Waiting
By Andy Burrows, 11 November 2018 Life at Base Camp Before I give you my reflections on what’s driving my attitude at the moment, it’s worth giving a quick update on my situation to set the scene. I think I mentioned last time that things had settled down after my chemotherapy. My blood counts have…
Treatment Update 21 October 2018
By Andy Burrows, 21 October 2018 I thought, rather than anything too deep, it’s probably time for a news update and a look back over my chemo experience. I have now arrived at Base Camp, using my Everest-climb analogy! I had three cycles of R-ICE chemo, which meant three 4/5-day stints staying in Basingstoke Hospital.…
My Mount Everest
Andy Burrows, 8 October 2018 There is no doubt that my fourth battle with cancer is the toughest challenge of my life. I feel the need to make that clear. I’ll explain what makes it tough in a minute. And I’m not losing my positivity and optimism when I say this. I guess I just…
Being That Guy
Andy Burrows, 30 September 2018 Hello! It’s been a while! I can remember writing in one of my articles about my 2015 relapse that I wanted, “to do other things rather than constantly being ‘that guy who has cancer’.” A few months later, I went on to write, “I’m trying to close the door,…
My 1st Re-Birthday (Cancer and Me 71)
So, as I’ve learnt from previous stem cell and bone marrow transplant patients, today is my 1st “re-birthday”. This time last year I was having stem cells infused after a week of high dose chemotherapy in a little sterile room in Southampton Hospital. I’m in a few Facebook groups for lymphoma suffers/survivors and bone marrow…
31 May 2016 (SCT Day +175) – Closing the Door on Round Three (Cancer and Me 70)
The milestones in recovery after cancer treatment are often so subtle as to be imperceptible. Certainly after my stem cell transplant, whilst the first signs of recovery in white cell counts were within days, and for a few weeks I was making tangible progress in being able to do things, after a couple of months…
21 April 2016 (SCT Day +135) – So Slow (Cancer and Me 69)
One of the things I notice when reading the blogs of other lymphoma sufferers is that very often after finishing the account of their chemo or stem cell transplant there are no further entries. I am constantly left wondering how long does recovery take? When did they feel normal again? When did they stop feeling…
I’ve published my first book!
Having a book published is quite a big deal. And this was my first experience of self-publishing, using Createspace, Scrivener, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kobo Writing Life, iTunes Producer… and good ol’ Microsoft Word! So my first published book is now available to buy. This one is merely the compendium of ‘cancer and me’ blog entries…
Heading Towards Transition – 1 March 2016 (SCT Day +84) (Cancer and Me 68)
It feels like about the right time for an update, even though it doesn’t feel like there is much of interest to say. When I saw one of my haematology doctors and the nurse specialist in Basingstoke Hospital on 27th January all was well. The only thing I asked about was the ridges that have…
Mini Ups and Downs (SCT Day +47) – 24 January 2016 (Cancer and Me 67)
I’ve been home from hospital a month now. Considering what I went through, so I’m told, my recovery is going pretty well. But sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, probably because I’m impatient. For instance, one of my targets was to get to the point where I could stop being careful who I see and…