Hello people!
I've been a bit out of the loop lately cuz i've been engrossed in getting my salon ready for opening on the 1st.
I feel really selfish, like i'm moving on a bit. But i hopei'll always have a place here.i think my biopsy scare gave me a kick in the butt... Some say cancer changed their life, but this scare was more of an emotional check than anything else.
So basically, a year ago friday would be my last chemo cycle and my first R/T cycle.
It's the day i met Susana for the first time. I wasn't doing great! i'd just had my RIG fitted 2 days before (THE most horrendous experience for me), i was aneamic, my hair was thinning & it was the start of being sick every day for the next 3 months. If someone had said, "it's ok Michelle, a year today you'll be running your own business" i'd have laughed in their face!
This week will always be a week to stop abd take note.
So improvements from then -
I only get the tinnitus when some loud noise sets it off.
My nerve damage in my hands and feet is substantialy less. My hands are fairly numb still, but the tingling is barely noticeable most of the time. & i'm wearing heals again so the feet must have improved.
Taste us good - though things aren't quite as i remembered... & i can eat toast now - with butter & plenty of water.
Hmm... My mouth is still dry, and i'm still getting a little blood running down my throat from where the tissues at the bck of my nose are so dry... My shoulders still painful... My weights stable...
Well, i feel great!
I've mastered the art of book keeping... kind of!... I think!!??
& my first client is a geriatric Springer who had a stroke before his last appointment- so knoing the luck i have i'll end up killing off my first customer!!
To those of you in the thick of it, i havent forgotton you, and i'm not at all complacent.

If i could have one wish it would be that each of you can say their story turned out like mine. I'm so lucky!
But i guess it's to be continued!

Love to you all,
Michelle

Hi Chelle
Today is your big day. Congratulations and all the very best wishes for success in your venture. There is no doubt that you will have that success in everything ~ your experience and attitude will make sure of that.
I feel a little teary at present after just reading Alan's post so it's really heartening to now read of your positive progress.
This site is a Godsend for us all so it's sad to think that all everyone wants to do is not need it anymore! If you have been able to move on, that's the best that we all want for you.
You go girl. Onwards and upwards!
Love
Deborah
xo

Morning Chelle, hope you have a really happy day today, as Deborah says, onwards & upwards.
I too have started wearing heels again,first time in 2yrs, doesnt it really lift your mood?.
Good luck with the geriatric dog Fran.( & the Greyhounds.)

Michelle

Your story inspires me and gives me the strength to help Maggie face her uncertain but distressing future: you had youth and otherwise good health on your side but the afflication and the treatment necessary to combat it - as you know only too well - can bring down an ox. Yet you have come through it; as have so many others, always changed - this disease leaves no one it its wake unaffected whether patient or carer - but always I believe changed for the better spiritually.

If I was not a believer before I met all you wonderful people here then your individual examples of courage and tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds would have made me believe in a divine being pouring Grace on its Creation and wrapping all who simply ask with infinite and selfless love. I do not believe because I am superstitious I do not think I have a fairy godmother who will wave a magical wand to provide all that I ever desire: but I do believe that we all have spirits and that when this particular life we all share together in our weak and susceptible bodies is eventually extinguised - as must inevitably happen regardless of cause, then our spirits survive in some shape or form howsoever and wheresoever re-incarnated.

I find the strength of human spirit which Michelle you among many thousands demonstrate every day and everywhere, can only be accounted for by that certainity! Even if forever dormant and unacknowledged because genius or unachiever alike our miniscule intellect cannot ever comprehend the purpose of life.

I am not divine and I am certainly not without fault but something much, much, greater than I and the mere accident of evolution brought me to where I am today, and I willingly submit to the majesty and superiority of the force which I call God, manifested by Christ through his ministry one Earth and I believe that force is worthy of my praise, worship and service. It is a non intervention force it does not desire to subjugate me as my country or even my church would given the chance.

That force is the opposite of evil and surely looking from our souls not one of us on these boards would dispute the reality of evil, we see its power and feel its tyranny every hour of every day, yet those who are and manifest evil are no more in control of their destiny than I am.

Getting too deep but hope all who read this may get my drift, we can choose to submit to evil or submit to love and I choose the latter even though I, as a result must suffer in this existence because evil is and has forever been predominant but never victorious in the history of humanity.

God bless you Michelle and all whom you love as well as everyone on these boards and all who they love.

I congratuualte you on your venture and if that geriatric springer pops his paws when being personally pampered by you well I for one could think of no better way to go to the next existance!!!!!!! Lucky doggy!!!! Alan

You go girl !!!!

We humans have remarkable powers of recovery, don't we (you). We find ourselves in places where we could never imagine anything ever being different, but before you know it, if you are lucky the horrors are a thing of the past and life is on a near normal path again (whatever normal may be - LOL)

You deserve all the success you will undoubtedly receive Chelle - good on you !!

congratulations!!! what a differnce a year makes,you have come a long way so pleased for you.well done .love shirl xxx

I am really chuffed for you Chelle! I do remember meeting you in that grim radiotherapy waiting corridor. You were in a wheelchair and not looking your best! As you say, a lot has chnaged. I was at Brighton last week for an appointment, exactly a year after I first started radiotherapy and happily, they have discharged me. Hurrah! I am so pleased not to have to go back to the cancer centre and sit in the waiting room of doom! I will still have follow-ups but back where I had surgery. Anyway, just wanted to say all the best with the salon. I am very excited for you! Take care and say hi to your family. S

Absolutely brilliant Michelle, You have the right attitude so I know you will do well, not so sure about the booking keeping though. The answer is, make time to do it or even better, get someone to do it for you! and if you find a good accountant, let me know I have been looking for one for years. The first one I ever has was excellent but unfortunately his assistance was cut short because he was jailed for fraud.

All the very very best.

Hi Michelle, I hope today went really well. I'm glad you've moved on a bit. No point in standing still when you've kicked it's ass. Good on you.

Hi Michelle

Dave and me have both been thinking of you today, hope everthing went well.

Congratulation to you and Susana on what you have achieved in the last year, you opening your salon and Susana having been on a safari. Both of you keep up the good work and this time next year we will be reading about what you both have achieved in 2008.

Love to you both.

Sue
xx
Dave & Sue

Hi Michelle!
Day 2 and are you going strong? too right you say well good onya and its good to hear that someone is back in the loop and getting on
Good Luck and please stay in touch
Love Trev

My lovely Michelle,
You must be really happy now doing what you enjoy. I am sure the canine family are also thrilled to have you back as now they can start looking good!
I am really thrilled and happy for you.
With lots of love,xx and hugs,
Ananth

Hey all,
Thanks for your unwavering support!
Well, my first client on my first day cancelled as her car broke down. I thought 'uh huh, great, just my luck!' But phoned back a few hours later to reschedule for tomorrow.
I even had an extra walk-in appointment with an enormous mastiff for a bath & blow dry & a bunch of appointments made for next week!(the mastiff weighed 9&half stone - a stone more than me! Thankfully her owner lifted her!)
Seems to be going my way! Phew!
Hope you're all doing well - good to see Trev up and about!
Love you all!
Michelle

Well done chelle, I am sooooo pleased for you.

You are far far from selfish.

Loads of love and cyber hug coming your way

Mum
x

Congratulations Chelle, it's really wonderful that you are starting to do the things you've always dreamed of. You'll probably appreciate your achievement more because of all you have been through.

Jenni