So here is Wally on a train!

Hurrah!

WallyDog

Last Thursday, Tae and I went to clinic for chemo as usual. It wasn’t particularly festive – largely because it was so damn busy -  but the nurses seemed to appreciate the mince pies I brought as a little thankyou. The treatment went fine as usual and the plan according to the doc is to have some new scans in the next few weeks to have a look at where we’re at. So on 26th January, we’ll go back again for the results and discuss the next move.

We’re hoping that as the tumour markers in my blood tests are still going down and the interim scans a couple of months ago were so positive, we’ll find even greater improvement that will lead to a break in treatment for a while. But as always, we won’t count our chickens and we’ll wait and see what the scans show.

One slight spanner in the works is that my eye is playing silly buggers and may have worsened. Unfortunately chemo doesn’t tend to work on the eye, thanks to this thing called the brain/blood barrier, and while the radiotherapy I had in February gave the tumour a good kicking, there’s a chance there might be a bit more nastiness there that needs sorting. Again, we should know more at the end of January.

So anyway, my plan is to start 2012 as I mean to go on – with a positive outlook, a cheeky smile and a superhuman ability to NOT have takeaways whenever I crave one … well, I’ll aim for two out of those three

Ta-ra for now.

Gil xxx

2012 Ahoy!

And thank chuff for that, I say!

2011 sucked in many ways … largely to do with the massive shock and ongoing challenge of my diagnosis … but it also saw me marry my insanely wonderful husband and brought me the bane light of my life that is the Wally Dog so we can’t call it all bad, can we?

2011 also showed me once again how tremendously lucky I am to have such a kind, caring, supportive and relentlessly entertaining bunch of family and friends. So I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you.

Couldn’t do it without you!

Gil xx

May I formally introduce Wolowitz MacMillian Mawson … or Wally for short.

Here's Wally ...

He’s pretty adorable, all things considered and is actually chewing on my thumb as I type – he’s so very keen to be involved in literally EVERYTHING!

I am sure there will be many, many more photos to come …

Gil xxx

Huge apologies for the lack of blog posts – this is largely due to the introduction of more Wally into my life! He’s a gorgeous, black labradoodle but hard work as well. I’ve also been having more chemo as you can imagine.

So anyway, enough apologies and on to the good news … on Thursday last week, just before I started my fourth chemo cycle, we were told that the tumours in my liver, lung and skin are in retreat! Hurrah!!!! In fact, the ones in my liver have reduced by TWO THIRDS!!!

About time, right? I agree!

Feeling pretty positive about 2012 right now, but obviously not counting my chickens … just Wally’s toilet training accidents

Here’s me having Chemo Number 4 …

Hello ...

Slaters!!!

Gil xxxxx

Sometimes you just need a little nana/choccie loveliness in your world and this loaf cake based on a Rachel Allen recipe is really tasty and very easy to make. It is also a great way to use up over ripe bananas.

Yumballs!

Ingredients:
250g self raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 level tsp baking powder
150g caster sugar
100g soft butter (I use Stork)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
475g ripe bananas (about 4 small ones)
75g dark chocolate chips

1. Heat your oven to 160 degrees (I have a fan oven so if you have the other sort, you should increase the temperature to about 170 degrees).
2. Grease and line a 13cm x 23cm loaf tin.
3. Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and butter and rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Whisk the eggs and vanilla essence in a separate bowl, add the bananas and mash well with a potato masher.
5. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the banana mixture and gently but thoroughly bring the ingredients together with a wooden spoon.
6. Pour the cake mixture into the loaf tin, smooth the top and bake in the oven for about 45mins or until the cake is a lovely golden brown and a skewer stuck in the middle comes out clean (except for the choc obviously and that will have melted).
7. Allow the cake to cool for 5 or 10mins before turning it out from the tin.
8. Eat and enjoy!!!!

See what you think … It’s one of my favourite cakes so I reckon you’ll love it too.

Had a bit of good news – the bone markers in my blood test seem to be improving so early signs are positive for the docetaxel. Can I get a woo hoo?

They are going to continue with the 3 weekly treatment regime but up the dosage of the immune system boosters to try and avoid the white blood cell crash I had first time round.

So keep your fingers crossed that we don’t have the same drama we had first time round.

As per last time, at this precise moment I’m feeling absolutely fine so hope that lasts.

So there you are

Back soon xxx

So at the risk of continuing the trend for more cancer than cupcakes, I thought I’d bring you all up to date with the latest joy of chemo … hair loss.

Last Thursday, I finally started to feel better after my little hospital vacation sponsored by ‘Neutropenic Sepsis’. Just as I was about to jump in the shower, I ran my hand through my hair to take out the plaits I’d had in over night (picture the Heidi!!!) only to have a fair few strands come away. I’m not going to lie to you – I was upset. More so than I expected to be actually, especially having done it all before. But I soon pulled myself together, shoved a scarf round my head and planned to shave it when it started falling out rather than coming when pulled.

That came around on Saturday so I was once again treated to a visit to the Maison de Mawson hair salon. Mr M and I decided at the last minute to try something new – a mohican. A total departure, I grant you, but we thought it might be funny. Turns out it actually looks quite cool so I’ve kept it. What do you think?

Hot or not?

I say I’ve kept it – it’s already thinning quite dramatically so pretty sure I’ll only keep it for another day or so. Ah well, a couple of days as a punk chick is better than none!

Just FYI, generally speaking, I am planning to embrace the scarf on the most regular basis with occasional appearances from Torie, the NHS wig.

Please enjoy

And wish me luck for Chemo 2 this Thursday!

Gil xxx

Slaters xxx

Sunday saw a trip to Croydon A&E with ridiculously low blood pressure and a spectacular pass out on the floor in the waiting room – not the place you ever want to find yourself lying even on a Sunday afternoon. I was sent home after some fluids but brought in to UCH A&E on Thursday night by ambulance when my gp noticed my pulse was 140 – apparently the usual range is 60 to 90 ish.

Been here on the 13th floor since then. Turns out my White blood cells have gone orf somewhere and a cheeky infection snuck in somewhere when we weren’t looking. Genuinely not feeling so bad at the moment – in fact better than I have all week – although the food could be better!

Maybe I should suggest I pop down to the kitchen and whip up my bakewell tart?

Gil xx