BACK TO THE BOX MARKED GO

July 2012: Relapse - new blog: http://hairwegoagain-tch23.blogspot.co.uk

FOND FAREWELL...

Hallo All (if there is still anyone left reading...)
I have now reached my first year in remission. Hurrah. Seems unbelievable; and I shiver in my boots when thinking about this time last year. But time moves on - and I am so happy to still be here moving with it! My bloods are a little low, but stable. Hospital are happy and they have upgraded me to two monthly clinic visits for the next year - if that is all still good, then it will be three monthly visits for the 3rd year and so on. I ache and creek and get tired all over still, but I guess that is still body in chemo recovery mode - they tell me possible 18 months to feel fully recovered. Shoulder still frozen, but much less so, can move easily up to 90 degrees then painfully up a little more. Still not able to put arm anywhere near above my head. It will happen. So I guess now the time has come to pretty much put this blog to bed. As I write this final post, Luigi and I are packing for a camping trip later this week - heading off to East Prawle in Devon - a big group of us, twelve in all, age from 1 to 63...We have a new tent, new camera and the best bit of of techno kit I have ever laid my hands on: ipad2. I have just bought an animation app - and am busy playing around and making mad things. My first 3 animations (mega short) can be seen on youtube - click on the following link http://www.youtube.com/animalgamation - all stuff I do will be under this name - so you can follow my animal doodlings etc through this. Check it out occasionally - maybe animation will be the new printmaking for me. Artwork and news of exhibitions etc can be seen at: www.tessaholmes.com - and I can be contacted through there for anyone who doesn't have my email address.
Wow, this really feels like I am packing my suitcase and signing out. Great. Time to get on my walking boots and head off to new horizon, just over yonder. Thanks to everyone who accompanied me on this trip. It really did make a difference to have you all alongside. Stay well and happy. And enjoy everyday. Whatever it brings. Big love to you all right round the globe. Ciao Ciao

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

If anyone is left out there in blog city, here is short movie of my fantastic devon trip...AP thanks for the encouragement! Bloods down this month - had an unscheduled stop by at the Day Unit half way through June, after a swollen lymph node appeared - but they dIdn't seem too concerned. Monday's test showed bloods still a bit low, and I of course, am not happy with anything thats below that old plimsole line...but nothing to be done except keep on keeping on. Garden big on colour. Sun is up. Luigi been and gone and coming back again next week. Hope everyone good north and south and all the bits inbetween. PS. This time last year was the start of blog, chemo et al. X

BUONE NOTIZIE PER GIUGNO

Ciao tutti! Been a tough month - mostly pyschologically - think the whole ride is finally hitting home. So having to deal with various gremlins and terrors. Also got some kind of viral infection - so stressed too much. But finally, as in every "good" story, there is a happy-ever-after ending (well, chapter) and I can report on a very good set of blood results - with everything being up and over that borderline of "normal". So am feeling a whole lot brighter on all fronts. Last months Opens Studio was a reminder of not-to-do-too-much! I got wiped out and exhausted, which is probably why I ended up feeling unwell. So its back to "slowly slowly catchee monkey". Garden is filling up with summer colour and gives me huge pleasure. Working down in studio producing new stuff for a show. Off to Devon next week to stay on cliff top, north of Woolacombe. Be with a bunch of best and oldest friends. Big time looking forward to it. My first real break in 365+ days...I will wake to look at sparkling blue sea or soft grey fog. Lots of beach walking. Star gazing. Ticks all my boxes. UEFA Championship final. Well for those in the know, we know. No more to say. Hope everyone good. Photo of Garden Growing and Lazy Lilly. Love to all in both hemispheres. xx

May sunshine

Wow! what fantastic weather... sunshine wrap round for days. Done wonders for my garden - as you can see...poppies grown from seed two years ago - I am very proud! Had a scare mid month with white blood count dive-bombing for some unknown reason. Spent a very tense 24 hours stressing that it had all returned - but after a long waiting session at the Haematology Day Unit in Guys (5 hours...) I finally got the all clear. Was I relieved and then some! Monthly clinic last monday revealed white blood count still a bit below normal, but has recovered somewhat from the mid-month drop. Consultants don't seem too concerned, infact I would go as far as saying "pretty damn gung-ho" - but then I guess my blood count means more to me than to them - I am very precious with my numbers - whether they are going up or down! Probably been overdoing it with Open Studios - have been getting very tired sorting everything out. Thank God for Luigi who turned up last a week and acted as an extra 4 hands, plus wonderful cook and mender of broken plug chain! Successful weekend just gone - and hopefully another one to follow - over 600 visitors into the studio... Hope all well right round the globe. Thanks for checking in. Next test June 6th.

progression

Met with neurological consultant last week. He was good. Very reassuring. Protein levels not up enough to be concerned with. I am being sent to St Thomas' next Thursday for a selection of scans (head, neck, shoulder, arm) to see if they can figure out what is causing dizzyness, and pins and needles. I reckon it all links back to my frozen shoulder and limited awkward movement. More bloody hospital - but least it shouldn't uncover anything disastrous! Spring has sprung and I am trying to sort out the garden. My clematis is about to burst into pink buds - climbed all up over my neighbours tree, so it should look quite spectacular when it blossoms. Slowly getting organised for the May Open Studio in Havelock Walk. Think I can do more than I still actually can. Still getting tired. But hey, I got one hellava' lot of curls on the top of my head, so I shouldn't be complaining. Next update will be around May 9th. Hope everyone is good. I know Cleveland Ohio, Sheffield, Italy, Australia, Ashford, and Highbury Fields are still checking in. Thanks for all your messages and continued interest - its great to know that people still read this. Happy Easter...not too many eggs...ciao ciao

back on track

Hi All - (if anyone is out there in the ether...) Had clinic yesterday and blood tests have improved; everything back on track and going up. Feeling better - though full of stiffness and aching joints. Have ENT and Neurology appointments next week - so hopefully will find out what "elevated protein" is. Have managed to organise some hydrotherapy for shoulder, which is still very stiff and limited in use - though improving by millimetres... My hydrotherapy companions are all struggling with bad shoulders or muscles that don't function. We crawl round the pool like bunch of ancient terrapins...we are given floats and rubber rings to push around -its unbelievably hard work! Lots of puffing and grimacing. I have no swim suit so turned up in a t.shirt and broadwalk shorts...oh dear, those days are long, long gone. Made my first trip out of town last weekend - Luigi was here (back in roma now) and we drove to Camber. Walked on rippled sand in our wellington boots. Seagulls, waves and rushing wind. Wide empty beach. Two dogs running along the low tide line. Six big kites skidding about the sky. Collected stones with holes. Luigi found large dead crab with handsome black pincers. Had mug of tea and cheese and tomato sandwich at the Kit Kat Cafe - sat at white plastic table and felt April sun warm my face. Blue sky with airplane trails. Laughed a lot.