Our engagement...

Halloween marks two years since my engagement to Serge. Last year I wrote a post dedicated to Serge – it was heartfelt and loved up (you can read it here). I am too lazy for that nonsense this year! Instead, I thought I would answer the question that you often ask – how did Serge and I get engage?

A friendship with no regret...

Last night I found out some amazing news, my dear friend Kathy was told she is NED (no evidence of disease) – she has had a complete response to Keytruda, the drug that I am on. I am so genuinely happy for Kathy, her husband Ant, and the rest of her family.

Let me tell you a little about Kathy and I. Lets just say we are mutual stalkers with a love for hairy men.

My first encounter with Kathy was at one of my first treatments of Keytruda. I was sitting with Serge having my treatment and I told him to look over to the other side of the room – I pointed out a young woman and a bearded man and said, ‘look Serge, she still has hair and she likes bearded men too!’ Kathy’s husband is pretty much the blonde version of Serge.

That was it. No contact was made – just an observation.

Quiet blog = happy, excited and busy Emma...

I have had a few messages the last month or so from people asking if I was okay because I have been a bit quiet – thank you for checking in, it means the world! When it comes to my actual blog I have been quiet, but for those that follow the Dear Melanoma page, you would know that Serge and I have been super busy!

This observation made me sit down and think why I have not been writing as much. I do not have a pile of blogs scheduled to post on specific dates. My blog is very much written in the moment, often an hour or two before I actually publish them online. They are written in the heat of the moment, in the midst of tears and tantrums, and more often than not, when I am riding the very lowest point of the roller-coaster I call my life.

My love affair with Pavlova...

Pavlova

As you all know, I am obsessed with Pavlova. As my ‘quasi-bucket list’ states – if Pavlova is on the menu at a restaurant, I must order it.

I am a Pavlova snob. I am a traditionalist – no chocolate allowed and no Coles pre-made bases! I also have very high standards for myself when it comes to baking a Pavlova. The pressure and stress I feel when a Pavlova is in the oven is ridiculous!

Good news and bad news...

A quick update...

Last week I shared the news that my latest CT scan wasn’t great. A lesion on my adrenal gland had grown and there appeared to be activity in my lymph nodes.

It is really difficult to explain the emotions that were triggered by this scan. On one hand, I felt silly that I was so upset by these results because the big picture was not that bad – everything else was stable, which is great! But, this one naughty little lesion had the potential to change the direction of my treatment, a treatment that essentially bought me back from death’s door.

It feels like a lifetime ago that I was given three months to live and being told that my only hope of more time would be gaining access to a clinical trial of the drug Keytruda and hope that it would work.

The Care Package...

So Dear Melanoma Facebook Page went off last night. I felt like I was back to the evening when we had a mighty fine conversation about the stupid things people like to tell someone who has cancer – what a hilarious night it was! Last night I asked the Dear Melanoma community what they think should be in a ‘care package’ for people with cancer.

How did this come about? Well, as many of you know I work one day a week at a fab little gift shop in Brisbane. I often have people come in to work and ask for advice on what to give a friend that is sick and I normally just point them in the right direction and make some suggestions – I often will not tell them my personal situation. However, on Monday a lady came in and asked for help – she wanted to put a care package together for a friend who was about to start chemo. She was at a complete loss of how to support her friend and this was the perfect thing to show her love and support.

Lessons from unattractive blubbery tears...

As many of you know last weekend I surprised Serge with a night away. Yes, I know what you are all thinking I am the one with cancer, I should be treated to surprise weekend’s away… I joke!! You all know what an amazing man Serge is and that he is very deserving of a weekend away. If money grew on trees Serge would be treated to lots of surprises – we can only dream!

Serge and I have had a pretty hectic last few months with my sinuses playing up and Serge has been busy with work. We have both been a little bit low and getting a bit narky at each other. We haven't had much time to be madly in love. We always try and spend our free days together and do something special, but this just hasn’t happened. And since the purchase of our little humble abode, planning our next big adventure seems a bit irresponsible. However, having an adventure on our horizon in many ways keeps us going, in particular me – it gives me something tangible to focus on. Once again, if only money grew on trees…