Yesterday’s review of the CT scans (last week’s and December’s) with the Oncologist confirmed that the cancer has spread significantly on my left lung (but not anywhere else so far), and the life expectancy prognosis is still 2 – 4 months (although this is acknowledged to be imprecise and variable for everyone). I discovered a lump under my left armpit for which the Oncologist has recommended a blast of radiotherapy. This won’t apparently have the same side effects as the chemotherapy – just soreness – and I await the appointment. I also have another chest infection and will apparently be very prone to further ones, so we’ll have to rigorously enforce the no visits rule from anyone with coughs or colds and the hand disinfecting on arrival.
I’ve started on weekly acupuncture sessions and am awaiting an appointment for day-care sessions on ‘strengthening breathing’ at the hospice. The stair lift has been fitted and various aids and adaptations from Social Services have arrived on schedule. I’m not despondent and am looking forward to some days out when the weather is fine and Karen is a bit stronger. Work on the book has been going well (although it would have benefitted from more editing) and I’ve just got the epilogue to amend before passing it over for Karen to do the pre-publication work. Next big jobs are putting the remaining archive papers in chronological order and feeding into the file boxes for transfer to the local studies library and chucking other papers into recycling bags (or shredding). Any volunteers for helping with these jobs will be gratefully received.
Despite everything, I’m feeling (and looking) very well (apart from the breathlessness), am eating well, sleeping well, not losing weight, and am not in pain (except when I forget to take meds on time) so it’s still difficult to accept that this is really happening.
No comments:
Post a Comment