#10yearchallenge #2008 #2018

2008 was a big year for me! I was dating Markus, but still going to sea, I had no kids and no obligations, but paid off the last bit of mortgage left on my little flat in cologne…my ex Nick contacted me after disappearing for ten years, I went skiing and I had a PAP IV smear test result, an operation to remove the mutated cells straight away and I got the info that it was NOT cancer! I travelled through India by myself to do yoga and meditate and quit my seagoing career from an Internet cafe in the Himalaya, had my 15 years highschool reunion (with Sandra), went to my first Octoberfest ever, started landlife working for HRG (and I am still with them), ran my first half marathon and prepared for my first marathon and finished the year with the best murder mystery dinner party at Anne’s house!

2018 was just as big, but differently – it made me stronger! I now have two kids with Markus and despite the fact that Nick supports me a lot though my chemo, I have to disappear out of his life! This time I have an operation to remove the last cancer cells, which the chemos did not kill, have 10 extra kilos, I travel to Bali to do yoga and meditate and go skiing, have my 25 year high school reunion (without Sandra), go to my first Dreamball charity event and love working with several cancer charities, complete the Muddy Angel run, try to stay fit and finish the year at Simone’s house with a lovely dinner, Mia and her broken thigh!

Alaaf!! I rocked today, dropped off Leo, took Mia along to my running Mamas, went shopping and got a trim and even managed my household aid cancelling and a dentist appointment…. I am exhausted, but as my cousin and her daughter entertain my kids, I quickly throw together a costume, as I have just been spontaneously invited to Stunksitzung – a kind of alternative mardi gras session – tonight! I am cancelling my get together with my hometown peeps and hit the town!

I have yet another sleepless night!

To be mindful is to name your feelings and to accept them and right now, there is grief and sadness, which are choking me and I am sobbing, as I read the words my late childhood friend Sandra’s husband sends me along with some beautiful pictures. It is unbelievable that she passed away almost a year ago and though I did not have a lot of contact with her over the past years, can easily ‚keep busy‘ and distract myself, I now see that I need more room for this grief, embrace the vulnerability, as pushing it away, just does not make it any better! Actually any grief, as death is something that scares the hell out of me!

I am supposed to meet Mary, another fellow cancer blogger, who I met during the Janssen blogger workshop last year and I postpone it…..anything else seems so far away and not important. I let Mia watch a little movie and let it out…. I cry my eyes out and any of my little issues, my paperwork worries, the costumes for the kids…. it all seems so little. My new filling hurts…. I need to see the dentist again tomorrow! Who cares!

I dry my tears and meet Mary….but I take Sandra along with me!

There is no rain and the sun is out…. oh, it feels so good! Pure bliss!

Mum stays until I finish Music therapy and see my psychologist, the builder is hopefully fixing our floor for the last time and I want to go out with the kids after Leo finishes kindergarten….

I try to do as much admin stuff as I can and otherwise, I will slowly start my week and start making costumes for Karneval….

Despite tiredness beyond belief, I have a sleepless night and thank goodness there is „Babylon Berlin„… I am completely hooked on this tv series – brilliant – and actually finish it!

My muscles are tense and my bones hurt…. and then I have the idea of the century! Since Friday I am allowed to swim again…. I spend the morning with the kids, while Markus is sleeping, but Mum is here and I get my swim gear ready just before lunchtime. Leo wants to join me and once Markus is up, we go to the pool! Oh what bliss…. I love the giggle and endless excitement despite shivering blue lips – we have some chips and enjoy our quality time together, as Mia had a lot of attention lately, and my tiredness is all worthwhile!

Markus picks up Leo in the early afternoon for me to peacefully swim a few laps… I enjoy it so much and my body has been longing for this. My finger did not allow me to touch any water or do any sports since October and I indulge in the tranquility of this underwater world. In a way it is like meditation – a mindfulness exercise I have been missing so much!

Now is the moment I can have some me time, as my Mum is here and Markus sister is visiting, so I decide to go to the sauna… just one round, which turns into two….but it has been ages! This is it…. the constant rain is perfect in this scenario and I sip a tea and live the moment. Mindfulness at it’s best.

It works wonders, as a tired, but awefully happy me rides her bike through the rain to return home into our family chaos!

When was the last time you took some time off?!?

Cancer connections – we could have met in a pub, at a party or through friends, but our mutual ‚friend‘ is cancer and we actually met at a Janssen cancer blogger workshop, as my friend Don blogs about his cancer on Facebook. These are the connections I am grateful for and one of the positive side effects that came along with cancer!

Today there is no room for cancer though…. Don shows my kids the police vehicles. One might have had the impression that my kids were not very excited, as Leo pretended to be asleep, but it was just too exciting to handle the situation…. Leo has already bragged about it at our neighbours and reported en detail 😉…. Thank you, Don!

I look forward to the second workshop with Janssen and any of our little get togethers.

A dreadful night, my baby girl in pain and I am physically and emotionally exhausted, but apparently it just needs some time….

I am happy that Recover your Smile send me some pictures to sheer me up and I am thrilled that there was yet another positive scan result amongst my cancer peeps!

Have a great weekend!

Less than a month and I will be in rehab…. there is an unbearable mountain of to dos, but today is Mia and me day…. no worries in the world!

After physio, we drop off Leo in Kindergarten and meet the chemo sisters and their kids for a coffee, buy fruit at my favourite Tatjana Böhmer, get some second hand clothes, eat unhealthy stuff topped with some icecream and meet fellow cancer buddy Andrea for a coffee ❤️

5:30pm she will be live on TV in WDR’s „Hier und Heute“ with her project „Heldencamper“ – don’t miss it!

What a perfect day! Now home and of we have the energy, we will take the decoration of our Christmas tree (despite the fact that we are still in love, our ways have to part now, you beautiful tree)!

Bye bye active therapy, hello follow-up care….. whoooohooo!

I am tired and exhausted! Yes, I went out last night, but the kids were restless and I have a 8:00am lymphdrainage. I am being informed that I missed yet another appointment – the second one within one week…. it just shows that it is too much right now, but there is no alternative…. go go go!

Now, what is the info I get during my follow-up care appointment:

• the ultrasound of my breasts is all clear…. yipehhh!!

• my gynecologist is in charge of the follow-up plan (and the advise from my radiologist is apparently old school, which means no lung X-ray, no liver sonogram)

• manual breast check with my gynecologist every three months

• breast ultrasound every 6 months at the senologist incl. blood tests

• mammogram both sides once a year (not before April/May)

• the oncologist will check my blood during our final appointment end of this month and the focus will be on liver, ALP (alkaline phosphatase) for bones and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) – he will probably also do a liver sonogram

• due to the osteopenia he will also check my vitamin D level to see, if the dose can be increased

• CT will only be done, if the blood is peculiar or if I have any other physical abnormalities

• the last breast operation will be end of the summer once I am properly back in my ’normal‘ life

I wonder what my fellow cancer buddies have lined up for their follow-up care?!?

I feel good, have a coffee and go to my dentist appointment and then it is Mia and me time until I pick up Leo from his play date! I embrace normality and apart from two physio therapy appointments and a bit of organisation and paperwork, I will be in ’normal‘ mode – as far as my energy levels allow it – for the rest of the week 😉 Bring on more good news!

I promise the kids pancakes and as a result I am really stressed this morning, have no breakfast, rush Leo to Kindergarten and run to hospital….

Today, cancer life is back with an osteoporosis test …. osteopenia is a mild form of osteoporosis and considering my age, the bones are too fragile, but I guess this is a normal level considering the chemos I have been through and I am being referred to my doctor…. hmmm.

I am exhausted, the night was horrible and yet, I will see what the morning brings…. but first coffee! I stop at Café Schmitz and enjoy a bit of quietness and me time. Yes, I could be home with Mia, but I need some energy to look after her!

Having a sick child at home, means that I have no free time, when at home and by the looks of it, she will be home for another three weeks and I simply lack the energy, as I still have all my doctor appointments and admin to cope with too. I want to be there for my child, wish I could simply chill with her all day.

I receive my rehab paperwork and it exhausts me, but I finish all the paperwork and get it on the way! I am longing to go to rehab, but dreading to be away from the kids ….. the plan is that they come and stay nearby during week two, but I need to organise that!

I am anxious due to my appointment with Prof. Dr. Breidenbach tomorrow – when will the staging be done? What do I need to do for follow-up care? When? How? I will hopefully get all my answers I have been waiting for since December.

I will go home now and chill with Mia until I need to pick up Leo and any other issues, paperwork, calls and to dos will simply be ignored!