I am a bit self righteous about setting New Year’s resolutions. I think it is born of self preservation; why set yourself up to fail? All around is the promise of a new year, with fresh starts and new beginnings, a new you and all that buzz stuff and we throw in a promise to change one (or more) of our habits right at the time of year when we have less daylight hours, less sunshine, often less energy after a busy festive season and/or year end activities at work, the pressure of finding the perfect gift and making the holidays magical etc etc. I think if there’s something that we really want to change about ourselves we can do it at the moment we realise that we want to change it, no time like the present and all that; particularly if the present happens to be in the middle of the summer when we are more likely to have energy that can be devoted to ‘new beginnings’!
Personally, I like to assume that everything will be amazingly beautiful and if something happens to come along that isn’t quite so beautiful I know I can deal with it, it will pass and things will be amazingly beautiful once more. And by the way, there will always be something amazingly beautiful in your life. Just sometimes you have to bypass all the ‘stuff’ going on that may be temporarily obscuring it from your view and look a bit harder for it! I am aware that this sounds ridiculously simple, that’s because it is.
The PS that I posted after my last blog is how I have chosen to live, always believing that something wonderful is going to happen. And guess what, it does… all the time! Some things are more noteworthy than others but they are all amazingly beautiful.
I have had a particularly noteworthy event already this year 😍
On Wednesday we went to the hospital to get the results of the CT scan I had just before Christmas. It was a bit strange because dr Alexander was off sick so we had to see another oncologist (who’s name I can’t remember 🙄). It highlighted to me how lucky I am to have such great connection and rapport with dr Alexander. The news was wonderful although it didn’t feel as special as it could have because it came from a stranger! I will think about that some more…. anyhoo, let me get back to the wonderful bit!!
The capecitabine (oral chemotherapy) is still working! We knew that it probably was because my markers are still in the normal zone but the medical team all say ‘you can’t hang everything on the markers’ but as we know, they have been a pretty good indicator for me all along.
The big news is that the chest and bones remain stable/unchanged and quoting the radiologist’s report, “the previously noted liver lesions…. are no longer seen on the CT scan. These were well visualised in August 2017 and demonstrated response in March 2018… Conclusion: No progression” Whoop whoop!!! My amazing liver has healed itself again (with the help of the drugs!).
I hope that your wonderfuls are flooding in, don’t forget that sometimes you have to find them, not all of them will jump up and slap you in the face like this great big sparkly wonderful but they’ll be there ❤️
Phil took this photo of today’s amazingly beautiful this morning 😍
Talk to you soon, lots of love Mand ❤️
It really is the most amazing news.
Having always been so positive, conscientious about taking your drugs, listening to your body when you need to rest and eating sensibly (making sure you know where the next meal is coming from!😊), you DO deserve the best results.
You are just absolutely amazing.
Love you loads, Mum xxx
Great news Mand! Love you lots, Booie and Dave xxxx
thank you so much for sharing that lovely, beautiful, sparkly news, that is my wonderful thing for today, yesterday was hearing that my friend’s son, his wife and young twins are moving back to the UK after being in Japan for 3 years, she thought they would never come back. You’re so right it is so simple to find wonderful things around you. Thanks for slapping us in the face with that one. Your Mum is so right too, you continue to amaze us…
Lots of love Liz xx
What incredibly exciting news!! Well done Mandy’s liver!
That means, I’m supposing, that you can stay on the lighter drugs too? =)
Completely with you on the ‘something wonderful is about to happen’ outlook too – it does every day! I do love getting the Laguther Buddies notifications every week – they always make me smile!
Realised after having read your 2018 reflections that we didn’t see each other last year at all. That needs to be remedied I think!
I’ve got a bit too much on in the next couple of weeks – will tell you more when we speak, but will give you a ring before February is out and we can plan!
Lots and lots of love
P xxxxxxxxxxxx