Tracy

After reading this I hope like me you’ll spare a thought for everyone who epitomises the true meaning of Christmas, “giving up one’s very self to think only of others…” It’s difficult to get cover at Christmas, but peoples’ care can’t suddenly stop. The Medic’s ideal Christmas this year would be a peaceful one with as little stress as possible, a chance to unwind, sit down for more than ten minutes to eat lunch, and catch up on sleep. Everyone thinks it’s a happy time of the year, but it isn’t happy for everyone.

At the time my son J was a few months into his first year of a Biomedical Sciences degree. No-one wants to learn their Mom has cancer when they’ve just committed to three years higher education and live in an unfamiliar environment far from home. Last week his wish came true when he took up his post as Physician Associate in Neurology, caring for people who’ve had strokes or other serious brain injuries. In 2012, surviving cancer meant I could stay around to provide J with the love, support and encouragement we all need when we set out on our lives.

In much the same way that I set about researching information on my particular form of cancer, I’m now researching and learning about autoimmune conditions. It’s difficult to find accurate figures on the number of people with autoimmune conditions. For others, diagnosis becomes a process of elimination – which means undergoing many different tests to rule out common or more obvious causes until such time as a less likely cause is deemed the culprit. She isn’t insane and hadn’t imagined her chronic and very debilitating illness, but for years an array of professionals told her there was nothing wrong, even when she could barely stand or stay awake.

If anything I’d have liked shorter gaps between the initial suspicious findings and formal diagnosis, diagnosis and surgery, and surgery and adjuvant therapy. At the time I didn’t realise quite how big a toll it took. Spending an extra hour in bed when I’m aching or tired isn’t going to kill me, and cancer won’t return just because I drink a glass of wine or eat a decent steak every now and then. I’d like to stay cancer-free and live for a few more decades because life is good this way.