What a Bummer!

Well definately not the news we wanted to hear so early in 2014. We had a meeting yesterday with my oncologist to get the results of my latest scan taken on 2/1/14. There is no easy way to say this but the news is bad. Mr Nasty is very active once more with much thickening to the pleura (lining of the lung). The cancer has now spread to my lymph glands in my neck and under my arm and there is new growth through the chest wall between ribs 10 & 11.! This is bad news.  But we need to keep positive and although we are both still a bit shell shocked we always knew this would happen. We can never win the war against this awful cancer but having won a few battles over the last 3.5 years it has come as a bit of a shock.

So where do we go from here?
My oncologist, bless her really doesn't know what to suggest as she has limited experience of dealing with 'old timers'  like myself and my dear friend Mavis. But her suggestions were:

1)Yet more chemotherapy:

Rechallenging with Carboplatin/alimta
Rechallenging with Vinoreline - I have said no to this as the side effects were so awful and it didn't work particularly well.
Try a different drug she mentioned (vaguely) Gemcitobine but she did not elaborate.

2)She knew of no trials suitable but I pointed out the new trials emerging at St Barts. She was going to email the team there to see what is going on. I will email them myself on Monday.

3)Have no further treatment and 'wait and see'. To me this sounds the same as giving up or perhaps they are different concepts??

So that's where we are at present. My onco will agree to whatever I suggest or so it seems but I will listen to the wise words of my son 'Fight the fucker Mum' (he learnt the bad language at the Catholic school he went to! ) Alan will support whatever choice I make.

Thank you all for your support.

Tess x

2014

Another Christmas and New Year over, decorations taken down, tree packed away, house tidied! So as we go into 2014 we wish you all good health and happiness and a wee bit of prosperity wouldn’t go amiss! Having all the family here for the festivities was great, lots of positive energy generated, the Grandies brought many smiles and a few tears. The Canadians went back on 31^st Dec to very bad weather and a tree down in their backyard (garden). I think they may still be trying to dig the car out! Christmas was spent over in Tunbridge Wells, I think manic is a good word to describe it. Lots of happy memories made.

A Boxing Day walk around the lake in Dunorlan Park blew away the excesses of the Christmas festivities.

We also caught up with many family members and old friends. Met some new people too and a couple of people I never thought I would see again, brilliant! A big thank you to all of you who braved the weather and came to our ‘bash’ on 22^nd.

A visit to the sales (and a nice lunch) in Canterbury was a good way to start the New Year. Still like spending the kid’s inheritance!

As you would imagine loads of photos were taken so selecting just 10 was difficult but hopefully it will give you a flavour of the Gully Christmas.

These 2 inspire me

Ethan loved his spinning top

What a motley crew!

Chillin' with Nana

Dead lions - ahh silence!

A visit to Gadds Brewery

In safe hands - perhaps my favourite photo

Tim and mini Tim!

Happy Lilah

My wonderful family

Not sure what the New Year will bring but we are ready to deal with what is thrown at us. The appointments have already started, a CT scan last Thursday and optician on Friday. The cataract in the right eye has got much worse since August so yet another new pair of specs. The op is probably next on the cards.

Arsenal have made a good start to the year so the Gully boys are happy.

To my mesowarrior friends I wish you all a positive year full of love and hope. Together we are strong – keep fighting my friends, we are making medical history!

Tess x