Cured of lung cancer

So today was the day, following one final CT scan, that my consultant said he regarded me as cured.

If anyone has found this blog by chance and wants to know the story, then please read the posts from early on to see what happened to me and what I did to aid my chances. 

But, just to summarise: I had a diagnosis of inoperable lung cancer back in November 2010. I was put on palliative chemo. After four doses I was given the option, or not, for another two. That all went so well  that I was offered surgery after all.  Minus two lung lobes with no residual cancer in my lymph nodes, I have been on a regular check up routine which ended today.  I have now survived over the five years which are used in cancer stats.

My gratitude to my thoracic consultant, my oncologist, my surgeon and the very many hospital and medical staff I encountered is profound. I must also thank my Journey Therapist, the hundreds of people who either prayed or aimed their positive thoughts in my direction, my friends and family for their support, my Reiki practitioner, my naturopathic nutritionist and particularly one special friend who pointed me in the right direction for research into diet and lifestyle. 

My case seemed hopeless at the start but I didn't feel hopeless. It was difficult at times but I managed to stay positive all the way through and now, almost unbelievably, I can look forward to a long life. Oh happy day!

And now with a picture

I know I've written about this before but now it's with a picture.

I'm resisting trimming my hair because I don't want to lose the chemo curl. Having wanted natural curls all my life, now to have just a gentle wave right at the ends is so nice and such an unexpected benefit from a rather unpleasant episode. I've become rather fond of the twist, so much so that I have even bothered to take a picture of it.

The rest of my hair is ridiculously straight - completely straight - and always has been up until now. Just the very ends of the hairs that survived the chemo are affected.  These are the hairs which were growing before chemo started, which didn't fall out and which are still in evidence.

Here they are - chemo curls (OK, perhaps not curls, but gentle bending)  resulting from six tranches of chemotherapy for lung cancer. 

Hair today, gone tomorrow

This is a interesting observation which may assist others who face the chemo regime where they won't lose all their hair, but it will just thin, as happened to me. I'll stick some tags on the post in the hope that it will be found by those who seek such information.

Back in the summer of 2011 when I was receiving chemotherapy treatment for lung cancer my hair thinned in that a lot of it fell out at the same time. I'd been warned this would happen but told I wouldn't go completely bald.  As it was I don't think most people noticed any change.

It began to grow immediately, while I was still having chemo, and I faced quite a marked period of whispy bits sticking out amongst the long tresses and a distinct second layer which could be seen clearly as it lengthened.  It's all more or less the same length now.

What I've noticed in the past couple of months is that a lot is falling out again at the same time, leaving it quite thin again.  I can only conclude that all the hair that started growing after the first falling out, has now reached the end of its natural life and stopped growing.  Yes, I can see small whispy bits of new growth as before so it will all come back.  I just find the whole thing fascinating and felt I should note it for posterity, if nothing else.

I still have that chemo curl by the way because the hair that didn't fall out during chemo is still believe it or not mainly in place. That leads me to conclude that the new hair has had a shorter life than the old hair which is still there and falls out on average every five years.  This new stuff has only managed four, but given the state of my body when it started out I guess that's not surprising.

Oh one more thing, another check-up is looming at the start of next month.  I have no reason to think that anything suspicious will be found and I'm looking forward to saying a fond farewell to the consultant.

Another all clear

I'll make this quick.  Such a busy time, so much to do.  I popped along to the local hospital yesterday, had an x-ray and a few minutes with a consultant's side-kick.  All clear again.  But he (at odds with what his boss had specified)  still didn't want to put me on yearly check-ups, and instead said I could go along again in another six months. That's fine with me because although I do get horrendously nervous, it's better to  know and feel elated, as I now do.