I wanted to send a big warm hug to you both. 
xx

Much appreciated  :love::love::love::love:

Oooo I do miss me hugs!! Cheers Caroline.

I have decided, now I have my neck high support pants, to become the super hero I was always meant to be...championing social injustice 'by the power of support pants'!!

Start of my holidays today, hurrah...

And on the subject of knees on my bike ride this morning this totally daft boxer ran into my knee, ripped my leggings and drew blood (he was OK funnily enough...stoopid blummin dog), never mind bl00dy covid, its tetanus I need to watch out for now.

Have a good weekend, its B&Q for me X

Hi Sam, 

I was wondering when you were having the DIEP, there's certainly a lot of prep for things these days. I hope it's an easy recovery for you.
Happy new mummy! I think a lot of long term couples get married for that reason. It makes sense not to pass your money to the government.

I go to see an orthopaedic surgeon tomorrow about my knee. Shocked at getting an appointment so quickly. It hasn't been too bad lately since I became a druggie. I finally gave in and take painkillers on a regular basis, although I've ditched the Tramadol for my new best friend Amytriptaline. I take one very tiny tablet at bedtime and I sleep pain free all night. It makes me sleepy during the day, too, which is no hardship while under lockdown, although I think that might be wearing off now I've been taking it for a couple of weeks and have got used to it, because today I did a few hours clearing all the perennials and weeds out of the garden ready for tomorrow's promised snow!

I'm going to bed now, Good luck for your surgery.
Love 

Christine xx

Caroline, hope you are well and looking forward to Christmas xx 

Cheers Christine,

As I hate being late (!!) have been at the hospital since 6.15, the blummin unit doesn't open till 7.30.  Luckily its a comfy & warm hospital eh?

So we're all set, cats in cattery, overnight bag packed to the max (am sure 20 pairs of pants and 5 books will all be used..mm), never been one for travelling light.  House is as clean as I can bare it.  I did have a lovely friend asking for my house keys whilst I was in hospital so she could come around with her cleaner & clean my hovel...I told her 'not on your Nelly'!  If I can't do it then it won't get done but how kind (have also told her that if my house gets broken into and its cleaner than it is now I'll dob her into the coppers).

The boyfriend is in mad worry mode, it doesn't take a lot.  He's also worrying about the covid vaccinations as he really hates needles, poor lad ...all that and having to put up with me too. Some people have all the luck eh?

Right better get my *** in gear and get prepped for 8 hrs blissful nothingness, hopefully make up for the fact that I didn't get my required beauty kip last night.

Caroline - hope everything is good with you.

XX

Hi Sam and Christine!

Sam - how did it go yesterday?? You got a lovely new boob now? How are you feeling? Have they let you go home? And what a lovely friend! I would of gladly given her the keys and told her to crack on!! :laugh: So you just need to take it easy now - hope you've got all your Christmas jobs done so you can veg and just watch naff Christmas films!! 
Christine, I hope you are feeling brighter? How did you appointment about your knee go? Hopefully they can do something to help ease the pain. Such a debilitating pain to have, especially if affecting your sleep.

All is good with me. First one of the first times ever, I am more or less ready for Christmas - or I've just forgotten lots of things. My brain has been struggling a lot, recently. Feels like it's surrounded by cotton wool!!! The puppy is growing - fast!! We had to cut down on his food portions as he was gaining weight at a rate of knots. Still a bit bity but calmed down most of the time. Not sure I'd want to do it again!! 
Not sure if you have read it, but I've just finished reading Victoria Derbyshire's book about her breast cancer journey. It's called Dear Cancer, Love Victoria. I binge read it. She talks about her mastectomy, chemo, radiotherapy and how she feels/copes along the way. I think people who have had cancer will read it differently to those who haven't been along the path.  
I have settled back into  "normality"  Cancer isn't crowding my thoughts and I don't really think about it or worry about it very often! Long may it continue! 
Work is keeping me busy - I am having to test myself for Covid twice a week and report it to work. It's not too pleasant but reassuring to get the results.

Anyway - I had better crack on with some work. Take care ladies - let me know how you both are.

Caroline xx

Hi Caroline 

Yep, all really good here. Told the team this morning that I was looking to leave Friday and luckily for them they've agreed!

New boob is very healthy though does feel a little odd given was used to having nowt there, funny how quickly we get used to things I guess, and am amazed at how little stomach I have left (they removed 444 grams FYI!).

Having a great time here as the team are all lovely but will be glad to get home, even if its with the mother nursing me!  Been told several times by plastic surgeon to slow down...me, impatient??

Managed to wean myself off the oxycodone fine as don't want constipation for too long (jury's still out on that one) so just on ibuprofen & paracetamol now. 

Oh believe you me I have tonnes of crap awaiting my viewing that needs clearing from the TV recorder, it will be consumed over the progression of the next weeks. The TV and tonnes of pillows will be very close pals of mine indeed.

I'm glad you're sounding so upbeat and are ready for the onslaught of the festive period.  I try & avoid cancer books/films etc, find them quite depressing (not surprisingly!).  I generally only watch read funny/horror or murder stuff...forget real life stuff!

Twice a week covid testing...that's quite full on isn't it but given you're in the profession makes sense. 

So tomorrow get my final drain out and have to try & squeeze myself into stupid support pants...really looking forward to that!  Am however looking forward to being waited on hand & foot of course and going round to a pals of Adrian's (who are great cooks) for Christmas so belly may not be quite as flat come the eve of 25th Dec...

Sam X

Hi girls,

I'm delighted to hear you are both doing well. I hope your recovery is continuing well, Sam. if you are in pain, take the Oxycodone, you can always take stool softeners to counteract the constipation. I just eat liquorice if I have that problem!

Caroline, you sound to be well on the way to normality, as much as 2020 would allow, anyway.  I'm so glad!   I think my dodgy knee stopped me thinking about cancer a long time ago.

My visit to the orthopaedic surgeon was mixed. I really liked him and his manner, but he hadn't seen my X-rays so couldn't really give me a definitive recommendation. He had an old MRI scan from 2017, which showed my cartilage damage was at stage 3 and the only higher stage was four which meant bone on bone.  He said he was quite sure that in three years it hadn't got any better but wanted to see the recent X-rays before advising me one way or another.  He then proceeded to list all the dangers associated with replacement surgery, about a dozen I think.  I told him I just want to be pain free and if he can do that without surgery I'd be more than happy. He said he could give me a new injection in the right knee because the last one didn't take, so I don't have to wait another four months, which is great and I have an appointment with him on 16th. Hopefully he won't change his mind and tell me to go for surgery once he's seen the X-rays.  

I have been really sad this week, though. My lovely next door neighbour has lost her eldest son, not to Covid, but suddenly, to pneumonia and sepsis. I want to give her a hug but can't. He was only in his forties. So sad!  

Is it my imagination or have people started their Christmas preparations early this year as an antidote to Covid misery? I was even driven to drag out some lights and a small artificial tree this week and I'm supposed to have sacked Christmas!  They won't be switched on until nearer the time, though.  I've always waited until the weekend before to put up decorations because I get fed up of them by New Year.

Take care, both of you!  Sam, rest!!!  Let yourself be taken care of.  
 

lots of love

Christine xxx
 

Christine,

Thats really sad re your neighbours loss, 40 is so young, I'm sure they know how much you'd like to support them and know that you care...and that counts for lots, and you'll be able to go mad with hugs, as we all will before Easter I reckon (don't forget my Nostradamus tendencies!).

Totally agree with you re people definitely upping their game on the festive front, I've been making the most of my very short and exceedingly slow shuffles around my neighbourhood to be the nosy old crone that I am destined to be and have a top and bottom 5 of tasteful decorations, in and outside houses, thankfully most houses have done a nice job, the more  'interesting' festive displays have been reserved for other, less celubrious neighbourhoods ...ha!!! I've had mine up since mid November, more to get personal value for money and to get it out of the way well before the op, and it does amuse me that the female cat likes to marmalise the tree...bl00dy idiot.  So I am glad you've seen all the festive light and have seen fit to go a wee bit Christmassy...well done!!

Im loving my mother (the agency staff as she's now referred to) being here and seeing to my every exacting need, she's quite rubbish at following directions though and can't make a cup of tea for toffee but beggars and choosers and all that.  My main issues remain, in order, being vvvv painful when coughing/sneezing (why is it so difficult to stop yourself coughing?), the annoyance of having to plan to go to the loo (the support pants are soooo cumbersome and if the band rests on where the magician tried to saw me in half I certainly know about it), our old friend constipation ( thus was also one of my worst aspects about chemo, maybe the worst actually) and now lack of sleep, hence sending this early on a Sunday morning. Sleeping in my back is not a natural position, and neither is being surrounded/elevated by 57 pillows....my lack of much needed beauty sleep will start to show soon.

So as you can tell am actually doing very well! First appointment with nurse to remove bandage next Friday.

Hope your knee injection works this time Christine, I'll be thinking of you whilst gassing with the lovely chemo unit nurses as having my zolodex shot that day....nice to get out but not relishing the need to wash my hair ...it's developing an 'interesting' look day by day...much like some of the dodgier Christmas decs above.

Id like to think that come the 20th Dec your house will be adorned with flashing lights, inflatable snow men, life size reindeer and one of those Santas climbing up the wall, oh and tonnes of icicles that light up from top to bottom....the whole 9 yards and a little bit more. I would personally be so worried about my electrical bill, such a tight northerner!!!

Stay safe but go mad.

X