Six months ago today…

…I was coming round from surgery and waiting to be taken back to my room.

I was told that I’d be going into Intensive Care after my op, as if they performed the thoracotomy I’d need a lot of looking after as it was such a big op. When I woke up and they told me they couldn’t do it and did a thoracoscopy and took a biopsy instead, well, that’s when I knew.

I knew whatever happened that day would leave scars of either the physical or mental variety. I’d either have a 8 inch scar from the big op, or I’d have a cancer diagnosis, whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good.

So, six months on and how has my life changed?

Well, my cough has gone. Before I started chemo, I couldn’t get through a sentence without coughing. It was starting to get on everyone else’s nerves, so imagine how it made me feel.

The shoulder pain I was getting has gone.

I can drink alcohol again. It’s been quite nice to be able to have a glass of wine with dinner if I want one. Apparently, the alcohol pain is one of the very rare symptoms of the hodge, yet it was the only one I had up until my cough.

I’ve learnt that even doctors working within the same team cannot agree on certain things.

I have learnt that I really do have some wonderful friends.

It’s certainly not been an easy ride. But the end is in sight now, and I only have two blood tests, one chemo and one PET scan to go until I hopefully hear the words “You are in remission!”