CANCER DIARY
"Bigger than a Pea"
Tips on Coping with Cancer
 Reflection
4 December Dream Building & Appreciation for Life
5 December  Mammogram Day
6 DecemberBiopsy Day
7 DecemberReflecting
8 DecemberPathology Results
Google Search
10 DecemberRationalising
11 DecemberDecision Making
12 DecemberReflecting on the what if's
13 DecemberSurgery Day Drama
14 DecemberPost Operation
15 DecemberGoing Home
16 DecemberDr Deb Comes to Visit
18 December 19 DecemberLife goes on
Reflection
20 DecemberBest wishes from a friend
21 DecemberTelling Colleagues
22 DecemberMore support from colleagues
27 DecemberLetter to a client
30 December
to 15 January
e-mail dialogue
18 JanuaryTime to meet the surgeon again
21-25 Januarye-mail dialogue and support from family & friends
25 January
26 January
27 January
Chemo Day tomorrow
Chemo Day
The day after Chemo
28 January -
8 February
Chemo 1 of 6
Chemo isn't nice
Coming right
Depression
Feeling great & running

Molting
1 March - 9 MarchArticle in "The Listener" & reader feedback
9 March - 22 MarchHalf Way through the Chemo
28 March - 29 MarchDealing with baldness
30 March4th Chemo Session & drugs
24 AprilSunday Star Times Article - Health Insurance a matter of life and death for small businesses
16 MayLyfords Newsletter - Thank you for your patience & loyalty
24 JuneLife after chemo
  
 

Alison's Breast Cancer Diary
Feelings after diagnosis, surgery, and chemo-therapy

7 December - Reflecting
We were in Christchurch for Sheryl's husband's birthday party on 3 December.

Dear Sheryl:
I Hope you remember my big knockers that night....we were talking about breast cancer and I suggested you feel my breast and you said something like 'oh yuck go away' whatever.  Well sweetie pie that was your final opportunity to stroke your hand over my voluptuous and voluminous bosom because on
Tuesday the breast cancer specialist said 'well my, that's a mighty big lump - would you like a Mastectomy? or shall we just take 1/3rd of it away?

Who would have thought?  One day we are planning on finding a secretary and extending the house and the next day I am contemplating a big payout on trauma insurance and whether or not the insurance company will pay a benefit on my income protection insurance while I go on a 5 month body poisoning programme.

Well, I thought it was a pretty raw deal having Mum's funeral only two weeks ago to then learn that I have breast cancer.  Isn't that what other people get?

The operation is next Wednesday. The butcher is going to mutilate my breast and then I 'll start being poisoned after Christmas.  Hopefully they will remove everything and I will just get a lump sum to pay off a small portion of one of our many mortgages on one of our investment properties.  The surgeon said that with a tumour the size of mine there is a 70% probability that cancer will be in the lymph nodes - hi de hi.

My son pointed out that I will go bald and indeed I 'm starting to feel sorry for myself.  Yes at moments like these I have permission to.  Mind you a blonde wig could be fun.  Think of the money we will be saving by having natural Brazilians.

In conclusion I won't come down to Christchurch this side of Christmas.  I have no idea how long it takes to recover from serious breast mutilation.

Life goes on.  I have a financial report to write over the next few days.  Will be working on Thursday and Friday and next Tuesday.  That 'll be me done for the year.

Sheryl responded:
You are such a god writer oops that was Freudian, you should write a diary of this process your amazing sense of humour and great turn of phrase would make a book…At the very least it would be cathartic and selfishly I would like to read it. There is no way you are going to die. I simply will not permit it. I am not too sure about you in a long blonde wig. Unless of course you have Kinky Boots to go with it. Teehee.

Love etc.
Sheryl

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Useful websites
www.cancerhelp.org.uk 

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