Without going too overboard I’ve been doing a little research on what to expect and thinking of easy things I can do to get ready.
Had planned on losing a stone in weight, but that may have been a bit optimistic!
I have almost no information at this point to go on in terms of how it’s going to be organised for me & what side effects I might have, so the things I’ve done so far are based on best guesses, but seem sensible.
My good friend W has managed to send me files of an audio book series I really want to listen to. I’d use these anyway, but at the moment am saving them in case I have long waits in oncology. Even if not,these will be perfect for a relaxing recovery! I also treated myself to some bluetooth headphones, so no trailing wires – even better.
I’m trying to keep as active as I can at the moment, so lots of walking and some sessions on my cross trainer. I’m planning on swimming as I usually do with my friend O next week, but I suspect I will be told I mustn’t during treatment.
On advice from my aunt, I have bought a cooling pad to slip inside my pillowcase. Chemo can bring on menopause symptoms & my aunt says she found this pad really helped her sleep and minimised night sweats. This sounds like just the sort of thing I would use anyway, so another win win!
I have no idea if I will lose my hair, but I’ve had a little look at options for hats. Quite fancy something funky, but we’ll see if it’s needed first! Can’t decide whether to invest in a couple so I have them should the need arise, so I think I’ll wait to hear what they say at my first appointment on Monday.
The other thing that has happened to me this week is connected to the Breast Cancer Care website, which I have used quite a lot. They have recently launched a phone app called BECCA which I downloaded & then didn’t seem to be able to use very well. Anyway, a message came through saying it was having teething trouble as it was so new & asking for feedback. I sent in just a couple of comments & have just won a John Lewis voucher in a prize draw – yay! The app will work on a tablet (and the bits that were causing early problems seem to be sorted now), but the display is configured for a phone at the moment, so it’s not perfect. However, I reckon the content is more important & I’ve found that really useful. Lots of personal experiences and advice, as well as links to loads of useful sites.
My breast cancer journey 