Endometrial cancer

[PhilPepper]

Howdy Lampwork

Well done. Feeling better and generating normal fatigue. Hopefully that helps you sleep well too. Hopefully you'll be doing some Lampwork soon.

💮🌸💮🌸💮🌸💮🌸💮🌸💮🌸💮🌸💮🌸💮🌸

I love the sound of your garden. I have a pink and a white clematis. I harvested seeds from them and planted a few weeks ago. They don't seem to be growing unfortunately.  I also tried a bunch of raspberry seeds but got nothing. I'm going to put my pumpkins, squash,  cucumber and corn in the garden next week when I'm feeling strong enough. They are going nuts in the greenhouse. I'll leave the tomatoes in pots until November. Melbourne cup day is tomato planting day in Canberra. 

All my cuttings from grape vines, black berry, Apple and pear trees are going well this season from new cuttings. I have a lot of apricot root stock from last season I want to mature this season. Next year I'll collect a variety of plum, peache, nectarine and apricot cuttings and graft them on. I have a lot of good bases with 2 and 3 branches so I can graft something different on each branch.

I can't do much in my garden this week but I'm enjoying watching it spring to life. Between cycles, I cleaned out my hydroponics because nothing grew. I started in again and now my cos, icebergs and rocket are starting to emerge. I started on leafy plants as an experiment, but it's funny because the lettuce in the garden bed went to seed and sprouted babies all over the backyard. We did a mass cleanup and transferred them to the garden bed. I can't wait til I can eat lettuce again. I miss salads.

It's sad your mother lost her sight. My mum has Alzheimer's. Cancer is probably kinder. I'm glad that neither of my parent's can know about my cancer. It's a pain they didn't need to know. Still, my goal is to outlive them both and not let this hideous disease beat me. I have 27 years to beat Dad. I don't think Mum will push it up. But then I set a new goal. I wan't to live to 82. The year 2054. 100 years since Elvis started pumping out rock 'n' roll. I'll be playing this song to the great grand kids. I hope my fingers can still work the strings.

🗣🎙🎵🎶🎶🎵🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎵🎵🎶🎵🎵

🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

It's good to have a goal. 😁

I'm so glad your mending and feeling better. You've inspired me. I'm finding my rhythm. It's a pitty I never can before the chemo cycle starts.

Cheers

Phil

[PhilPepper]

Hi Ginger Rogers

Did you find your dance moves? Are you kicking out some nasty feelings?

I've been inspired to write a song and you're in it. I can't pick up my guitar at the moment though. I was thinking about my journey so far and the influence and support I've had from this community, especially this thread, which is breaking the record I may add.

But anyhoo... I was thinking of some verses and it's had to include you. Don't worry. It's not referencing lunatics. I'll see what I can do with a line about cheese. 

🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀

Take care. I hope your son is doing better.

Ciao

[Lehiatus]

Hey Phil,

The long weekend here in Victoria has given me a bit of space to shuffle. Last week I really hit a wall. I had another doc appointment which just really stripped me of me hope for a day. So I dug a doona cave, had a really good snotty wailing cry in the shower, and then re-emerged a better human i hope! 

I’ve loved reading about everyone’s gardening Adventures- we’re currently growing hundreds of veg and flower seedlings for the spring. We’re still getting 1 degree mornings so can’t plant yet. It’s fairly new land, which was an old potato farm, so trying to get the soil back to a good sort takes time.  We’ve planted so many fruit trees, which is exciting, and our veggie patch while a bit dormant is starting to produce again. I’ve got lovely purple broccoli coming at the moment, strawberries, peas, kale, cauliflower, broad beans, raspberry, rhubarb, beetroot, silver beet and all the herbs. 

Totally curious about this song Phil. Gotta make sure it’s gotta a catchy chorus and a wail or an ‘oh oh oh’ in there. Plus cheese for sure! Can’t wait to hear it! 

How are you feeling today btw? 

Cheers 

claire 

[PhilPepper]

Hi Ginger

I'm jealous of your garden already. I was looking to buy a plot for planting the vines and trees I've been growing, but... you know... bloody cancer. Undoes dreams and plans.

I'll put some effort into chorus. I tend to shy away from needless repetition in a song and keep it interesting in other ways. Trying to break the pattern of normal radio type songs that have cursed us so many years. I started listening to some old brass blues and jazz when we went to Norfolk Island last you. It really inspired me so I started focussing on a folk style of writing instead. I know... brass blue inspired folk. Right!!!

I'm sure I can manage cheese. I wrote a song I affectionately call the cabbage song. Long story. And my daughter was discussing guitar chords when she described "a regular C" as opposed to a bar chord C. I told her I had no idea what she was talking about but I liked the sound of a regular C so I wrote a song about that too. 

But my day is starting to dive. I've just called the after hours Oncology support. I may be back to hospital today or tomorrow. Waiting for a call back. Isn't it the way? Start off great and fall into a heap. At least I'm on top of it early this time.

Chemo sucks balls. 

[PhilPepper]

And here I am.  Back in the hospital. Mr pin cushion. Stab me. Bleed me. Fill me with fluid. Nice way to ruin a beautiful day.

Chemo sucks balls.

[Budgie]

I hope you feel better soon Phil.  Are they keeping you overnight?  You can never sleep well in a hospital - always too much noise & nurse interventions.

Think of your beautiful pooches to wile the time away. 

🐕🐩🦊

[PhilPepper]

Hi Budgie

Yep. In overnight. Sleep isn't important. I get up at regular times because of my stoma. I'm the rowdy one in this joint.

I'd like to bring the princess and the pumpkin in with me but I'm toxic and can't touch them anyway.

I'm the meantime, chemo is suspended. Not sure if it will restart this cycle.

Ho hum. Not feeling like a soldier at the moment. Just a pin cushion. Just another day in the big house.

Thanks for reaching out. I hope you are feeling well.

Ciao

🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀

[sch]

I'm starting to think you just like being in  hospital...*sarcastic eye roll*

What for?  Infection?

-sch

[Lehiatus]

Chemo definitely sucks balls. Sorry Phil, there’s no getting around it- it’s just shit. I can only hope you are back home soon. In the interim, I’ll continue my expletive laden screaming into the night for you. I’m going to try and exceed my last record which was 25 fouls words tied together with only one gasp for air. It seems fitting.

Hugs.

[PhilPepper]

Hi Sch

I could hear them rolling from here. Nearly as loud as my wife's eye.

Chemo toxicity is too much for my frail little body. I can't absorb water despite hydrolites and can't seem to drink enough to counter. It's all going to hell in a stoma bag.

My Capecitabine has been put on hold tonight. It may be aborted again this cycle too. Waiting to see how I go. Hopefully just one night's stay.

Ho hum. Wearing as I need to. Just need to remember I live a strange normal these days.

Ciao