Update 4

UPDATE 4 – Thursday 13 August 2009

I hadn’t intended to update till next week, but it seems some of you quite like to hear more often so here goes.

The good news is that he is doing well and has recovered from last week’s debilitating side effects, so that he will be stronger for the next injections next Wednesday 19^th. On that day he will be plugged up for 5-6 hours, and then return home with his pump inserted into the Portocath, which will drip into him over a 48 hour period.

The chemo ride is a bit like a roller coaster – you climb uphill only to be dashed down again. But we are both convinced that the climb is worth it.

The effects of the chemotherapy hit John on Monday night (last) with severe diarrhea, giving him extreme fatigue and tiredness. But he did get up everyday and sit inside in his chair looking at the wonderful view across the valley from the window. And he did have visitors in the mornings. He also eats well although less than normal. So during that early part of the week he looked very pale and drawn, tired and thin.

By Saturday he was back to normal and looked much better, and on Sunday we had early morning visitors, so that eight of us sat around the breakfast table like one big babbling family.

This Monday evening he made a small walk. Tuesday he got a big boost from the visit from Damon (number one son). Wednesday he had not one but two beautiful young women come to see him, and today he made a much longer walk around half the village then had a visit from very old friends. Tomorrow, Friday, he is going out for the first time since his chemo, to meet up with his daughter-in-law Cherry-Anne and three grandchildren, Katie, James and Alice, who are staying in the North of the island following their holiday in Turkey. Next week, we will be seeing Natasha and Scarlet.

To answer some of your questions:

How long will the chemo last? We do not know yet but it is a question on our list for the oncologist next week. All he said before was that they would start with the Irinotecan and “when that stops working continue with the Oxaliplatin”.

What stage is John’s cancer? It is stage four and has metastasized. They hope to use the chemo to halt the growth of the tumor and give him a better quality of life.

Has he been swimming? Not since the operation to insert the portocath which needs to be kept free of bacteria – and the chemo. Bearing in mind that our local beach has been temporarily polluted with effluent, this was no doubt a wise decision. He also has to keep out of the sunshine.

The temperatures here have been a little below normal but this weekend the forecast is for a heat wave. We are still enjoying wonderful summer fruits, including a “taste of heaven’ – figs straight from the trees on our early morning walk with the dog – not that they figure large on the menu for John at the moment.

Your support with cards, letters, phone calls, emails and visits has been terrific and are all much appreciated. John has been humbled by some of the comments on his involvement with your lives/careers.

Thank you.