Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Last Friday night.......
Last Friday night as I was resting in bed with my bucket and feeling absolutely revolting after a belly full of chemo (remember short term pain long term gain!!!) an event was unfolding organised by a group of my ex Mercy friends who had decided to send me and the family on a HOLIDAY when my treatment is over.
In short they organised an evening at the Balwyn cinema to send an unnamed person who needed a holiday on a holiday!. Not only did they sell 151 tickets!!! to all their family and friends and no doubt any innocent bystanders foolish enough to loiter too close to them but they organised this event in such a way that my privacy and self respect was well and truly respected and I did not feel like a charity.
My only embarrassment is that 8 friends could be bothered to find the time and energy to do such a nice thing for me and Greg and the kids and in such a thoughtful and sensitive way. Through out this whole experience I have been so well supported by my family, relatives, friends, neighbours and school community. I am very lucky and thank each and every one of you.
In particular I would like to say THANK YOU publicly (at least on my BLOG) to Julie Collette, Katrina O'Sullvan, Julie Tondello, Denise Patterson, Jan Rice, Catherine Flemming, Chris Watson and Lisa Wiggins. What a line up!
All of these woman have very busy and demanding lives and I know they would have found it very hard to find the time to organise this event. However I also know that they all have such a vibe and energy about them (not to mention the "gift of the gab") that when together they probably had a ball!!! Chris Watson has also "lent" me the use of her holiday house at Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast in September and I am very grateful to her and can't wait. When I'm feeling really sick I imagine walking on the beach and can almost see the waves.
I asked my doctor last week if I was being over optimistic to think I might be ready to take a holiday by September and he said "not at all!!" So please keep all your fingers and toes crossed for my next CAT scan in two weeks.
As always I am very open to any new or exciting cures for cancer ..... just send them my way. I had a very interesting Body Psychotherapy session last week which involved "mat work" this time. Enough said. I'll leave it to yoru imagination. I felt a little bit like a demented Lady Macbeth ("out out foul cancer!" ) and wondered if I could perhaps create a new reality series for Chanel 10 exploring (OK maybe exposing) the complete range of alternative, natural therapies available. I could try them all out and see if they work. Its an interesting world out there.
On the home front the festival of Danny is finally over ....... I had totally over estimated the party time and found that we were all back from the pool with another 2 hours to kill and 14 8 year olds going mad!!!
With 10 minutes to go I started the count down and parents who arrived were greeted with a child, a lolly bag, a thanks for coming and the door!!!. They were all gone by 5 minutes past 6!!! Even Danny and Bridget had retreated to the TV room and were totally exhausted. Bridget managed to vomit everywhere at 1 am and Greg deserves a medal for being the best vomit cleaner in ALphington.
Rosealie and Cathy and Saint Rose of Moonee Ponds (my sister Rose) were in the thick of festivities and I am very grateful. Luckily Rose has already had her children and Rosealie and Cathy are not interested or I might have been responsible for them deciding to become "deliberately barren" like our friend Julia. 8 year olds can be scary!!
I am going to sign off now and hope to catch up again soon. Chemo again this Friday and then my week off!!! Yippee. I think this BLOG must have picked me up because I sound positively cheery considering how uncheery my stomach feels. Maybe its a another cure worht exploring in my new show .... the use of BLOGS and recovery from cancer by Pauline Scott!!!
Love
Pauline
In short they organised an evening at the Balwyn cinema to send an unnamed person who needed a holiday on a holiday!. Not only did they sell 151 tickets!!! to all their family and friends and no doubt any innocent bystanders foolish enough to loiter too close to them but they organised this event in such a way that my privacy and self respect was well and truly respected and I did not feel like a charity.
My only embarrassment is that 8 friends could be bothered to find the time and energy to do such a nice thing for me and Greg and the kids and in such a thoughtful and sensitive way. Through out this whole experience I have been so well supported by my family, relatives, friends, neighbours and school community. I am very lucky and thank each and every one of you.
In particular I would like to say THANK YOU publicly (at least on my BLOG) to Julie Collette, Katrina O'Sullvan, Julie Tondello, Denise Patterson, Jan Rice, Catherine Flemming, Chris Watson and Lisa Wiggins. What a line up!
All of these woman have very busy and demanding lives and I know they would have found it very hard to find the time to organise this event. However I also know that they all have such a vibe and energy about them (not to mention the "gift of the gab") that when together they probably had a ball!!! Chris Watson has also "lent" me the use of her holiday house at Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast in September and I am very grateful to her and can't wait. When I'm feeling really sick I imagine walking on the beach and can almost see the waves.
I asked my doctor last week if I was being over optimistic to think I might be ready to take a holiday by September and he said "not at all!!" So please keep all your fingers and toes crossed for my next CAT scan in two weeks.
As always I am very open to any new or exciting cures for cancer ..... just send them my way. I had a very interesting Body Psychotherapy session last week which involved "mat work" this time. Enough said. I'll leave it to yoru imagination. I felt a little bit like a demented Lady Macbeth ("out out foul cancer!" ) and wondered if I could perhaps create a new reality series for Chanel 10 exploring (OK maybe exposing) the complete range of alternative, natural therapies available. I could try them all out and see if they work. Its an interesting world out there.
On the home front the festival of Danny is finally over ....... I had totally over estimated the party time and found that we were all back from the pool with another 2 hours to kill and 14 8 year olds going mad!!!
With 10 minutes to go I started the count down and parents who arrived were greeted with a child, a lolly bag, a thanks for coming and the door!!!. They were all gone by 5 minutes past 6!!! Even Danny and Bridget had retreated to the TV room and were totally exhausted. Bridget managed to vomit everywhere at 1 am and Greg deserves a medal for being the best vomit cleaner in ALphington.
Rosealie and Cathy and Saint Rose of Moonee Ponds (my sister Rose) were in the thick of festivities and I am very grateful. Luckily Rose has already had her children and Rosealie and Cathy are not interested or I might have been responsible for them deciding to become "deliberately barren" like our friend Julia. 8 year olds can be scary!!
I am going to sign off now and hope to catch up again soon. Chemo again this Friday and then my week off!!! Yippee. I think this BLOG must have picked me up because I sound positively cheery considering how uncheery my stomach feels. Maybe its a another cure worht exploring in my new show .... the use of BLOGS and recovery from cancer by Pauline Scott!!!
Love
Pauline
Friday, 18 May 2007
Third Cycle
Hi everyone. Pauline started her third cycle of chemo today. It all went pretty smoothly but she is feeling pretty sick now and has been resting in bed most of the afternoon. The doctors have been trying to tweak her anti nausea medication to find a combination that works better but so far it doesn't look like there has been much improvement. Bye for now. Greg.
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
Friday, 11 May 2007
Post visit good news
hello everyone,
You are very kind to read my blog and send me messages ... anyone who is technologically challenged remember I am the most incompetent IT person that ever walked to earth so please send me an email!!! It is really nice to know I am not alone and that so many of my friends are sending me good vibrations.
I had a good visit to Peter Grant today. Greg came along for moral support which was nice because I always manage to get myself a little wound up. Apart from being such a lovely man who apologises all the time for the chemo drugs making me nauseated and asks permission to examine me and apologises if he needs to squeeze or push or whatever ....... he also said that I had made good progress and that it was very promising. Peter felt that there had been a 50 % reduction in the tumor he could feel !!!! So that special cocktail or chemo, Body Psycho therapy, Twisties and Licorice must have been doing me good.
The plan is of course MORE chemo over the next 2 weeks and then a repeat CAT scan to see how its all going and then probably 2 or 3 more cycles (which is really 4 to 6 because I have one of the drugs twice) and after that I plan to live happily ever after for as long as I can.
I prefer not to get too excited because I have a long way to go but I feel fortunate that at least at this stage I am heading back to health and hopefully remission. I am going to enjoy our family holiday SOOO much when I finally get to stop!!! I just hope my stomach can manage a few more months of feeling like crap. What's that old saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!!"
I am driving Danny Boy to basketball tomorrow morning and then we are going shopping for lollies and ice cream for his birthday party this Sunday. So whilst sensible mothers are having yum cha's or special cooked lunches I am genuinely looking forward to the pitter patter (stomping) of a house full of 8 year old boys as they kick back and have some fun. Bridget is bringing a girlfriend and is doing her best to be enthusiastic but I know she is always secretly overjoyed when hers is the next birthday and Danny has to wait another 12 months and vice versa.
I have been enjoying my dog walks on these beautiful Autumn days and the last episodes of the West Wing I watched were just fantastic. The kids and my lovely neighbour Kelli arrived home from school today to find me crying over one particularly poignant episode when the President was burying a homeless war veteran and I had to qickly reassure them that I had positive news from the doctor and that there is nothing I enjoy better than a good cry in front of the telly. OK I probably enjoy a good Saints victory marginally more!!
I hope you all have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to you or your mother. My beautiful mum died when I was 34 but I always remember her and know that she lives on in me, and my sister Rose (Saint Rose of Moonee Ponds) and my darling Bridget.
Love
Pauline
xxxxx
You are very kind to read my blog and send me messages ... anyone who is technologically challenged remember I am the most incompetent IT person that ever walked to earth so please send me an email!!! It is really nice to know I am not alone and that so many of my friends are sending me good vibrations.
I had a good visit to Peter Grant today. Greg came along for moral support which was nice because I always manage to get myself a little wound up. Apart from being such a lovely man who apologises all the time for the chemo drugs making me nauseated and asks permission to examine me and apologises if he needs to squeeze or push or whatever ....... he also said that I had made good progress and that it was very promising. Peter felt that there had been a 50 % reduction in the tumor he could feel !!!! So that special cocktail or chemo, Body Psycho therapy, Twisties and Licorice must have been doing me good.
The plan is of course MORE chemo over the next 2 weeks and then a repeat CAT scan to see how its all going and then probably 2 or 3 more cycles (which is really 4 to 6 because I have one of the drugs twice) and after that I plan to live happily ever after for as long as I can.
I prefer not to get too excited because I have a long way to go but I feel fortunate that at least at this stage I am heading back to health and hopefully remission. I am going to enjoy our family holiday SOOO much when I finally get to stop!!! I just hope my stomach can manage a few more months of feeling like crap. What's that old saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!!"
I am driving Danny Boy to basketball tomorrow morning and then we are going shopping for lollies and ice cream for his birthday party this Sunday. So whilst sensible mothers are having yum cha's or special cooked lunches I am genuinely looking forward to the pitter patter (stomping) of a house full of 8 year old boys as they kick back and have some fun. Bridget is bringing a girlfriend and is doing her best to be enthusiastic but I know she is always secretly overjoyed when hers is the next birthday and Danny has to wait another 12 months and vice versa.
I have been enjoying my dog walks on these beautiful Autumn days and the last episodes of the West Wing I watched were just fantastic. The kids and my lovely neighbour Kelli arrived home from school today to find me crying over one particularly poignant episode when the President was burying a homeless war veteran and I had to qickly reassure them that I had positive news from the doctor and that there is nothing I enjoy better than a good cry in front of the telly. OK I probably enjoy a good Saints victory marginally more!!
I hope you all have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to you or your mother. My beautiful mum died when I was 34 but I always remember her and know that she lives on in me, and my sister Rose (Saint Rose of Moonee Ponds) and my darling Bridget.
Love
Pauline
xxxxx
Sunday, 6 May 2007
chemo free week coming up ... yippee
Hi there,
Well I've made it through another chemo cycle and the good news is it was not quite as bad as the last time.
I am seeing my gynae oncologist next Friday and he is going to examine me from head to foot and review the treatment plan .... so that's good. So just send a few prayers or positive vibes that I have responded well. I guess that will determine if surgery is a good option or continue with more chemo. I feel worried but believe that I will respond well and that each step is a path back to wellness and recovery. It feels a bit overwhelming unless I adopt the old AA adage of "one day at a time"
I remember meeting an older woman a few years ago when I was first having chemo and she had lived and at times "battled" ovarian cancer for over 12 years and I asked her what her secret was and she said "You just keep on keeping on". Pretty good advise really. Just keep on going and never give up.
The team at the Mercy are very caring and they certainly seem to look after their patients very well.. It feels good being there even though I feel a bit embarrassed when I bump into people I used to work with .... I guess it gets easier each time and I try to put them at ease.
Danny had a great birthday although couldn't quite endure another bomber thrashing .. they arrived back from the footy "early"citing tiredness!!!! Also Danny had a late night visit to the toilet bowel to remove some excessive chocolate cake, lollies, macaroni cheese, pizza and goodness knows what else he had managed to "celebrate" with. I think that's pretty remarkable that for the first time in his life Danny actually managed to discetely and neatly vomit without the usual major sheet change and doona wash. Its nice having an 8 year old!!! He's out looking fr bugs with his new Bug Catcher but there proving elusive.
I am looking forward to a chemo free week with walks to school, walking of dogs, West Wing episodes and some quiet time to mediate and hang out plus an appointment with my Body Psychotherapist for my latest cancer cure!! Definately will help me on friday...... my cancer is gone I am free!!!!
I've had a few of my friends apologise for not replying via the blog .... don't be silly the email is great. Its great to hear from you however it comes!!
Love to you all .... enjoy this beautiful Sunday. I'm off to have a bath, walk the dogs and then probably collapse for the rest of the day.
Love
Pauline
xxxxx
Well I've made it through another chemo cycle and the good news is it was not quite as bad as the last time.
I am seeing my gynae oncologist next Friday and he is going to examine me from head to foot and review the treatment plan .... so that's good. So just send a few prayers or positive vibes that I have responded well. I guess that will determine if surgery is a good option or continue with more chemo. I feel worried but believe that I will respond well and that each step is a path back to wellness and recovery. It feels a bit overwhelming unless I adopt the old AA adage of "one day at a time"
I remember meeting an older woman a few years ago when I was first having chemo and she had lived and at times "battled" ovarian cancer for over 12 years and I asked her what her secret was and she said "You just keep on keeping on". Pretty good advise really. Just keep on going and never give up.
The team at the Mercy are very caring and they certainly seem to look after their patients very well.. It feels good being there even though I feel a bit embarrassed when I bump into people I used to work with .... I guess it gets easier each time and I try to put them at ease.
Danny had a great birthday although couldn't quite endure another bomber thrashing .. they arrived back from the footy "early"citing tiredness!!!! Also Danny had a late night visit to the toilet bowel to remove some excessive chocolate cake, lollies, macaroni cheese, pizza and goodness knows what else he had managed to "celebrate" with. I think that's pretty remarkable that for the first time in his life Danny actually managed to discetely and neatly vomit without the usual major sheet change and doona wash. Its nice having an 8 year old!!! He's out looking fr bugs with his new Bug Catcher but there proving elusive.
I am looking forward to a chemo free week with walks to school, walking of dogs, West Wing episodes and some quiet time to mediate and hang out plus an appointment with my Body Psychotherapist for my latest cancer cure!! Definately will help me on friday...... my cancer is gone I am free!!!!
I've had a few of my friends apologise for not replying via the blog .... don't be silly the email is great. Its great to hear from you however it comes!!
Love to you all .... enjoy this beautiful Sunday. I'm off to have a bath, walk the dogs and then probably collapse for the rest of the day.
Love
Pauline
xxxxx
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
hello hello
Time goes fast when I'm in the middle of a treatment week and sure enough I'm up for the high jump again on Friday.
This time I have been unable to shake my nausea which is a real drag. Feels like really bad morning sickness ALL the time. I keep trying to find just the right thing to eat to get rid of it but it comes back again a bit like Lisa and Rex (my crazy doggies) when I try to get away from them for a minute.
Lisa and Rex have been even more neurotic than usual since I've been sick and disappear for weekends in bed instead of pounding the pavement with them on weekend mornings. I miss that time too.
One thing about feeling sick is you remember how nice it is to actually walk around feeling good. I look at people now and think "your so lucky". I want to remember this for when I'm better and I'm lying in bed making excuses for why I can't get out of bed to walk the dogs!!
Its Danny Boy's 8th birthday on Saturday and we are going to have to make the day as fun as possible considering his mum will be in bed with a bucket. However the following weekend he'll get to have a party with his school friends and make up for it I hope.
I've had to move into my winter head gear because my hair is thinning BIG time. I'm trying not to look in the mirror in case I look up and there's nothing there. Another thing to remember .. the joy of hair that doesn't fall out when you brush it.
Any way I've run out of Grays Anatomy having watched about 27 episodes!! so I am about to sit back and watch the complete boxed set of the West Wing (courtesy of my great friend David). Nothing like a bit of politics, power and sex to get the mind off the stomach.
Hope you are all well. Thank you to all my bloggers and emailers.
Love
Pauline
This time I have been unable to shake my nausea which is a real drag. Feels like really bad morning sickness ALL the time. I keep trying to find just the right thing to eat to get rid of it but it comes back again a bit like Lisa and Rex (my crazy doggies) when I try to get away from them for a minute.
Lisa and Rex have been even more neurotic than usual since I've been sick and disappear for weekends in bed instead of pounding the pavement with them on weekend mornings. I miss that time too.
One thing about feeling sick is you remember how nice it is to actually walk around feeling good. I look at people now and think "your so lucky". I want to remember this for when I'm better and I'm lying in bed making excuses for why I can't get out of bed to walk the dogs!!
Its Danny Boy's 8th birthday on Saturday and we are going to have to make the day as fun as possible considering his mum will be in bed with a bucket. However the following weekend he'll get to have a party with his school friends and make up for it I hope.
I've had to move into my winter head gear because my hair is thinning BIG time. I'm trying not to look in the mirror in case I look up and there's nothing there. Another thing to remember .. the joy of hair that doesn't fall out when you brush it.
Any way I've run out of Grays Anatomy having watched about 27 episodes!! so I am about to sit back and watch the complete boxed set of the West Wing (courtesy of my great friend David). Nothing like a bit of politics, power and sex to get the mind off the stomach.
Hope you are all well. Thank you to all my bloggers and emailers.
Love
Pauline
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