A Short Return Home

Radiotherapy has a weird timing to it. The peak effects usually hit about two weeks after your final session, and it takes another few weeks before you can safely start chemotherapy. That left me a small window between treatments, not quite ready for chemo, but well enough to do something with my time since I wasn’t going to the hospital every day. I wanted to use that time meaningfully, so I decided to take a wee cheeky visit home.

Fun fact: you’re technically not supposed to fly during or shortly after radiotherapy. My team were great, though. They offered me some Prednisolone and said a short hop to Ireland would be fine. Radiation can cause inflammation, and flying can sometimes exacerbate it. This would make ‘long haul’ a no, no.

So I went home. More family time, proper cooking, long chats, a few workouts, and catching up with old friends. I even got my fix of cold water: from paddleboarding, sea dips, and proper cold plunges. A jellyfish decided to get involved at one point, but it was basically a nettle sting and cleared up in hours (maybe the Prednisolone helped too).

The break was exactly what I needed, but it couldn’t last forever. Soon it was time to fly back, get my bloods done, and start the next chapter: my first round of PCV chemotherapy.

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What Is PCV, Anyway?

PCV stands for Procarbazine, Lomustine, and Vincristine, given over a ten-day period.
(And yes, before you ask, there’s no “L” in PCV. I don’t know why either. Lomustine sometimes goes by another name starting with “C.” Medical jargon keeps us guessing. 😀 (CCNU: 1-(2-Chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea) The more you know, right?

Once my blood results came back clear, I got the green light. My first session was booked for the 11th of August.

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What a Chemo Day Looks Like

The V and C parts happen in the hospital. The whole process takes about two hours on a good day.

They start you off with a steroid (Prednisolone) and an anti-sickness tablet (Ondansetron). Once those are down, you’re hooked up to a saline drip through a vein in your hand, painless for me so far. The nurses in BHOC are excellent, and I’ve had no issues with cannulas or finding veins yet.

Once you’re full of saline, they switch it to Vincristine, which feels slightly cooler than room temperature (I assume it comes straight from pharmacy storage due to the nature of the drug).

I try not to focus on every little sensation. The more you concentrate, the easier it is to overthink every tingle. In saying that, I always feel a slight rush when the Vincristine first goes in, probably adrenaline, or maybe just my imagination.

To distract myself, I bury my head in a book. Right now, it’s The Stormlight Archive, Book 3 – Oathbringer (highly recommend – Shout out to Liam here for getting me into them). Or I put on music, or a show I love. 

And I have my sexy bestie with me — Jess — who just chills calmly in the corner, offering moral support and casual chit-chat while the nurses do their thing. I appreciate this more than she’ll ever know.

After that comes the Lomustine. Four tablets down the hatch. Then the drip gets flushed over 10 minutes with saline again, and that’s you done. You leave the hospital feeling like you’ve opened your own mini-pharmacy: Procarbazine, anti-sickness meds, antifungals, antibiotics — the full kit.

The P (Procarbazine) comes later that evening for ten days: four tablets each night. Then that’s the chemo cycle complete. It is basically 10 days of treatment and the rest spent in recovery and ‘enjoying‘ the side effects.

It’s fair to say it’s a lot of medication. The nurses make sure you’re confident though, and you get a little handout telling you exactly when to take everything.

Each cycle repeats every six weeks. Six cycles in total: 6 × 6 = 36 weeks. I should finish my final cycle in April 2026 and then we see if it’s been successful. 

The overarching goal is to halt ‘bob’s’ progression in every way possible. That way it will give me the longest time before the next necessary intervention.      

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The Hidden Rules of Chemotherapy

One of the stranger parts of chemo is how careful you suddenly have to be. Your immune system dips, so the little things start to matter. A mild cold becomes a problem. A small cut is something you actually pay attention to. And because the drugs themselves are toxic, you become a bit toxic too.

There are ‘quiet’ rules for everything: how to handle the tablets, how to flush(twice) in the bathroom so as not to pose a risk anyone else. If Vincristine were to spill, it’s classed as corrosive to human tissue. Not exactly something you want splashing around. Who knew chemo would make my pee so hardcore? Corrosive, carcinogenic, and ready to ruin unsuspecting toilet bowls.

I haven’t changed my approach to public spaces too drastically, but I do keep some antibacterial gel in my pocket. I’m still training at the gym because movement feels like medicine. I’ve done quite a bit research  about  Chemo ‘safe’ Supplements that also supports your whole system so I hammar those into me whenever I can remember.

I’ve put together a short morning routine that gets the lymph flowing. Gotta love the internet for these resources. It’s such a wonderful place when you don’t end up doom scrolling.

I do it right after my cold bath (yep still doing those) The results dont quite look the same. But give it time. 😅

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPqGvYfDBl4/?igs

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I’m keeping my social life lighter and, when I can, meeting people outdoors. November isn’t the most forgiving month for that, but it works well enough. Mostly, I’m just being sensible: washing my hands, choosing my moments, staying aware without letting it take over my life. Kind of like the approach I already take with my epilepsy.

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Three Cycles In

Right now, I’ve finished my third of six cycles.(Recovery Phase)  Things might change, but so far the side effects have been fairly manageable.

The nausea comes in waves. The closest comparison is that classic hungover moment when someone, (usually a Canadian in my experience), suggests going out for another round of drinks. It drags me straight back to my student days: the cold sweat on your forehead, the deep breaths, weak knees, the desperate attempt to NOT smell anything until it passes. Oh, I know this feeling far too well. Eminem absolutely nailed it.

Luckily it passes quickly, and I’ve never actually been sick so far with my chemo. There have been a few close calls and a bit of hugging the toilet, but usually I’ve managed to take an anti-sickness tablet and a ginger tea, which is a lifesaver. Partly because if I vomited up my epilepsy meds, that could snowball into a bigger problem.

The bigger challenge is fatigue. Some mornings, I wake up ready to get after it. Others, It’s a battle to get out of bed. It’s unpredictable, worse in the first couple of weeks post-infusion or during the Procarbazine phase,  then it lifts, like sunshine after a rain shower.

Round one was fine. Round two hit harder, with two or three solid days of exhaustion. Round three brought more waves of nausea and equal amounts of fatigue so far. I’m still not great at being patient with myself. My mind wants to do even when my body says wait. 

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Back to Work (Sort Of…)

On the bright side, I’ve started easing back into optometry,  just partial clinics for now. My first shift back felt great. There was a degree of apprehension, but it’s good to be back in the driving seat. My team are looking after my needs, and I’m taking things at my own pace for now.

The key, I’ve learned, is staying connected to the things that give me energy: purpose, people, progress. The challenge is finding the balance, enough to feel alive, not so much that it burns me out.

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Become a PT?… Hmmm… Why Not!

I recently got the chance to pick up some new skills, and I’m excited to say I’ve been working through a course that will qualify me as a Personal Trainer.

During my own fitness journey, I had to start from scratch,  literally. 😂 After my surgery in 2023, I couldn’t walk more than 500 steps without feeling puffed out, and I struggled to think or speak clearly for months.

Getting a PT for myself proved invaluable. I really do think it was among was the best money I ever spent. From checking my form, to preventing injuries, to pushing me for those extra one or two reps you’d never do alone unless someone’s holding you accountable. It also rebuilt my confidence through regular communication, slowly restoring my self-belief. I trained with Cameron for about 12 months, during which I learned and improved all the fundamental movements. My strength shot up, I made promises to myself, and get this… I actually kept them!

During that time, my body composition changed dramatically. I went from 92 kg (200 lb, the heaviest I’ve ever been) to 72 kg (159 lb) at my lightest, and have now settled around my ideal weight of 77 kg (170 lb).

There are still things I want to improve, but my relationship with exercise fundamentally changed once I stopped taking my body for granted. Don’t get me wrong,  there are still mornings when I wake up thinking, “I’m not feeling it today.” But I’ve NEVER exercised and felt worse afterwards; there’s something in that, even if it’s just getting the blood flowing.

All of this is to say that, I’ve realised I’m a walking example of what’s possible with a shift in mindset. And since I’ve gained a lot of life experience the hard way (is there an easy way?), I’ve begun to recognise that my superpower lies in my resilience, staying upbeat, enthusiastic, having a can-do attitude despite the odds, offering inspiration, and thriving in smaller, focused interactions. If all goes well, I’ll finish the course in early 2026 and be available for bookings shortly after. 🙂

It also happened to be my Misogi for this period. Misogi are private so I’ll say no more, but look them up. If you know, you know.

Maybe this is the first step toward my bigger goal: helping others help themselves. I want people to experience that shift, that feeling of hard work paying off and keeping the promises you make to yourself.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQuorwfkuI_/?img_index=5&igsh=MWZudXcyOThjcHh4Zg==

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Up to Date – Finally

So that’s where things stand. I’m writing this at 9:09 PM Sunday, the 16th of November 2025, realising it’s been a long time since the blog was fully up to date! 

Well, as of today it is! Time does slip strangely, sometimes in segments & chapters and before you know it, suddenly you’re past the point of action without noticing.

Lets hope for a great festive period and let your loved ones know they are appreciated.

For now, thank you for the support.

For each and every donation to my GoFundMe I’m very grateful for and all the people that have reached out, I appreciate each and every one of you. 

Be well, be kind and I’ll see you in the next one.