1. An “Invitation” It had been a busy day for a Friday and it wasn’t finished yet.  I’d had an osteopath appointment at 8am and a full day at work. I had just 30 minutes after walking in the door ....

2. This Is Getting Serious On and off over the next few days before the appointment I thought briefly of the upcoming appointment.  I read the instructions of what might happen on the day.  I should set aside two or ....

3. Results Are In I thought a lot about the possible outcome over the next 24 hours.  Would it be cancer?  It most certainly could be.  And why not – after all, Penny Johnston told me 1 in 9 women ....

4. I Have Something To Tell You As it was now after midday, we were hungry, so decided to have some lunch while we worked out what to do next.  Our daughter overseas sent a text – asking if we ....

5. Telling The Wider Circle I went to work the next day after being diagnosed with cancer, and people couldn’t believe I did.  But why wouldn’t I?  I found it helpful to be as normal as possible.  Telling the girls ....

6. The Waiting Game It had been 7 days.  It had barely sunk in. ‘We have your tests results back and it does show cancer, early breast cancer’ Seven days since I heard those words.  Seven days of telling family ....

7. My Turn I tried to relax, but it’s hard in a bustling waiting room.  Then, after 90 minutes waiting, my name was called.  A woman, mid 40’s smiled and said ‘this way.’  We entered a small office with an ....

8. Why Can’t A Girl Get A Date? After our first trip to the Breast Clinic and meeting with the surgeon, we were looking forward to Easter.  It meant some time to catch our breath, think things through and coming ....

9. Pre-admission Clinic I had an appointment for 2pm on the Wednesday afternoon, two days before my surgery.  I was told to allow 2-3 hours for the appointment.  After my first appointment at the clinic, I could see why this ....

10. Raising Money for Breast Cancer Research Just after I was diagnosed, my daughter entered herself and her fiancé in the Mother’s Day Classic.  She also entered her brother and his girlfriend.  She chose the 8km run.  I was touched ....

11. Surgery Tomorrow I’ve never slept well before a big event.  The nerves before a triathlon or a race always kept me tossing or turning.  The excitement of our daughter’s wedding, or a long flight to Ireland when we lived ....

12. First Stop Nuclear Medicine As I watch the clock, my mind is starting to focus on the day ahead. I get up just before seven o’clock.  I am allowed to eat a light breakfast, as my surgery isn’t until ....

13. Radiology Next We sit in Radiology and wait with a number of other people.  I have my Kindle but find reading hard.  The TV has some mindless morning show on that continually distracts me.  An electronic number screen alerts ....

14. Pre-Theatre This is really starting to feel like hospital now and the final step of the day is close.  I’m put onto a bed in the day ward and it’s been recently renovated.  The next steps are explained to ....

15. Morphine Dreams The next thing I know a man is calling my name and saying, ‘we are just giving you some morphine for the pain.’ Sure!  Whatever you like.  I can’t feel any pain! I wake to find I ....

16. Home Sweet Home It was so great to be home again.  No doubt the drugs still in my system had helped me feel pain free and content. I eventually snuggled up on the couch and slept. I was woken ....

17. Histopathology (hisˈ·tō·p·thäˑ·l·jē) In early 2010 when we returned from Ireland, I did a Medical Terminology Course.  I just loved it and had to learn over 200 medical words and be tested weekly on them.  We learned about root words, ....

18. Mother’s Day Classic 2012 Friday after I got my results I knew I needed a longer walk.  I put my pedometer on and walked 2kms.  I figured if I could do that, I could walk 4kms on Sunday at ....

19. The Generosity of Friends I was blown away by the support of friends, just before and immediately after diagnosis and surgery.  I didn’t have to cook a meal for two weeks.  I had a friend call one night and ....

20. Doctor, Doctor, give me the news… Another Thursday, another Doctor’s appointment…or two… For some reason, that seemed logical at the time, I had looked up some cancer forums for the first time. What I read wasn’t encouraging.  I read ....

21. Re-establishing Normality Eleven days after surgery I went back to work.  I didn’t like to take too much time off, as I didn’t know how much leave I’d need during treatment.  The girls at work insisted I just work ....

22. My First Tattoos I had been told to allow up to three hours for my radiotherapy planning to take place at Peter Mac.  I decided to go on my own this time as I guessed it would have been ....

23. In Limbo Out on the ocean, when the wind drops completely, a yacht is caught without it’s power source.  The sails droop and it comes to a standstill.  The sailor tries in vain to find any breath of wind ....

24. Another Spanner in the Spokes I love running, but riding my bikes comes a very close second.  I didn’t have a bike as a child.  Well, I had a big three-wheeler until I was about 10 and then was ....

25. Cancer, Angst and God I have read of many people who reacted with disbelief and even anger when they discovered they had cancer.  While I would describe my reaction as shock, I certainly didn’t feel angry, rail against God ....

26. What Really Happens When You Have Radiotherapy? Radiotherapy is often recommended after breast cancer surgery – usually after breast conserving surgery.  It is to remove any remaining undetected cancer cells and to reduce the risk of breast cancer returning. ....

27. Taking a Rad Trip – Part 1 These next few posts will be taken directly from my journal I wrote during my radiotherapy treatment.  I called it ‘Taking a Rad Trip’, because I’m not really keen on the whole ....

28. Taking a Rad Trip – Part 2 Monday 30th July It was a nice idea, having a weekend to sleep in and no trips to the hospital…so my husband has a disc extrusion in his back at the moment ....

29. Taking A Rad Trip – Part 3 Sunday 5th August  Weekend! Woo hoo! I have to remember to moisturize myself as I’m not in the ‘habit’ on a weekend.  I have to learn to sleep in too! I was ....

30. Taking A Rad Trip – Part 4 Tuesday 14th August I’m half way through!  When one of the girls said today, ‘you are on the downward slide now’, I laughed and said that probably wasn’t the best way to ....

31. Taking A Rad Trip – Part 5 Wednesday 22nd August Today I am ‘over’ treatment! When I said the same to the therapists they said I was doing well to have got this far and not felt like it. ....

32. Taking A Rad Trip – Part 6 Wednesday 29th August  Yay, last full treatment today – now only the ‘final five’* left. Skin is a bit tender, especially with clothing against it, but not pink, maybe just a slight ....