Just before Christmas my anti-sickness medicine was changed. The original one was no longer working as well, or for as long since I started radiotherapy. I'm now on a new anti-sickness medicine called, domperidone (just incase you were wondering). The new anti-sickness medicine works so quickly and lasts a lot longer. In fact, I took some just before I started writing this blog post, as I was feeling a bit nauseous and it's already helped.
If you live in the west side of England, you may have seen that my Mum and I were featured in the video clip about CLIC Sargent being one of the six charities chosen to be part of Text Santa last year. My Mum and I were asked on the morning of the recording, if we would mind taking part in the video. We both agreed to do it, as CLIC have been a huge part of my journey, in N. Ireland as well as Bristol. We both quickly dashed around our room at CLIC House, shoving on some clothes, brushing our hair and only having enough time to put a little bit of make-up on. It was lovely to be apart of it, as CLIC Sargent are an amazing charity and offer amazing support to children and families.
On 21/12/2013, my Dad and sister, Rebecca came over from N. Ireland to stay with my Mum and I at the CLIC Sargent house during the Christmas period. My Granny and Uncle also came on the same date from Lincolnshire, to stay for the weekend. While my Granny and Uncle were over, we went to Bristol's German Christmas Market on the Saturday. On Sunday we went to The Town House in Bristol for Sunday Lunch. It was really nice to see my family and be together.
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| My sister, Rebecca and I at Bristol's Gerrnan Christmas Market. |
On Christmas Eve I had radiotherapy at 8:15 in the morning (I know very early indeed). It was an early start but I was glad to have my treatment over and done with. That evening my Mum, Dad, sister and I went to the cinema and out for dinner too. This has been a family tradition of ours since I can remember. We always see a kids Christmas movie, this year it was Frozen. I thought it was a brilliant film and it's a bit like a musical.
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| Today Is Day 22 Of IMRT Radiotherapy. |
On Christmas Day, my family and I opened our presents and had breakfast at CLIC House. My sister and I loved all our presents. Every year my sister and I get a board game (another tradition of ours), this year it was electronic Monopoly, my favourite. My sister and I also got a charm each for our charm bracelets. Both of our charms have each others finger print and name on them. We love them very much and Mum got them for us from Button and Bean. We were very lucky to be treated to Christmas dinner and an over night stay at the local Marriott Hotel, by my very kind and generous Granny. The Christmas dinner was delicious, we were stuffed afterwards. On Boxing Day we had afternoon tea at the hotel. It was also very delicious, with different sandwiches, tea (I had Earl Grey, my favourite), scones and deserts. We definitely didn't go hungry over Christmas.
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| Mine and my sisters fingerprint charms. |
Over the Christmas holidays, my family and I went to London for a night stay. Thank you to Samuel's Children Charity for organising this. We had such a brilliant time, even though it was only for a very short time it was nice to get away. I've always wanted to go to a LUSH Spa, but there aren't any in N. Ireland, only a handful in England. Samuel's Children Charity treated my Mum and I to a beauty treatment each at a LUSH Spa in London. I had a facial and my Mum had a foot massage. We both enjoyed our treatments and were very relaxed after. The next day my Dad, sister and I went to see the Chelsea v Liverpool match. My Dad loves Chelsea, so my Mum got him tickets to see them play for his Christmas present. When he opened the envelope, I wrote a note to say that he had got the tickets. He thought it was a joke at first, but my Mum and I explained that we had to pick the tickets up from the Chelsea stadium. Dad was so excited it was brilliant to see his surprised face.
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| My sister, Dad and I at the Chelsea v Liverpool match. |
For New Years we set off again after my radiotherapy in the morning, visiting friends in Northampton. It was so nice to them, as we hadn't seen each other in a while. We went to our friends sisters house for New Years Eve which was lovely. I was very tired, but I got New Years Day off to rest up. While in Northamptom, my Uncle and cousin, Sarah, traveled over to join us for lunch on New Years Day. It was great to see my cousin, she has grown so much since we last saw her over the summer holidays. My family and I travelled back to Bristol from Northampton on 02/01/2014, as I had radiotherapy that day. We had been doing a lot of travelling and going to different places over the Christmas period, which has been great because although its been hard because of the side effects of treatment, it has meant that the time has gone quickly and I will be able to remember lots of good times also.
Suzanne Shaw, a patron of The Brain Tumour Charity, organised for my family and I to watch her perform in the pantomime, Cinderella at the Hippodrome, Bristol. Suzanne and all the actors, actresses and dancers, performed very well. Suzanne invited my family and I to meet her back stage, once the show was over. It was so nice to meet her and thank her in person for organising this treat for us, I also got to meet her cutie pie puppy. Another family tradition of ours it to go to the pantomime during the Christmas period, so I really appreciated this treat.
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| Suzanne Shaw (wearing a #TeamDanielle wristband) with her puppy and I. |
Due to the side effects of radiotherapy, my ears have been very sore recently, as well as my right eye and down the right hand side of my face. I've also been feeling nauseous and tired too. Before I started radiotherapy I would always have sore eyes and pain on my face, so this was nothing new, although it has been particularly bad yesterday and today. I met with my oncologists on Friday, as I do every Friday. I was told that the worst weeks of symptoms will be my last week of treatment (this coming Monday) and the week after treatment is finished. I have four more fractions (sessions) to go of radiotherapy and an appointment with my oncologist on Friday, then I'm finished and back home to N. Ireland on Saturday. I can't wait to get home and see all my family and friends.
This coming week I'm meeting with my neurosurgeon in Bristol, for a follow up appointment since having the ETV operation a couple of weeks before I started IMRT radiotherapy. I'm hoping if the ETV is working (which I think it is) I can get my shunt taken out sometime. I've never liked the idea of having a shunt, a long tube running from my head to my abdomen doesn't sound nice at all. When it was working (which it doesn't anymore as it's been tied off, so the ETV can do all the work), it makes funny noises like a bicycle chain spinning around when you cycle down a hill without peddling. I can also feel the shunt through my skin behind my ear and on top of my head, which is so unpleasant.
My hair is thinning and itchy due to radiotherapy and there's a few bald patches too. Luckily you can't see any of this as my hair was really thick before, all you can see is some spiky bits of hair from where I've had my brain operations for my hydrocephalus. The good thing about it being thinner, is that it's so much easier to handle than when it was thick, such as drying my hair is a lot quicker.
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| My hair from radiotherapy. |
Danielle X
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