sydney
tinky ****in winky
good luck cornish....stay positive mate...!!
A quick update from me on the results of my back from hols CT scan last week.
The marker cancer nodule in my peritoneum has grown about 0.5cm all round and is now about the size of a thumbnail. No signs of aggressive disease there or any disease elsewhere so no more chemo just yet. However, I'll be having a complete day out on the NHS at the Royal Surrey in Guildford next Tuesday; initially about a post-surgery abdominal hernia I've developed, followed by some nuclear medicine/radioactive fluorine (ie positron emission tomography or PET scan) to have a look for any cancer signs elsewhere at the cellular level. If there's none (and that's a big IF) then they want to have a look at removing the nodule surgically next year. Apparently this is largely to do with surgical technique development - it's a 10 hour operation!
Millwall in the evening might seem a bit tame after all this - any pregnant women or children near WSUD, Row O should avoid the old git in a flat cap surrounded by a green glow.
The PET scan was a like a slow CT scan from the patient perspective. You're given the radioactive isotope iv and then have to lay down for an hour to let the radioactivity spread throught the body; then it's into the scanner, laying down again, for about 25 minutes - I went to sleep beforehand and during the scan.
Results were very surprising (to me anyway) - initially the oncology consultant advised (somewhat sceptically tbh) that the radiologists had reported there was no detectable cancer activity anywhere! This begs the question that what is this node/lump in the peritoneum that I've had since 2010 but during subsequent review of all my scans etc, etc by the multi-disciplinary team at the Royal Surrey the conclusion they've come to is that there is some low level activity there due to a very slow growing (indolent) cancer and that's all I have. Anyway, the knives are being sharpened again and it's going to be removed surgically. I've had a prelim chat with the surgical team in Guildford and they joyously want me to have to have a half course of chemo (ie x6 fortnightly doses) beforehand to "soften" the surrounding tissue to help the surgery. I'm back in the cancer unit there on monday to discuss/agree the chemo strategy, treatment dates etc, have a medical and get my PIC line fitting booked. I guess I'll be back on the pickling sauce during w/c 18 Feb with the surgery probably in late May-early June depending on how I stand up to the chemo. Best wishes to all, and the BT'trees fan club down the Loxwood Road in Wisborough. Our son played rugby with his three elder brothers, particularly Johnny, whilst at the Weald. TTFN. N.
An update from me now I'm halfway through the current course of brain pickling.
Have been getting very tired but that's largely down to some drug (irinotecan) induced anaemia. As a result I require a 2/3pt transfusion of the red stuff in what should be my week off during the fortnightly chemo treatment cycle. Unfortunately, this requires a blood cross-match followed by the transfusion on the next day - ie it's another 2 days at the Royal Surrey in Guildford so I'm there twice a week, every week now. Also have to be home one day waiting for the community/district nurses to remove my chemo pump and/or flush the line that's in my right arm. Talk about taking over your life!
Pre-surgery CT scan is being booked but don't know when I'll be under the knife just yet; late June or early July I expect so should make the play-offs if we get there and be fit(tish) for the new season. ST in WSU has been renewed (of course).
Bye for now. N.
Got some good news today the PET scan showed no signs of cancer, so I'm just waiting now to hear from the transplant specialist to arrange the stem cell harvest.
Got some good news today the PET scan showed no signs of cancer, so I'm just waiting now to hear from the transplant specialist to arrange the stem cell harvest.
Got some good news today the PET scan showed no signs of cancer, so I'm just waiting now to hear from the transplant specialist to arrange the stem cell harvest.
Got some good news today the PET scan showed no signs of cancer, so I'm just waiting now to hear from the transplant specialist to arrange the stem cell harvest.
Got some good news today the PET scan showed no signs of cancer, so I'm just waiting now to hear from the transplant specialist to arrange the stem cell harvest.