DVT DAY 178

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BLOG & STEROIDS.

Its a year today that I begun to write a blog of my cancer experience I started the blog in order that family, friends and interested others could keep track of my progress. The idea was to save everyone the hassle of having to ask me how I was or what was going on. I thought it would be easier for everyone to do it this way. Of course it did not mean that people could not ask and many did for which I than you. It means a lot for people to feel able to ask and it should not be underestimated how being asked helps to reduce the sense of being on your own with cancer.

This day a year ago I attended my pre chemo induction at which I found out I was going to start chemo the following day. I bit of a surprise at the time. It was a strange day especially as it was sprung on me that I needed to start feeding myself steroids. The steroids that ended up piling the weight on me that I am now still trying to loose. I started out at just under 92 Kilos and end up 102 kilos. So now I’m beginning to slide down the scales at half a kilo at a time. Down to 95.9 kilos, at least another 4 or 5 kilos to go. The joys of medicine eh!

It was a day I began to explore what was possible in writing a blog. I had to find out how to get a site, and email to match and sort out a look for the site. I guess it was quite crude to start with. However it seems to have done the job.

It was a day that has recently come back to me as I become aware of the anniversaries of my illness and treatment. It was not a pleasant experience the first time round and it is not being much fun the second time. Although my mantra is that yesterday is done and today is what needs focusing on I find it difficult to push the memories back. So today has been a bit of “heads down and get on with it” day.

For those interested in the that very first day of steroids and blog the following link will take you there. https://prost8kancerman.co.uk/induction-day/ As you will see it was a bland, imageless and colourless attempt of a first blog. I’ve learnt a lot, in many different ways since that first try.

Fortunately today has been a busy one with work and entertainment to keep me occupied. Soon after breakfast the Hippo van rocked up to tack their bag containing our old fence away. A brief but strangely interesting activity.

So after the excitement it was down to work and making calls to services and following up the work from them. By the time this was done it was time to down a bacon bagel and get ready for the days Open Forum. Another interesting hour past with some acute perceptions and observations of what is happening at the moment in prison Therapeutic Communities. After the forum I wrote an abstract for a presentation to be submitted to a conference organising group. A colleague and I have agreed to rerun the debate we did at a annual forum earlier in lockdown, only this time we will refine and extend it. I sent the abstract to my colleague and I changed into my training gear. I my search for weight loss with some strength building I decide to use my weights vest and wrist weights. I had forgotten how heavy the weights vest is fully loaded but managed to get it on the right way round on the second go. I pedalled away for 45 minutes, ten of which I wheezed through using my altitude training mask. It was a long 45 minutes as I listened to the rain spatter on the shed roof. I kept going by playing the Leggo “everything is awesome” anthem. I was well tired by the end of the session as I trotted through the rain to the house.

I changed and found my desire for a bath thwarted by our boiler continuing to play up. So I settled down to begin the blog. Tonight we will east dinner and watch some more Heroes, it is quite addictive, and leads to fantasies of having “powers”. I quite fancy the one where I could heal and regenerate my body. Not surprising really.