Friday, January 28, 2011

Scan results next week!!!!!

As per my last blog I have just had treatment number 10 and dealing with the side effects best I can, but is not easy. I had a CT scan yesterday and really looking forward to the results on Wednesday. Any improvement is a positive. Some sad news, I guy who has been having Chemo the same day as me with very similar cancer, has been in Hospital for 3 weeks now and is not doing very well. I have come to terms that I will see some very nice people struggle with the cancer or not be able to win their battle as I continue down this long road to recovery and this is the saddest part of the whole journey.  It does make me stronger to keep the treatments going and keep improving, but in reality I have to be prepared I may have times where I could have complications, but will deal with this when and if they arise. My next blog will be after my Doctors appointment so please keep your fingers crossed and slip a couple of prayers in there and hopefully all will be good.
Thank you once again to everyone who is supporting me and I cannot begin to tell you how much the phone calls and emails mean to me.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Back on the Rollercoaster

I have just had the best period between treatments last fortnight than I have had for months.
It is Tuesday afternoon and I am currently sitting in the big blue chair at the oncology unit having treatment number 10. As I sit here for approx 3 1/2 hours and they feed the Chemo drugs into my body I can feel myself leaving the top of the hill on the rollercoaster and starting the descend to the bottom. I hope the bottom is not as far down as I have previously had and I can at least feel half normal this time round. It is strange to sit here and know how strong these drugs are going into my body. All the nurses wear protective gowns, face masks and gloves. Makes you feel a bit like a lepour! Some bad news. A friend of mine, who has treatment on the same day who has liver cancer as well, was not here last treatment and not here again  today. I asked the nurse and he is in hospital, and would not give more information than he may not be back. Hits home when you here this happening, but I need to get used to this as I work through my treatments and eventually beat this Cancer. There will be people who will not make it. It’s just a pity to see such good people be struck down in the prime of their life.
It really makes me appreciate every day a wake up and see the sunrise and the voice of my little boy Sammy as he shuffles in to our bed for his morning cuddle. I hope everyone who reads this will wake up tomorrow and feel the same as I do each morning.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Mind over body

Another fortnight nearly over in my rollercoaster ride of Chemo. This has been a much better fortnight than the last, as per my last blog. I seem to have shaken of the bug I had. Treatment number 10 next week which means I have been on treatment for 5 months. As my blogs reflect it is not getting any easier in fact harder each time, but all good as I am seeing results. Really looking forward to having scans at the end of next week which will give us a better indication of how I am progressing. To a lot of people what I am about to write, you might say "no big deal, I could do that", but for the people who read my blog and have cancer I hope you get inspiration from this.
On Wednesday I took my Executive Team on an afternoon Team Building exercise. Indoor Rock Climbing!!! What an excellent afternoon and everyone took away something from the afternoon. For me. I attempted to scale the 20 metre wall but could only manage about 6 meters when a ledge stopped me in my tracks and I just run out of energy. I came back down and let one of my Team have a go. He went up like a proverbial rat up a drain pipe. I took a big breath and focussed on getting back in the harness and setting my sights on the top. So I strapped myself in and started the long haul up the wall with these little pebbles to support me. I reached the spot which beat the on the 1st attempt and just set my eyes on the top and got over the ledge. From here you would think it would be plain sailing as it was just a straight 180 degrees (yes straight up and down). As I took each step to the next little pebble jutting out from the wall my body was losing any strength I had, but I shut out all negative thoughts and just zoned into reaching my ultimate goal,  the top. After 10 minutes of shear pain I made it. Yes a 48 year old stage 4 cancer patient climbed a vertical 20 metre wall clinging on by just fingers and toes. Was I proud of my achievement? What do you think? I reflect back and realise, this zone I was in to reach the top I am already in and have been in for the past 5 months. When your body says give up let your mind take control and you can achieve anything you want to. Maybe not first time but don’t give up. Photo inserted to just show you the wall which I conquered.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Turning a negative into a positive

I realize I only posted a blog yesterday but since then I had an interesting afternoon.
My temperature spiked up in the afternoon so as per the Doctors instruction any time I am over 38 degrees I need to admit myself into emergency. That in its self is an eye opener in the Darwin Hospital, which I will not go into now. I was in emergency for 4 ½ hours yesterday and every test you could have I had. In the end my temp came down and I was released with antibiotics to help my very low immune system to beat the bug I have. So the positive out of this bad afternoon. They contacted my Oncology Doctor to consult, and he had just received my latest Tumor Marker results. There are 2 separate markers which are based on overall cancer cell counts in the blood. The CEA result came in at +161 which were at 5510 back in October. The normal figure is -5. So huge drop in 2 months and 166 away from a normal count. The next is the CA result, which came in at 91 from 360 back in October. The normal figure for this test is 0-35 so another 60 points to go. I realize this will take a lot longer to get these last points down but how good to be so close so quickly. I put the great results down to everything we are doing from the dreaded chemo, to a couple of natural cures I have been taking,  to all the positive energy I receive from all my friends and everyone out there praying for my recovery. Obviously it is working. Thanks you again to all whom fall into the above.

Friday, January 7, 2011

4 1/2 months into Chemo and its taking effect

This Wednesday will be treatment 9 and I am really feeling the effects of chemo as it builds up in my body. Hair at this stage is holding on, but I am due for a haircut which will show the thinness of my scalp, so maybe soon the shaver comes out. I have my next scans coming up on the 29th of January so looking forward to some positive results which will give me the strength to continue on. I have had a bug since before Xmas which put me in hospital 2 days before Xmas. Since then my temp has been like a pogo stick if everybody remembers what that is! Ranging from 36 to 40.5. As my immune system is so low this creates difficulties trying to bet the bug. Yes something as a simple flu has put me in emergency. This is my life now and need to accept it, which I will admit is taking a lot to do as I have been so healthy until 4 months ago. The pain of the cancer is non-existent due to the drugs I take but it’s the side effects which cause the pain and frustration. I will not go into all of them but the biggest is the lack of energy and as I have mentioned in previous posts each day is a battle in its self just to get through. Work keeps my mind stimulated but need to listen to my body as well and take time out when needed.
I have contacted a very good Doctor down in Melbourne to be involved and give me a 3rd opinion, so I have doctors in Adelaide, Darwin and now Melbourne looking at my case. I have a lot of faith in their actions so we continue on. The Doctor in Melbourne is a leader in SITR research in Australia which is why I have chosen him for my case. What is SITR? please read the link and you will have a good idea of the treatment. http://www.umgcc.org/sir-spheres/about_sirt.htm   It is new into Australia but has had great results. Still looking to get the tumor in my bowel removed in the 1st half of this year by the Doctors in Melbourne and should have more idea after these next scans. Again thanks to all who are supporting me through this and I can not thank my Darling Wife Meghan enough who now wears alot of the day to day burden which normally would be shared in our relationship.