Kick that Uterus into Touch

<a href='http://www.justgiving.com/maddysminions' title='JustGiving - Sponsor me now!' target='_blank'><img src='http://www.justgiving.com/App_Themes/JustGiving/images/badges/badge10.gif' width='270' height='50' alt='JustGiving - Sponsor me now!' /></a> A few kind relatives and friends were obviously concerned that I was feeling a bit low, and messaged me to ask if I'm ok. YES! I am fine - just perhaps uncharacteristically quiet! (Peter will second that....) If you feel you can support my team "Maddy's Minions" when we do the Marsden March, I'm hoping we have a link to the Justgiving page at the top of the blog....... not sure though - the software used for  the Marsden March is awful - we've all had problems signing in. I've set up a Justgiving page for the whole team, so no-one has to get individual sponsorship....this has been ok'ed by the organisers. If you'd lik...

Here I am - eight weeks after my hysterectomy, where the robot (operated by an amazing Dutch surgeon with a great name) removed my uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and cervix, performing a peritoneal wash and also removing ten lymph nodes...... otherwise known as a TLH with BSO and PLND (this is for those of you who like to learn and appreciate acronyms!) If you've been following my blog, you'll know that the surgery was successful - no complications - and the lymph nodes were clear. However, the cancer had started to work its way further than halfway into the myometrium, so the advised adjuvant treatment for me was Brachytherapy. This is the term used for internal radiotherapy - which I have described in previous posts, and am still feeling too delicate to describe again!! The radiotherapy was completed last week - and has left me nervously awaiting nasty radiation side effects........ so far - nothing too worrying - but I'm not counting those chicken eggs yet! I sti...

Today I sauntered up to South Kensington with a much improved attitude - my second dose of brachytherapy was scheduled for 2.30 pm. I went via Imperial College where I had to meet my errant youngest son who had neglected to take his food with him for the day (Ned is actually at the Royal College of Art, and not Imperial - but it's where we collided in the effort to do a safe food transfer). For those of you that know my 'baby', you'll recognise the need for his dietary intake to be taken care of.  So - half a catering sized tray of pizza, half a roasted cauliflower, salad, and half a cashew-milk rice pudding lighter - I trotted (and I CAN trot now) down the road to the Marsden. Here's a picture of said child to help fuel your imagination........ I was there early, in the Radiotherapy department (in the basement of course) and got my knitting out. I'm starting a new project (ignoring the hundreds of unfinished projects in my craft room) because as a Commun...

Today was the day that I had to go to the Marsden for the first of my four brachytherapy sessions. I was feeling truly anxious about this. Much more so than before my date with the robot.......  All the research I have done has led me to worry that the side effects can be truly horrid - and I was feeling quite anxious, and that now, six weeks after my hysterectomy, I'm feeling physically almost back to normal (apart from slightly larger), I was agreeing to a session of being fried on the inside - with the consequences perhaps being long term. Appointment was at 3 pm this afternoon, with the request to get there half an hour early.  I went for a dog walk with my colleague Susan (and Tilly the Sprocker) in the morning, in an effort to keep busy. We had a lovely walk and I also bumped into my old friend (and previous Boss) Phil (and Rolo the Ruffian, his chocolate labrador) - Phil was the headteacher at the school in Brixton where I was the music teacher for 13 years, ...

Here we are on the 2nd January 2019. What is it about the New Year's celebration that tends to make one reflect? Christmas has been a maelstrom - to put it politely. The boys all came to stay for the festive season, which was wonderful - but you forget how big they are! Our house just doesn't seem big enough for all those three big sons, one partner (and kitchen comrade - thank you Jaye)  and one small grandchild. I reflected (more than once), on how I coped when they were all small and we first lived in this very same house., which is not a small dwelling! Our grandson, Zephy, is going to be 4 in April, and when his dad was this age, the smaller boys were 22 months and 7 months respectively - we also had a puppy..... yes - that WAS my idea! I don't remember it being impossibly difficult, challenging, yes, but not impossible. Well- if it had been impossible, I don't suppose any of us would be here now! I do recall that the Health Visitor made a couple of unusual and...