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{ Category Archives } cancer

Brief status update

I’m home from hospital at last. I’ve been given some pretty strong antibiotics (Augmentin) and some mineral supplements as some of my blood numbers were a little low, and I’ve been on intravenous antibiotics while I was in hospital, so I’m quite tired now. I’ll blog more fully about my status tomorrow, when I shall […]

Frustratingly, still in hospital

By Gillian We were expecting Chris to be let out of hospital today, as he’s feeling much better and his white cell count has an upward trend at last. He had another blood transfusion, which was due to finish around 6pm, so he asked me to turn up then to take him home. I did […]

From hospital

Gillian and a friend drove down to the hospital, bringing my laptop, some books, and several changes of clothes last night. Unfortunately the hospital is closed to visitors, because of an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting virus on several of the wards — not mine, thank goodness — so they weren’t able to stay for […]

Hospitalised!

By Gillian Yesterday, we went to Worcester hospital for the usual weekly bag change and routine discussion with the consultant oncologist, and ended the day with Chris being admitted to Cheltenham hospital and put in an isolation ward with no visitors allowed. Not quite how we had expected the day to pan out! It is […]

Images of the bone tumour

In this image you can see a scan of my torso from the back, on the left and the front, on the right. In the left hand image, right in the middle of the chest there is a dark spot. That is the tumour on my T8 vertebra showing as a “hotspot” in this bone […]

Cycle 5 week 2 status

I apologise for the delayed status report. I wasn’t feeling too bad yesterday morning and afternoon, so I left blogging until the evening. Unfortunately my back got a lot worse so that by then I didn’t feel up to doing anything at all. In fact, the whole of the week has been dominated by my […]

Proof Chris has a brain!

By Gillian Here is an MRI scan of Christopher’s brain, to prove to all you doubters out there that he does actually have one! No significant abnormalities were found, so at least it seems clear that he doesn’t have a brain tumour.

I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue

By Gillian Last night, we had a real treat – we went to a live recording of  “I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue” in Cheltenham. Some of our further-flung readers may not appreciate the reference. ISIHAC is a long-running and much-loved comedy on BBC Radio 4. The self-styled “antidote to panel games” has become a […]

Radiotherapy

Today I had my second dose of radiotherapy, prescribed to address the back pain I have been experiencing lately. I thought I ought to describe what happened, as it was all new to me. This was meant to be palliative therapy rather than curative therapy, so it may well differ in detail from others’ experiences, […]

Piling up the pillows

By Gillian If Christopher’s back pain continues for much longer, we’re going to buy one of the foam wedge pillows that several people have recommended. In the mean time he’s propping himself up in bed on a pile of pillows. I thought it might be worth sharing the method my (nearly 90-year-old)  Gran learned as […]