Where did that week go?

Well the Jubilee weekend came and went so quickly. I enjoyed all the coverage on the TV but some of those ancient pop stars really should hang up their guitars now don’t you think? Jon, Gaby and Ethan spent the weekend with us so I was a happy bunny. The weather was so miserable we didn’t get out much which was a shame.

My brother and his partner came to visit this weekend. We had a good lunch in The Goods Shed in Canterbury. Well worth a visit.

Health wise I have not been feeling too wonderful. The breathlessness is getting worse and is now slowing me down no end. The fluid in my lung is pressing down on my diaphragm and stomach which is also making eating a bit of a chore too. I now eat little and often which helps to keep the nausea at bay but thankfully I am maintaining body weight which is important.

I had an appointment this morning with my oncologist at Canterbury Hospital. She was in agreement with the advice given from St Barts to have a break in treatment. In this respect they are singing from the same hymn sheet but I still cannot see how doing nothing while the beast continues to grow is a sensible option. Am I alone in feeling this way? Does it make sense to anyone else? My oncologist was not familiar with the chemo regime suggested by St Barts (not surprising as it was not conventional treatment for mesothelioma) but we have since given the details to her secretary – she wants to investigate it further and see if funding would be available for having this treatment locally rather than having to travel to London. I left it that I would see my oncologist again in 4 weeks time. She is happy to prescribe Pemetrexed / Carboplatin chemo if that is my choice and meanwhile she is going to get the thoracic surgical team to look at my latest scan to see if they can suggest anything to help with the breathing problem. A permanent chest drain was mentioned. She pointed out that so far my scan has been assessed by 3 well qualified thoracic oncologists but not a thoracic surgeon. So we play the waiting game once more. Patience is not one of my strong points!

Meanwhile I have my final session of ‘breathlessness management’ this week and another reflexology session.

Sadly fellow mesowarrior Norman Fletcher passed away last week. He fought every step of the way and was a true inspiration to others experiencing this vile disease. R.I.P Norman.

Tess x