wonderwoman

I am feeling much better today. Pain killers have kicked in so had a good night's sleep in actual bed last night.
This morning saw us in radiotherapy verification, which was basically to check that:
• the mask fits
• I am ok to start (health wise)
• to have a practice run
• to check that the treatment plan set out by my onchologist will give me the best possible outcome with the least possible disruption to me. To say that the mask fits well is something of an understatement. When it came off after about 15 minutes the skin on my face was like a waffle where the skin sticks through the plastic. Not a great look I have to say.

All went well, we then went to get some info regarding my rig (feeding tube). We were shown how to flush it out, which basically means filling a syringe with 50ml of water and pumping it through once a day and how to clean the area around where it goes into my tummy. How to feed myself through it will be gone over as and when I need it.
Not surprisingly the food that you can use is in a liquid form, so we were surprised to hear Wendy the nurse say that she has known someone trying to force Rice Krispies through one! We were speechless.

So everything is now in place for the first radiotherapy session, followed by my second 'single' chemo session on wednesday.

If I can just bring your attention to my fantastic wife and daughter's fund raising efforts. They are running (probably walking but who cares) the Race For Life next month. I'm not sure where Keeley will find time to do any training in-between looking after all of us, working and keeping our home ticking over, but she is showing herself to be, as I have always known, some kind of superhero. Think Wonderer Woman with domestic and creative skills (and the patience of a saint) and you won't be far away.

www.justgiving.com/KeeleyandGrace

Here is a picture I took of Keeley earlier today. Wowzers.

ouch

I was a bit previous in assuming that the pain from the air making it's way round my bod under the skin was gone. It hasn't. Unbelievably painful. It gravitates it's way to the top of your rib cage and shoulders, and is like having a knife stuck in you.

Great mate Colin was despatched to get some peppermint based medicine and tea to try and alleviate the pain. This worked to a point with some strong pain killers, but I couldn't lie down so slept in the chair in the bedroom.

Keeley,as ever, is my absolute rock. Fetching cups of tea, tucking me in, just being there and reassuring me.

I am on a liquid diet for a couple of days until my tummy settles, because, as I discovered to my cost yesterday, a bowl of porridge was incredibly painful to digest. So it's nesquik, soup and tea for a while.

Before signing off here is a pic of the rig (food tube) and of my bruise where the nurse inserting the canular hit an artery rather than a vein. Ouch!

wind

I awoke this morning at 5.30 to a Dawn chorus of old men trumping. It was almost as if one started and granted permission for the one in the next bed to join in, a bit like a Mexican Wave of flatulence.

Not the best start. 

My rig is now fitted, and is fine other than feeling a bit weird. The worst part of the procedure, other than the 8 hour wait yesterday, is that the air that was pumped through the pipe into my tummy is now moving around my body under my skin. Incredibly painful, but seems to have worn off as we speak.

The pipe , for reasons unknown to me, is still wedged down my nose and throat, and is as uncomfortable as it sounds.

Hopefully I will be allowed home later this morning and look forward to a good result for Stoke this afternoon at Chelsea.

Onwards and up the Potters.

op

my friday:

6.30 shower, pack, kiss kids, leave for hospital at 7.10

7.20 arrive at hospital and do two circuits of the building to find the right ward

7.40 check in, obs, wave Keeley goodbye, put on lovely gown and anti thrombo tights

8.30 wheeled into side room to await pipe down nose and op.

9.00 pipe down nose. Bloody uncomfortable

10.30 old friend Dr.Dave comes in for a chat. Great to see him. He notices that the pipe has fallen out. Bugger. Nurse announces that the ward I should be going to after is shut because of a bug. Chance I will be sent home. Bugger.

13.30 yes half past one, there may be a bed, been lying here for just the 5 hours. Paul the porter eventually brings my stuff so I can at least use the phone. Haven't had anything to eat or drink since last night so a bit groggy. 

16.30 in to theatre. 3 attempts to get pipe in. First two went down windpipe. Much coughing. Rest of procedure fine. I'm now the proud owner of a feeding tube in my tummy. Onto the ward a bit worse for wear.

17.40 first banana nesquik of the day. Can't eat anything because the pipe is staying in for the time being.

radio

All went well yesterday. Went to Nuffield for the first of second phase of chemo. This lasted a couple of hours so that they could check for any reaction I may have had but all was fine. I will now have a 1 hour session every Wednesday until the end of the radiotherapy (6 weeks)

Spent an enjoyable couple of hours this morning on the Slagg Brothers Show on 6 Towns Radio. I'll put a link up later to the listen again site, although I wasn't close enough to the mike to start with so you may not hear me.

Now bracing myself for tomorrow's op. Woke up this morning with a nose bleed which is presumably my nose objecting to the fact that it's going to have a big pipe up it tomorrow! 

Will try and report in tomorrow but not sure how I will be feeling. Home on Saturday so I can update you all then.

Laters homies.

amazon

Proper ego boost this morning as Amazon have me earmarked as a cutting edge music guru on their database. They have very kindly suggested that I might like to buy the new Shit Robot album. The fact that I am calling it an album and not an mp3 or download will tell you that Shit Robot probably won't be my cup of tea. Thanks for the thought though.

The plan changed a bit yesterday. We've been offered a different chemo drug which will hopefully come with less side effects. The difference being that I will have it weekly for an hour rather than the previous plan which was 2 sessions of 8 hours. I may have what was politely called a teenage rash, zits to you and me, but like the other stuff they should clear up when the treatment is over.

The plan for the radiotherapy isn't quite finalised yet. Basically they programme into the machine a path that will avoid damaging everything but the cancerous cells. This isn't always possible. Because they are targeting my neck there are obviously lots of important bits in close proximity to the area they want to zap. Specifically the gland which produces saliva. There are two, one on each side, and if you lose one it can make things really difficult later in terms of producing enough saliva which may then effect speech, swallowing, health of teeth etc.

Anyway, I have confidence that they will do everything possible to ensure the best  outcome.

Everything is in place for my 'rig' operation on Friday. 7.30 start, blood tests, pipe down nose to pump some air into my tummy, local anaesthetic and incision into tummy, pipe inserted and stitched to skin. That's it. Stay overnight to ensure all is well, home Saturday in time to see Stoke v. Chelski at teatime on the telly. Huzzah!

Just had the call to go in for the first chemo this afternoon. Onwards and upwards.

scratch

An expression I have become familiar with over the last couple of months is' just a sharp scratch'. This is usually accompanied by a needle being stuck in my arm. As a rough estimate I think I have had 38 injections/scratches/biopsies and counting. It is just a scratch and the pain of pulling the plaster off afterwards is far worse.

The picture shows my hand where the intravenous drip was attached for chemo. The veins are a bit red and bruised where they have collapsed. This sounds dramatic but is quite normal apparently. 

Science over. This is the schedule for this week.

• Monday - blood test. Big, brave boy, I went on my own.

• Tuesday - appointment with oncholigist to discuss progress/results/drug options

• Wednesday - day off (!)

• Thursday - Radiotherapy Verification. Think this means laying out treatment dates and times, checking everything is in place to start next Wednesday.

• Friday - rig operation at 7.30am. Hopefully because of the early start I will be home later in the day, assuming all goes well. Complete with a little exhaust pipe in my tummy.