Tramlines

And no I don't mean Sheffields very own music festival. I mean the 'Wanna be' razor slits in my eyebrows that I so wish were razor slits!! But are in fact another side effect to Chemotherapy. I looked down at my mobile phone today, and it was covered in eyelashes and brow hairs. :( pubes first, facial hair second!! JOKE I've never had facial hair. Not that theres anything wrong with facial hair on men or women, HELP me please, i'm trying not to be offensive!!

I can't even be trusted realistically to put falsies on safely, and not appear like I'm being infested by stray spiders on my cheeks! Ooops i nearly said hair, forgot I haven't got any!!

I'm trying not to alter my routine too much, I'm still cycling in the morning, but basically it's because it's easier than walking!

I'm quite interested in the Greenspeed Magnum :) mmmmm £4700

Hickman Line? - I've just realised, my friends called Kevin Hickman....:D

I am so knackered, after spending 6 hours walking round Western Park Hospital today.

I feel like rejoicing because I actually asked about the Hickman Line as an alternative, to potentially disabling my strong arm? Why didn't they just miss out the lymph nodes all together and thrust the line into one of my main arteries in my chest? One of the consultants replied when I asked why it wasn't a first choice 'It's a bit of a faff'. For Who? was my reply :) Because I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but obviously I'd rather have the procedure that runs no risk to me losing my functions in my right arm!  especially as it is my non affected side.

After been educated by my taxi driver, on the way to hospital this morning :) Who's Wife had now been clear of Cancer for 10 years!! The Pic Line Nurse, began educating me for real, and telling me the whys and wont's, of Picc Line versus Hickman Line. I concluded that it was a no brainer, but was immediately worried that I'd put people out etc!! Liz came for lunch before leaving at 12.15. My next appointment was with the Oncologist, I met with Sue and Amanda, Who took notes for me. I've been prescribed Steroids wich I needv to take the day before chemo and during and after- yummy I can't wait for those then!!

Oh I forgot to say? What a fab woman Chris is in the library, with the Bandanas. Of which I bought a ready made one with a tie bit that flows over my shoulder, like pretend hair!! I am sad I know, but I can dream of having luscious locks again?? Well I got one from her, and the lovely nurse I met when trying to organise a Hickman Line for tomorrow? Well she gave me 3 more!! So Liz if your still wanting to borrow one for Glastonbury ?? Although I'm not sure that they look very nice when you've got real hair!!

Sadly, I AM NOT going to SC4A tomorrow, but I think it's a small sacrifice to pay?

So to my friends at TLAP I will be nearly back to my delightful self, by the Gig in Bournmouth, but you don't know the real me (Cackle!!! Cackle!!!), I will be bald as a Coot!! mind you!! (Coot's ok to say, isn't it? I think it's a big bird???  I've either been incapacitated due to a double fracture, or struck down with Cancer a week, after been discharged from Orthopaedics, but hey ho! I will work out the dates for you tomorrow, if you're still there. And I will send em over the weekend.

The same goes for BIRRP, the Brain Injury Rehab Research Partnership the original Co Producers, before the word was invented. Some time around 2006? Myself and another Survivor, and a Carer, Clinicians and Managers, together we decided on a research question, based on Survivors comments, And the 2 Survivors ask, fellow Survivors their thoughts. at abig reunion of folk who'd passed through the Rehabilitation process of SCBIRT. 

But my Basic Routine is : Pre Chemo checks on a Friday, Steroids, anti biotics (I have argued about the AB!!! but they said I must in their considerable experience take a small dose during and just after chemo           :( How crap is that though!!!  Amd on the Monday, go and be hooked up to Drips feeding 'Mustard Gas' into my vein. Mustard Gas? How do you think they stumbled on that being a cure? Apparently I spend the first week, head in a bucket whilst straining, 9on the closy!!!

I'm so sorry this isn't funny, but I'm very tired.

Oh and sorry Jill I won't be there tomorrow, but will be there onn the 18th, but some of us will not come down to the MUGA until 12? because of the Monthly SC4A meet, at the Arena.

Night, Night

Eeeeek PICC line

All my Yesterdays.... were good, :) I went to London for a TLAP meet, and hey I'm getting good at catching trains :D deon't laugh!!!! It's true. With minutes to spare I got from the East End of London, caught 2 trains, 2 taxis, and picked up a curry. It took 3 hrs!!!

And Lovely Todays :) A bit of idle pleasure, was spent drinking Coffee with a long time friend, who knew me in the dull days of Jock, I'm pleased to say that she always knew there was more to me than Jocks Limpet.

Tomorrow?

Crikey

en.wikipedia.org

 

A PICC line is a long, thin, flexible tube known as a catheter. It is inserted into one of the large veins of the arm near the bend of the elbow. It is then threaded into the vein until the tip sits in a large vein just above the heart.

 

Write Way Group Fridays post :)

For those of you who eagerly await news of the little writing group, that I attend? I went there yesterday. And he made it tricky??? Creative juices didn't flow, neither did any other sort for that matter. I couldn't be funny, am I turning dull? Maybe it's The Cancer? I am feeling a bit doom and gloom at the moment, I've just read about 'Metatistic' Breast Cancer. Which is stage 4 (I'm stage 3) And there is no cure, your days are numbered, if that appears.

So bring on the Chemo!!!

Poo Face?

Caroline Waugh Sheffield Cycling 4 All good hair/hat day smile emoticon

Jill Price and me in the cold last week!!

 

Not many folk will know the answer, to that. And as you can see the picture is from last week, in stark difference to the blazing sun yesterday.Musn't Grumble!! It was lovely.

I had got myself, in a right pickle on the previous night. It's a bit boring, so shall I say? Yep! I had expected some rail tickets for the 4th (yesterday) and Monday, to go to London. I was/am doing some work around Self Directed Support, for Think Local Act Personal. Who are sooo understanding of all my individual needs, which in fact I'm not aware of until, my inability to do things right. Becomes apparent, for example.....I received the special delivery from Royal ~Mail, a bundle of letters and a couple of goody parcels from ebay!! I signed, and the wee postie was gone. I put my letters down at my desk on the white printing paper. Grabbing the one from Trainline, to check and put the 100's of tickets in some kind of essemblence (?) Mmmm but they were only for Monday, blast, crikey and all the other expletives!!!

So I hastily did the things, I'm supposed to do notifying folk etc I won't go into detail on Wednesday. But Thursday is usually a really busy day for me anyway. And my daughter along with 000s 0000s even ? had her GCSE Maths, and so everyone was walking on eggshells, in our house.  So I decided at 7pm to try rearranging a normal Thursday!!! Fortunately I know some kind folk, and I have always been very creative with my SDS budget, so Rocky like a star, agreed to take me to Hillsborough to SC4A at a bargain price. Which I can pay for out of my SDS budget, because it meets many needs including Social, Community, Transport, Exercise, Health and Well being. Then, I stared at the white on white on my printing paper!!! It was an envelope, with Rail tickets in for the 4th!!!! How silly I felt? In mitigation? My eyesight is shit!!!I can neither role my eyes to look down, or judge distances!!

It does mean, that TLAP can now get a refund though.

Thursday arrived and I took Holly dog for a Cycle, in the Meadow, where I met Polly. Polly was possibly going for her last walk, ever. It was very sad, to see the Greyhound stumbling round. Head held low, eyes were dull and lifeless. She had won many a Trophy in her day. Apparently she could no longer lie down. She had spent the night pacing around the downstairs crying. With her Mum and Dad (adopted humans) sat up with her. I secretly thought they should have her put to sleep :( But Hey, she isn't mine. And regretfully, I know I've had pets before, which I haven't let die.

I arrived at Hillsborough, in the glorious sunshine, the courts were packed with Cyclists on 2 wheels, and no one had arrived yet to cycle the adapted bikes, except for David. As in Sue and David, who are both founder members of Sheffield Cycling 4 All, David brings his own adapted Cycle, in Sues car. He is the Survivor of a Stroke, which means he's dependant on a crutch, to get about. But moves like a dream, once transferred onto his trike. Sue produced flasks of hot water for tea and coffee, and me? I had actually remembered milk. Ahh then I saw Alan, who was very frail. And was being supported a lot by one of my bestest friends, the beautiful Dave. On a 2 wheeler. Eeeeek, I rushed over and begged Alan to try a 3 wheeler instead. ' Come on Alan, lets go for a cycle around the park?' I said, and off we went. He did confess to me that at the age of 82!!!!his dream was to buy a Brompton!!!! What an intelligent articulate guy he was though.

And Jack came back from last week, he had worn out his carer cycling around the park. His carer rested on the concrete next to my trike, and laughed declaring that he was knackered and that Jack could go alone now. He told me that Jack was a changed person, since he'd come cycling, it gave him so much confidence. Because he looked cool, on his Trike, and it could go fast. And everybody he met at SC4A, was so accepting of him.

I gave my personal Cycle Trainer a birthday card. I shan't give away his age.....but 'Your looking good' for it. Even better when you've been for a cycle. :)