About Me

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I'm Carole, living in London, happily married and mum to two amazing boys.I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Rectal Cancer in April 2010. Surgery took place in November 2010 and I now have a permanent colostomy...Spinal mets were then diagnosed in October 2011...In January 2012 I was told of further spread to the hip area (multiple lesions)..My life expectancy is now 6-9 months. Walk alongside me on the last part of my experience with this..

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Time for an Update on ME, ME, ME.....:-)

So, what's been happening with me then some of you have recently asked?....

It's true, I've not really said too much lately - not about my cancer anyway. I've always got plenty to say but sometimes I avoid talking about me, me, me all the time :-))

But this is my blog and today I'll tell you about me!

Wound - still the same, still not healed properly, still sore and uncomfortable but bearable.

Stress levels - greatly reduced since I took myself off for my surprise trip to sunny Rhodes - thanks Sis and M xx

Counselling - I've decided I don't want to do this now. I needed a holiday it seems and since I've done this I don't want to go through the counselling process right now.

Colostomy - part of my daily routine now, no big deal and something I just have to do in much the same way as other people need to poo daily.
The only difference is that I can actually watch mine exit and YOU can't (sticks tongue out and laughs)
I found bags that seem to work okay for me. They are called 'quiet' bags from the Hollister range. If anyone wants details you can email me via my profile page.
At night I use small tiny little 'caps' as the stoma seems to shut down after about 1am.

Weight - increased and now back to my pre surgery weight of 53kgs.

Diet - eating pretty much what I want to and still sorting out things that disagree with me. The list is pretty much the same as last time - Broad Beans and Puy lentils give me stomach pain, Green Beans give me excessive wind, Coleslaw also gives me a stomach ache....most other foods are okay.

Symptoms - still quite tired at times, have a strange pressure pain in the original tumour site, temperature fluctuates quite a lot (this could of course be due to being thrown into early menopause after the Radiotherapy), joint pains are still there mainly on the left side - shoulder, arm, knee and hip, headaches have returned but are responding to normal over the counter meds, sleep is still an ongoing issue...I find it hard to sleep but maybe that's just the way it is now - my new 'normal'

I'm planning my return to work, hopefully around the 25th April. This will get me back into some kind of normal routine and then I've got my first post op check up on June 13th...good job I'm not superstitious eh :-))

And that's about it really. Much luv to all xxxx

5 comments:

  1. Great to hear from "you" Carole! Sounds like everything is falling into place (rectal wound aside).

    Eric

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  2. God, it's all about YOU again!! lol

    So glad to read this VERY positive post. A few things I'd rather hear differently: your wound healed; and the tiredness, inability to sleep and the joint pain gone; but other than that all so, so, SO much better than this time last year. Hard to imagine it was only just over a year ago. You've been through so much. I'd say it's changed you, but it hasn't really. Just made you stronger.

    Love you more than words can say, you baggy bint. xxxxxx

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  3. Hi Eric,

    Good to hear from you as always :-)

    Thanks for caring, especially with everything that you've got going on now.

    Much luv to you both xxxx

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  4. Hi Lou,

    Like you, a few things I'd still like to be different but given time, hopefully it'll all be sorted eh :-)

    Much luv back (* Mad hat(ter) bint) LOL
    xxxx

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  5. Hi Carole, can't really say any more than Louise has.
    All sounding very positive, except that the wound hasn't healed yet.
    How are you feeling about returning to work?
    Take it easy, break yourself back in gently.
    You have been through so much, it is good to hear that things are getting better! And it is great to hear about YOU!!!
    Hugs
    Carol

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