The story continues with the night before our 11 hr flight. We are visiting family in Cali. Packing all happened last minute so I’m a bit distracted. My arm is feeling a bit sore but I’m kind of ignoring it as I am a bit busy and no time to pay attention to it. The site in my arm where I had my first chemo is swelling up and very tender to touch. I’m doing other things so just carry on.
Finally sit down on the plane and have time to think. Its been 5 weeks since I had chemo in my arm and the vein is very inflamed. How…. I don’t have a clue and now getting pissed off with random side effects and the fact that I’m now on a flight for 11 hrs and travelling without insurance basically as no one will insure me cos I am too special !
We reach home, none of us have slept for 22 hrs and it is my nephews birthday so what do we do…. we all head out for dinner!!!
Cheers everyone !!
Next morning, my arm has become very painful. It is not right and I think it needs seeing to and fast. The redness and swelling is travelling up my arm and you can feel the bulging vein through my skin. I have a group of fellow warriors online through facebook who are at hand day or night! Its my first port of call. Within minutes, I have numerous responses. It seems I may have an infection in the vein and worst case scenario is I need to see a doc and get antibiotics.
I drop a message to my chemo nurse who is also always on the other end of my phone who confirms it is phlebitis!! Inflammation of the vein which can be randomly caused by chemo. Anyway a bit of a scare but some steroid cream and 24 hrs later we are all ok. It is calming down and we are ready to continue our hols. Mananged to avoid a visit to docs on holiday!!!
The year has been truly and utterly pants from the offset and for various reasons, I just wanted to do something different on Christmas day. I had been saying for months that I just wanna take a stroll along the beach….. so we did just that !! Was a bit windy but hey, cleared the cobwebs !!!
We have been in LA for just 6 days!! Packed so much in even with my phlebetic arm! Christmas eve with the entire Cheema clan staying up till 2.30am…. big achievement for me!!!
12 hours spent in Universal Studios, Hollywood, a bit of shopping, some therapy (my next blog) and a fair bit of eating!!
It is not my usual trip to a theme park. With floating cancer cells, the last thing you want to do is sit on a ride being flung and jolted around as things can spread. For the same reason, massages and chiropractic treatment are also out. Just things you learn along the way! I keep this fact to myself whilst in the park just so I could go on the Harry Potter and Minions ride without everyone worrying for me!! They were the milder ones and I enjoyed them well !!!
I am so grateful to have such caring family in a lovely part of the world!! Where I am truly looked after, where I can call home. Where I am totally comfortable, where the kids are happy and we can forget even just for a little while and I did. I have the best brother in law and sister in law that one could ask for and just had the best time in LA!! The sun always shines in Cali and lifts the mood!! Maybe I should move!
This is me living with cancer…… no its not …. this is cancer living with me !!!
My Beautiful Life 
Hi Sal Merry Christmas!! I think of you often since you share so much and the big C is randomly stalking all of us. Maybe moving closer to family and friends would be good for a while. I know it would be hard for everyone but you need support. Also the medical care may be different in the US to offer new options? Wishing you a better 2019! Hugs, Theresa
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