Back for another round of Chemo

How the time just gets away from you. It just seems like a few days ago I had my last round of chemo. I went and seen the Chinese Doctor and he gave me a mixture for the nausea, and it actually worked so I will continue to use it. At this stage I still do not have results but will know more once I have my CT scan in 2 days time. I am still holding a lot of fluid in my legs and stomach area which is a side effect of the chemo. It is very uncomfortable and have been to my local GP and he as given me some more pills to take to get rid of it. I also organized a referral to a specialist oncology doctor. He is actually the doctor I seen 3 years ago when first diagnosed. I really am not happy with the treatment I am getting at the Nambour Hospital. Every visit there is always a hold up and takes so long to have the chemo. Dr H seems to be a good Doctor but is always in a hurry. In a nutshell I just feel like a number and not a person, and at this stage of my cancer progression I would like some personalized treatment. I think I will get this from the specialist once I get in to see him. Hopefully the next blog will have some good results and the new protocol is doing some good. Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Wife for today. Meghan is my rock and I appreciate everything she does for me and some of the irratic things I do on my chemo week. Bye for now

Tuff Week

Hi All, just a quick update before I go back in for my next round of Chemo which will be cycle 4 of this protocol. This last cycle left me with a bad case of nausea which has not helped with my weight as I have not been able to eat very much and when I do it is only small amount. It is now 8 days since chemo and I have now just got my appetite back. Looking in the mirror these days is not a pretty site. I have lost a lot of weight in my chest area and have what looks like a blotted stomach. My arms are really skinny. Due to the lack of muscle and fat on my body I find it very hard to keep warm but managing so far. With all this in mind, you might think well just go with it accept this is what will be. Wrong! I am going to See a Chinese acupuncture doctor who claims he could be able to quell the nausea, if this is the case I will be able to break the cycle which seems to be happening at present. If I can get to the stage where a can eat during the first week after chemo I will be able to put on some weight and obviously make me feel better with a wieght increase. I am also going to See a fitness trainer who specializes in cancer rehabilitation to build up my upper body weight and strength. So if I can get this all happening together I am sure it will be a great help to my wellbeing. As you can tell by the tone of this blog I am not giving up and this is all fitting in with the reason for our move to the Sunshine Coast. Wish me luck and thank you to everyone who has been in contact, as without this I do not think I could be positive as I am. Goodbye, and will post another blog once I have had my appointment with Dr H on the 18th of July.

Stressful round of Chemo this time around.

It has been nearly a month since my last blog. I have met with my new Oncology Doctor, who I will call Dr H. He seems to know what he is talking about and is very down to earth, which is what I am looking for in a Doctor. No need to sugar coat anything with me and I made this very clear to him. I had my first round of chemo here on the Sunny Coast a fortnight ago and have really struggled through this round.I have found I am very tierd and having bad stomach pains. I am hoping it is just a case of Gastro but need to keep a close eye on it. I have not received my latest blood results but expect to do so on Monday when I go in for my next round of Chemo. Meghan has noticed a change in me and I have felt it. I have lost a lot of weight from my chest area and am slightly blotted in the stomach area. Not a good look I tell you. So is this the start of chemo not having the effect it should or is it just a readjustment to the new protocol which I have only had two rounds.I am sure the next blood tests and scans will give us more information. My next Dr's appointment is on the 18th of July so still a bit of a wait until then. At least I will have 3 rounds of the new protocol completed and be able to give us some reasonably accurate results. Until next time, I hope you all keep well and Meghan Sam and I will be well and truly settled into our new house in Buderim. So far so good. Meghan is really enjoying her new role and the house is great and I have been able to spend a lot of time with Sam whilst he is on holidays which is until the 15th of July.

My last round of Chemo in Darwin now completed.

Hi All, As per my last blog I said I would update you on my tests taken on Monday. Firstly the blood tests came back OK so I was able to have chemo on Wednesday. I spoke with Dr K at Monday's meeting which was my last meeting with him as my next Chemo will be on the Sunshine Coast. I found it a bit hard to say goodbye as he has been looking after me since day one and realy understood where I was coming from and tried to help in any way he could. Back to the tests. The CT scan was not so good. Although we did not have the Doctors report Dr K could see on his screen thet the tumor sizes in both my lungs and liver had increased, to what extent we are not sure until we recieve the report. Knowing this Dr K decided we change protocol to a drug called FOLFIRI. I had this same protocol approx 12 months ago and it worked reasonably well back then but we stopped when I had the SIRTSPHERE trail drug. We are hoping the change of drug will have some effect to at least reduce the tumors slightly or even to stop further growth, but time wil tell and will take a number of treatments before we will know this. Some good news. My CEA blood results showed a drop from 19000 down to 13900. In the big scheme of things it is not a big drop but better than seeing them rising as I have been doing over the past 6 months. So one more blood test the day before I fly out and give the results to the Doctor at the Nambour Hospital where I will be having my next treatment. So a new chapter in my ongoing presuit of try to keep the cancer under control and stay alive for as long as possible. It is hard work both emotionally and fisicaly, but will continue and hopefully see some good results with the current changes. Thanks to everyone with thier well wishes and I will update once on the Sunshine Coast.

Back from Over Seas and ready for a big week

We have just arrived back in Australia from our Disney Cruise through the Caribbean and four days with Meghans Dad in San Fransisco. We had a great time and now time to get back into treatment. Having chemo just before flying out was OK but I was a little out of it for the first few days. On Monday I have blood tests, a scan, a Doctors appointment with Dr K and hopefully chemo if my bloods come back OK. I am not expecting any good news news this time round and will not until I get back into a routine with chemo. We are still moving to the Sunshine Coast in the next few weeks and organizing treatment at the Nambour Hospital. I will leave it at that for now as I will update my blog after Mondays results.

Much better cycle this time around

It has been about 10 days since my last round of Chemo, and overall it has been quite bearable. No real bad side effects and have managed to keep my weight on which is always a good sign. I am feeling a lot more relaxed now and starting to clear my head and concentrate on my health. We are going overseas in about a weeks time and will have chemo just before we leave and then again as soon as we get back so I do not miss a cycle, expect a couple of days out which Dr K is not overly happy about but it should not make that much difference a couple of days either way.I have an appointment with Dr K this Friday were we will organize a referral to the Nambour Hospital on the Sunny Coast which will be my new Chemo Clinic. So next round of Chemo is 7 days away and am hoping it goes as well as this cycle as I do not want to be feeling too sick for the start of our holiday especially since the first day is spent on a plane for 15 hours to the USA. I am now going to start researching trial drugs again and see if we cannot find some current trials which will suit my condition and hopefully be based out of the Brisbane Hospital which the Nambour clinic is attached to. So bye for now and most probally will not hear from me again until we get back from overseas.I am so looking forward to spending quality time with Meghan and Sam and just enjoying every minute of the holiday.

Latest results are not looking so good. Time for a change????

Hi to everyone who has been reading my blog and I hope for the people outside of my Friends and Family you are able to take some information more on the thoughts of a person with terminal cancer as I suspect this is the reason you are reading my blog. Either for yourself or a family member. I am a little late on posting this blog as when I went to write something I just could not put words on paper. I had a Doctor’s appointment 3 weeks ago and the results were not so good. The good news is my tumor sizes had not grown much since the last scan. The bad news is my cancer cell count in my blood has gone through the roof. It is currently sitting at 13,600 and back in February it was 6,000. So not good news. We have decided to continue with the same treatment as I have really only had one cycle of full strength Chemo. The next scan will be on May the 27th, which should give me another two cycles and hopefully at full strength. We are now moving to the Sunshine Coast in June. As most of you now know I have finished up work to concentrate on my health. Meghan has accepted a job with Mantra Group. Yes the company I have just finished with. Meghan will be the Regional HR Manager for Queensland. For me a change in Doctors may be a good thing now as I have had the same Doctor since I was diagnosed, and a fresh set of eyes and procedures could be just what I need. I have Chemo tomorrow hopefully; all depending on my blood test first up in the morning. Wish me luck and i will update again in the near future.

Treatment is back on

Hi to All, It's been a week or so and have just got back from our holiday. The holiday was fantastic and we all had the best time and I even felt normal for a change instead of feeling like I had a full-time hangover.The day after getting back I had blood tests, a CT scan and yes the bloods came back positive which meant I had a full dose of chemo today. So far feeling reasonably good but early days as of yet. I have plenty of nausea medication so will keep these up for the next 5 days. I have a Doctors appointment next Monday which will give us the results of today's CT Scan and last blood tests. Not expecting too much as I have only had one full treatment before the scan and bloods. If all goes well and I can keep up the routine I expect the next results will be much better.I will update after my next Doctors appointment. Bye for now

Second Full strength treatment delayed

As per my last post I handled the first full strength treatment without too many issues and obviously was looking forward to having my second and getting into a routine to help combat the bad results I have recently received. I had a routine blood test on the day prior to chemo to check all my levels and just my luck my platelet count was very low. Chemo does have an effect on platelets but they were far too low to have another round of treatment so I have been put on hold for a week. This is really disappointing as I was ready to hit the tumors hard and get back on top of them. The only good to come out of it is we are going away for 5 days to Cairns as of today so I will be feeling good over this period and will be able to enjoy the break with my wonderful family. We get back next Wednesday and straight back into chemo on the Thursday if the blood test is OK. I have now finished up work and are officially retired, but am sure I will find plenty to do to keep me busy.It will obviously be a big shock to my routine and will take time to adjust. So we fly out later today and as mentioned previously really looking forward to just chilling out and relaxing. I will update you next week on whether I was able to have chemo or not but keep your fingers crossed as I really need to get on top of this Cancer at the moment. Bye for now and thanks to everyone who has rang and wished me well in my change of life.

Update from last post

I thought I would post another blog as the reaction from my last post was quite overwhelming. I had many calls and emails which I am very appreciative. It was not my intention to worry or scare anyone as the whole idea of this blog site is for me to express myself and hopefully help everyone understand how this terrible disease has change my life and perception on life in general. If the truth is hard to swallow I am sorry but that is the way it is. I had my first full strength treatment 10 days ago. Overall I have handled it well considering. All I thought about when I was sitting in the big chair in the Chemo Suite was feel the drugs going through my body attacking every cancer cell it comes into contact with and killing them. The only problem it does destroy the health cells as well.As long as more cancer cells are destroyed than good cells I will be happy. As I have said many times before I need to keep a positive attitude and for me to feel like the drugs are doing their job helps me to continue with a positive attitude. I have another round of full strength chemo next Tuesday so hopefully I am able to continue to handle the side effects. I have four days of work to go before I retire and we are also flying out for a five day holiday in Cairns next Friday which we are all looking forward to immensely. The closer I get to finishing work the more I realize it is time for me to take it easy and get the rest needed to cope with the chemo. I am sure I will find plenty to do and Meghan will make sure I am busy enough not to be bothering her at work every half hour! I have a CT scan booked in for the day after we get back from Cairns and the a doctors review the following week just before round three of my full strength chemo. This will be a telling appointment in it will show whether the change to full strength chemo is working or not. If it is that will be fantastic and we will continue, if it is not working, well I really do not know where we go from here. I am hoping Dr K has a rabbit he can pull out of his hat. I am still researching any clinical trials which are available in Australia and at this stage there is not much out there but will keep looking. Thanks to everyone who has contacted me over the past few weeks, it really does help to keep me positive and fighting as hard as I can. Thank you All and will post again once I have the result from the next appointment with Dr K.

The Doctor's appointment I have been dreading

Following on from my last blog, I said I would let you all know how my Doc's appointment went with Dr K. I joked in the last blog about when Meghan comes along there is usually some important news. Well that is an understatement this time. We went into the appointment with Dr K and I knew straight away the news was not good. He was procrastinating so I just asked him what the results of the scan and blood test are. His reply was "Not Good this time". My tumors have doubled in size since the last scan in December and my cancer cell count has never been higher and is over 7,000. As you could imagine the atmosphere in the room was very somber. Meghan handled it quite well considering the bad news. Of course the big question needed to be asked and Meghan came straight out and asked, "How long do you think left"? Dr K answered with the usually statement of "based on research" I have a few months left. Dr K himself was not willing to give his personal opinion which I understand he really cannot. So a few months!!!! What does that mean? I was told 30 months ago when first diagnosed I had between 6 to 12 months and I am still here. So where to from here? We decided to up the dosage back to 100% and hopefully I will be able to handle the side effects. I think the bad results were due to skipping a couple of cycles over the past few months and the lower dose, so now I am back on full strength and must have the treatment regularly every 2 weeks. Dr K wants to have CT scans once a month now to keep a close eye on whether the treatment is working or not. We are starting to get to the stage we are running out of protocols, so once this one stops working or the side effects get too bad we really do not know what options are left, but will cross that bridge once we get there. I will be finishing up work at the end of the month and will have the time to really look after myself and hopefully extend my life span. To what extent who knows!!!! So the battle continues, and I am determined to kick these bad results and get them down to an expectable level which will allow me to keep enjoying every day as it comes along. To everyone who reads my blog I thank you for all your support as this is what keeps me going. Thank you All. Bye for now

Major test results due next week

I have had another 2 cycles of chemo since my last blog which were still at the 75 percent of my normal dosage. All went well and no major side effects. I have had CT scans and blood tests this week in preparation for another Drs appointment next Monday. These results should tell us approximately how long I have to live,which is all based on historical research, which I have proven wrong before. It will also tell us if the lower dose is actually having any effect on the tumors. If it isn't it is no use continuing on the lower dose and we will just have to bump it backup and try to handle the side effects best we can. If this be the case the timing is not too bad, as of the end of March I will no longer be working. Yes I have handed in my resignation. After the last couple of scares and the fact I can only concerntrate till about 1pm, I feel it is time to back off and get the rest I need to keep fighting this terrible disease. I knew it would happen eventually, but is hard to except once it does happen. I know in my heart it is the best move and will give me more time with my family and that will be fantastic. We have a couple of trips organized in the first few months, so will keep me occupied and once we are back home I will find something to keep the mind stimulated and also do some light excersise just to keep myself health as possible. So mixed emotions at present and am noticing the chemo drugs do make me emotional, but have been prescribed some type of happy pills to take on a regular basis. So for now I will sign off and post again next week with the results from Monday's appointment. Oh I didn't mention before but Meghan is coming along and we have a standing joke she only comes when there is some big news to be told. I hope everyone who reads my blog is well and by now would have been in and tested for cancer? Bye for now to All

A nausa free round of chemo but not without some dramas

Continuing on from my last blog, I decided to continue treatment. Dr K reduced my chemo to 75% of the original dose to see if this would help the side effects. I had chemo treatment a couple of days after my last blog and everything went very well and was able to have a normal week after the treatment which was so good after what I went through on the previous round. So nine days after the chemo which was a Friday I got up and started getting ready for work when I was overcome with dizziness and hot flushes to the point I had to go back to bed. Luckily I had an appointment with Dr K. already organized for this day. So I stayed at home until it was time to go to the appointment. I was feeling a bit better before I went but went downhill once I got to the doctors clinic. We discussed my latest results which have seen an increase in my cancer cell counts, which I thought this would be the case as I had a extra two week break when this blood test was done. From here on I think Meghan and I have come to the realization my life expectancy may be not as long as we had hoped. Don't get me wrong I have been very lucky to make it this far. I look back at when I was first diagnosed and disbelief I would die from this and thought from day one I would beat it. As time has gone on and researched no end I have to come to the conclusion this terrible disease will take my life. If I just put my head in the sand and not prepare for it when the time comes I would be so disappointed in myself. So reality has kicked in and Meghan and I have done everything we can to ensure both her and Sam will be looked after as best we can. This makes me feel so much more comfortable and now we can concentrate on just spending quality time together. I am actually writing this from Hospital due to a strange dizzy spell on Friday, yesterday. They have done all the tests and cannot really find out what caused it but am feeling much better today so I think they will let me out today. I have another round of Chemo next Tuesday so hopefully my blood test taken on Monday will be OK and I am able to have the treatment. It seems now with the amount of chemo I have had over the past 28 months it is starting to affect my body and little episodes like this will become more frequent, so really need to start to take it easy and look after my health to ensure I can continue with regular treatment which in turn help keep my cancer cell counts down. So life goes on and I just need to manage as best i can and not let it affect my positive attitude. Who knows I could be still writing these blogs in another 28 months. Cross your fingers!!!!

Results still positive but its a Hell of a Ride

Since my last post, which was reasonably positive I have had my 5th cycle of Chemo. Firstly I met with Dr K and my last results showed a reduction in my cancer cell count but not to the extent of the previous, but anything heading down is a good result for me. After the Chemo I was fine for a couple of days then it hit me, I could not keep anything down, food or water. I put up with it for a couple of days hoping I would come good but a seemed to only get worse. In the end I was admitted to hospital with a push from Meghan, but I was so weak I knew I had to go. They kept me in for 4 days on a drip and all sorts of wonder drugs to get me to a stage I could hold down some food. So 4 days later and about 8 kilos lighter out I came. I had another appointment with Dr K and Meghan came along. I think I mentioned in a past blog, when Meghan comes along we have some serious discussions to be had with Dr K. After the last week I had in my mind to give up Chemo altogether. We spoke to Dr K about this and he said to take an extra week off Chemo and come back and see him before my next cycle was due. His diagnosis was, if I was to go off Chemo would have approx 3 months left and with chemo approx 6 months. The last time I was told 6 months was when I was first diagnosed 2 years ago, and Dr K's timeline was purely based on research, and he thinks I will do better than this. When I went back to see him I was in a much better state of mind and really have no choice but to continue, as the treatment is still producing good results, and until it doesn't I am better to keep going. Dr K has lowered the dose to see if this helps. Well I will know in the next few days as I am writing this from the Chemo chair. So looking forward to having a nice weekend with very little nausea and keeping out of hospital. Wish me luck.

Looking stable and positive results

I can't believe how quick time flys and especially considering it has been Xmas and New Year. We had a really good festive season which was quiet as we only had Megs sister up here for Xmas. Nice and relaxing enjoying each others company. I have had some more blood tests come back since my last post and they are positive. My cancer cell count has come down again from 5150 to 3910. I have also put on another kilo and a half. This is good to see and hopefully will continue until we get down to an acceptable level to stablise off at. If we can then maintain this level without the side effects taking over we should be able to continue on this protocol for awhile. Dr K is happy with the results and said he does not see such good results from second time around on any protocol, so happy to be the high achiever. In all I feel OK in myself but the Chemo does knock me around for the first few days, but happy to put up with it as long as we are seeing results. At this stage I am not looking at any further research tests and just want to see how well we go on the standard Chemo for now.My lung infection has cleared up with the last round of antibiotics and the ulsers seem to have nearly healed which means my eating has improved hence some gain in weight. I still have the lump in my groin which is a concern but will bring up with Dr K on my next visit on the 14th of January. So until then I hope everyone is recovering from the Xmas period and back into daily life again. Goodbye for now and as always thank all of you who pray for me on a regular basis I do really appreciate everyone's thoughts and well wishes.