I have thought for some time I should do this thread, but was worried the minute I did things would start going wrong (tempting fate & all that).
However, I am aware that loads of you are wondering how its going, but don't like to ask...
Unbelievably... she's really really well at the moment! In fact she feels better than she has in a decade! She's on her fourth cycle of chemo, and apart from one blip where she had a rash & they had to cancel one session of the chemo, she is suffering very few side effects. She had radiotherapy on the brain tumour, but (as all the women in our family have very thick hair) she managed to keep enough of her hair to not have any bald bits. its just a bit thin.
That brought her back to being "my Mum" again. Something I now realise she hadn't been for some years.
The only effect of the chemo is that she is becoming anaemic which makes her a bit tired & breathless.. but she will have a blood transfusion shortly, which should sort that out.
She is still on the steroids, and has now got chubby cheeks from it. She's not keen on it, but she actually looks younger than she did. She also has a little pod of a tummy (first time ever - my Mum has always been very slim).
She's happy. She's very very happy. My Mum had always been a bit of a mood hoovering pessimist, all that has changed now. Her & my Dad live every day to the full. they have lobster & champagne most afternoons. They laugh, we laugh... ALOT!
We've been told to plan for Christmas, that she will still be this well for Christmas. She is determined to fight this, to beat this. I have taken some convincing on this count, but the rate she is going - if anyone can, she can (who knew my Mum had fight & courage in her - none of us did, including Mum herself)
My Mum & Dad are having a second flush of honeymoon romance.. they are so bloody loved up - My Dad is her rock! I've just had a three week stint where I couldn't see her (cos my son had a cold, & then I caught the cold.. infection is the biggest risk to her health at the moment as the chemo has wiped out her immune system). I was a bit worried about seeing her again as sometimes this is when her "illness" becomes obvious... was the opposite... she is looking really well and happy (how bizarre.. & in a way sad... that it takes something like this to make her realise you have to live life for the good stuff... hey ho)
My Dad has always had a Christian faith, my Mum's has always been a bit wavering. But they have got into that in a big way... whilst I don't share this with them, I am happy for them that they have this, whatever helps & all that.
Anyways... I really really hope I haven't tempted fate in posting this... I did a thread about my dog being better once, and a few weeks later he was ill again. FINGERS CROSSED I haven't jinxed me Ma.
(Oh, and the dog is, finally, on the mend too. He is down to one steroid a day & just his uber expensive trial drugs... no painkillers. We joke that my Mum & the dog are causing a national shortage of steroids... there have been a lot of "Mum & my dog" spooky parallels in their treatments)
Just thought I'd let you know.
Loads of you have pm'd me... I am not going to do the thank you's yet.. Its not over yet.. but one of you did say "don't write her off yet" and told me about a loved one that had stage 4 cancer but had been living a relatively normal life for 18 months... I never for one minute back then thought it would be possible that Mum would be like this... but she is - Cancer treatments seems to have come a long long way, even in the few years since I left the NHS, and since I lost my friend.
Also.. I have done this thread now.. if/when (whatever) I need to update further (for bad or good) then its here.. I won't need to come barrelling into other peoples threads to hijack them 
I've often wondered how things are going but not liked to ask.
) Zaph is going to hate us ALL this year! 
