LWC Nurses take on Race for Life!

I may have mentioned the brilliant people I work with once or twice. The nursing department of LWC London have decided to tackle Race for Life 2013.

They will be doing 10k at the Blackheath course in July this year in support of a very dear work colleague of ours.

The nurses are all very supportive of the work I do with Cancer Research UK, they all fought very hard to make sure I could attend Parliament in June last year and they always support any petitions and donations I need. Please show them some support with any kind donations you can spare!

https://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/rices-runners

You can do it girls!

xxx

Macmillan - The Age Old Excuse Campaign

Today is my Yiayia's (Nan's) birthday. I am hugely lucky when it comes to grandparents; I had four that loved me more then anything. I have lost my paternal grandparents but I still have a very close relationship with my maternal grandparents. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to them.

The fabulous people are Macmillan Cancer Support are currently doing a brilliant campaign called the “Age Old Excuse”. They, and I, believe that there is no reason or excuse as to why older people with cancer are treated differently to the younger generations. The campaign wishes to make sure older cancer sufferers are treated based on their needs and requirements and not written off due to their age.

Macmillan are calling for several things (I am quoting the campaign directly here:)

*Older people to be offered treatment and care based on their fitness rather than their age

*Services to be made accessible to meet the needs of older people

*Staff to be given the time and training needed to provide the best possible care.

I have already pledged my support for this very important and worthwhile campaign. I would ask that you do the same. I lost my paternal grandparents to cancer and noticed they were treated in a completely different way to my twenty something aunts and uncles. This isn’t right and needs to be changed.

Please click the link and support this campaign, the older generation need to be protected and defended!!

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/GetInvolved/Campaigns/AgeOldExcuse/The%20age%20old%20excuse.aspx

xxx

Happy Birthday Auntie Eleni

I was speaking to my dad earlier and he pointed out that today should be my auntie Eleni's 44th birthday. 

She died at a very young age so it's hard for me to imagine her as a forty something. I like to think she'd be happily married and she would have some children who would have been my cousins and friends. She was a hairdresser so I like to picture her with her own salon.

I have my aunts old bus pass at home and it still has her last travelcard inside dated 1998. In front of that is a photo of myself, my sister Nikki and my cousin Alex. It makes me cry everytime I open it because it just shows what an incredible aunt she was. 

The saying goes that only an auntie can love you like a mother, keep secrets like a sister and share love like a friend. This is true. My auntie Eleni was devoted to get nieces and nephews. 

As always I find myself wishing I could spend the day with my dad, a man who has to bear the loss of his little sister every day. 

I am lucky enough to have inherited my aunt's curly hair and I have exactly the same laugh as her so she is always a part of me.

Miss you everyday Aunty Eleni,  Happy Birthday xxx

Curing Cancer - The Progress Being Made

Happy Friday one and all!

My most recent blog post was very blunt and negative so I have decided to follow it up with a nice positive post focusing on the incredible progress being made in the fight against cancer. I have been very impressed to research some of the incredible things Cancer Research have achieved and I am going to share some of them today. I hate it when people say no progress is being made, cancer is a horrific enemy and it will take slow and steady steps forward to beat it – we make those steps every day through the incredible work being done by CRUK and all the other charities out there. Believe me, I know it’s hard to remain positive but we are getting there slowly.

I am going to split this into individual cancer types and I hope this post fills you with some sort of hope knowing that progress is being made.

Lung Cancer:

Thirty thousand people die from lung cancer every year in the UK. Eighty percent of this deaths are related to smoking. As regular readers of this blog will know, myself and my amazing fellow Cancer Campaigns Ambassadors work with CRUK to help lower this horrific number. CRUK has made huge huge progress with this and I’m very proud to be a part of it. The scary fact is half of all long term smokers die a premature death due to their nicotine addiction. Smokers lose around ten years of their life on average.

CRUK works very hard to educate people on the dangers of smoking with medical advice and by influcing public policy. They have funded treatment which has been used to shape the NHS Stop Smoking Service. They are also avid supporters of National Non Smoking Day.

CRUK (and us Ambassadors) use their research to campaign and try to influence government policy:

*During the 1990’s CRUK funded research to support a ban on cigarette advertising.

*They were instrumental in seeing the smoking ban across the UK during 2006-2007, something that been predicted to save around forty thousand deaths per year in the UK. Research also suggests childhood asthma rates have fallen since the introduction of the smoking ban.

*”Out of sight out of mind” was my first campaign with CRUK. This played a major role in the removal of cigarette displays in larger retailers as well as cigarette vending machines.

*Our current campaign is “The Answer is Plain” which is aimed at preventing as many children and young people as possible from starting smoking in the first place. Research suggests plain packs will help protect the younger and future generations from the dangers of tobacco.

CRUK and their tenacious and passionate campaigning and research has helped reduce smoking rates by about twenty five percent during the past decade and this prevents thousands of cases of lung cancer every year.

Smoking is a huge cause of lung cancer but it isn’t the only one. CRUK also funds research into the presence of radioactive gas in the home, which could increase cases of lung cancer. They have also funded research in asbestos and this research is helping health and saftely officials save future lives.

As well as research into preventing cancer, CRUK has also provided research into treating lung cancer. They were involved in the development and testing of an array of drugs including Cisplatin and Etopside, both of which are commonly used to treat cancer of the lungs. They also developed a form of radiotherapy known as CHART4 which is used for lung cancer.

Breast Cancer:

Thousands and thousands of people in the UK now survive breast cancer thanks to huge advances in diagnosing, treating and preventing this form of cancer. Eighty percent of woman now survive the disease whereas only fifty percent would survive in the 1970’s.

CRUK researchers have been instrumental in discovering faulty genes that can lead to a heightened risk of developing breast cancer, including the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

In 2012 it was discovered that breast cancer can be split into ten subtypes. This was a huge step forward and is allowing scientists to understand the disease more and work out how best to diagnose and treat breast cancer sufferers in the future.

CRUK has provided research into lifestyle factors that can increase a persons risk of breast cancer. This research allows the charity to empower people with the knowledge of how to look after their bodies and try and lower their risk of developing the disease. HRT, obesity and  alcohol consumption have all been found to increase the risk of breast cancer, whilst exercise has been proven to lower the risk.

CRUK’s research also contributed to the development of the UK’s national breast screening programme and they continue to research ways to improve the programme. This screening saves lives.

 

Lifesaving drugs have also been research and developed as a result of CRUK research. Trials into Tamoxifen was funded by CRUK.

Cervical Cancer:

Research into cervical cancer has led to thousands of women surviving the diease. Two thirds of women diagnosed will survive now whereas less then half of those diagnosed in the 1970’s survived longer then ten years after diagnosis.

CRUK funded research into the causes of cervical cancer. They have discovered that smoking, taking the contraceptive pill, having a high number of sexual partners and having sex at a young age can all increase your risk. They also investigated the links between HPV and cervical cancer and found it to be the primary cause of cervical cancer across the world.

Smear tests have led to cervical cancer rates plummeting in the UK over the past two decades. These tests allow doctors to prevent cervical cancer and treat any abnormal cells promptly. CRUK research was responsible for the earliest studied into smears and this laid the foundations for the current screening programme. Research has shown that this programme is highly effective and prevents THOUSANDS of cancer cases every year.

HPV testing is due to be introduced to the UK one day soon as CRUK trials have been successful. This will improve the screening programme and save even more lives.

Childhood Cancer:

Only a quarter of childhood cancer sufferers would survive in the 1960’s. Three quarters of childhood cancer sufferers survive now.

CRUK were involved in a ten year study which has dramatically improved neuroblastoma survival rates by two thirds.

Almost every child diagnosed with retinoblastoma now survives the disease thanks to CRUK research amongst other things.

CRUK have been instrumental in researching genes which can cause childhood cancer including the genes involved in Wilms tumours.

They discovered that woman frequently given x-rays whilst pregnant are more likely to have children who develop lymphoma or leukaemia and this led to x-rays being limited during pregnancy.

This is just come of the incredible progress being made. I don’t want to make this post too long and bombard you with too much information in one go so I will continue in another post on Monday!

All your generous donations and all the time dedicated to cancer charities does help save lives. The research being carried out is very real and it is developing new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer. Cancer will be a thing of the past one day and that day will arrive if we continue to support these incredible charities and the hugely vital work they carry out every day.

Please read this post and realise that although it doesn’t look like much is being done on the outside and people are still dying of cancer, progress is being made.

This post is dedicated to my cousin Georgie, my godfather/uncle Sotiris, my auntie Eleni, my godmother/auntie Gina and my paternal grandparents Alexandra and Peter. Research wasn’t able to save them but I know the work I help do in their memory is making them proud wherever they are now. It is also dedicated to the people I love, I work with CRUK because I am determined to never lose another loved one to this horrific disease.

xxx

The Cancer Cure Conspiracy Theory

As a former politics student, I learnt the art of debating. My politics class was quite small and we had a great time learning together. Our debates were a great show and I really wish we had recorded them.

As a former politics student I am not afraid of having opinions and voicing them. I do try to make sure I am educated on a subject before debating them and I do try to keep an open mind and listen to others opinions.

However, there is one subject that REALLY bugs me and I feel I should address it in this post today. I find it hugely irritating when people post their conspiracy theories regarding “natural” cancer treatments on the CRUK Facebook page. I was appalled to see a post about a brave young girl beating cancer turned into a “bash CRUK post”. I am aware that miracles happen. Sometimes a person with a very bleak diagnosis will miraculously recover. Maybe natural remedies do help beat cancer. But I do not like this constant bashing of people who do not use natural remedies to treat cancer. I do not like these people stating their opinions as facts. I do not like people trying to claim a cure for cancer is being hidden by governments to keep people sick and spending money. It’s hugely disrespectful to the millions of cancer sufferers AND the thousands of people dedicated to curing cancer.

Please note this blog is my opinion only and I do not wish to offend anyone with what I state. I am not regarding my opinion as fact and I do welcome any proof that I am in fact wrong.

THERE WILL NOT BE A SINGLE CURE FOR CANCER.

Cancer is an umbrella term. It is not one disease. There are more then TWO HUNDRED cancer types. All types are different and one single cure will not be possible.

My Uncle Pan, a respected academic and someone who lost a wife and son to cancer, has written a blog post about this subject. He is much more articulate then me and he is also much more educated on the subject so I urge you to read his post and see what you think.

http://www.anticancer.org.uk/2011/06/miracle-cures.html

Without sounding blunt, there is no such thing as a miracle cure. Anyone who claims to be able to cure cancer with a product is not being entirely honest. Yes that product may have potential benefits but until it has been research, trialled and tested vigorously, it will not be a cure.

I’m not knocking homeopathic treatment and I agree that it can compliment, and even lessen the side effects of, conventional treatment. But I would NEVER allow a loved one to not have conventional treatment and just try these untested treatments instead. My uncle scoured the whole planet looking for a treatment that could cure Georgie. The sad truth is that treatment did not exist. We tried lots of things and every angle was considered but the truth is there is no cure for cancer at the moment.

I volunteer my time for Cancer Research UK because I believe in them. I have been to the labs and witnessed the research first hand. They are doing an incredible job of providing research into cancer. Lots of charities are. There are some incredible scientists out there, dedicating their lives to finding ways of beating cancer. I do believe cures are on the horizon but I believe there will be many many different types, not one cure for everything. I also don’t believe Cancer Research UK are out to make money and deprive people of proper treatments. CRUK is not government funded. I am proud to call several employees my friends and I can guarantee you that everyone who works there is passionate about the people they help. They all want to see the end of cancer.

I actually think these people claiming to cure cancer naturally are slightly dangerous and I would urge anyone to seriously consider medical advice and common sense when being told about these treatments. Yes chemotherapy is horrid. Yes surgery is painful. But these are tried and tested treatments with years and years of experience and proven results. They don’t work for everyone but they have saved MILLIONS of lives.

I would like to say that I wish everyone well with their battles with cancer. If someone genuinely believes they were cured naturally then fair play to them and I hope they are right. But I do not think it is right to dress these treatments up as miracles and possibly cloud the judgement of a desperate cancer patient looking for something that will cure them. Medicine has made huge advances over time and more and more people are surviving cancer all the time. We are on the right track and it will be slow progress but we will get there one day!

There is no treatment being hidden from us. There is no miracle cure out there. There will be cures one day but we need to keep up the research, keep up the awareness and remain steadfast in our determination to see the day when cancer is a disease of the past.

xxx

A Timeline of How Your Body Repairs Itself When You Quit Smoking

So I’ve done a few blog posts about smoking in the past and I have always tried to let you know of the facts whilst not making anyone feel like they have to quit. I know many people who are currently in the process of trying to quit smoking and wean their body off cigarettes. I have found a very interesting timeline which describes how your body begins to repair itself once you've stopped smoking and I thought it would be a good idea to highlight these milestones to encourage anyone going through the process to keep going! You can do it!

You can read my smoking related factsheet here: http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/lifestyle-choices-smoking.html

Timeline:

20 Minutes After Your Last Cigarette – the temperate of your hands and feet has returned to normal and so has your blood pressure and your pulse rate.

8 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – The nicotine levels in your bloodstream has reduced by 93.25% which is just 6.25% of your normal daily level at the peak of smoking.

12 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your carbon monoxide levels have dropped to normal whilst your blood oxygen levels have increased to normal.

24 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your anxiety level will have peaked in its intensity, making you crave a cigarette – this will return to a normal level within two weeks.

48 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your nerve endings which have been damaged by smoking will be starting to regrow. Your sense of smell and taste will begin to return to a normal level. Your anger and irritability levels will have peaked, making you very agitated.

72 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – You will be entirely 100% nicotine free!!!! On top of that you will have passed over 90% of all the chemicals nicotine breaks down into (nicotine metabolites) via your urine. Breathing is becoming easier for you and your lungs are being to increase in function. Your lung bronchial tubes which lead to your alveoli (air sacs) are beginning to relax as your body recovers. On the downside, your chemical withdrawal symptoms have peaked in their intensity and you will feel restless amongst other things.

5 to 8 Days After Your Last Cigarette – You will encounter an average of three cue induced craving episodes per day at this time. These shouldn't last longer then a few minutes.

10 Days After Your Last Cigarette – You will encounter less then two cue induced craving episodes lasting no longer then three minutes.

10 Days to Two Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – You should be at the point where your addiction isn’t controlling you anymore. The blood circulation in your teeth and gums will become similar to that of a non smoker.

2 to 4 Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – You should no longer be feeling any anger, anxiety, impatience, insomnia, depression, restlessness or finding it difficult to concentrate due to your withdrawal from cigarettes. If you do then you should make an appointment to have these symptoms assessed by a doctor.

2 Weeks to 3 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of a heart attack is starting to drop and your lung function is beginning to improve.

3 Weeks to 3 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Your circulation should be improving significantly. Walking will become easier. If you had a chronic cough as a smoker then it should be almost all gone (see a doctor if it hasn’t by this point).

8 Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – Your Insulin resistance will have normalised and you may have gained a little weight (the average weight gain at this point is 2.7kg).

1 to 9 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Cilia will have regrown in your lungs which means your lungs should have an increased ability to handle mucus, keep themselves clean and reduce infections. Your body’s overall energy level will have increased. Any shortness of breath, fatigue and sinus congestion related to smoking will have decreased significantly.

1 Year After Your Last Cigarette – Your heightened risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks and stokes will have decreased to less then half of what it was when you smoked.

5 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of a subarachnoid hemorrhage has declined to 59% of what it was when you smoked. Female ex smokers will now find their risk of developing diabetes has decreased to that of a non smoker.

5 to 15 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of having a stroke has decreased to that of a non smoker.

10 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of developing lung cancer has decreased to 30-50% of a smoker. Risk of dying from lung cancer has decreased by about half. Your risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pancreas, throat and oesophagus has declined significantly. Risk of developing diabetes has decreased to a similar level for a non smoker for both male and female former smokers.

13 Years After Your Last Cigarette – The risk of losing teeth related to your smoking will have declined to the same level as someone who has never smoked.

15 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of developing coronary heart disease is now the same as a person who have never smoked as is your risk of developing cancer of the pancreas.

20 Years After Your Last Cigarette – The risk of a female former smoker dying from a smoking related illness will have reduced to the same level as someone who has never smoked.

So those are the facts. The whole “damage is done so I may as well continue” thing is a myth. Your body can recover and repair the damage smoking has created. I’m not claiming you won’t get ill but you will give yourself a chance to repair the damage and potentially avoid major illnesses. Your hair, skin, nails, teeth etc…. will all improve. Your ability to exercise will improve. Your overall health and wellbeing will improve.

If you are attempting to quit smoking or have managed to do so then I salute you. I would highly recommend keeping an eye on how much money you are saving by not smoking as that is also a great incentive to keep going when the craving are driving you crazy. Let me know how you get on and I wish you luck!

xxx

A Tribute to Alice Pyne

I usually keep my emotions regarding cancer and death under control. After losing six relatives, I have become quite skilled at remaining calm whilst discussing the subject. I don’t cry very much about my relatives, although I do think about them everyday. Doing this blog and the charity work makes cancer seem less scary, although I do hate it with a passion.

However, on Saturday night, whilst scrolling through my Twitter feed, I found it very hard to control my emotions when reading about the tragic and untimely death of Alice Pyne. I never met Alice but her death really hit me hard and was a stark reminder of how cruel this damn disease is and how many amazing people it has taken from the world. I wanted to do a blog post in tribute to this amazing young girl who did so much good when suffering from something so terrible.

You may have already heard of Alice. She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma five years ago and sadly was told it was terminal. The incredibly brave young girl created her “bucket list” which was a list of all the things she wanted to do before she died. Now we live in a materialistic world and many of us dream of expensive holidays, expensive clothes and flashy cars. Not Alice, her list was humble and all about spending time doing amazing things with the people she loved. This was her list

* DONE - To go whale watching

* DONE - Visit Cadbury World

* DONE - To go to my school leaver’s prom

* DONE - To stay in the Chocolate room at Alton Towers

* DONE - To swim with sharks

* DONE ‘ish - To go to Kenya (got to go to Kent-ya)!

* DONE - To enter Mabel in a Labrador show

* DONE - Photo shoot with Milly, Clarissa, Sammie and Megs

* DONE - To have a private cinema party for me and my BFFs

* DONE - To design a Emma Bridgewater Mug to sell for charity

* DONE- To stay in a caravan

* DONE - To have a purple Apple iPad

* DONE - To meet Take That

* DONE - To have a nice picture taken with Mabel

* DONE - To have my hair done

* DONE - To have a back massage

Alice won a Pride of Britain award for her dedication to her campaign to get people to sign up to be bone marrow donors. FORTY THOUSAND people have signed up to the donor register directly because of Alice and her amazing efforts. That is an absolutely incredible legacy for a seventeen year old girl to leave behind. I’m hoping many more people will sign up in her memory and I have requested information from Anthony Nolan this morning to discover if I can donate myself because beautiful Alice’s story has touched me so much.

Alice leaves behind her devoted parents and her little sister Milly and my thoughts are with them at this horrific time. I hope they can take comfort from the fact that Alice made such a huge and significant mark on the world during her short life and that hopefully all these donors that have signed up because of her will help other children survive this horrific disease.

I think Alice was an amazing young girl, I can only hope to match her achievements in life. She was a role model to all and I sincerely hope she is at peace and free from pain now. If there is a heaven, I like to think Georgie has met her at the gates to show her around and look after her. I have an image in my head that all these beautiful and amazing people that have been stolen from us are all friends together somewhere safe and happy, awaiting the people they love.

RIP Alice – what a legacy you have left behind. xxx

For more information on Alice please visit her blog -  http://alicepyne.blogspot.co.uk/

For more information on Anthony Nolan and becoming a bone marrow donor – please visit http://www.anthonynolan.org/

xxx

Cancer Treatment – Surgery

Happy Monday one and all – the first proper day of normality for us all after the Christmas and New Year period!

Thank you very much for all the lovely comments about my recent Chemotherapy blog post – I’m so so happy that people are finding it helpful. I’m going to continue to focus on treatment options today and today’s blog post will concentrate on surgery.

Surgery literally means cutting tissue from the body. This can be a relatively simple procedure done as an outpatient, or it can be more complicated and result in a stay as an inpatient. Sometimes you will have local anesthetic and be awake for the procedure, other times you will be knocked out with general anesthetic.

Cancer and Surgery:

Surgery is used in many ways when it comes to cancer:

A biopsy can be used to diagnose cancer. This means a small piece of tissue will be removed by a surgeon to be analyzed. If this contains cancerous cells then it may be able to show what type of cancer and how aggressive it is.

Surgery is one of the most important treatments for cancer. As I repeat often, cancer is usually easier to treat the earlier it is found and often surgery may be the only treatment needed in those cases where the cancer is found early. Surgery can cure cancer that is localized to one area and has not yet started to spread. Your surgeon will try to remove the tumour as well as normal tissue surrounding it. This is known as a clear margin. The closest lymph nodes are also removed in some cases.

Unfortunately comes surgeons will discover that the cancer has started to spread during an operation. In these cases, the surgery plan may need to be altered, may take longer or may be abandoned altogether.

Surgery is not usually able to cure cancers that have spread by themselves. In these cases, other treatments, such as chemotherapy, may also be used.

Surgery can also be used to reconstruct body parts that have to be removed due to cancer. For example, Georgie had his jaw replaced by other body tissues whilst suffering from osteosarcoma. Another example is ladies that have to have mastectomies can have their breasts reconstructed.

Surgery can also be used to prevent or reduce your cancer risk. In the news recently it was revealed that Sharon Osbourne and Michelle Heaton have had mastectomies after discovering they carry the BRCA gene that can increase their risk of developing breast cancer. Some people with these kind of gene mutations can opt for surgeries that may reduce their risk of developing the disease.

Surgery is also used to extend the patients life and relieve them of their symptoms if their cancer cannot be cured. For example, blockages can be removed and tumours pressing on nerves or organs can be removed.

Surgery may also be used within other treatments, for example, a central line can be inserted into the main vein in your chest to provide you with chemotherapy.

When Surgery is Used: Some cancer types can be treated with surgery alone, others need surgery alongside other treatment and some people don’t need surgery. Your cancer type and its stage and grade will be taken into consideration when your medical team are trying to decide if surgery is an option for you. Your general health will also be considered.

The position of your tumour is also important as if it is in a delicate position, for example, need a blood vessel, then the risk of surgery causing a lot of damage may be too great.

Surgery is not used for all cancer types. For example, Leukaemia is not usually treated with surgery.

What to Expect with Surgery: Your surgery will depend on a number of factors, these factors will dictate how complicated your surgery will be and whether you will need to be monitored by hospital staff as an inpatient.

Depending on your cancer type and how aggressive it is, you may have a few weeks between finding out you need surgery and your actual surgery date. This will give you time to prepare and to sort things such as work and childcare out. It can also be a very worrying time and it is completely normal to feel nervous before a surgery.

It can be worthwhile to use this time to write a list of any questions you have to ask your medical team. It is vital you and your loved ones are clear about what you need to do before and after the operation as well as knowing what you can all expect after the surgery. You can also use this time to try and sort out a fertility back up, if you are going to be considering having a family once your cancer ordeal is over.

It is also vital to prepare your body for surgery as best you can – try to cut down or stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Eat healthily and try to get some rest if you can.

If you are going to be staying in hospital, use this preparation time to get some things together for your stay – books, magazines, music, films, nice pajamas etc….

If you are very nervous then there are meditation and relaxation methods you could try to ease your emotions in the run up to your surgery.

There are tests everyone has to do before having surgery to check you are ok to have anesthetic and surgery. These include electrocardiogram to check your heart, chest x rays for your lungs, blood tests for your blood count and ability to fight infections and urine tests for kidney function.

You will meet the team in charge of your care before having your surgery, including the surgeon and the anesthetist. Be sure to ask them any questions you have.

You will need to sign consent forms before surgery. This is a written agreement giving the surgeon permission to do the operation. Before you sign, your surgeon should sit you down and explain why you need the operation, whether you have any other treatment options, the aim of the surgery, the risks and complications, how the surgery will be done and any possible side effects. All this information should be written down for you but please make sure you are clear about everything before you sign the form. Ask any questions – the surgeon really won’t mind!

 Make sure you follow any rules in the build up to surgery with regards to food and drink, jewellery and make up, contact lenses, false teeth etc….

 If you are having an anesthetic then this will all be explained to you before hand.

After Surgery: It is completely normal to feel sleepy, groggy, cold, sick, sad, tearful and anxious and confused after surgery. Some people won’t feel this way and others will, it completely depends on the patient. You will be continuously checked on by the nurses looking after you so they can keep an eye on your blood pressure, pulse and your temperature as well as the surgery wound.

You will be monitored for possible problems after surgery such as infections, blood clots and fluid around the wound, although hopefully you won’t have to endure any of that. You may need physiotherapy or some other kind of aftercare but that will all be described to you.Any pain you have should be well controlled and should subside gradually. Make sure you tell your nurse if you don’t think you have enough pain relief.

Surgery can be a very successful way of treating cancer. It is also a very scary time for anyone. I hope this blog post has helped in some way and I really do hope anyone approaching their surgery date is well looked after and comes out fighting fit.

As always, my very very best wishes to anyone suffering from cancer.

xxx

January = Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

So! I think any regular readers of this blog will know that I am slightly obsessed with the fact that cervical cancer can be PREVENTED. I have done numerous blog posts on the subject and I would like to put them in one handy place to raise awareness as this month is cervical cancer awareness month.

Girls, please have a read and book in for your smear if you haven't had one for a while.

Boys, please have a read and support your mum, sister, aunt, girlfriend, daughter etc..... if she is due for a smear.

For more information, advice and support, please visit Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/jos-cervical-cancer-trust.html

Prevent rather then cure people!

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/a-must-read-post-for-girls.html

Cervical Cancer - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cancer-types-cervical.html

A Cervical Cancer Survivor - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/cancer-campaigns-ambassador-showcase.html

Smear Tests - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/a-new-project-cervical-cancer-screening.html

Treatment for Abnormal Cervical Cells - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/cervical-cancer-project-treatment-for.html

Cervical Cancer Vaccinations - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/cervical-cancer-vaccines.html

Sending lots of love to anyone battling cervical cancer right now and to all we have lost to the disease.

xxx

Cancer Treatment - Chemotherapy

Happy Thursday one and all! Although it feels like a Tuesday to me! Welcome to my first factual blog post of 2013! Today I will be focusing on chemotherapy treatment.

Before I start, I just want to say that I find it incredibly frustrating when I see people commenting on Facebook and Twitter about how chemotherapy is a fake treatment that is used to keep people ill and people should be focusing on natural remedies to cure them. I think people should remember that every cancer case is different and what works for one person may not work for another. So please try to have a little respect for everyone’s treatment choices and understand that there are thousands of people working to make cancer a thing of the past – there are no secret cures being hidden to keep people ill. Chemotherapy, although harsh and unpleasant,  does do a brilliant job with some cancer types and can help some patients beat the disease.

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy basically means drug treatment. In cancer terms it means using cell killing drugs to treat the tumour. There are more then ninety different types of chemotherapy drugs and new ones are currently being developed as we speak. A cancer patient may be given just one of the drugs or they be given a combination of them.

Chemotherapy isn’t suitable for every cancer patient. Whether this treatment option will benefit you, as well as the type of drug you require, will depend on several factors:

*Your cancer type

*The original body part the cancer originated in

*The grading of the tumour

*The stage of the cancer and whether it has spread

*Your general health and wellbeing

Chemotherapy is sometimes used alongside other treatment types such as radiotherapy, hormone therapy or biological therapy. It can also be used before and/or after surgery. High dose chemotherapy, using an infusion of stem cells or bone marrow may also be used. This is known as a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, but I will focus on those in another post.

How Chemotherapy Works

Our bodies are made up of billions of individual cells. When we are fully grown, these cells stopped dividing as much and spend most of their time in a resting state. From this point they usually only divide if they need to repair damage. Cell division usually means one cell divides into two identical cells. Two divide into four, then eight etc….. but with cancer the cells keep on dividing until a mass forms. This then becomes a lump, which then becomes known as a tumour. Cancerous cells will divide much more then a normal cell would.

Chemotherapy will damage the dividing cells as it enters into the patients bloodstream. The cells currently trying to divide are at risk of being damaged by the chemotherapy and the chemotherapy will then kill the cell by damaging the nucleus which is telling it to divide. It can also interrupt the chemical processes which cause cell division. The chemotherapy damages the genes inside the nucleus. Some of the drugs will damage the cells on the verge of splitting whilst others will damage the cells whilst they are making copies of the genes before splitting. Resting cells are less likely to be damaged by chemotherapy.

If you are having a combination of chemotherapy drugs then they will be doing different things and attacking the cancerous cells at different points, creating more of a chance to kill off more cancerous cells.

Chemotherapy drugs circulate around the body  through the bloodstream in what is known as a systemic treatment. It should be able to reach cancerous cells in almost any part of the body and can be done in many forms:

*Injections into the bloodstream

*Tablets or capsules

*Intravenous infusions/Drips into the bloodstream

Chemotherapy can be in tablet or capsule form for you to swallow. You can take these at home but will need regular visits to the outpatient department to have regular blood tests and check ups. You will usually have your first dose in hospital to make sure you don’t have any reactions to it.

Continous low dose chemotherapy is usually administered through a pump that you wear twenty four hours a day so chemotherapy is constantly released into your bloodstream. The pump will need to be changed regularly.

Chemotherapy can also be administered through your veins and this will take place at the chemothertapy day unit. This can take a few minutes or a few hours and can be done in different ways:

*A cannula is a small tube which will be put into a vein in your hand or arm.

*Central lines are sometimes used and can be put into your neck for short term chemotherapy or your chest for long term chemotherapy

*PICC line’s is a type of central line which is put into a vein in your arm

*Portacath or port’s are a small chamber which sits under your skin at the end of the central line in your chest.

The amount of chemotherapy used is individually based on the patient and is worked out according to your weight, height and general health.

Chemotherapy kills dividing cells which, in some way, explains why side effects happen. For example, many chemotherapy patients lose their hair because hair follicles are always growing and dividing so your hair will grow. These dividing cells can attract and be attacked by chemotherapy. The good news is, healthy cells can normally replace and repair themselves, which is why most patients hair will grow back once they stop having chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy Curing Cancer

The chances of chemotherapy being a success and curing your cancer will depend on a number of factors including the type of cancer your have. For example people testicular cancer can usually see good results with chemotherapy. Other types of cancer will be treated with chemotherapy alongside another treatment option as chemotherapy won’t be enough to cure it on its own.

For those patients that are unlikely to be cured, chemotherapy can be used to shrink the cancer, relieve the symptoms and to control the cancer to give you a longer life.

Chemotherapy can also be used to put the cancer into remission, which means there is no sign of cancer after the treatment. Complete remission means the cancer is not seen on scans, x rays, blood tests etc…. whilst partial remission means some of the cancer has been killed but not all of it and whilst the tumour has shrunk, it can still be seen on scans.

The Uses of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy can be used for lots of reasons:

*To shrink the tumour before surgery

*To try and prevent the cancer returning after surgery

*To treat cancers that are very sensitive to this particular treatment

*To treat a cancer that has spread from it’s original origin

If you have chemotherapy before surgery then it’s aim is to reduce the tumour to make it easier to be completely removed. This is known as primary treatment or neoadjuvant treatment. If you have chemotherapy after surgery then it’s aim is to lessen the risk of the cacner returning in the future and to kill of any microscopic cells that may have been left behind when the tumour was removed. This is known as adjuvant treatment.

It is important to note that chemotherapy isn’t always used, especially if your particular cancer type isn’t very sensitive towards it.

Having Chemotherapy

With high dose chemotherapy you may need to stay in hospital. This is because it is an intensive type of treatment and it can have more side effects. You will also be at risk of picking up infections so staying in hospital will ensure these can be picked up on quickly and treated promptly.

Your reaction to chemotherapy may be different to others and it is important to do what is best for you. Some people find they can live a relatively normal life during their treatment and others struggle emotionally and physically. There is nothing wrong with either of these reactions and it is important to only do as much as you can.

It is vital that chemotherapy patients eat and drink as healthily as they can and get as much rest as possible. It is perfectly normal to feel tired, not be able to sleep and not be able to eat properly.

If you have a job then your workplace should be as understanding as they can be as should a school if the patient is of school age. If you are unemployed then you will need to contact the Department for Works and Pensions and switch from JSA to ESA. Regular notes from your doctor may be required.

Most chemotherapy patients will need to adapt their normal routines during treatment and for a little while afterwards. Your food  and drink preferences may also change for a while. You may need to prepare yourself for hair loss but support can be provided for you so please take advantage of that. Lean on your loved ones for support and also explore the emotional support options available at the place you are having treatment.

I think this blog post is the best one I have done yet. I have learnt so much about chemotherapy and don’t find it as scary as I did before I researched it. I watched several relatives have chemotherapy and it is a very scary thing to watch. I can only imagine how horrible it must make you feel and my heart goes out to anyone having chemotherapy and anyone that has had it in the past. I hope this post has helped you to understand the treatment.

xxx