Sign in Register

Stories from bandanna_babe

bandanna_babe (Leukaemia (ALL), 18, F, England)

Six months later

story added: 30/04/2008

I'm still all clear fingers crossed! Exams are looming but I hope to do well in them. One thing cancers taught me is to never give up and to follow my dreams although it sounds like a cliche! I'm applying to go to university in september for september 2009. I hope to study journalism.

 I'm still working closely with cancer charities, just because I've finished doesn't mean I can get out of giving something back!

 Keep up the fight x

Two months on...

story added: 21/10/2007

I'm packing to move house on the 5th november so my life is in boxes at the moment. Also struggling through my A.S. levels (different ones this year politics, english and RE) which I'm enjoying a hell of a lot, especially politics. 

Today  I'm exactly two months off treatment, lifes seems to have moved on already and I feel myself slowly feeling normal. The hair is growing, the energy is getting there and my cheeks have more colour. I also have a life again. Dropping out of college in april really helped me do a lot of soul-searching and I don't regret having to start uni in 2009 a year later for a second. I'm not on my own-12 people at sixth form are resitting with me, so its all good. 

My student measly budget doesn't let me afford to pay for the gym so I'm stuck with walking around school to keep me fit (and with 4 floors it does!) as well as the odd spot of shopping.

So in between college, revision, moving house, socialising, charity work and practising for my driving test on the 3rd december life is busy...stressful but fun!

The light at the end of the tunnel

story added: 23/07/2007

I am finally nearing the end of my 2 and a half years of chemo! Its a wierd feeling to know tomorrow I will have my last ever vincristine and the last lot of the dreaded 5 days of steroids. To me this is a bigger deal than finishing my oral chemo will be on the 22nd august. Its very mixed feelings though, scary, exciting, nervewracking and emotional all at once. I guess theres no "expected" way to feel and everyone knows with ALL there are no guarentees which is the hardest thing to accept.

Hair loss in maintenance

story added: 23/07/2007

I lost my hair again which was totally unexpected in November, its growing back now and its longer now than it was before it fell out. I'm constantly checking to see if its coming out again, I guess if you confuse the doctors once, you can do it again!

Maintenance

story added: 11/05/2006

Wow, I havent updated on here for a while, since November! Since then I've had another delayed intensification that was quite honestly hell but I've got through the dark days where I thought I wouldnt be able to go out again. I started maintenance chemo in april and had my hickman line out earlier than I thought so I will be able to wear the prom dress I wanted and can go swimming again. What do you do about swimming bald? I wear a bandanna with goggles, works well. I still have my tired days but overall am feeling much better than I was two months ago!

It wasnt as bad as all that!

story added: 16/01/2006

So guys...did I need an NG tube..No!! after all hat worrying I have finished this block of treatment needing 1x platelets and a 3 day stayin hospital with a temperature. Nothing untoward there! even managed to get christmas at home! start my next intensification on 25 jan..wish me luck

Escalating Cappizzi

story added: 02/12/2005

I started my new block on wednesday after a three week wait until my count came up. I had a lumbar puncture and today Ive had I.V. methatrexate which gives you a sore mouth apparently. The nurses all said I will probably need an n.g. tube which Im really scared of being put in but i probably wont need one until january as my mouth will be okay for the first three doses. (theres 5) But I will get through it like everythin else. im back for an oncaspar injection tomorow (saturday) which I hate and im really nervous about so wish me luck!

A change of plan...

story added: 07/11/2005

just found out im going from regimen b to c so that my vincristine dose can be replaced with iv methatrexate. its put my mind at rest but means i have to do three trips down to manchester from blackpool in a row  

Interim Maintenance No.2

story added: 05/11/2005

I've just started this a week ago. This is just the same as No.1. The mercaptapurine is beggining to kick in and tire me out and my consultant has decided to stop the vincristine all together. I dont know what i think about this as I feel like if i relapse i'll be what-iffing. anyway im back in clinic for a lumbar puncture on wednesday so ill update this then. Oh yeah I now have some hair!!!

Delayed Intensification No.1

story added: 05/11/2005

Ok so after a rather uneventful summer its now nearly the end of august and..gulp time to be blasted again. After nervously waiting to start my chemo three weeks in a row as my blood counts were too low, it was time. I had 3 doxorubicins, 4 vincristines, steriods, 8 cytarabines, 1 cyclophosphamide and a lot of painkillers and anitibiotics to come. The first couple of weeks were ok and i began to think..hey this is a breeze! but a few days later as usual i began to regret ever thinking this as the vincristine pains reared their ugly heads. But after a a week in hospital and a lot of duvet days i began to feel much better.
Next
Go to bandanna_babe's home page