Hi all,
Well back from seeing my Onco and it was good to see the look of surprise on his face when I told him that we had been on a cruise and to be fair he saw the odd photo of the wonderful scenery and said "good for you, the best thing you could have done.....but cancel the transatlantic cruise you have booked for October.
From there dear punters it all went downhill with a double whammy.
There is a tumour near the bowels hindering normal bowel motions and which is also causing the pain and feeling of pressure. He can not do any more RT to reduce the size of the tumour as although my previous RT was 15 years ago it was very extensive ( not with today's spot on refinement). It was of course in the same region as any RT now would be given and the thinking is that the dosage needed to reduce the tumour would in all probability cause more damage to the bowel and surrounding area....in other words a no go.
The second whammy came when it was shown that the chemo is not working and my liver blood counts have got progressively worse. Having the bile duct stent put in in March certainly was a good move and I am not jaundice at all and that gave rise to an improvement in the blood count. However the chemo is not working and he has stopped any further chemo for the time being including tomorrow's planned armful.....have to find something else to do now!
The net result is that for the moment I will not be having any more treatment with the possibility that the liver might do a bit better without chemo. The priority now is pain relief, my pain nurse has been informed and we are about to go on the merry go round of various drugs. This might entail a couple of nights in my local hospice where I can be constantly monitored.
So not the best of news but whilst chemo has not worked for me that is not to say that it won't work for those of you on it or about to go on it. I have had no real ill effects with it and would quite happily continued with it but it wasn't to be.
Karen and I have decided that we must make the most of the summer days/ nights going out and about taking in the beautiful countryside we are blessed with around here. Picnics will be the order of the day. I still intend to see so many old friends and meet new faces at the Leicester gig, only staying for the one day now and then heading back to No 1 sons house before going off to the Runnymede Hotel on the Thames to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary on the 24th June .... I have booked a HOTTUG for the afternoon.....a small yellow roundish boat / hot tub affair which has a wooden boiler on it which keeps the water you sit in at 37 degrees as you meander down the Thames whilst sipping a glass of champagne. Some things have to be done if only once.
So there you have it, not good news but believe me the fight goes on as right now.......
Life is for living
Barry (alias Barrington )
PS Hi Chris,
Like your idea of "A party made in heaven" in my short time on this earth I have met so many wonderful people, men and woman who are loving, caring and give so much of their lives in order to help others. Being in the Forces I have met soldiers from all races and faiths all of whom I recall with great fondness, especially my Nepalese Gurkha friends. They might be of a different faith but they will fill heaven with their joviality and warmth.....what a party it will be
Edited by member 11 Jun 2014 at 17:22
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