1 + 1 = 1

From today I have decided to post from my other blog where you will find all my updates relating to my term with CANCER [I will have the occassional moan on there too!]

If you have stumbled across this Blog and wish to read more about living with cancer then please visit my other site where I have decided to put all postings on the one blog for ease of use and postings.

The other Blog is ‘Old Enough To Moan’

One over, another arranged for next week.

Yesterday’s EUS for me was quite a breeze, thanks to the team and staff ant the University hospital, especially the professional who carried out the procedure who, as promised, did not allow me to feel a thing.
All we need do now is wait the results as we are told to expect to wait the usual 8-10 days.

My next appointment for an Endoscopic-Retrograde-Cholangio- Pancreatography [ERCP] is booked for Tuesday [21 October] of next week. This will be carried out under X-rays to see any dies injected into the area during the procedure. The main purpose is to insert the ‘stent’ tube to enable me to rid the Jaundice in order to get strong enough for forthcoming operations.

Some poor sod did not fare as well as me yesterday as he fainted at the sight of the needle as it was placed into the back of his wrist [the trick is to look away] and then have a ‘panic’ or crash type team attend him as his situation went from bad to worse. All witnessed by those of us waiting, primarily me, to go into the operations room. I did think that they don’t get too many of those in a day so I it increased my chances of having an easy time of it.

Monday 13 October 2008 – Even closer

We attended the Consultant Surgeon appointment today and have come away with much more of an idea where we are at than we have had during recent visits to hospital.

They are still none the wiser yet if it is a cyst or a tumour causing the blockage and tomorrow’s EUS should be able to tell, I may still need more CT scans after that.
Whether it is a cyst or a tumour then either way I am looking at no less than major surgery. If it is a cyst it is much larger than normal and will need to be removed, which is not easy but it can be operated on successfully without any loss of quality in life.

If it is a tumour an operation will also be probable but other factors will determine treatment and operations.

The Consultant believes we are looking at more of a ‘probable’ than ‘possible’ chance that it is a tumour. Naturally I want to discuss this will family first so please do not allow any of this to become general knowledge at this time.

In order that I able to cope with major surgery I have to be a lot fitter than I am and my body needs to be functioning properly, which it is not due to the blockage. They are therefore looking at getting me into surgery for another procedure to open up the tube from my liver to the pancreas by the insertion of a ‘stent’, which is a straw like tube that will allow the stomach to function, the jaundice to subside and therefore permitting me to a eat and put on weight again.
This operation could be as soon as this Thursday!
If not then the week after.

I have now lost 4 ½ stone since June, which is concerning them most. In addition to this the pains, when walking, are out of the ordinary and need to be assessed, in the meantime I have been taken off the pain killer Tramadol and put on Morphine.

Friday 10 October 2008 - Another step closer

Unexpectedly we are another step closer to knowing as this morning I received a phone call from the Consultant Surgeons Secretary requesting I attend an appointment with the Consultant, Dr Khan, this coming Monday at 13.00. So it would appear that things are as bad as we were expecting and it is only a question of prognosis as we believe the diagnosis has been made without telling us as much.

Thursday 08 October 2008 – Home visit

Today was going to be a waiting day, firstly for the post, then for a home visit and at any time and less expectantly a call from the hospital.
The postman came and went and we had nothing from the hospital but as promised we did receive visitors from work for the first official home visit. Within minutes of the HR officer and office manager sitting down they had promised to extend my period of sick pay for a further month or at least until we know for certain what we are facing.
The meeting panned out quite well and my partner appeared a little more relaxed knowing that we can also expect counselling should it be required through work.
The home visit came to a natural conclusion after one hour and coffee and cakes.

It was with some relief knowing that my partner Zoe was not feeling so alone in all this turmoil and that support was at hand. So we were not expecting what happened just 45 minutes later when I received a phone call from the hospital to tell me of an appointment that was being made for me at the University hospital in Coventry.

I am now waiting for an appointment to come through within a week for an Endoscopic Ultrasound Scan [EUS]. We have searched the internet and these relatively new machines are used primarily by oncology departments and hospitals. The EUS acts as an ultrasound scanner would and is able to view surrounding organs, presumably for damage, as well as being able to take biopsies.

Once again we are left expecting and fearing the worse but we are one more step closer knowing for sure.

Tuesday 07 October 2008 – CT Scan follow up, company Dr appointmet

We had spent the weekend worrying about the outcome of the CT scan and were expecting the worse, the only thing we were not sure of was just how bad the ‘worse’ was going to be. It was a very emotional morning on Monday when we dropped our 3 ½ year old off at her Grandma’s whilst we went to the hospital for the CT result.
When we were finally called into the consultant’s room we were told there was a blockage, which we already knew, however they could now pin-point it to being in the Pancreas, which is part of the duodenum. They could not, or were reluctant, at this point to commit to it being of a cancerous nature. My case will now be referred and assessed by the duodenum team this coming Wednesday, but we have to told to still expect the worse and anything less than a tumour would be a bonus!
So in reality we are no farther forward in knowing what it is that has caused the Jaundice, whether or not it is related to all the on-going problems I have been having over the last year or to what extent the treatment will eventually take?

We also had an appointment with the Company Doctor who once again was very supportive at our time of need and has arranged for my manager and a member of the HR team to make a home visit, the first since I have been off work in almost twelve months. My sick pay is due to finish toward the end of this month and soon, depending on the nature my current illness, we will be left with no decision other than to rely on the state to provide for us. We are hoping that until we know what the is causing the blockage is then the company my consider extending my sick pay a little longer so we can make the right decisions financially to assist us through this period.

Paul Newman

One week ago today Paul Newman finally lost his fight against cancer, Sunday 28 September 2008. He was a remarkable man who not only gave us much joy in his films but also gave much in time and money to charity.
If I live to 83 I promise to do more than do currently over the next 34 years to help those less fortunate than myself.