Monday 12th July

Didn't get off to a good start this morning.  I decided to have a look at the forums on the Breast Cancer Care website and got sucked into one about a few ladies who had brain mets (breast cancer spread to the brain). Of course this set me thinking.......and crying.........One of the ladies died last week.  Chris sat with me for a while and listened while I talked and sobbed.  BUT, thankfully, life goes on and he had to take the kids to school and I needed to to do my exercises!
Rang Irene this morning to arrange to go in and have my fluid drained.  There was definitely an accumulation, but not as much as previously, but it was becoming uncomfortable to wear Frances, so I thought it best to get it done.  Irene said to pop in at 15:00.  Chris had already gone to work after taking the kids to school - we knew it wouldn't be until the afternoon as Irene had resus training in the morning.
Let Chris know and then texted the friends from Manchester to let them know we'd need to leave by about 14:00 (thinking about parking and traffic).  They were about to set off at 09:30, so it was going to be a bit touch and go as to whether they'd get to us in time.

Livi rang at 08:40 to say that she was outside her work experience placement (a local kennels) and was nervous about going in.  Ever the supportive mother, I told her to just get on with it and go in! A text from her later told me she'd made it.

Had a phone call from R (one of the docs from work) to check if I needed anything and to tell me about series one of Dollhouse that he'll bring round to keep me occupied - looking forward to watching it.  M (1 of the district nurses) text to ask if I'd like a visit, she may pop round tomorrow.

Livi rang at 11:30 to say she'd finished for the day (alright for some!) and was on her way home.  She'd enjoyed her first day (well, morning!) and said there were some lovely dogs there, so now, with me at home, we could get 1 (cuckoo, cuckoo)!

A call from S & M, the friends from Manchester, came at 13:40 to say they were just round the corner, so it would be a flying visit.  It was lovely to see them as it's been 10 years since we last met up.  Neither look any different.  M is 1 of my Mum's oldest and best friends and S, her daughter.  We spent a lot of time with them in Manchester, before we moved down to Cornwall.  Our 14:00 deadline was suddenly 14:15 and we all had to shoot off.  Wish we'd had longer.

Naturally, there was loads of traffic into Bath and we got to RUH dead on 15:00, so Chris dropped me off and went to park the car.  The waiting room was almost empty and I didn't have to wait long to see Irene.  There's no clinic on a Monday and 2 of the radiographers were at a conference, so it was unusually quiet.  She drained the fluid off - less than half the amount than last week, which is encouraging. There are workshops called "look good, feel better" that are held at the RUH once a month.  These are run by beauty consultants, with hints and tips on make up, how to draw on eyebrows etc and free samples. So, Irene took my number and I'll wait to be called for the next one. We had a chat about my blip in the morning and she gave me a few tips on how to visualise my cancer and the forthcoming treatments.  This is something I haven't been able to do yet.  People tell me I have to be positive, but I don't really feel it.  I think if I can visualise it, it will help me fight it.  Apparently one lady called hers Colin (sorry Col!).  I need to find an analogy I can relate to.  Mum suggested St George and the dragon.  I did think about Lancaster bombers (chemo) and spitfires (radiotherapy), but not quite sure what the cancer would be. Any other suggestions gratefully received!

We stopped off at the garden centre for a cake and a coffee and sat outside by the pond.  A friend, N, rang from Brighton and then Chris got a text from the boys to say that although they'd got the bus home, neither had a key! Normality still exists, thankfully!