Hi Friends! I can’t believe how time is flying, the past month feels like a whirlwind. Just to fill you in- I had an entire month of pure fun and cancer free– no, sadly I wasn’t miraculously healed for a while but I did get a real break from all things medically related and other than a few admin issues with Discovery, I was lucky enough be and feel normal again! It really made me wish I had appreciated my old life and routine more but it also made me so excited to be in remission. I’ve been cruising downhill but I’ve just started the last (hopefully) mountain climb of this little journey.
In the first week of March I became an Aunt, a Wife and
turned 26 – truly the best week of my life! We had the most incredible Wedding
day and I would do anything to be able to do it all again, I think the day is
so chaotic and goes by so insanely quickly that you don’t get to soak it all in
as much as you’d like to. We were so blessed to have our family and friends together
celebrating our marriage and we love sitting on the couch in the evenings and
chatting about the little moments that really stood out. I can’t wait to get
our photographs and wedding video so that we can relive it a little bit!
Our Niece didn't want to miss out on the party - Courtney Paige arrived 10 days early and my incredible
Sister-in-law, Chermaine, brought her to the wedding just 4 days after having a
c-section! We were so grateful <3
Husband and Wife <3
Our precious Niece, Kourtney Paige Muir
After our wedding, Gav whisked me off to Mauritius for the most special honeymoon- you really played out of your boots Babe! We stayed in the most amazing hotel and were treated like royalty. We are very active and not ones to lie and tan all day so we basically did all of the activities that we could, we snorkelled (and got chased by sea snakes), kayaked, parasailed, swam, did a cycle tour to Troux a Biches, went exploring and found some beautiful old ruins and stunning waterfalls, shopped in the markets in Grand Baie and Port Louis, tried almost every cocktail on the menu at our hotel, ate nutella pancakes every morning for breakfast and spent a lot of time in the Spa. We returned bronzed, rested and full of smiles- there is nothing better than travelling with your best friend!
Sadly when we got home I knew that reality was waiting for
me and I started radiation last Thursday at Parklands Hospital in Durban… I will be having treatment daily for
a month which works out to 20 treatments. Luckily it's only a 5 min drive from our house which makes things a bit easier. Radiation is a really fast process
compared to having chemo! I’m so used to being hooked up to drips for hours and
killing time. On the 2nd of March is went to be measured and to have
a scan which helps the Oncologists and the Lab to plan your treatment. I had a
contrast dye injected into me which highlights metabolically active areas in
the scan, I also had my radiation mask fitted. The mask starts out as a square,
flat piece of plastic mesh which is put under hot water to make it soft, the
plastic is then put on the face and neck and moulded, it is then put under cold
water to set. Generally only patients receiving treatment to the head and neck
area need a mask. Other patients have tiny black dots tattooed on their bodies
to help the radiotherapist set them in the same position each time.
My mask
The mask
clips down onto a bed once it is on you, the reason for this is that the same
site needs to be treated every time to reduce the risk of damaging more tissue
than needed. The mask is SUPER tight and uncomfortable- I have never been
claustrophobic but I feel so panicky when my mask is on. Also, when the
radiotherapist unclips the mask I am left with tiny dots all over my face
because the mesh pushes down so hard against my skin. The procedure takes about 15
minutes and is completely painless - the mask is uncomfortable but not sore.
You can’t feel anything on your skin while having treatment, not even a warm
sensation. When the radiation beam is on, the machine makes funny buzzing and
gurgling noises which can be a bit off putting.
Having treatment
There are horrible side effects
that generally make an appearance towards the second week of treatment, I’ll
try and update you once I feel something. So far I have just been very thirsty
and tired. After radiation on Friday morning last week I couldn’t even get out of bed to
get myself something to drink- my whole body was heavy and I felt so exhausted.
The most annoying part about having radiation is not being able to wet the
treated area - this means no showering! Thank goodness I have plenty of lovely
perfumes, ha! I’m only teasing, luckily I’m able to bath but I can’t wash my
chest or neck, I also can’t swim or allow the area to be exposed to sunlight as
the skin becomes incredibly sensitive.
I feel so emotional at the moment and I think it’s mostly
because I know that I have to go back to “jail” in Pretoria in a month’s time
to receive my bone marrow transplant. I am absolutely dreading the time in
isolation and all of the painful procedures – I feel like I have just got back
into a normal routine and I am having such fun with my Husband, Friends and
Family. I just have to tell myself that it’s one final hurdle I have to get
over so that I can start the rest of my life. I'm filling my time with lots of fun things to keep my mind busy and making the most of this free time!
