It was good to meet up with my Oncologist in Belgium yesterday; it has now been 6 months since I last saw her.
The plan for the next few months is to have CT scans of the lungs and abdomen in late August and to continue the scans every 4 months for the first two years.
The chance of the cancer returning is 80% in the first two years which is very high and this is the reason they will keep me under close observation.
I guess I will have to learn to live with the stresses involved with this diagnosis and hope that I am lucky to be in the 20% of people that have no reoccurrence of the cancer.
Obviously every ache and pain worries me although this has eased as time has gone on. What worries me is that I never had any pain symptoms with the original diagnosis. So I know also if the cancer is busy spreading I would not even have a clue about it. The only way would be a confirmation of a CT scan highlighting effected areas.
I will aim to be positive and feisty about it which I have read improves the survival chance enormously.
Monday 4 August 2008
Tuscany
This last month has been wonderful with no doctor or hospital visits and now the appointments for checks are coming up this week.
Thursday will be my consult with my chief oncologist in Gent Belgium Dr. Rottey regarding the last six months of the chemo treatment and any future plans.
Being away from the web log has been a kind of holiday also although I missed it often but did not have much to say I guess.
During my month holiday I visited my family for a few days in the UK it has been such a long time since I was home.
It was a world wind tour as I only planned a few days because of my partners work commitments but it was great to catch up with everyone again.
We also booked a last minute holiday to Italy for a week with my partner and mother and father in-law. We stayed in a lovely town called Pittecio in the mountainous region of northern Tuscany.
Pisa, Florence were wonderful places to walk around and soak up the Italian atmosphere and Sienna was a place of beauty and amazing views across the rolling hills filled with cypress trees.
I would love to go back to Sienna one day to dream away the days and relax and enjoy the splendour of the landscapes and tiny villages and of course all the lovely Italian food and Tuscan wine.
Thursday will be my consult with my chief oncologist in Gent Belgium Dr. Rottey regarding the last six months of the chemo treatment and any future plans.
Being away from the web log has been a kind of holiday also although I missed it often but did not have much to say I guess.
During my month holiday I visited my family for a few days in the UK it has been such a long time since I was home.
It was a world wind tour as I only planned a few days because of my partners work commitments but it was great to catch up with everyone again.
We also booked a last minute holiday to Italy for a week with my partner and mother and father in-law. We stayed in a lovely town called Pittecio in the mountainous region of northern Tuscany.
Pisa, Florence were wonderful places to walk around and soak up the Italian atmosphere and Sienna was a place of beauty and amazing views across the rolling hills filled with cypress trees.
I would love to go back to Sienna one day to dream away the days and relax and enjoy the splendour of the landscapes and tiny villages and of course all the lovely Italian food and Tuscan wine.
Second Home
People touch our lives in so many ways and I have noticed that when in need and at a point in life when we are starting to fall, hands seem to appear out of nowhere to offer support to get back on our feet again.
Even thoughts have such a great power because sometimes we find it hard to reach out and ask for any help and hold our pains inside.
I have struggled with life at many times during my 38 years on this floating spinning ball we call earth. I have been extremely lucky to have many caring hands held out to me when I have fallen of which I am so grateful for.
Since my diagnosis I have been a member of a wonderful site called the bladder cancer web café and through the forums guidance my bladder cancer journey has been eased.
My fellow bladder cancer warriors and the wonderful caregivers at this site have supported me since my diagnosis last July. Searching out people dealing with the same issues has helped immensely and I am deeply appreciative of the fantastic help I have received.
I receive caring, wonderful, inspirational messages from many people around the world offering support and advice. The sharing of personal experiences on this site helps many seeking out help during desperate times after diagnosis. When anyone is diagnosed with cancer we slip into a zone of deep dark and scary thoughts until we understand and research and seek help.
The bladder cancer web café has been my second home for nearly a year now. Having this ability to connect with fellow patients has filled me with the strength and motivation to continue the fight and remain positive even during times of despair. I admire the unconditional loving support given by all and the way in which personal stories are told that we can read and relate to and most of all it proves that we are not alone in our fight.
I say a big THANK YOU Bladder Cancer Web Café and long may people in need be given that helping hand of love and support……
Even thoughts have such a great power because sometimes we find it hard to reach out and ask for any help and hold our pains inside.
I have struggled with life at many times during my 38 years on this floating spinning ball we call earth. I have been extremely lucky to have many caring hands held out to me when I have fallen of which I am so grateful for.
Since my diagnosis I have been a member of a wonderful site called the bladder cancer web café and through the forums guidance my bladder cancer journey has been eased.
My fellow bladder cancer warriors and the wonderful caregivers at this site have supported me since my diagnosis last July. Searching out people dealing with the same issues has helped immensely and I am deeply appreciative of the fantastic help I have received.
I receive caring, wonderful, inspirational messages from many people around the world offering support and advice. The sharing of personal experiences on this site helps many seeking out help during desperate times after diagnosis. When anyone is diagnosed with cancer we slip into a zone of deep dark and scary thoughts until we understand and research and seek help.
The bladder cancer web café has been my second home for nearly a year now. Having this ability to connect with fellow patients has filled me with the strength and motivation to continue the fight and remain positive even during times of despair. I admire the unconditional loving support given by all and the way in which personal stories are told that we can read and relate to and most of all it proves that we are not alone in our fight.
I say a big THANK YOU Bladder Cancer Web Café and long may people in need be given that helping hand of love and support……
Jaw Chatter
Just cut the grass as it was getting to be a jungle out there….now it looks lovely. In this humid weather I swear the grass grows an inch a day J
The ants have started nesting in some areas of the grass and making the usual breadcrumb mounds. They ants are a tangy orange colour at the moment and will soon be turning red and hopefully taking flight late July. Normally I would gorge the mounds with lots of cold water to move them on but hey….they need a home too and it wont be long before they fly away. It just means I will have to patch up the grass with new seed in August and that is no great hardship.
For the first time this year I got the sun bed out and smothered myself in factor 20 and had an hour lying in the sun as a treat to myself for cutting the grass. Since being on the chemo I was unable to sunbathe because it plays havoc with your pigment in your skin and makes you susceptible to burn more easily. So I am taking it easy and will build up a nice glow slowly with lots of protection.
It was wonderful to lie down and hear the wind rustling in the leaves of the trees and the birds calling out and singing. The butterflies are out and about today also tackling the strong gusty warm winds.
Bi Bi our English grey short haired cat was actively jumping in the air trying to catch flies….not realizing that most of the time she did catch them in her claws. She makes a really funny noise when birds swoop into the garden kind of jaw chatter …
The ants have started nesting in some areas of the grass and making the usual breadcrumb mounds. They ants are a tangy orange colour at the moment and will soon be turning red and hopefully taking flight late July. Normally I would gorge the mounds with lots of cold water to move them on but hey….they need a home too and it wont be long before they fly away. It just means I will have to patch up the grass with new seed in August and that is no great hardship.
For the first time this year I got the sun bed out and smothered myself in factor 20 and had an hour lying in the sun as a treat to myself for cutting the grass. Since being on the chemo I was unable to sunbathe because it plays havoc with your pigment in your skin and makes you susceptible to burn more easily. So I am taking it easy and will build up a nice glow slowly with lots of protection.
It was wonderful to lie down and hear the wind rustling in the leaves of the trees and the birds calling out and singing. The butterflies are out and about today also tackling the strong gusty warm winds.
Bi Bi our English grey short haired cat was actively jumping in the air trying to catch flies….not realizing that most of the time she did catch them in her claws. She makes a really funny noise when birds swoop into the garden kind of jaw chatter …
Barmy and tropical
I made an appointment at my doctors office this morning because of pain from an infuse site and to have my urine checked.
On my last chemo with the one night stay they had to stop treatment because my arm at the infuse site began to swell and become painful. The chemo was restarted on my other arm and I was advised to hold my arm in the air and apply cold compresses to relief the pain and swelling.
It took a couple of weeks before this reaction subsided but over the last few days it became more painful to touch and red at the site. The doctor said that it was an infection in and around the vein and that it will take several weeks for it to clear up.
My urine tested for blood and they will check my urine in growth cultures to see if I have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics. The results will be in tomorrow and I just have to call the doctors reception.
My blood pressure was also checked which was too high and I am to continue taking the blood pressure medication for one more month. Hopefully the chemo effects will have flushed out of my system so that my blood pressure levels come back to normal levels. It is only a half a tablet a day so no drama and this is the only medicine I use now which is a great relief.
It is really gusty today which is helping to keep the temperature down which is great…yesterday was so humid and any physical effort broke me out in a sweat. It was very barmy and tropical and I am sure the plants loved it.
On my last chemo with the one night stay they had to stop treatment because my arm at the infuse site began to swell and become painful. The chemo was restarted on my other arm and I was advised to hold my arm in the air and apply cold compresses to relief the pain and swelling.
It took a couple of weeks before this reaction subsided but over the last few days it became more painful to touch and red at the site. The doctor said that it was an infection in and around the vein and that it will take several weeks for it to clear up.
My urine tested for blood and they will check my urine in growth cultures to see if I have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics. The results will be in tomorrow and I just have to call the doctors reception.
My blood pressure was also checked which was too high and I am to continue taking the blood pressure medication for one more month. Hopefully the chemo effects will have flushed out of my system so that my blood pressure levels come back to normal levels. It is only a half a tablet a day so no drama and this is the only medicine I use now which is a great relief.
It is really gusty today which is helping to keep the temperature down which is great…yesterday was so humid and any physical effort broke me out in a sweat. It was very barmy and tropical and I am sure the plants loved it.
Long Remission
I have had a war in my head the last few days because of some recent research into my diagnosis.
I am classed as stage IV bladder cancer because of positive nodes found during RC surgery and invasion into my prostate. All were removed during surgery but the stage apparently stays the same because of the original positive nodes and invasion.
It has come a bit of a shock to me because being classed as stage IV metastic bladder cancer does not seem to fit my situation. I will have to confirm this with my oncologist whom can hopefully shed some light on this for me.
Stage IV is not curable apparently although some patients can go into long remission which is what everyone in my situation hopes for.
My chemo was adjuvant and has now finished and I truly hope that it has zapped any microscopic cells away so that no new tumours can form at distant sites.
Scans do not pick up these microscopic cells and they only pick up tumours when the cells have formed new tumour sites which can take months depending on the aggressiveness of the cancer.
So I am living from scan to scan at the moment and trying not to freak myself out which I have been doing lately. I will try to stay off the research and statistics which just add doom and gloom to my day.
I have ordered a book called Cancer as a Turning Point recommended to me from a fellow bladder cancer warrior called Karen. She had a similar diagnosis to me with positive nodes although she had the chemo before her RC surgery and I had mine afterwards. She is now eight years out since her diagnosis and operation and living life to the full and doing very well health wise.
It is possible to have long remission even when the odds are against us and this is what I have to visualize for myself. Keeping up the positive attitude for a long and happy and healthy life….
I am classed as stage IV bladder cancer because of positive nodes found during RC surgery and invasion into my prostate. All were removed during surgery but the stage apparently stays the same because of the original positive nodes and invasion.
It has come a bit of a shock to me because being classed as stage IV metastic bladder cancer does not seem to fit my situation. I will have to confirm this with my oncologist whom can hopefully shed some light on this for me.
Stage IV is not curable apparently although some patients can go into long remission which is what everyone in my situation hopes for.
My chemo was adjuvant and has now finished and I truly hope that it has zapped any microscopic cells away so that no new tumours can form at distant sites.
Scans do not pick up these microscopic cells and they only pick up tumours when the cells have formed new tumour sites which can take months depending on the aggressiveness of the cancer.
So I am living from scan to scan at the moment and trying not to freak myself out which I have been doing lately. I will try to stay off the research and statistics which just add doom and gloom to my day.
I have ordered a book called Cancer as a Turning Point recommended to me from a fellow bladder cancer warrior called Karen. She had a similar diagnosis to me with positive nodes although she had the chemo before her RC surgery and I had mine afterwards. She is now eight years out since her diagnosis and operation and living life to the full and doing very well health wise.
It is possible to have long remission even when the odds are against us and this is what I have to visualize for myself. Keeping up the positive attitude for a long and happy and healthy life….
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