We have at last turned the corner and are following the slow and at times rocky road to recovery.

We are quite sure you are all getting tired of hearing this endless story of ups and downs and can’t wait for us to resume our normal sea wanderers’ adventures. We all have to wait for a bit longer! So sorry if it is not all good news yet!

As we have always done with this blog, we describe what is going on in our life honestly. It is partly to keep friends and family updated, but also to provide a kind of therapy for the writer! What we also hope you take away from all this is that if you or one of your loved ones are touched by cancer in the future, you understand a little more about this rollercoaster and are better able to deal with it.

It feels quite odd to no longer have our daily trips to Genesis Care for treatment, but it is such a relief! A few days ago, nearly two weeks after the end of radiation, the first positive signs appeared. The burning sensation in the breast started to reduce. It is still red and itchy, but it is not as intense as it was and is less uncomfortable as each day passes. The fatigue however is still there, possibly worse than ever, and likely to remain for a while. Consequently, there is a bit of impatience in the air!

One pleasurable activity re-introduced to our daily life is playing the piano. The Yamaha keyboard has come out in the saloon, and Chris feels well enough to play, enjoying much needed escapes through music.

And yesterday was the first time we could send the drone up to give you an aerial view of our surroundings at sunset – steady enough pilot’s hand and calm, dry conditions! We are in Berth A01 at Marina Mirage. Can you spot Anui under all her tarps for shade and rain protection? She must look decent enough for the upmarket marina, even with them on, as we haven’t been asked to remove them! Sometimes getting cancer treatment earns you a few favours.

We are gradually regaining control over our life, but it is more at a tortoise rather than a hare pace. Despite being on the right side of that wretched hill, progress feels imperceptible and we experience a few frustrations.

Our typical day is spent doing gym classes, resting, having a bite to eat, then either a beach walk or more rest, and for Wade an hour or two going for a surf. He seems to do more physical activity than he ever has to build fitness, but mainly to fill in time with something fun. The reality is that this slow poke road to recovery is boring for him and annoying for Chris who can’t keep up with that kind of pace yet. It is discouraging when you struggle to finish a gym class or feel so totally spent that you can’t engage in any more physical activity for the day while your partner is raring to go. No amount of being told “it’s normal for you to feel exhausted, just take it easy” makes the situation more palatable. Acceptance of one’s current limitations is not Chris’ strong suit.

Another annoyance is her recent weight gain – a common side effect of the Lyrica nerve pain medication she was prescribed after surgery. Don’t you love side effects? Sometimes you wonder whether the pain meds are worth it, but it is a trade off! Let’s hope the few kilos will fall off as quickly as they came on now that she is weaning herself off the drugs. So here too it is about not being too hard on yourself and letting the body heal rather than rationing what you eat or focusing on slimming down.

People often talk about maintaining a positive attitude in order to do well with cancer treatment and recuperation. But it just is not possible all the time in our view. We always say it is not so much about a positive attitude but rather about doing positive things, taking positive decisions for your health, going to your appointments, committing to daily exercise, making wise choices and taking care of yourself. It is also about realizing that things are not going to be great all the time even after treatment is completed. It is not a straight line to recovery, it is a rocky old road with many dips, turns and switch backs. You have to allow yourself to just be, to just go with the flow without demanding too much of your battered body. As Chris writes this, the mantra: “I am enough” keeps repeating in her mind… not as easy to apply as it seems, though.

We will leave you with those reflections. As always, comments are better than silence. Share your thoughts with us!