2008-09-05T18:08:52Z Deborah Winchester Copyright 2008, Deborah Winchester SPHPBLOG

Hello bloggers! Sorry for the long delay. We have had friends from Oz staying with us and then a week in the Lake District which was fantastic (except for a few rainy days). School holidays now, and with another LOOONNNNGGG four weeks ahead of me things are looking interesting….I put the kids on e-bay yesterday but have had no bids yet…..wonder why? If the weather is good there are loads of options but as it is currently grey and steadily raining, things are looking grim.

The highlight of my weekend was a concert in London to see KYLIE!!!!! Of course she was absolutely amazing so it was a brilliant concert. Which leads me onto a funny story that Maree and Lorna will appreciate the most. Maree’s clever son Elliot has made a great Pump CD with some of mine and Maree’s old favourites (clever because the original Pump releases were only on tape!) Anyway I burnt another CD yesterday ready for my Monday night class with the first few tracks from the Maree/Deb compilation BUT I burnt a Kylie track (Spinning Around) on first so my class members could get set up to the groovy tones of Kylie’s voice before we began the class. Well, we started our warmup and I was commenting on how sad it was that Kylie was not featured on ANY pump release when I thought to myself, this warmup is much slower than the newer releases. It wasn’t until the very smooth transition from deadrows to upright rows that I thought, I don’t remember how many overhead raises there are. But it wasn’t until I headed for the squats that I realised we were all warming up to Kylie’s Spinning Around!!!!!! I just pressed play instead of going to track 2 which was the warmup! What a complete wally I am…..Anyway, the track did lend itself very nicely to a warmup, I managed to include a few lunges then finish quite neatly all things considered…

Back again to finish this – I wrote the first part last week. I did a step and pump class on Saturday morning for Lorna and survived! It was great doing step again. Raining again today – great for the holidays…..and it’s meant to rain all week. At least the Olympics are on so.

Health wise all appears ok. I get a little tired in the day still but generally feel okay. The hot flushes are consistent but not too horrible and if I weigh it up against having no periods then it seems more tolerable. I saw my oncologist last week. She confirmed a blood test shows I am now POST menopausal in terms of hormones but will be experiencing the joy of all symptoms whilst on Tamoxifan for the next 5 years. The good news is that if my periods don’t return, which is unlikely, I will probably not have to have a hysterectomy. Without the oestrogen from my ovaries my mutant fibroid friend should remain harmless.

It is a very weird time though because I have to get my head around the waiting. Waiting for my full health to return, trying NOT to wait for any aches or pains that might be suspicious in terms of secondary cancer and waiting for my brain to register and put in perspective the last 9 months. I am not sure how to go forward, what I should be doing or how I should be doing it. For now I am just trying to get back to ‘normal’. Sometimes I want to immerse myself in every book and report and first hand experience about breast cancer to learn more and work out my own conclusions but other times I don’t even want to hear the words and would rather pretend that nothing has ever happened. I am sure the psychologist in you is nodding and ‘mmmm’ ing. I went to a psychologist a couple of weeks ago but we got off to a bad start because I said, very politely, ‘Don’t think you are going to tell me anything I don’t already know, I’ve read all the books too you know’. Fortunately she carried on and was VERY pleasant and far more knowledgeable than I had anticipated.

I attach my favourite photo of the month. This newest and cutest recruit to BodyPump (if you look closely at his t-shirt you will see the logo) is Michael. His lovely parents, Mike and Sarah were regulars in my Thursday night class so I saw baby Michael develop from a little bump. Then he made his appearance on Jacob’s birthday so he is really a special little boy. Mike and Sarah bought him in to his first class in July when I did a launch of the new release on the same day my radiotherapy finished. ( His pressups were A1 but he really needs to work on those lunges, guys…) Have you ever seen a cuter Body Pumper?

Better go and entertain the zoo inmates – must be feeding time, they are getting restless. See you soon, love Deb x

PS Does anyone else wonder how Maree manages to keep adding entries here whilst virtually LIVING at the cinema and theatre?????
I will add more info about our bloggers bash in the New Year soon...

]]> http://debsday.com/index.php?entry=entry080811-044615 2008-08-11T00:00:00Z 2008-08-11T00:00:00Z
Anyway it was an excellent weekend and I came away with a lot more info that will help me take the next steps to ‘wellness’! On that note, I had a great chat to one of their guest speakers, an amazing GP, Dr Emma Pennery, who told me that the latest research shows that those women who exercise have a greater long term prognosis than those who don’t – and not just the recommended three times per week, but more like five or six. This was fantastic news for me because it means I can go back to the Body Attack plans later in the year, in addition to Pump, and not worry that my immune system will be compromised. However, this tiredness will continue for a few months before my energy levels begin to normalise, so I have to pace myself and take things one day at a time. I am so tired most of the time now that I feel dizzy and sick sometimes…and that’s before 9am. No, sadly I am not joking…..

Two weeks ago, I participated in the launch of BodyPump 66 at Banns and it was fantastic to be back. So fantastic that I have agreed to go back to my Monday night class AS OF TONIGHT!!!! Yippee!!!! Of course the good news is that no-one is going to be mean to me even in jest, (well there’s Jane the pain of course), all choreography mishaps will be put down to ‘chemo-brain’ or the ‘stunned rabbit effect’ and I don’t have to do the pushups if I don’t feel like it!!!!! What a great arrangement!

Hello to Hilary and Ned! How fantastic to hear from you – please send me an email so I can reply. Maree, we are all getting pretty excited about your arrival in Jan – must plan a big party and organise our gig at the Ritz. If Mr Bush is not eating, is he fading away in some dark corner somewhere, with nothing to do but listen to football scores? I think you should investigate Maree!
Better go as it must be time for sleep…..See you soon, and to all you Banns people I WILL SEE YOU MONDAY NIGHTS!!! Love from Deb
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Then Monday night I launched BodyPump 66 with Lorna la la, Traci and Rosie which was excellent! We had a lot of fun and it was really good to see many familiar faces. It felt like old times and I can’t to get back to a few classes on a regular basis again. I have to wait a few weeks as the radio effects will not peak for another week or so and soreness or blistering of the skin and tiredness might get worse. I am doing at least one pump and one balance class a week so am building up strength slowly but surely.

There has been quite a bit of sunshine here lately, (but a bit too much wind) which has seen an increased number of shirtless men and boys wandering around….I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day who confirmed that men walking down the high street semi-naked is totally unacceptable, but there was one phenomenon that she found more offensive and that was females in white trousers with DARK knickers (usually large females she added but we don’t want to be accused of being ‘sizest’ on this blog; although every reader knows we are not because we talk so fondly, and so frequently, of Jane’s triple Gs). I agreed that tight white trousers and dark knickers were ALMOST as bad as men with no shirts and then made a mental note to call the fashion police and ask about the protocol for bald headed women and sun visors……

I have something exciting to add about my collection of famous people but as I am too tired to write anymore now you will have to wait till tomorrow….yes, Maree, you ARE my number one famous person…..See you tomorrow, love Deb x
]]> http://debsday.com/index.php?entry=entry080629-155743 2008-06-29T00:00:00Z 2008-06-29T00:00:00Z http://debsday.com/index.php?entry=entry080626-090554 2008-06-26T00:00:00Z 2008-06-26T00:00:00Z
It was very exhilarating to participate in such an event and Breast Cancer Care had organised the whole day exceptionally well (although there could have been a few more porta-loos at some points!). Between us we have raised over £4,000 which is amazing…..If you haven’t already sponsored me you can still do so at http://www.justgiving.com/deborahwinchester
So please support this cause as I can personally vouch for the amazing support Breast Cancer Care give those of us who have to deal with this disease.

We may even be featured in a UK magazine as we were interviewed and had lots of photos taken – I will keep you posted. I have been trying to keep a low profile (like Kylie) but it would seem the paparazzi just seem to find me…..Sometimes you can’t escape the media attention….

I am sorry the blog has been down – a few problems with technical support south of the border. Hopefully it has been sorted.

Back to reality today and off to Maidstone soon for my 4th week of radio. Next Monday it is my LAST day of treatment. I am still deciding how to celebrate. I will definitely be booking the Ritz soon. I have decided to join the Bannatynes’ BodyPump team for the launch of the new release next Monday night and am looking forward to that! SEE YOU THERE!!!!!

Well I better go and make a coffee to wake me up (it’s decaf of course, with Rice Milk, but the placebo effect works wonders now that I have such incredible powers of visualisation!).

I am personally proud of my weary body’s efforts in walking 20 miles at this stage in my treatment, but I am more proud of my lovely friends who walked with me, and for me. Words cannot express what it meant to have those special people with me on the day. And I know so many of you wanted to be there also. A million thankyous to all of you who have helped me in so many different ways. We had to write on a pink ribbon why we were doing the Ribbon Walk which were then displayed in a huge wall of ribbons. I wrote…….’so my daughters, and their generation, can live a life free of this horrible, devastating disease. Please find a cure’. No parent could want their children to have to go through this. Any chance you get to help Breast Cancer Care or Cancer Research UK, please offer your support – financial or otherwise.

Keep adding your comments. They are so funny to read. And I know that more than one of you has been desolate when you couldn’t get on the blog – poor Maree was missing you all so much, she kept texting me! Love to you all, Deb x
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Speaking of roads, the one to Maidstone is pretty familiar now. I have had 7 radio sessions and despite the boring 2-3 hour round trip every day, it is all really a walk in the park compared to the chemo. I am using Yuri’s powers of visualisation when being zapped and use my time under the machine to transport myself to a secluded sunny beach in a land where there is no disease or illness (but an abundance of organic dark chocolate and Lindt bunnies). Unfortunately I continue to wake up in Maidstone hospital with people drawing on my chest in marker pens and muttering statistics whilst aligning the green lasers with my lovely tattoos!

What an interesting series of entries on my last post – I have learnt what a Liverpool Kiss is, what Mr Bush’s first name is, that Jane’s 36 double Gs double up as a cushion and what movies and books I should be reading. Thanks guys! Never a dull moment. Looks like it is going to be a great blogger’s party some time in the New Year.Last chance to sponsor me for the 20 mile walk which is next weekend. We have a practice walk tomorrow from Battle to Rye which is about 15 miles. http://www.justgiving.com/deborahwinchester

This next bit is mostly for my family in Oz who I can’t ring at the moment because I am spending my life in cars or hospitals……
Things are all go in the Winchester house at the moment. We are re-decorating some rooms and doing bits to the garden. The children are all well. Tess is spending every available minute in her room standing on her head. She has decided she wants to win Britain’s Got Talent next year and is teaching herself to breakdance. After finding some ‘Teach Yourself Breakdancing’ videos on YouTube she has taken the step by step instructions very seriously. The first video was in Chinese so she was contorted in very odd positions until we found one in English. Jacob is now so obsessed with cars that he will even stop strangers in the street and ask them what type of car they drive – a little embarrassing at times. Ali has only 7 more weeks at primary school so is working hard on the ‘please buy me a mobile phone’ front. She set up a car wash here the other day with her friend Grace so they could raise enough money to rent a horse! Thanks to the generous Pembury boys they raised nearly 20 pounds and a bar of chocolate! See you soon, love from Deb x
PS Where is Lisa REALLY going? And who is Bob Cratchett?
PPS When are you coming over Maree?????
PPPS Off to see Sex in the City tonight and I will be wearing my groovy red shoes and pretending to be Carrie....pass me a Cosmopolitan please?

]]> http://debsday.com/index.php?entry=entry080606-001804 2008-06-05T00:00:00Z 2008-06-05T00:00:00Z I am loving the clues to Mr Bush’s name – no-one close yet but some good thoughts there Jane, I’m well impressed with your logic, had you been drinking? When Maree sets her travel dates we will set a date for the party of the year for all bloggers.

This has been a very busy week for me as I have tried to fit in everything I will not be able to do for the next four weeks due my daily trek to Maidstone. I start on Tuesday and am not really too nervous about the radiotherapy except that I am worried about the tiredness. I am still feeling tired from the chemo so don’t want to lose any more energy. Weird residual things from the chemo keep happening, like my fingernails are just about to all drop off and I am having hot flushes more frequently. The Americans call them hot flashes and I am liking that a little more. Kind of sets up an image of me roaming around town naked, except for a trench coat, feeling an impulse to flash every time my body temperature rises! A bald, peri-menopausal, naked woman flashing unsuspecting shoppers would not be that odd in this town, given all the medieval people I saw wandering around the High Street today. (It is Medieval Fair in Battle tomorrow with Maypole dancing on the green).

Once again I have found myself on a see-saw of emotions these past few days. We are re-decorating two rooms downstairs and it is all quite stressful trying to get the plasterers in on time before the carpenter does his bit, after the electrician does his bit, etc, etc. Curtains and lights are giving me a headache! I am getting frustrated that my hair is not growing back and I still can’t draw on any proper eyebrows. I thought I saw an eyelash this morning but sadly there was nothing….I am still wondering how I will actually get back to living a normal life, once this is all over, without the fear of cancer returning…..There are so many questions and very few definitive answers. More on that another day.

Friday night was the highlight of the week for me. I went to Pump!!! I crept into a class in a gym in Hailsham and tried to pretend I was just like every other normal person there. It would have worked had it not been for two things – my bandana instead of hair raised a few eyebrows, and the fact that I knew the choreography better than the instructor also raised a questions (yes, I know fruity Jeff, unusual for me to get it right!) But IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!!! It was like coming home after a long absence. He played all my favourite tracks, including Walk on Water, and I loved every single minute of it. Even when he told us that the tricep track had some press ups in it, and everybody moaned loudly, I still had a silly grin on my face (they must have thought I was completely mad). I felt on a complete high for hours afterwards. The good news was I managed to do it all, but had light weights on for the upper body tracks. It will take some time to rebuild my muscle mass I think and I am going to have to go very slowly so I don’t develop lymphoedema in my left arm. BUT I will continue to swim and work on my upper body steadily so as not to cause any problems. I am hoping I can continue to exercise during radio. Our Ribbon Walk team is still in training – only three weeks now till we do our 20 mile sponsored walk. Thank you so much to all of you who have been so generous in your donations. If you would like to contribute you can sponsor me on my ‘Just Giving’ page at………. http://www.justgiving.com/deborahwinchester
See you soon, Deb x
PS Maree, I will send you some mangetout when it is ready!
PPS The prize for the best explantation as to WHY these Pommie men take off their shirts when the sun shines goes to .....Mike, for a very clever scientific explanation which is entirely plausible...closely contested by Jo and Deb!

]]> http://debsday.com/index.php?entry=entry080526-074557 2008-05-25T00:00:00Z 2008-05-25T00:00:00Z
Why, oh, why does this burst of spring sunshine compel these English men to take off their bloody shirts!!!! There I was today, driving to my second home the hospital and what should I see on the pavement walking down the High Street – two young English lads with no shirts on. Friday, heading into Bexhill, what should I see but one middle aged man with one large middle aged spread RIDING HIS BIKE WITH NO SHIRT ON!!!! Yesterday, walked into town to get the paper, not one, two but three different men ….. all strolling along shirtless!!! Now, this is all a bit unusual I feel. In Australia we don’t stroll around semi-naked in the middle of a town, even when it’s 40 degrees, do we guys? So I would like someone to explain to me….is this phenomenon uniquely English, is it some sort of primeval calling ritual to the lady Poms, or is it just because these males think they have buff bods that should be on display at every available opportunity? Speaking of buff bods, last Tuesday in our very pleasant 23 degree sunshine, I did witness a young man with rather well developed pectoral muscles and, on taking a quick glance down (not that far down Jane), I did peak some extremely toned abdominal muscles……so I was momentarily silenced as far as my objections go. This was short lived, however, because just around the corner, two men with bald heads and muffin tops were unloading a van….oh my word it did turn me off my lunch.

Speaking of warm weather, my own internal thermostat is on ‘overheat’ at the moment. The hot flushes are coming a little too frequently for my liking… just another effect of the chemo. My energy levels are still very low but the most annoying effect at the moment is watery eyes – hard to even see sometimes ( can be convenient with so many semi-naked men around).

Tomorrow I am off to Maidstone for my first radiotherapy ‘induction’. I understand I will be getting a tattoo. Great, I’m thinking along the lines of…..’jono forever’, or maybe a small dragon, or perhaps even a new nipple. Then I was told it would only be a few small dots so the radio machine can target specific areas – very disappointing….

You have kept me so amused with your comments that I have been laughing too much to add a new entry until now, so sorry for the delay! Better go and water my mangetout…see you soon, Deb x


PS Has anyone found Lorna?
PPS Is Lisa missing too?
PPPS Maree, I am working hard on reuniting my Yin with my Yen but there appears to be bits missing...
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