sitting on my computer I actually forget that most things I do are voluntary, and that I also have a family life too, which is getting busier as my grandchildren grow up. However whether I am being paid or not, I have always worked in the most professional manner, so I still feel the pressure of deadlines. Of course that situation is tougher when you are doing paid work, and I know that I am a workaholic, whether I am paid or not, and it is something that really motivates me. I used to live for

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Coping with loss

On August 10, 2014   /   Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   8 Comments
Coping with loss

From a personal health perspective, this week has been a very positive one. I have seen two lots of doctors and both agree that my progress is such that my treatment should be reduced further. Meaning that if we continue at this rate I may be off all treatment by Christmas. If this happens, it will be the first time since my diagnosis in 2007 that I will be without any treatment at all! My days of counting chickens are well behind me, but things are finally moving in the right direction for me, and I will take any positives I can. However, in the work I do, I am never far from reality, and this week, two of my ‘community’ have lost their fathers. I have been with them

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The gold standard in cancer support

On August 3, 2014   /   cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment, carers support, chemotherapy   /   15 Comments
The gold standard in cancer support

  In my previous post, I mentioned that I had been invited to stay at a hotel for people affected by cancer and life threatening illnesses. That experience was probably one of the most uplifting I have had in recent years, but yet again I am writing this post with a large degree of frustration, and as we get further into the piece you will understand why. I consider myself very privileged to do the work I do and meet so many wonderful people. The ‘asks’ I receive are varied, but I will only ever consider projects if I can see some tangible results in the short term. So when I was invited to visit  The Grove Hotel in Bournemouth and check out their facilities for people affected by cancer, I was

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Are you affected by fatigue?

On July 6, 2014   /   cancer side effects., cancer survival, cancer treatment  
Are you affected by fatigue?

In a recent post I wrote about how I wondered if I was being selfish, and that came around because I was finding difficulty keeping up with social arrangements etc. By coincidence I then had a review with my Consultant, when he asked me how I was feeling, and I mentioned my constant tiredness, we then had a very interesting conversation, and I learned a great deal. Like most of us affected by cancer our situation is unique, so things affect us all differently, as our circumstances can be very contrasting. According to my doctor I am a ‘one off,’ but I guess you can say that about everyone. His analysis of me was that I like to push boundaries, and although I have always taken note of his advice, I have continued to

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Has cancer made me selfish?

On June 22, 2014   /   cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   27 Comments
Has cancer made me selfish?

I know, no one likes to consider themselves as selfish, especially me! But my encounter with cancer has made me wonder. Other people are always my concern, and the joy I receive in my life has always come from doing things for others. However, when cancer struck, my world turned on it’s head. Instead of me being a part of my family focus, I became the entire focus. Every where I went, people wanted to know about what was happening to me. Of course, I spent a long time in hospital, with chemotherapy, transplant and various complications, and I was the focus there too. Due to the complexities of my disease and treatment I required a lot of time and care from people. I was a very good giver, but a

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