Saturday 17 January 2009

A Mountain High

I've been contemplating the direction of the blog for the past few months. Conscious that as remission is progressing the posts have become less frequent.

Inspired by others blogs, I've re-discovered my passions for the mountains but rather than skew my cancer blog off in another direction I've decided to create a new blog, 'A Mountain High' http://www.amountainhigh.blogspot.com/ to chronicle my outdoor exploits.
This will leave this cancer blog truer to its original intent and ensure that its content is visible and accessible to others unfortunate enough to be going through a similar journey themselves. I'll add a link on the right-hand side to each blog so you can flick between them.

My cancer reinforced the need to make the most of your time, do the things you enjoy and not let life pass you by. Hopefully my new blog will help encourage and motivate me to do just that and if in any small way inspires others then even better.




One year and still clear!

On Friday I popped back to the Royal Marsden for a 2-month check-up which primarily relies on checking the AFP levels (a tumor marker which is used as an early indicator of cancerous activity in the case of my cancer-type) in my blood and which were again normal. There is always that awkward few seconds when you realise that the consultant hasn't actually checked you results before he comes into the room, and you can see him scanning down the paperwork to check the latest results. Thankfully they were normal, else his whole demeanour would have to change in an instant.

It was a bit of a milestone since it is now just over a year since my last operation - the longest time I've been cancer-free for 4 years (previously I've re-lapsed at 6 months, both times). Whilst I feel lucky, a visit to the RM is always rather sobering, particularly when I feel so fit and well and yet looking around you are instantly reminded what an insidious disease cancer is, affecting anyone and everyone, each all fighting their own battles, some winning and some not...

My check-ups are moving to quarterly from bi-monthly which means an extra month between having to worry about the results each time - there is a always a tiny bit of you which thinks 'what if'...but so far so good, and that's good enough for me!!