• about azahar (that’s me!)
  • my cancer story
  • azahar’s kitchen
  • azahar’s sevilla
  • sevilla tapas
  • personal trip planning

casa azahar

~ my life in sevilla

casa azahar

Category Archives: health & happiness

friends

15 Thursday Jan 2009

Posted by azahar in cancer, friends, health & happiness, life stuff

≈ 11 Comments

hug.jpg

“Remember, no man is a failure who has friends”
(It’s A Wonderful Life)

They say that you can tell who your real friends are in times of crisis, and there is nothing quite as crisis-making as having a possibly terminal illness. I’ve heard stories from friends in similar situations who have been terribly hurt and let down by people who turned their backs in times of serious need. I was lucky that this only happened to me once [ * ] during this whole cancer ordeal, right at the beginning of it, and that since then I have felt nothing but love and support from the people I am fortunate to call my friends…

[ * ] well, my immediate family also dumped me (Joe & Olivia excepted) but as Nog says, that’s what families are for.ย  ๐Ÿ˜‰

Continue reading →

“cured!” (for now)

14 Wednesday Jan 2009

Posted by azahar in cancer, friends, health & happiness, hospitals, life stuff

≈ 32 Comments

no-cancer

Actually, the correct term to use is NED (No Evidence of Disease) – cancer survivors tend to steer away from that other C-word. But imagine my surprise, after spending almost two hours with Ricardo yesterday morning, with him very patiently explaining everything about my case, to find out that I’ve been NED since the biopsy reports came back last October, which was then reconfirmed by the third operation. This is the short version of el caso az …

  • primary stage IV colon tumour and surrounding lymph nodes removed
  • two secondary tumours found in liver
  • two months of chemo
  • liver resection aborted after discovery of peritoneal lesions
  • all biopsy results negative
  • PET scan shows liver metastasis eliminated after chemo
  • third operation to “clean up” liver and peritoneum
  • peritoneal lesions turn out to be benign scar tissue
  • all biopsy results negative
  • “wait & watch” – testing every 3 months
  • high probability of recurrence

It ain’t perfect, especially that last bit,
but at least for now I feel like I have my life back …

Continue reading →

prognosis & treatment (3)

13 Tuesday Jan 2009

Posted by azahar in cancer, friends, health & happiness, hospitals, life stuff, rants

≈ 28 Comments


I have no idea what to think or how to feel.

Went to see the oncologist with Pablo yesterday and really had no idea what to expect. Though I assumed (because I’d been told this by the surgeons after the last op) that I would be put on “clean up” chemo again, probably for 5-6 months.ย  Wrong!

Continue reading →

yoga

09 Friday Jan 2009

Posted by azahar in cancer, health & happiness, yoga

≈ 8 Comments

yoga-lotus

Damn but it’s good to be back at yoga class!

Well, except for the having to get up really early bit and leaving the house while it’s still dark … not to mention the freezing cold (it went down to -2ยบ last night!). But it was great being in class again and seeing all my old yoga buddies.ย  I had texted Ana the instructor beforehand and so she had “reserved” my favourite spot in the corner for me.

So the deal is that I’ll see how it goes this month before I commit to the monthly payments again. I stopped by the gym yesterday to sort all that out because when I had called them at the end of last May and explained what was happening (this was before I knew there would be two more operations) I thought I’d be returning in September. And because I had paid for May but hadn’t been able to go I was told that my first month back would be “free”.ย  And so that “free” month is now January.

I thought it was especially nice because the guy at the desk was new and when he looked on the computer to re-activate my card he said there wasn’t any mention of a free month, or what my payments would be when I started back. I’d also noticed that the monthly payments had gone up so I told him what I had been paying before and he said no problem, that he would put that in as my usual amount and I could start paying again next month.

Anyhow, just home from class now and feeling much taller!ย  ๐Ÿ™‚

birthday girl

07 Wednesday Jan 2009

Posted by azahar in animals & pets, birthdays, cancer, food & drink, friends, health & happiness, home, hope, life stuff, love

≈ 37 Comments

birthday_cat

Yay! I’m 52 today!

I’ve always loved birthdays and have never understood people who fret about “getting older” because, as I’ve always said, it sure beats the alternative. And of course this year that statement carries a lot more meaning for me after everything that’s happened since last May.

So today I will be quietly celebrating.ย  Starting off with going back to yoga class! Then I’ll be going out for lunch with Pipocas – haven’t seen her for three weeks because she’s been away on holiday, so I’m really looking forward to that. And at some point during the day I’ll open the cava that Pablo brought over on Christmas eve.ย  Otherwise and that, I’ll probably just hang out at home with Nog and the cats and play with my iPhone … and just really enjoy being here.

So help yourself to a glass of bubbly and welcome to my birthday!

f_bubbly.gif f_bubbly.gif f_bubbly.gif

← Older posts
Newer posts →

patreon (1)

OR

comments

Unknown's avatarhere we go again… on the endo
Unknown's avatarhere we go again… on well ffs (knee saga con…
Unknown's avatarwhelmed | casa azaha… on pepe matacucas
Unknown's avatarwhelmed | casa azaha… on well ffs (knee saga con…
azahar's avatarazahar on on writing (more)
sledpress's avatarsledpress on on writing (more)
Unknown's avataron writing (more) |… on downsizing…
Unknown's avatarsuddenly summer | ca… on postcard from aracena
Unknown's avatarcasa azahar is 20! |… on hello world!
Unknown's avatarpepe matacucas | cas… on post-traumatic heebie-jeebies

meta

  • Create account
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

visitations

  • 986,885 peeks

categories

archives

Enter your email address to subscribe to casa az and get email notices of new posts.

Join 2,279 other subscribers

azahar on Instagram

No Instagram images were found.

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • casa azahar
    • Join 2,012 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • casa azahar
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar

Loading Comments...