Conference Day

It's hard to believe its a year since the last conference day.  How much has happened in the last year. So many brave friends lost their battle to this cancer.  Today will make the loss of Debbie raw to many, she went to everyone I believe and was there to meet and hug all new sufferers to the journey.  Then we lost Helen, and countless others.  All robbed of their lives.

Mesothelioma brings together a world of strangers with one aim to help and support as well as share news on treatments and awareness of asbestos.  Because we are classed as a rare cancer no two trusts treat patients alike.  Some oncologists know little about treatments and can't help the patient, that's why support is important.  Knowledge on treatments around the country are aired in the hope they will help some one else.

I still receive emails from newly diagnosed people or their families asking for help, the oncologist has said to them that chemo takes away quality for very little quantity. How wrong is that, especially in this day and age.

My recovery is slow, the mornings are hard but by lunch time I am on the up.  My district nurses organised a shower stool and air cushion.  The shower stool worked great this morning but I am noticing the breathlessness more, just hope the right lung isn't getting a hold but am looking forward to the chemo taking this out.

I need to get a grip mentally and get those negative worries out of my head.  I want to be in a better place with my health and do things again next year, like meeting Lou in Europe, if we both get through our on going battles.  I want to meet up with the lovely friends we met last April and hopefully have a cruise together again.  I want to be around for another birthday, anniversary and most of all survive the 13 year stigma.  It's 13 years this month since we moved in, 13 years since I collapsed at work for the first time on 17th of this month.  I'm not suspicious but Gary is.

Last night I spent 4 hours trying to get to sleep but in the end I had to take a tablet, 2 am had been and gone and I just couldn't sleep!  I didn't sweat much last night either and if I was on the computer I would paste some advice I was given but on this IPad I don't know how to.

I drained 500ml yesterday, I'm not expecting the nurse today but they will come tomorrow and I will probably do another 500, it didn't make my stomach ache as much just that strange feeling in my left pelvic side.

Hoping this is now the turning point and life will get better, my girls from work came yesterday at lunch time, it was great actually seeing them outside of the office.  The chat was good and although we talked about me we also managed to chat about other things, the time flew by.  Good job we weren't clock watching as Claire was at least an hour late back for work and Ann had eaten into her half day off.  Claire offered to go and shop for me a new wardrobe, she is a shop aholic so who knows I may take her up on it.

That brings me to the end of the posting, I wish I was at the conference but know the information given will be published for us all to read from various sources.