run bike swim beat cancer

That’s the treatments all done :-)))) done – done – done and dusted, finito, finished, over, complete, fini et fini, et factum, mic dropped !!

Yeh……I am happy / scared / nervous / excited.

I did manage to get an appointment with the consultant to discuss what happens after treatment and to talk about some weird symptoms I’ve been having with itchy arms !!!

It was really good just to get some reassurance that there is still someone to ask (stupid) questions to and for some clarity on what happens, in a practical way after the treatments end, with regards to self examination, and follow up appointments.

So as I said before, I don’t get a ‘final’ scan or anything to say I have the all clear – the treatments do…just…stop. I am due for a mammogram soon as it’s a year since I had my last one – the one that picked up the second cancer. I’ll have yearly mammograms for 5 years.

One of my questions though, was about my non-boob !! you can’t do a mammogram when there is no boob – so how do they check the cancer isn’t growing back ?? the answer to this, scarily, is self examination – I’m no expert and I’m massively paranoid about it coming back, so every time I move / look at / examine the non-boob area – I’m sure I’ll worry that I’ve found something !! I do !! I did ask the consultant about this – he said – yes, self examination, and if there are any concerns to get in touch !! he said I’m lucky to be slim (lol), so anything unusual should be felt / found easily :-/// but like I said, I’m not an expert and I don’t know what is unusual or normal – I can feel all sorts of ‘muscle’, tissue, tendons, glands, ribs, scars etc etc – however….that is THE only option, and I suppose I’ll become more expert at knowing what is normal and will notice if anything changes. Yes – a bit scary – but I’m not the only person who’s ever had to do this – so my motto for this is – be vigilant but don’t be paranoid, or be thorough but not obsessive !!?? I saw a thing the other day that said ‘Be a warrior, not a worrier’ – that seemed appropriate :-))) I think I’ll still be both though – a WOARRIER hahaha

I’ve also been going to the ‘Where Now ?’ sessions at Maggies – oh my god – these are so good. Just speaking to other people who have been through, or are going through, cancer treatments is amazing. I didn’t think I needed it – but I can say, for sure, that I do. The same thoughts, and feelings, issues, ups, downs, physical, mental, kids, relationships, work, food, psychology, exercise – you name it, we’ve talked about it all and we are only on week 3. The group are ALL amazing – every single one of us thinks we are, in some way, lucky to be where we are, and it’s so positive, but obviously not in a ‘brush it under the carpet’ / blindly optimistic way – more in a realistic but ‘glass half full’ way – I love it :-)))

One of the thoughts I took away from the very first session was that it doesn’t matter if you worry about the cancer coming back or if you don’t worry about it coming back, it won’t change what will actually happen !! I’m not sure why, but I remembered that and it makes me think there is actually no point in worrying about it. Yeh, I know….easier said than done, but definitely a good way to think (or not think) about it.

Also, the other thing I found helpful was the idea that we don’t go back to normal after treatments finish – no-one (cancer or no cancer) ever goes back in time anyway – you just keep going forward and become a new person every day – I like that idea too :-)))

So the new me has been keeping busy – as usual :-)) lots of running, baking, biking and swimming – a night out out, and a night away in a castle for my brother’s 50th !!! ohhhhh yehhhh :-))

Templeton 10 mile race – the goal was to run under 1hour 15, to get a diamond DRR club standard, but I wasn’t sure I could do it on such a hilly course…..the weather was perfect….and I smashed it :-)) 1 hour 12- yessssss….its the new trainers hahaha !!!

Lots of other running :-))

Lots of turbo trainer cycling – I’m actually embarrassed that I might be turning into a fair weather, indoor cyclist :-// but, but, but…I have done more cycling over the past couple of weeks than I think I’ve ever done – and I’m still loving it – I even did a 30+ mile cycle :-)) (need to do something with my bike seat though :-///)

A wee bit of swimming 🙂

Lots of baking – surely the 5th discipline in triathlon (the 4th is transition, in case you were wondering 🙄). Baking for the M3 tri club bake off and baking for fun – check out the photos – they were all tasty, even if I do say so myself 😛 (the Lemon drizzle cake had already been ‘nibbled’ by the chief cake officiando – or gannet as my Dad would have said lol).

The triathlon club awards night, bake off and meal was awesome – as always – funny and inspiring – the club is the most welcoming, supportive, fun and friendly club ❤❤💟 if you have ever wondered about triathlon – come along 😁😁😎

Oh yeh, and some climbing !! with these lovely people ❤️❤️

I want to give a mention to the very talented sock knitter Gail :-)) who had a great idea to do a charity sock raffle to raise money for Maggies, and she raised a fantastic total of £202 !! love it 😍😍

As I’m writing this on November the 11th, I wanted to leave you with an amazing wee story my mum told me about Armistice day. She was reminding me that it was my cousin Robert’s birthday (hi Robert and all the lovely people up in Orkney) – she reminds me about ALL the birthdays in the family :-)). Anyway, as it was November the 11th, she was also remembering something my Grandad had told her – my Grandad was one of THE nicest, couthiest, humble, genuine, happy men I have ever had the pleasure to know – a farmer, man of the land, salt of the earth – lived to 96 on a diet of pies, bridies, cakes, porridge (with salt) and tatties (no fruit or veg that i can remember ?!) – and hard work. He was born in 1908, so was 10 when the Armistice was signed – he remembers running down the field when he heard the news, excited to tell his Dad that the war was over !! …that moment in history….wow !!! that takes my breath away…he was there !!!