Update 8

 

UPDATE 8 – October 6

The good news is that the chemo drugs are working. At our last visit to the oncology centre, the doctor told us that the markers are coming down on the tumour. (My brother explained that tumours create high quantities of proteins that they release into the circulation and these are called disease markers. Because John’s markers have gone down it means that there are fewer cancer cells releasing them into the blood). So we were delighted to hear this news, the first indication we had had that anything was happening.

They have also delayed the scan until the end of the series of 8 treatments, namely the end of November. So this too is good news.

The bad news is that we have experienced the worst two weeks yet of side effects, with John barely leaving the house (being in need of a certain modern convenience at close quarters). He has slept most of the time, had very few visitors, no taste of either food or drink, felt wobbly on his legs and been extremely weak and tired.

He favours being outside, and enjoys laying on the swing seat with blankets if necessary when we have the odd afternoon shower, watching the bees buzzing in the pink trumpet flowers of the creeper covering the pergola.

As he lays there he dreams out new layouts for his model railway, and is already involving some clever friends with carpentry skills to help build his grand designs. Parcels are arriving from UK with railway components and even base board is being sawn into smaller sections to transfer from a Hampshire wood yard to our mountain retreat. I gather this will be a countryside section with farmyard scenes and fields.

Our next visit to the Oncology Centre is tomorrow – our fifth of the eight sessions - again Karina is coming with us and judging by the last visit will be driving home with not one but two sleeping friends beside her. I do not know what we would do without our friends.