Recovery

Hi everyone! I know I haven't given this blog the attention it deserves but I suppose It kind of reminds me of being really poorly so that's why I've kept away. However I've had a few requests to do an update on how I've been getting on so I thought I'd write a post.

I think the last time I wrote a blog post I still a couple months of chemotherapy left and still had to start radiotherapy. Well I am very pleased to say that I have FINALLY finished both! As you can probably guess I am over the moon to have finished treatment but doesn't seem real at the same time, for nearly a year my life was focused all on hospital appointments, medication, treatment and  just overall getting well again. I didn't have much time to think about anything else. 

Last day hooked up to chemo

Since finishing chemo approximately 8 weeks ago I have felt a hundred times better than I thought I would. Whilst being on high dose chemotherapy it stripped me of all the energy I had and most days I constantly felt unwell and exhausted, even walking to the end of my road seemed impossible so imagine the impact it had on my social life! Having been on chemo for 9 months at the time it felt like I was never going to feel 'normal' again. Surprisingly only a few weeks after finishing chemotherapy I started to feel like the old me and I started going on nights out with my friends again. Even though I was still going through radiotherapy I had a lot more energy and went out doing things I used to enjoy doing before treatment. 

Hair growth 6 weeks after last chemo! Even some eyebrows and eyelashes too

I remember I watched an interview on Kylie Minogue (I had a lot of time on my hands while I was having treatment lol) and she spoke about her experience with cancer and I remember her saying how it stripped her down to near zero whilst having treatment but when she finished she felt more like herself than she ever did before, and I couldn't agree more. While having treatment your appearance changes a lot so even looking in the mirror can be really difficult and your priorities change so you're only focus is becoming well again. Once my treatment finished and I started seeing my hair grow  and my energy return (both things felt like a miracle) I started to feel like me again. Only one thing that had changed was attitude towards life and that I now don't take anything for granted. I appreciate everything even the small things like having the freedom to go out to the shops I even appreciate having the task of shaving my legs (Its pretty sad how excited I was to buy my first razor after chemo) it made me feel human again! I definitely live for now as you never know what's around the corner. 

Night out on Halloween