Thursday 26 January 2012

Happy 2012! More vlogs to come... I promise!

Well a very happy 2012 to you all! I have to say that I shed a happy tear or two at midnight. This year has been one of the most dramatic and fascinating years of my life. I got diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma back in April. I then received four months of ABVD chemotherapy to treat it. I am happy to say that I have now had my third and final PET/ CT scan and it is the second to show that I am in remission.

You'll notice that it's been a while since I last posted. My energy levels went way down, I spent a lot of time in bed and I have to say that I didn't find the last bit of my treatment that easy. As everyone said, I'd been dealing with things so well. I guess there had to be a bit of give at some point. Ironically, when I got my all clear my happiness and buoyancy levels crashed. I actually wanted to hibernate. I think I'd been so full of adrenalin and coping mechanisms that hearing I was in remission gave me a chance to step back and stop fighting. I still had a couple of months of chemo left and I'd put on a lot of weight which left me feeling pretty low.

I obviously got through that time with the fantastic help of my family, friends and my wonderful boyfriend Dan. Singing in my choir also kept me going... it really has been a tonic. I even managed to organise a traditional folk music singaround at The Windmill pub in London. The room was donated free, My friend Sam gave me a hand and my friends and the folk community supported me and helped me raise £372 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

So what now?
Well, I'm back working as a Production Trainer at The BBC Academy. I went back on the 4th January and I am very thankful that work have been so understanding and supportive. I am trying to ease in gently, as they have suggested.  But despite my energy levels and my morale remaining a bit low I am raring to just get back to normal.

And how about the blog?
Well, I have a couple of vlogs still to edit and post. One is an honest and frank look at Picc lines... from the day I went to get my line inserted, my initial trouble getting used to it, my allergies to the dressing and ways to look after it. I filmed my other vlog on the day before my last treatment. I am just about to film another very soon and I hope to continue updating things as time goes on. Remission is not the end of my story!

I hope this message finds you all well, and if not, then I hope that you are finding ways to cope. A big thank you to all of you for reading this and please forgive me for taking so long to write.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy 2012!
Kat. x