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03.08.2025
I'm only a couple of days late starting this month's update! As it's my birthday on 9th August (my 50th!!!!), I thought it would be apt to share a Feel It On The First reminder with cakes.
Kelly has given me some oils to try on my feet to see if they help with the chemo induced peripheral neuropathy - currently, it's driving me nuts!
Charlotte, Leonie and I are pretty much ready for the Afternoon Tea. The raffle prizes are incredible - people are so generous. I really hope we make a good amount of money for Breast Cancer Now. We have lots of different activities - the posters are below.
My Just Giving page (link can be found here) is already up to £243 and I have £45 cash and Charlotte has nearly £100 cash - that's before the actual event day.
I did have my someone from my breast care team phone me on Thursday last week saying that I could have my 'tidy up' surgery on Wednesday 6th August - this week coming. I had to decline (I am the next person on the list though) because I have so much on - 50th birthday and Afternoon Tea, ENT appointment for my sinuses, and a couple of Cancer Alliance meetings. I'm hoping they'll be able to do the surgery before the end of the holiday but we'll see.
The Walkie Talkies met up today. There were only six of us but we had a really lovely walk in Hythe. We started near Unit 1 and walked alongside the canal. Port Lympne Safari Park was to our right. We saw giraffes and monkeys. The weather was lovely as was the latte and chocolate orange brownie at the end of the walk.
Our next walk is on Sunday 21st September and then every second Sunday of every month thereafter. If you have had or have got cancer, live in the Kent area, and like to have a walk and a natter, feel free to join us - Jo (Titless Wonder) will add you to our What's App group so that you can keep updated.
Andy and I have also taken in 'Little Waif' - the cat who was living in our garden. I was messaging the owner and offered to take her if that would be ok - it was. We have renamed her Suki - she is a gorgeous thing. Bonnie and Elsie are not too keen at the moment but we are only two and a half weeks in. Bonnie is becoming more tolerant but does grumble and hiss. Elsie - well - she runs away; and when she runs away, Suki chases her; this then makes Elsie even more scared. I'm sure it'll settle down soon...
04.08.2025
The lady from my breast care team has just rung - my corrective surgery on my mastectomy scars can be done next Monday, 11th August. Yay! Apparently pre-op will phone me today and book me in. I'm hoping they can work around the things I already have in my diary this week - crikey I'm busy!
08.08.2025
It's 12.25am and I can't sleep - I'm thinking far too much about the Afternoon Tea tomorrow. There's an area in my living room that looks like Santa's grotto with all the raffle prizes. I'm yet to get cakes - they're on the shopping list tomorrow and I know that I have quite a lot being donated. One thing I cannot get over is how generous people have been with their donations of raffle prizes - absolutely amazing!
The fundraising is also going well. There is £323 already on my Just Giving page; I have another £50 in cash and Charlotte reports that she has around £150 in cash. I don't know how Leonie is doing however, we are having our final planning lunch tomorrow - well, today as it is now. We are going to Brew at 32 to have lunch, make up bits and bobs ready to decorate the pub tomorrow and also raid Maria's cellar for crockery.
I think this is why I am struggling to sleep - there is so much to think about and get in place and I'm struggling to switch off. I need to sleep really because it's a busy couple of days, Sunday off, and then in hospital for my surgery on Monday. Pre-op was on Monday afternoon so there was no hanging about in that respect. I haven't heard from them so I'm guessing all is well.
I also had my ENT appointment today, yesterday - I really should try to sleep 😀. I had a camera up my nose - yuck! That is disgusting. It felt weird particularly as it tickled my throat. It would seem (and I saw it) that I still have infection in my left nostril. The doctor has prescribed me oral steroids and oral antibiotics to try to clear it. I'm not allowed to start this medication until my breast surgeon, Mr C, says I can. I will also be having a CT scan of my sinuses to see what is going on. If it clears, great; if it doesn't, I'll have a minor operation to clear it. It really was the most disgusting thing to look at though.
Finally, for today, Suki continues to be settled. Bonnie and Elsie are still not keen with them both hissing and growling at her - pair of belligerent old buggers! I do think Elsie is getting less terrified but she does insist on running which means she is chased!
23.08.2025
It's now two weeks on from my 50th birthday and nearly two weeks from my scar revision surgery. Where do I start? The 50th birthday afternoon tea was a complete success - £1575 raised. The raffle was amazing - people are so generous.
I had people come along that I haven't seen in a long while. I'm not sure how I can put everything into words as it was very overwhelming - everyone appeared to enjoy themselves, it seemed very busy, bingo was fun, the raffle was huge, the cakes were amazing. We ended up with far too many cakes but never mind.
It was a brilliant way to spend my birthday - thank you to everyone who came and everyone who donated. I'm sure Breast Cancer Now will be extremely grateful for every penny that was raised.
What shall we do next year? Suggestions on a postcard please! 😀
On 11th August, I had my scar revision surgery. Mr C has got rid of the puckering on my right side and smoothed out an area which was hypertrophic on my left. I am very bruised but it seems to be looking good now that the dressings have been removed.
I saw Fiona, one of the CNS' on Thursday and she removed my dressings. She said that she thought I might have had a haematoma but that seems to be resolving itself - that's the massive bruising I have on my right side.
The first image in the carousel is prior to surgery. The final images are what it looks like today on 23rd August, 12 days after surgery.
Suki has continued to settle in. Bonnie and Elsie are still not keen but there is slightly less hissing and growling now. Elsie doesn't seem to be running away from Suki as much which means she isn't chased as frequently.
Suki is now neutered and hopefully this means she can begin going back outside next Friday. We'll have to train her how to use the cat flap but I'm sure she'll pick it up easily enough.
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