Blood tests

Too early for results from my blood tests today but if they are as good as the taking of bloods was then all bodes well for tomorrow’s chemotherapy.

I would like to say a quick thank you to everyone rooting for me and to those who pass-by this way and take the time to read all about my progress, especially those leaving messages. Thank you.

Oncology appointment

It is more of the same, chemotherapy for three weeks and then a break for one week provided my blood levels do not continue to fall. I am overtly sensitive to the medication and therefore I may have to have yet a further reduction in strength. However, should I continue to improve through receiving chemo then they are aiming to ‘stabilize’ me with a view to giving me more time off therapy and a possible referral for the expensive and little known about Cyberknife treatment, which is not off the cards just yet.

I have been given some water tablets for my swollen ankles and will start on them tomorrow.

So, things are looking good at the moment and if I continue to improve as I have been doing then there is no reason why I cannot expect a better quality of life once again, but this time without overdoing things when I am feeling fine.

Anal GP

Just as you turn the corner and you think things are on an even keel and that the pains are partially under control, enough to live by, when you get a phone call from a jumped up GP who believes he knows my pains better than me and obviously does not trust his colleague [my actual doctor] who did a medication review with us less than two weeks ago!

After getting onto me for taking ‘controlled’ drugs in such quantities, as cleared by the MacMillan nurse, the Oncologist Doctor at the hospital and my own GP he wants to cover his own arse and is more interested in the paperwork to say I am taking this medication. Why he hasn’t looked on the files they have on me or phoned the hospital I do not know but he sees it fit to upset me and insist that I supply the information his surgery should have before he prescribes any more medication.

My MacMillan nurse is now onto the surgery and I have said if it happens again I am taking the surgery through a complaints procedure until they get it into their tiny little minds that I need the medication to nullify the pains.

One of his concerns is that I could die in the night if I overdosed, he took a step back when I told him I was going to die anyway with or without the tablets that are there to make my life better, something phone calls like this do not do.

Feeling better today thank you all.

I do believe that the chemo and increase in tablets is working or that the prayers of friends abroad and closer to home have been answered as I am feeling less pain of late. I have had a good couple of days over the weekend, although I did overdo it by planting out pots in the garden, I just needed to get out and do stuff for myself, and suffered the following day. I am much better again today, although a little tired, which is to be expected.
No blood tests today with it being bank holiday so they are put off until tomorrow, and the chemo session is now on Wednesday followed by one week off. Let’s just hope that it continues along this vein [excuse the pun].

A welcome break before a return to normal

We have just got back from a three night break at a fabulous hotel and spa in North Yorkshire at the Feversham Arms Hotel and spa. The staff could not be friendlier and the hotel any nicer, it is the nicest place I have ever stayed in.

Unfortunately I was not well enough to enjoy any of the Spa treatments and even had to miss one night of the Michelin Star restaurant food but I was able to relax and enjoy myself with the family in beautiful surroundings.

Now it is back to reality and I have to start Chemo again next week which will hopefully have an instant affect on the pains that have returned with vigour.

I am looking forward to a Barium meal xray even less than I am the chemo and I have one of those booked for next week also!

Health update

The Bell’s Palsy is not getting any worse and you could say the same about me but it is still not getting any easier. I am able to get out of bed after breakfast and come down stairs but I am doing very little after that at the moment as the pains are getting worse.

I am back to using more of the OxyNorm medication as a top-up to combat the pain. We are on a break soon and I am hoping that my condition does not get any worse, I would be happy for it to get better but to be honest looking at it realistically I will settle for the former.

On a good note our family are all grand and our girls are busy getting on with their lives, which is how it should be. They were with us yesterday evening as we discussed the treatments they may want at the Hotel Spa we have arranged to go to. [I will post more about that around the time of going.]

Alarm Bell’s, not really.

Two trips to the doctors today, the first one was a routine appointment to get my medication for Hiatus Hernia changed to something stronger. The other was a last minute appointment due to a loss of facial control around the right side of my mouth which we naturally first associated with a stroke.
However, after examination, my GP believes this may be the onset of a form of Bells’ Palsy. Here is a link if it doesn’t ring a bell! Patient UK, Bell’s Palsy.
Whatever next?

Appointment with Oncology Doctor – good news/bad news

We had no idea what to expect from today’s appointment and came away with both bad and good news.

The bad news is that chemotherapy will be reintroduced sometime around Easter as I need to ‘stabilize’ my condition and have my stomach investigated for causes of the bouts of sickness I have experienced of late.

The good news is that if I can stabilize myself and have any ‘blockage’ or restriction in my stomach relieved then they will consider sending a request to London for possible Cyberknife treatment.

It would appear that the sickness may be due to pressure on the stomach, could be from the tumour, or that there is now a problem within the stomach that needs further investigation. For this the doctor has suggested an x-ray with a tracer dye to highlight any possible causes.

I now await an appointment date for chemotherapy and the x-ray.

Another extremely rough night

Another one of those infuriating nights where I thought it would never come to an end and with each time I had to get out of bed to use the toilet I became gradually weaker to the point where I was almost too tired to even bother.
I knew I was going to suffer this morning and I have from being so lethargic and extremely tired, even getting items of clothing out of the cupboards was too large a task.

To top it all Jade Goody, the ‘star’ of reality TV has lost her well documented fight against Cancer. I only hope her family are left to grieve in peace and that they themselves treat the situation with dignity.
She thankfully, according to the reports, died peacefully in her sleep and to be honest it is one of the things I hope can be said about me.

On a happier note we are due to go away for a short mid-week break with our four daughters in a lodge in the forest and we are hoping to recharge our batteries before I inevitably start Chemotherapy again.
Is it inevitable? Well it is if the consultant has been honest with us as I am due to re-start if the pains return and it is only now, after almost four weeks without chemo, that I am beginning to feel a little of the old pains once again.

Evening got worse.

Sunday night didn’t get any better, in fact it got worse and I ended up in bed for seven o’clock and then spent a while on the bathroom floor expecting to be sick, which thankfully I wasn’t [the thought of having a show of blood scares me shitless to be honest].
I believe I can attribute these bouts of sickness to bending down as that appears to be the one thing in common each time I have felt this way and I may be putting pressure on either the tumour or organs around the stomach.

Weekends seem to be the same - Sunday 15 March

They appear to be the same in as much that I am on a regular basis feeling crap at least once over the weekend that takes it out of me; last night was no exception.
I went to bed early after needing a bath due to back pains, unsure if they are due to the Cancer or the allotment digging on Friday. I felt sick, but thankfully once again I was able to stave them off with tablets. I did spend some time on the toilet though that left me dehydrated and drained again this morning.
I am hoping to rally around again when Alice and her friend Jen from University come to take me to the garden centre later.
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Contributing to Comic Relief Red Nose Day made me feel a whole lot better so if you haven’t already then please do give, as generously as you can.

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Also, even if you are not one of my regular readers, or not a blogger, but you are a friend old or new please feel free to leave a comment, it is nice to hear from folk when I am on the internet, which is most days now.

Another knock

Felt really rough last night with sickness and stomach ache keeping me awake for a good part of the night. Sickness came on for no reason just as I was about to go to bed so I can only put the whole thing down to something I must have eaten.
I am hoping to feel better later today as I should be out with friends for eats and need to get myself up to speed as I feel weak with it once again.

Now that it is early evening I am feeling better as we get ready to go out but my stomach has been strained with the pains etc. I am once again indebted to Zoe for caring for me and getting to grips with things that need doing, such as arrangements for a break away and the next round of decorating, this time the kitchen.

Quite literally knocked off ones feet

Friday morning I awoke not able to walk the five paces to the en suite bathroom and had to make such an effort just to get back onto the bed. The rest of day got even worse as I struggled for breath, the fumes from freshly decorated paintwork not helping. My legs had continual cramps and I could not get settled at all, the only respite, when it came, was from sleep and lots of it.
I felt like a new born at times unable to open my eyes and then when I did I was unable to focus.
Even now a day later I am so below par. In the bath this morning, following a severe bout of diarrhoea, I look so skeletal as the weight has just dropped from my once muscular legs, it is pitiful to see.
I have been so emotional too at the merest thought of what is going on with us all at the moment setting me off and just the thought of my wonderful family again too much to bear.

On a lighter note, for those of you in the know, we are just getting over our day on TV and are looking forward to the gift awarded to us by the Duchess of York for a family stay at a health farm as way of saying thank you to my family for all the care, love and attention they give me.

It is all looking good at the moment.

The only updates I have at the moment are that there isn’t any. I am still feeling relatively well and life without Chemo currently is pretty good. I am in the middle of surprising my partner and family with something as a way of saying thank you, but more of that tomorrow, or the day after...

Positive results from Scan

Well! What can I say and where do I start?
We naturally approached today’s appointment with more than a little trepidation and were extremely anxious in case we were going to get some news we had not anticipated from the Scan results of last week.

Not only was the news good but it just got better as the appointment progressed.
Firstly the tumour is now, after chemotherapy, half the size it was in just over seven weeks since treatment began. This far exceeded their expectations let alone ours. As a result I am now free from Chemotherapy for at least three weeks, unless the pains come back in which case I can phone to have more therapy arranged.

Secondly I also thought I would chance my arm in asking, as I knew many before me would’ve already asked, about a relatively new form of therapy to the UK known as Cyberknife. I read about this on a cancer social network site I had joined and thought I would enquire however I did not expect the reaction I received, which again was positive. The Oncologist has agreed to look further into my case to see if I am a possible candidate for the procedure as part of the start of clinical trials.

Cyberknife is only available in one clinic in the country and it is in the private sector in London but I have to be willing to pay for this should it be feasible. It will not cure but if it were possible it would increase the length of my life.
We are hoping that I am indeed eligible for this type of treatment that uses radiotherapy but much more localised than the current forms of radiotherapy treatment in use.

What a day, what a wonderful day.
This is yet another day whereby I cannot knock the NHS in the UK and once again I am truly indebted to them.

Wendy Richard dies 65

It is sad when anyone dies from a terminal illness and when they are in the public eye it just brings it home how vulnerable we all are. Wendy Richard has passed away following terminal cancer and my thoughts and wishes go to those she leaves behind, especially her husband.

Chemotherapy #7 [7/7]

Chemotherapy went very well today considering I could feel myself getting wound up by it all. Nurse Marie was superb and very patient with my veins and when eventually in the vein it was easy from there on in.
I have been tired, as expected, and emotional, especially when my laptop busted yesterday. I now have to wait for it to be repaired and I am relying upon sharing with step-daughter, thank you to her.
I will be on from time to time and keep folks posted as and when I can get access to laptop. I have CT scan this coming Thursday and then I am due to see consultant next week for a review.
Good luck to anyone going through similar to me, famous, liked, disliked or otherwise, no one deserves to have this illness so please send your prayers or thoughts to everyone with this or similar illnesses.

Sweet dreams

I had such a wonderful deep sleep, only waking once to use the toilet, that I had several deep dreams. I am used to experiencing hallucinations nowadays and talking to people whist asleep so it is was so unusual and most satisifying to have real dreams.

Chemotherapy #6 [6/7] – Another good one for me, but not for some

Once again I had Nurse Donna attend to my chemotherapy session and it went off without a hitch, well apart from them not allowing my youngest daughter in the chemo suite. We had to drag my eldest daughter kicking and screaming out of work to come and pick her up from us. [OK, she relished the chance to get out of work an hour early and then be treated to a MacDonald’s meal; I have a penchant for them after Chemo and picked one up for everyone].

Another poor lady patient was not having it so easy and was where I was at a week or so ago when it mattered not what was said to her she was going to break out into tears, she was at the end of her tether and it was difficult to watch. I also know that nothing I or anyone else said to her would not make one iota of difference. I just wish she was as fortunate as me in having someone like my wife around. It makes so much difference and I know without her I would find it so much harder than it already is.

Cancer support website

I joined this site tonight after seeing it featured on the BBC evening TV news, very much worth a look for fellow sufferers.
http://no-surrender-network.org/