The last few days, I have been a little overwhelmed by the events of the last couple of months. It all seemed to suddenly hit me like a sledge-hammer, but now I am ready to complete the last post for this category.

I have been surprised at how quickly I got to feel almost back to normal – physically. I have just a few mobility issues, but my strength needs working on as soon as I am allowed to. I do get tired more easily and often need a nap during the day if I want to not have to go to bed too ridiculously early in the evening. I do feel a lot less tired as in late winter and spring, as already touched upon in a previous post, and would urge everybody to pay attention to their general well-being, and not ignore persistent feelings of fatigue, no matter how diffuse.

My follow-up consultation with the surgeon (or one of them) was brought forward to 5 August. The final results were in, it was still good news, and the surgeon wanted to let me know as soon as possible.

No chemo (which would have been very unexpected and which I would not have done anyway), and also no radiation (which I had psyched myself up for, and would probably have done, but I am very happy not to have to make the decision).

BUT they are recommending hormone inhibitors for five years in an attempt to avoid recurrence, so that is a major decision to have to make. It has never taken much for me to feel that life was not worth living, and I have many “better-to-be-dead-then” scenarios. Chemotherapy is one of them, and the side effects of hormone inhibitors another. I have an appointment with my gynecologist to discuss this next week.

What I will do is lead as anti-inflammatory, and thus anti-cancer, a lifestyle as I possibly can (even if it means dropping red wine altogether 😊). With the growing awareness that diet and exercise can play a big role in trying to stave off cancer, that will be my project now that I have to decide what to do with my life in an age of pandemics, with – for now – no cancer, and – forever – no dog ☹.

I am considering consulting a naturopath, for example this one. I am also continuing the mindfulness meditation routine I started prior to surgery, and I have dusted off my infrared lamp and have started using it for scar treatment and general well-being.

Before surgery, I sold all my very heavy Canon and Sigma gear and bought a much lighter Fujifilm camera and – so far – two lenses. However, I am still waiting for the urge to take photos to reappear. If and when it does, the results will appear in future posts.