Still here!

The last month has just flown by for me! I'll give you a bit of an update at the end of this post, but first here are some more lovely DAK's from some OSA and blogging friends from around the world.

First up is this lovely Asian card from Margo S, I love the rainbow background colours!

This one is from Cindy C, it's just sooo cute!

This beauty is from Lynn E., using one of my fave images and the background is gorgeous!

This faboulous creation is from Shirley R, I just love those beautiful violets!

Last, but not least is this beautiful dragonfly card from Beth U, the lattice border at the top is just perfect!

Thank you all my friends for your lovely cards and heartfelt messages, I do appreciate it very much right now.

Now for my update! I've had 2 Chemo treatments (cycles) so far, the side effects haven't been too bad but it's makes me very tired for 4 or 5 days afterwards. As I only have chemo every fortnight, I feel pretty good for the 2nd week.

I've had a bit of a set back however, the incision where they inserted my porta cath still hadn't healed over and I got an infection in it....I did tell the oncology nurses when I went for the 2nd treatment that I thought it was infected, but they looked at it and said it was just the way it was healing. A few days later it was red and swollen and painful so I went to my GP and he agreed with me that it looked infected and put me on antibiotics...and took a swab! Anyways, to cut a long story short the oncology doctor decided the porta cath had to come out, which they did later that day and tomorrow I have to have another one inserted in my left arm.......not happy about that as that's my dominant arm and I'll barely be able to dress myself let alone anything else for a few days. There is some good news though, my oncologist wants it to heal properly this time so I won't be having any more chemo until after the New Year! At least I can spend some quality time with my family over Christmas, thank goodness!

I have been plodding along making a few Christmas cards here and there, nothing special just quick and easy ones. I'll try and post them later on today, while I can still type!

If you managed to read all that, thanks again for continuing to leave such supportive comments on my blog, it means such a lot to have such wonderful friends in blogland! :)

Edit to add: You would not believe what happened this morning when I went to the hospital to get the new porta cath inserted! I had to go to the Day Oncology Unit first, then Radiology send someone across to take you to them for the procedure. So they take my obs, get me to change into a gown, check the wound from the other arm to see if it's healing OK.........then they tell me that the procedure has been cancelled because the idiots in Radiology didn't have a Porta Cath for me!!! It was re-booked for Thursday while I was there.......then I get a phone call from Radiology when I get home to say they've changed it again to Friday!! Pfft, I wish they'd get their act together....I was planning to go and visit my Dad on Friday, can't do that now and my arm will still be really sore if I go on the weekend. Can you guess that I'm really over having to wait around hospitals lately?

A beautiful gift...........and the roller coaster ride continues.

I was hoping to be able to post some good news today after my visit to my Oncologist yesterday..........sadly it is not to be. My PET scan has revealed that the cancer has spread into the lymph glands, it means that they are not confident of getting rid of it all with chemo. The hope is that they will reduce the size of them and prevent them from spreading into other parts of the body. This news seems to have hit me harder than the original diagnosis did, I think it's finally sinking in how serious my condition is.............it really felt like a kick in the guts hearing that news yesterday! The weird thing is that I don't feel like I'm ill right now!

I start chemo in around 2 weeks from now, I'm just waiting on notification from the hospital........my life seems to revolve around doctors' appointments and diagnostic procedures lately!

Thanks again for continuing to post positive, supportive comments.....I really appreciate it! I refuse to let this disease get the better of me and am trying my best to remain confident of a good outcome.

Anyways, that's enough of me, please have a look at the beautiful gift my lovely blogging friend, Sonya - Pickles Patch, from NZ sent me! It's a beautiful journal with lots of stamping and pockets and spaces to put photos and journalling etc. I've photographed the cover and just a few of the pages, so please scroll down and have a look at them all. Thanks so much Sonya for such an awesome gift!

OSA Sketch Layout #41 and more DAK/RAKs.

I've been feeling pretty good over the last week, so managed to have some craft time. This week's OSA sketch layout #41 was a fairly simple one, so here's my effort. I used Stampington's Acey Deucy "Calligraphy Robe" stamp....one of my favourite Oriental images.


Here are yet some more DAK/RAKs that I've received from other OSA members recently, please scroll down the page to see them all. I feel so blessed to belong to such a wonderful caring group, thank you all so much for thinking of me.

Cards from Bonnie B. and Carolyn S.

From Willow and Sandra G.

From Linda I and Margo S.

I had my PET Scan on Wednesday and go to see my Oncologist tomorrow. I will probably find out about how much Chemo I'll be getting and when it starts......fingers crossed that nothing has showed up on the PET scan!

I'm still here!!

I just wanted to give my blog readers a long overdue update on how things are going here, and show you some of the lovely cards I've been sent by well-wishers from around the world.

I can't believe it's been 5 weeks since I had surgery! I'm pleased to say that I'm feeling much better now, it took me a while to figure out why I kept feeling so nauseous during the night. Finally the penny dropped that it was a gastric reflux thing.........and I already had medication for it, I just thought I didn't need it! I haven't had any nausea for almost a week now so I'm eating a little better now, but still not up to a proper meal size portion. I've lost around 9.5kg since I got sick, but have only put 0.5kg back on again, so I have to take some protein supplement drinks to try and get my weight back up again.

My CT scan was clear, but my oncologist tells me that it won't show up microscopic sized cancer cells, so he's sending me for a PET scan next Wednesday. He hasn't scheduled me for Chemo yet as I was still feeling so sick when I saw him, but I guess I will know more when he has the PET scan results.

Here are some of the beautiful cards I've been sent from some of the online groups I belong to, and from my wonderful blogging friends. Thank you all so much for caring about me, I can't tell you how wonderful it's been reading your heartfelt messages!

Clockwise from top left: Sandy Nolan, Sharon Williams, Sonya Pickles, Janis Rothermel, Elaine Cox and Shanti Keogh.

Mary Waspe, Margaret Ashby, Bonnie Waliezer, Bonnie Belk, Margo Seegrist and Lyn Wareham.

Lydia Storey, Nancy Freckelton, Carole Meisenhelter, Diane Young and my dear friend Wirgie.

Suzanne Boyer, Marie Doody, LaVerne Wilson, Vicky Fernando and Minda Oberle.