Round 7 WK2

I have put off writing this for a day or 2 and you'll soon see why. As l said I had 2 scans and got the results on Wed from Niall.
First the bone scan , good news on this one no trace that the cancer has gone into the bone . Good News.

New the second scan which was a CT scan  Unfortunately the treatment is not working and the cancer has spread. I now have a new lesion in the stomach somewhere around the back just above the kidney. This may be the cause of some of my back pain. There are also some signs of liver disease  This is fairly aggressive given that 3 months ago in the last scan it looked like it was shrinking .

So Niall has ended this teatmart and I am now changing to a 2nd line treatment . In some ways I am happy to change as I was really struggling with :the current one . Of course I am not happy that after all the pain and struggle it hasn't worked but that is the risk you run. My new treatment is a drug called Taxatier, I think that is how it is spelt. I get an infusion 2 out of every 3 weeks. To make things easier I have had the PICC line taken out and I will get a port instead. (I've always been partial to a port but prefer tokay or muscat. Hehe ) I am not sure what that looks like but it involves having a line and connector fitted under the skin. The good thing is that I don't have a dressing that has to be cleaned every week and it is waterproof. So I can shower normally and even swim if t want to. YEAH!

The Picc came out yesterday and I get the port this Friday. Then the new treatment will begin on the following Friday. Hopefully during this break in treatment my hands and feet will get a chance to recover.

I have advised work that I am now unlikely to be returning to work and that I will use up my leave and then look at the income protection insurance. AI my boss has been very good and is doing what he can to help. He is organising for the case worker to come and see me to talk through the options. Also to let me know what I need to do.

So now you know why I delayed writing this one. It is not the worst news I could get but it is also not far from it. I will ty to include pictures of my port in my next blog .

Round 7 wk 1

This will probably be much shorter than I had originally planned.  I spent over 1.5 hours writing a piece of literary genius, sure to win a Pulitzer, and then my useless gloved fingers accidentally touched the wrong part of the screen and in an instant all that beautiful wordsmithing was gone.  It has taken me 2 days to start again. 

Ok, the last 2 weeks of round 6 were not that flash for me. The trip to Twin Waters turned out to be just a different bed to be sick in.  Donna and the boys enjoyed it. The cumulative affect of the treatment meant the time was spent with severe constipation and or gas cramps causing referred back pain.  End result lack of sleep and a miserable time. I also found I it very difficult to get food I could eat so some weight loss as well.

On my return to Melbourne I had used the last of the Oxynorm for the flight home, so by the time I saw Niall and the nurses I was again not feeling well nor looking good. I had managed not quite 2 hours sleep the night before treatment by kneeling beside the bed, putting the heatpack on the edge of the bed so my stomach rested on it and then face planted into the pillow.  I thought this was quite inventive but the nurses were less impressed.  Needles to say I had already rung Niall about more Oxynorm.  A good conversation followed with the nurses re pain management and staying ahead of the pain not waiting for it to get bad and trying to recover. 

So I am trying to stay ahead of the pain and the constipation.  So far I have slept better, not a continuous 7 hours but generally 3 good 2 hour stints usually broken up to go to the toilet and sometimes to take medication. 

The severity of the pain has concerned Niall and he is worried that the cancer may have spread to the nearby bones. Given the proximity to the ribs and spine this makes sense.  So this week I have been for a bone scan and a CT scan. I'll get the results next week so look forward to that bulletin folks.  Niall did say that in my favor was the fact the pain for me was not always in the same place and that I could make it ease off with simple things, apparently bone pain doesn't ease off or move location, so here's hoping. 

Signing off now I'll let you know the results next week.