riddlermarc

Post away but it won’t show until I moderate it, had to do this because I was getting sh*t load of spam posts by bots.. I check three/four times daily anyway and if you’ve posted successfully once it will remember you if you post a comment again and allow it straight through

.. had the bods round this morning with the results of my MRI scan last night - seems there are three “lesions” (tumours) on my spine, one at the top, bottom and middle (T5, I’m sure Wikipedia would show where that is!). So I am now officially out of my almost-remission.

They think that a dose or two of radiotherapy would help to either shrink it down and stop the effects, or at least render the lesions non-dangerous

The T5 one is that is pressing on my spine and causing the problems to both my legs and my lack of weeing problem.. I can feel sensations of wanting to go but find it impossible TO go - hence the rather unflattering catheter and bag I now have fitted. Should have had these fitted for nights out ages ago, saves bothering to go to the WC!

Long and he short of it is that the cancer is active again but they seem confident some radiotherapy will stem it

Sat here in the chair by my bed listening to some Testament, chewing on a tube of BBQ Pringles and waiting for H, my mum and brother to come down around noon.

Further updates will, I am sure, follow as and when they happen

EDIT: I suppose it’s a good thing is that it’s on my spine and not my head, would have been a lot worse if my head had erupted again :O

Me!

Well, a funny few days have passed:

H and I got to Newquay Thursday afternoon and checked into the hotel just fine - bit of a problem as our room was right at the top on the third floor (no lifts).. lovely view of the beaches, harbour and sea (pictures to follow).
I was a little unsteady on my feet but managed to get through the day with the aid of a walking stick (not cool!) and we had a chilled out evening.

Friday morning I was more than a little worse, my balance was totally shot so we hit the beach for a walk on the flat, hard sand which was cool. Then we had a little mooch around Newquay centre which was cool but I tripped and fell flat on my face - fell flat on my face which was never a good thing and I was SO embarrassed!
We made it to the harbour, sat down and made a few calls (Macmillan nurse/consultant oncologist etc.) and it was decided we should return home for an early trip to Basingstoke A&E on Saturday morning.
A frantic 45 minutes packing and we made it to Newquay station and we jumped on the next available train (cost another £105 but hey) and made it back to Basingstoke by midnight.

Saturday morning H and I packed a bag each (we know the drill now) and headed up to A&E.. seen pretty much straight away they conferred with Southampton and in light of the worry I wasn’t able to pee any longer (sensation is there but nothing happens) they decided they wanted me in Southampton. Quicker to go under my own steam (well, Steve gave us a lift) than to wait for a non-emergency ambulance we quickly diverted home and picked up more/different stuff for what we rightly assumed would be a couple of days stay.
I had a set of x-rays taken not long after I arrived and come 9pm last night they whisked me down for an MRI scan.. took SO long and was so hot I fell asleep, despite the clatter of machinery skimming round my head.
Came back up to the ward and fell asleep pretty much straight away, missed Match of the Day though

Sunday morning brings the prospect of waiting to see if the consultants have any news, good or bad, so I am just lying propped up in bed listening to some Dougie MacLean on my headphones and surfing the web from my laptop via a really slow mobile connection - I have had to turn off image downloads in Firefox to make most sites usable!

Although we spent a huge wadge of cash on what was just 26 hours in Newquay, we both think it was definitely worth it. I think we both new something was hovering just over the medical horizon and the Thursday was our 10th anniversary of being together so it had real special meaning that we made it to Newquay at least fot that day. SO glad we made it, things liek that make everything worthwhile.

Pictures to follow, we seemed to take a load in those few hours as if we needed to pack as much in as we could