Still Going!...
It's been just over a year since my last blog post but not much has gone to plan the last few years.. Being creative, exercise, outdoors and journalling are a few of the things that have helped me.
Following the 'Welcome Back' post I may as well get everything out since then before I move onto bigger and brighter things, like Art Workshop plans, what the dogs are doing and if Iggy is Fiadh's fave sibling!?
Lists are life, personally, also calendars. So why not! Here are the events/ occasions/ celebrations and nose dives so far:
2023
Moved house!
Malta trip
Four?.. Weddings
Accepted help, antidepressants.
A few wee breakdowns, professional sweeping under rugs.
2024
Many bugs and flus.
3rd Adrenal Crisis, hospital for a few days, drama/coma vibes. Colm is my hero.
April - 2 year Cancerversary Party! (Highest reoccurrence time period, safe since surgery).
May - Bealtaine Festival in Co. Westmeath with some besties.
Fiadh turned into a Threenager. Hilarious lil demon.
End of May, 2 years on Chemo (tablet form).
15th June - Cancer Focus NI Twin Peaks Challenge!!! Plus a buttload of training and fundraising achieved.
Weaned off antidepressants > mixed in with hiking two mountains, chemo, steroid dependancy, this was brutal in many ways.
Self decided break from chemo to try and get my mind and body back to basics & recover from Twin Peaks.
End of June - family trip to Co. Clare. Beautiful, exhausting, still recovering from the year so far..
July > Pilot Art & Mindfulness Workshop! in my Studio.
20th July > 5 year Wedding Anniversary (16 Years Together! xo)
Lots of sea swims with a group of people who have very quickly become some of my best pals.
2nd August > Lung Met confirmed. (Cancer, We meet again you gobshite.)
So, that’s us all up to date, probably forgotten something but I will still be using the Chemo-brain excuse for a while.
The great thing about getting this all out, is I’m reminding myself of all the achievements I could so easily forget, as people tend to remember the bad things first.
Positive Vibes
Moving house was stressful but so worth it, I have a dream studio and the perfect location for us. Yes I rarely spend as much time in there as I’d like but having the option so close to me is invaluable.
Celebrating our friends tying the knot, from Malta to England to Belfast, was so much fun and emotional every time. We will never forget my lil moody 2 year old being the most beautiful flowergirl ever while I was bridesmaid for my gorgeous bestie. The plus side of being a long term cancer patient, even though I felt like ugly crying hard at every single heartfelt speech, I am very well practiced at holding it in..
After a fairly rough start to 2024 with many illnesses, I had my worst and scariest Adrenal Crisis yet. 3rd hospital stay in two years which is a few too many and possibly a sign I like to overdo things/ refuse to acknowledge this whole situation!?
Thankfully I recovered in time to celebrate my Two Year Cancerversary! I picked a date close to when I had major surgery (26.04.22) as I was in and out of hospital a lot around this time. It felt important to celebrate as the first two years of ACC has the higest reoccurance rate.
A super emotional gathering showed me just how many lovely people I have around supporting us as a family, doggos included.
I have to give a huge thankyou to everyone who joined, helped with food, drinks and also Gail off of The Backyard Photography Co. for the beautiful images, especially a few crackers including Fiadh just living her best beach life!
Three of these awesome people then helped train with me to complete the Cancer Focus NI Twin Peaks challenge in June. I took a little break from chemo to make sure my stubborn arse made it with no issues or hospital visits. The whole team smashed it and we were one of the top fundraisers for this challenge, definately another highlight of the year and worth the exhaustion afterwards!
I am still learning how to live with cancer, how to distract myself, keep focused on what is important and keep fighting. Part of that is doing things I enjoy, doing what I can to stay healthy and happy for my family, make them proud and also helping others in any small way possible. In a lovely natural way, this led to me rediscovering my love for art and how relaxing and rewarding I find it.
I hope to spread the therapeutic benefits of creativity with others.
Through both of our ongoing hospital visits, myself and my wondeful father in law have been planning & creating a series of workshops. I supply the painting element while Paul brings years of knowledge helping people with pain relief, sleep, health, mental, physical issues and more, through the use of a range of thereputic techniques.
The Future
Now that im up to date... and doing my best to keep a positive outlook, good, healthy lifestyle habits and focusing on the most important people in my world; I would fight any stranger on the street for Fiadh and Colm so surely I can battle a bit of cancer...
This recent kick in the nuts of secondary lung cancer is shitty, but its small and we have the treatment plan as I'm writing this so before round 2 starts, more hospital visits, op and chemo, we are going to do some fun stuff with a few little breaks away.
Ive rambled on enough for this catch up so the biggest lesson for me this year I think has to be, look after your mental health first and the rest will follow; Diet, exercise, beliefs, joy, friends and family.
Thank you so much if you managed to get this far,
Hug your dogs,
Gem x
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