'Tis the Season

Once you are through the acute phase of treatment, appointments tend to be like buses - and I'm now in my appointments season.

Oncologist, UKFOCSS blood test and GP (new prescription) are down, and genetic counsellor, bone density scan, mammogram and surgeon are all to come between now and the beginning of December. And, of course, they are clustered round what is also anniversary season - being told it was probably cancer, confirmed diagnosis, surgery, pathology results.

Cancer treatment and early years follow-up at times can feel like a full time job; which is a bit of a problem when you have one already. It must be even worse for those who are working single parents.

In some ways it was easier to fit work and daily radiotherapy together than work and some of the follow-up. With radiotherapy, thanks to the very helpful staff at Mount Vernon, I managed to get most of my appointments at the end of the day.  That way I could go to work and then at about 3.4pm nip down the M1 and round the M25.  Of course, the journey home afterwards wasn't much fun and usually I just fell into bed once I got there.  But at least it was possible.  With a scan timed for about mid-day at a hospital 30 miles in the opposite direction from the office, work is a bit more tricky.  Then there are all the other things in life that I want time to do; such as sitting in the British Library getting excited about people who lived 500 years ago!

I am therefore very grateful that I work for a supportive organisation, with trustees who understand the problems of life, work and medical appointments. Hopefully, the appointments will thin out a bit more in the next couple of years.  In the meantime I will continue to juggle work, play and appointments thanks to my "page a day" diary.