Radiation done and dusted!

Yep, all 15 sessions of the Radiation therapy are finished!  Yay!

Liz has been a bit surprised at how much she has been affected by it.  She is feeling pretty blah and very tired.  The doctors wanted her to stay in hospital yesterday on a drip to try and perk her up a bit but Liz insisted she go home so home she is!  Being stubborn has it's advantages!

Now Liz is resting and trying to get as much sleep as possible.  She has a break for the next two weeks and then chemo will start - possibly on the 4th of September.  She has an appointment with her chemo doctor next week to discuss the treatment and the start date.

Here's hoping that Liz starts to feel better and stronger over the next two weeks.  The chemo is going to be another big hit to her system so it would be great if she goes into it feeling better. 

Lots of rest, lots of care and lots of love.  That's what Liz needs right now.  Luckily there are lots of people who are there to provide!

Peace and happiness
Yvette
xxx

Taking its toll

It was lovely to catch up with Liz and her family on the weekend.  What was immediately obvious is that the treatment is now taking its toll on Liz. 

Liz is incredibly courageous and has the most amazing capacity to take every moment and find the positive.  Her beautiful smile is never far from her face and she is just wonderful to hang out with.  One of the best friends a person could ever wish to have, how blessed am I to have her in my life?

So when the treatment is taking its toll and Liz tries to put a brave face on it, I just want to fix it. But I can't.

Her voice is pretty much gone again.  This time due to her throat being sore.  Could be caused by the ulcers in her mouth.  Her face is swollen from the drugs and the radiation and the face mask.  She's still beautiful - no amount of swelling or loss of hair will change that! 

Today her hair started to fall out.  She's really, really tired.  Now is the time for her to slow down and look after herself as much as possible.  Knowing Liz though, she will go through the days at a million miles an hour.  That's just what she is like!

So if you are catching up with her anytime soon, she may just need a quick nap!



Peace and happiness
Yvette
xxx

Review number 1

Liz is starting to feel the effects of the treatment now.   Her throat is very sore as is the roof of her mouth.  Swallowing is difficult and painful.  I know how horrible you feel when you have a mouth ulcer with the constant pain and this must be significantly worse. 

The review went well with the doctor saying that the tumour is getting smaller and Liz is responding to the treatment as they had hoped.  The doctor said that there are no crystal balls so cannot predict the future but they are trying their best to fix it. 

So the good news is that the tumour is shrinking, she is responding well to the treatment and Liz has this amazing capacity to make the best of everything that gets thrown at her.

It's now time to be gentle while her body starts to adapt to this intense treatment. 

Thanks to everyone who is following her journey, I know that Liz is feeling the love.

Peace and happiness
Yvette
xxx

Let's Celebrate!

I remember when I first spoke to Liz about her cancer diagnosis, we discussed celebrating all the good things no matter how big or small.  Well we have something to celebrate!  Liz has got her voice back!  Although not back to her original voice, it is a lot better than it was.  The doctors weren't sure if she would ever get it back but she did!  Liz also feels that the radiation is working already after 4 sessions as the heaviness in her chest is feeling better.

There are so many people who have pitched in to help Liz and her family and I personally wanted to thank them so much.  To those who have helped taking Liz to her appointments or made dinners or have helped out around the home and with the kids and to all of those who have provided emotional support -THANK YOU!  How awesome that so many people are rallying around and helping out.

Peace and happiness
Yvette
xxx