Off to visit New York

It's so long since I have written that I feel a bit embarrassed. I have been having a great time though and am happy to report that I had all my annual tests and am fine. I got myself into a total state over the chest x-ray and abdominal scan in particular, waiting to hear dreaded words such as "there is a little spot on your liver"but am all clear although was told to come back in 6 months for an ultra-sound on my boobs. Apparently they monitor you carefully in the 18 months after you have gone off tamoxifen...guess it's a high- risk time which is pretty scary. Also he said there is a lot of activity in my breasts but really, there is nothing I can do so am just plodding along and having fun. The radiologist (is that the name for the dr who does mammograms) says he is beginning to think that the cancer in my lymph was in fact the primary. The oncologist never said that but who knows. They never found the primary tumour.

Anyway, started piano lessons and been very busy. Loving playing the piano although battling quite a bit.. And now I am off to New York.
I am not a particular fan of the violin but always adored Itzchak Perlman and for a while have been googling where he is performing and hoping he will be in a European city I haven't visited. Well, about two months ago, after watching a YouTube video of him performing kletzmer (Eastern European gypsy music) I googled him again and guess what: he is performing at Carnegie Hall. and playing kletzmer with a Yiddish band.
After umming-and-aahing for a few weeks, I bought the best seats still available which in SA money is six times more than I have ever paid for a show, even knowing that they return policy is donating back to Carnegie. I do know one blogger I could have offered it to as a gift but if she didn't want it, kept saying "there are worse things I can do than donate to Carnegie Hall".
You see, at that point still had to have all my annual cancer tests.
Anyway, I am now scheduled to leave later this month. Spending 7 nights in NY, and seeing Placido Domingo in a MetOpera, Helen Mirren in The Audience, Ballet West at the famous Joyce Theatre, two fab musicals and pianist Murray Pirahou whom my piano teacher said h
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Sat with a friend having chemo today

Can hardly believe I haven't written anything since October. About a month ago I remembered this blog;think I was just preoccupied with other things but I am back now.
Today I sat with a friend having chemo for breast cancer. It was her first session. She lives out of town and her husband works in Joburg on Wednesdays so he dropped her off and she was there alone.
I sat there as she showed me pics on her phone of her beautiful three daughters aged between 5 and 10, and if watched her eyes go spacey from the Red Devil.
I have sat on those chairs in that very same room (4 chemo +17Herceotin treatments)and I have always said that oncology centre is not depressing, thinking it was the interior design and the well-trained and friendly staff;but today realized it is primarily the architecture. The treatment room has three walls which are predominantly glass and outside are tall trees. It is like being in a  garden as the trees sway in the wind. So tranquil.
Yet I found the experience of sitting with my friend freaked me out a little;brought back so many memories.
I will be back there when she has her second treatment.

Off on a quick holiday

Off to Cape Town for a week tomorrow morning and except for the packing which I need to do now (I am the world's worst packer!), I cannot wait. A good break and chance to relax although do have two work meetings but guess that was my choice and they are both over meals, so should be fun.
I am fine, totally delighted that my thyroid doc declared I was "extemely well". That was about two-three weeks ago and made me feel rather bouyant as he checks me, both physically and via blood tests, for almost everything under the sun and doubt many doctors give that kind of diagnosis to any patient and he is a particularly top doctor, a world renowened diabetes expert (although I see him for thyroid).
He offered to raise my thyroid meds to push me to the top end of normal as I was moaning about having gained 4kg this year. I declined, thinking it was manipulative and unneccessary but then had second thoughts and last week got the new script which I have still to take.
My stomach, well really my digestive system ie colon and small intestine, are probably worse than I have been for a while. Saw a second gastroenterologist for a second opinion which turned out to be a waste of time - and cost a bloody fortune which means I have now spent well over R2000 on two such doctor visits this month - and then saw my usual one again on Friday who has now prescribed some herbal drops - 20 into a little bit of water before/with meals. They taste ghastly and my stomach is still helleva bloated but let's see. At least the pain has gone (got very saw which he believes was the spinach I was eating to try to lose weight). "But it as cooked spinach!" I exclaimed. "And it's allowed on Fodmaps..." but he has now declared it verboten. He also declared that I do not have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), just functional bloating.....Grrrr!
Anyway, let's see how these herbs go. Oh and he also suggested a dietician - until now I had been to the one who had helped me lose weight on tamoxifen but whose programme hadn't helped with the bloating mainly cos I don't think it is 100% linked to food plus difficult to work out which food and I think quantities play a role.....
This one he suggested has not returned my call yet. I hope to see her when I return to Joburg after my holiday.
Hope those of you reading this are ok.
Gillian