It occurred to me late last night that I haven’t blogged in so long! Between living through a pandemic and homeschooling three children I’ve let things slip it’s true. When I first started blogging it was a release for me, to put the things I was feeling down and get it out of my system. Then when Dylan finished treatment the first time I started running and found a new escape and a love for exercise, so writing took a back burner as I didn’t need it in the same way.
Despite the challenges that 2020 bought I am proud of all I achieved, I managed to finish my level three teaching assistant course, and I ran lots, including the virtual Race to The Stones 100K and the virtual London Marathon. My eldest ran with me and got up to six miles, he has continued this and wants to do a 15K this spring.
But I think the biggest achievement of 2020 has to go to Dylan.. as he finished treatment again! Yep that’s right.. Surprise! Bet you thought we had another year left of Chemotherapy didn’t you?.. So did we!! It turned out on doing his 12 month review that he didn’t actually relapse in his lungs like a certain other hospital originally noted, it was isolated to his spine. Had this been confirmed at the start he probably would have had a different type of chemo but at least the one he did have we knew the side effects from last time. That being said, because it is a stronger chemo it was deemed twelve months was sufficient. His recent MRI looked great, lots of healing going on and no signs of active disease so he is NAD (no active disease) status!!
A extra big thank you to End of Treatment Bells for loaning us a bell so he could celebrate this momentous occasion at home with us all in November. Because of Covid restrictions it wasn’t possible for more than one parent to accompany him to the ward and of course we all wanted to hear him ring the bell. When he saw his professor and got the good news I was lucky enough to be called on speaker by dad so I could hear it. They had gone for Chemo and been told that the consultant wanted to see him so I worried it was bad news from the MRI and panicked when my phone rang but luckily it wasn’t and I believe I screamed out loud!
As 2021 begins we are of course back in Lockdown and homeschooling again. For me I am using RED January as a way to keep my mind healthy as well as my body. RED January was started to encourage people to be active everyday and raise money to support those with mental health problems through exercise. Check out Sport in Mind to see what they do.
Speak soon xoxo
