Make me pretty

I've had a lovely extended weekend. On Friday I went to London with mum and my second cousin Liz for a bit (okay.. a lot) of shopping. Some of mums friends had generously given me money for a mac makeover and Harvey Nichols gift vouchers - such a treat! So we headed out to Knightsbridge and first of all went to Harrods Mac counter where the make up artist transformed me from dull and make-up-less to this...

Sorry about the facial expression - there were a few pictures of me smiling, which were actually even less flattering than this one!

I spent the Harvey Nicks vouchers on some make-up including this lovely Mac lipstick and Chanel eyeshadow, as well as a pair of jeans I found in the sale :) It was a very successful day which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Today (Sunday) has been outrageously good weather so me and Christopher made the most of it by... cooking cupcakes! Below is a picture. See if you can guess who did which.

Clearly Christopher did the artist 'sea themed' ones, whilst I did the strawberry flavoured pinky ones and the horrible green Wimbledon themed cake. Grandma chose this cake for her dessert which she instantly regretted as the black dye I used to draw the court lines on ended up dying her mouth and lips black. Lucky her, granny the goth! If you're wondering how we managed to create these artistic cakes, wonder no more. Christopher actually invested an unhealthy amount of money in cake making kits including all the gels to dye the icing and multiple moulding devices a while ago. He has assured me that he is straight, he just likes to bake. The meterosexual male personified!

I'm feeling pretty nervous, as I have my PET/CT scan at 8am tomorrow morning. Last time I almost fainted. It's such a weird experience because you are put in a strange room to have this radioactive substance injected into your arm (it was at this point that I started blacking out) and then left by yourself for approx 45mins until it's time to enter the scan. The scan itself is okay - I think I actually fell asleep last time. But not being able to hug my family afterwards due to the fact I was essentially 'radioactive' was not fun. The main thing I'm nervous about are the results of the scan which I should be receiving in the afternoon at my doctors appointment. Wish me luck..!!

6 down, 6 to go

I forgot to mention in the past couple of posts... I am officially half way through my chemotherapy. Well as it stands anyway. I'll be having a PET/CT scan on Monday which will determine whether or not I have just the final 6 treatments or need further treatment. If there is little to no activity shown on the scan it'll be the 6.. and if more then it'll be extended to 10 and I'll have a further scan towards the end of that. Fingers and toes crossed that it's just the 6!

Everyone seems very happy for me that I'm half way, and I suppose I am kinda happy. But I must say, my first thought was 'oh god I've got to do all of that all over again'. Oh well, I can't complain too much, I'm very lucky that I've still got eyebrows, eyelashes and some hair on my head. Lets see how much longer they last!

My friend Antonia from uni came to visit me yesterday and today. We went out for cocktails last night with the girls and have had lots of fun playing with Dizzy, the little bundle of fluff. Shame my hayfever has been absolutely horrendous today - my eyes are so itchy and won't stop watering. Ironic that hayfever is the biggest thing bothering me right now! Is it ironic? I always misuse the word ironic I should probably just stop using it.

A friend of mine is doing some fundraising for the Royal Marsden hospital, cycling all the way from Istanbul to London. I don't normally do advertising on here but the Royal Marsden is a great hospital and is one of the leading cancer care hospitals so I think it's a very worthy cause! Also... I definitely couldn't cycle 2000+ miles so hats off to you boys. Here's the link if you want to donate - http://www.justgiving.com/thequestforhugethighs

Immune to Zombies

It's half 12 (midnight) on a Monday evening and I'm sat on my computer blogging. Can't say I ever thought I'd see this day! But I've just got back from watching 'World War Z' with the girls, and it scared the living daylights out of us.. so I'm hoping writing this will be a good distraction and I won't be having nightmares when I eventually go to sleep.

I didn't bother wearing my wig to the cinema. In fact, I very rarely wear it. This isn't because my hair isn't falling out and I'm try to rep the edgy shaved head, my hair is definitely a lot thinner than when I originally got it shaved. But I've got to the point where I don't think I care what people think, and therefore don't care what's going through their heads when they see my scalp. Also, in the film we watched people with cancer and other illnesses didn't get attacked by the zombies.. the silver lining we've all been looking for? Immune to zombie attacks. Hooray!!

It's now 12.37. Bedtime I think, but first let me quickly write down a list of exciting things for the next few weeks (bar chemo).

Antonia (my friend from uni) coming to visit this week.. Georgie's Birthday celebrations on Saturday.. A trip to the cotswolds for a friends leaving bash.. Wimbledon centre court tickets!.. And hopefully a Spa day squeezed in somewhere. Goodnight.

First things first

I'm about to go out for a celebratory dinner with mum, Josh and C because I got my result yesterday for my dissertation. And... somehow... I got a first! I had done half of it before Christmas, back in the days when I was fit and healthy (or unknowingly cancer ridden) and I got 78% in that - I'm so chuffed! The second part was the bit that I mentioned in some of my earlier blog posts, which I was struggling with finishing whilst having chemo. I got 68% in that which I am equally happy with and together averaging on a first is the icing on the cake.

The offer which I got from Queen Mary University of London for Cancer Therapeutics MSc only asks that I get a 2:2 and I am feeling confident that if I work my butt off for exams next summer I should get a 2:1. Who knows if I will somehow not crumble under the exam stress and get that unimaginable first...

A normal life

Today myself and Christopher booked our trips to Cape Town! He's coming for two weeks and I am going for the full month. I'll even get to enjoy a sunny Christmas which will be very strange but I cannot wait to enjoy the perks of a summer Xmas.


I've had a great week. Sport has featured heavily, as I've decided that cancer is not an excuse to get unfit/ out of shape. So I've been playing a bit of tennis and have tried yoga and pilates. Yoga is so relaxing that mum fell asleep at the end which was absolutely hilarious for me. And pilates was such hard work that my stomach ached for several days!

My lovely course mates came to visit last week for the day so we went out for a nice pub lunch and then they came to my house and met Dizzy. As usual she was a little rascal (she is getting bigger by the day.. if she keeps growing at this rate she will be a giant!).

Everyone at uni has been getting their results. Obviously this is quite difficult for me as I'd love for everything to have gone smoothly as I would be graduating soon. But I might as well make the most of the extra year I have for revision. No excuse not to smash it out the park! I get the result for my dissertation tomorrow (I think..) Nerve-wracking stuff.

Tomorrow the beautiful Jo G and Jenny J are coming to stay for a couple of days before Chemo Club on Wednesday. Unfortunately the weather forecast isn't great so I'll have to think up some fun things to do which don't involve being outside... not easy when you live in Bucks!

I'm currently reading a book called Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson - a really good read. It is basically the film 50 first dates but in book form and with some fairly major differences. For anyone that hasnt seen the film.. it is about a woman who loses her memory of the past 30ish years every time she goes to sleep. She's married so it's all a bit awkward as every morning she wakes up in bed with a man who she assumes to be a one night stand (but is actually her husband of 20+ years). Anyway I would definitely recommend it if you need an easy but gripping book to read.

This one's for you, Jo

One of the best things about having lots of free time is it gives me time to make fun plans for post chemo days. So this post is designed to excite me, and to make you all jealous. My aunt Jo has been begging for a new post so this one revolves around my trip to see her and the family in December!

If all goes roughly to plan (with no more delays) chemo will be finished in early September. My exams aren't until May which gives me a few months of fun before I have to start revision. We've got a family holiday booked for October to New York which I am trying not to get too excited about incase treatment gets delayed and I can't go. So I'll swiftly move over that onto my next plan.... South Africa!

I've got some lovely family who live out in Cape Town, who have kindly invited me and Christopher over for a long holiday in late November/early December. So I have been putting together a list of fun things to do out there, which are actually pretty much endless.

1) Climb the lions head. No, not a real lions head. It's a mountain that from some angles looks like a lions head (I think?). 

2) Take a trip up table mountain. 

3) Vineyard wine tasting in Steinburg. My brother did this last time he went and apparently the vineyard is beautiful and you can cycle to it on a tour type thing which has some lovely views.

4) Visit Robin island. This is the island which Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on. If we're lucky we will be taken around the island by ex-prisoners which would be very interesting indeed.

5) Go shopping at the Waterfront. This goes without saying. Must also try seafood as it is especially tasty!

6) Go to Cape point, the southmost point in Cape Town.

7) Many trips to Clifton beach. This beach is within walking distance of my cousins house and has been the destination of many sundowners. 

8) Quad biking, cycling, tennis.

9) Roundhouse breakfast. The roundhouse is a restaurant in an idyllic location. Not to be missed!

10) Last but definitely not least... go to HQ for a delicious steak. (yes Jake, you can come)

I'm sure my organised aunt would love to put these plans into a precise, colour coded, cross-referenced 2 week plan for me.... knock yourself out Jo!!! ;)