A Finished Finish

I got home nice and early from the Lodge yesterday so set down to do something with CCN's Christmas Carols.  I decided on a hanger and even more importantly...a no sewing hanger as I just do not have the energy at the mo to mess around with a sewing machine which hates me!

Excuse the photo..I hung it on my only available nail in the bedroom and had to balance precariously on the bed to take the photo!  The dangerous life I lead haha!

I have made good progress on a new start...but you will have to wait until I have stitched a little more than a border as I just can't make a brown square outline that interesting!

When I arrived home I went through the chore of opening the post.  I have tried to train hubby to open the boring, bill-appearing post and while he is quite good it is fair to say he fails miserably.I don't know if he is doing it on purpose or if he really can't tell which letters I want to open or leave to him to sort out.  I think it is the latter but I am tired and a bit grumpy so will assume the former ;-)

I groan when I see the envelopes.  There is nothing I can do about anything because I am not home Monday - Friday evening so he is only putting off the boring-sorting out stuff that I usually have to do when I am at home full time and not having treatments.
And while it may seem a little selfish, it would be great to just have it all done for when I get home so I can just enjoy my two and a bit days with my family.

However, it was not all bad,  I opened a rather mysterious envelope which was fascinatingly bulgy and a strange size. I could not even begin to guess what was in it nor who it was from.  Don't you love mystery post??
Here is what was inside it!

It is a really gorgeous tri-fold Easel card which was sent by Cami and her son Eddie (the cutest toddler you ever saw), a friend on my Irish Yahoo Stitchers group.

I am really struggling to get decent photos these days as I just do not get on with my new camera but the three daffodils you see on the left are 3-d floral daffs....It is an absolutely stunning card with so much detail. Every time I look at it  I find something new: some new detail or embellishment.  It must have taken hours.  Thank you Cami (and of course Eddie).

Things are going well and whilst I have tried to get some decent photos of Galway, the weather has been grey and miserable.  I want to wait until we get some sun so I can show the area off at it's best.

My sense of direction is lousy at the mo: chemo brain persisting, so I have given up looking for places and instead just wonder around.  And in my meandering wanders I found....

Charlie Byrne's bookshop.  This is an amazing shop: just what a book shop should be!

 Lots of little rooms leading off from other rooms: book classification to book classification.  And most importantly, whilst it sells lots of brand new books, it also sells second hand books which I love!

Not only are they more affordable but I feel that I am giving a good home to a book with a history: a book with character. An unloved and possibly ever so slightly mistreated tome of knowledge and wonder.  Which is why my reading list will growing rapidly for the next four weeks!  Hopefully along with my stitching ;-)

Health

I have to say you are all amazing.  I have had comments and emails from quite a few of you and I would like to thank you for your frankness and honesty in regards to your own personal stories which you have let me share: especially those of you who have survived cancer. There are a lot of you and I hope to join the ranks for a little while longer of those who partied with cancer and then kicked them out for misbehaving.

Some of you are undergoing cancer treatments, some of you are cancer survivors and so many of you have other health issues which make life much harder than it should be..and yet all of you produce the most amazing craft projects and wonderful blogs.  Uplifting, bright, cheerful and a real joy to read.  You have without even knowing it, kept me going.  Provided me with reading material which kept my mind off the treatments I was undergoing, made me laugh, and inspired and encouraged me.  You really are amazing.

And you did not even realise how much of a difference you have made in my life over the last four months did you?  Now you do ;-)

I have now had three weeks of radiotherapy and have four more to go.
I have a bruised boob from the mammogram which is still quite sore and is getting a little pink now from the treatments. I have spent four months sleeping on my back and on one side and would love to be able to turn over but it hurts too much.
I am also having a few painful side effects from the Tamoxifen but they should wear off after 8 weeks...so only 4.5 to go!

No hair growing yet...unless you count the little hairs on my chin. Buggers.  I had hoped chemo would get rid of them forever.  I must have super chin hair!  My legs are still clear though so it is not all bad!
The digestive system is still hibernating too.........

Not good right.  And not really good for promoting the importance of Breast Checks.


 BUT!!!!!!!

I am here to feel the discomfort
I am here to have side effects
I am here to get a pink boob (quite a pretty shade of pink actually: if it goes brown I might have to ask for the other side to be done as well!).
And all of these things will pass....my boob will stop hurting, the pink will go away and if the Tamoxifen does not learn to like me (Or I it) then there are alternatives.

I AM HERE.

I am here because I checked and the moment I found the lump I got an appointment for a mammogram.
Yes the news that the lump was cancer was Earth crushing...it brought my own mortality to the forefront of my mind and the fear I felt over losing my children, leaving before they were grown was something I pray that none of you ever have to live through.
But again...I am here to feel that fear and live through it.

I AM HERE

It could come back....but I could also be run over  or have an accident or get an infection.

That is tomorrow's problem...today I am here.  I AM HERE.

As my present journey with cancer treatments begins to reach an end (4 weeks left of radiotherapy woohooo) then so does my blogging about Breast Cancer.

Summer will nearly be here (hopefully) and I want to live every moment and stitch every spare second.
I will return to work and as my fitness levels and energy grows with each day that I step away from the surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy then this will hopefully become yet another of life's hurdles which I will learn from but allow to pass.

In short I am running out of time in which to tell you all PLEASE GROPE THOSE BOOBIES!!

Do not rely upon a mammogram!!!  A mammogram is an amazing thing but it will only tell you if you are clear or not clear AT THAT TIME.  It is up to you to check each month in between scans or even if you are too young to have a scan, as I was.  CHECK THEM ANYWAY!

Breast cancer has not read the leaflets which say you are higher risk once you reach menopause: it does not know the rules.  If you have boobies...check them.

Early detection SAVES LIVES.  It has saved mine: it has upped my survival statistics and I am now being carefully monitored.  Life does not come with guarantees but I do have a greater appreciation of life and of the lives of my family and those around me.  And that includes you guys.  So please check.
I am going to add my email address to the blog so if you ever want to chat or ask questions then feel free to email me.

Have a lovely weekend and thank you all.  You really are amazing.xxxxxxxxxxx