Moving On

I have not updated for a while, mainly because cancer is not right in front of me most of the time - I am getting better.

The visit to the Oncologist on 30th December went fairly well.  The course of oral chemo I had finished 2 weeks earlier had been fairly uneventful but towards the end I was getting really tired and needed a rest most afternoons.  Blood test results were good, apart from increased bilirubin, this is most likely due to a condition I have, Gilbert's syndrome, and is not a cause for concern.


I took a list of current issues, mostly fairly minor, but I wanted to make sure the Oncologist had a full understanding of where I was at.

The List:

• Short of breath after moderate exercise - but getting better
• Blue lips fairly frequently - resolved by deep breathing
• Chest pains - not strong but brought on by any stress
• Fatigue - normal due to chemo and liver surgery
• Joint Pains - possible side effect from 5FU chemo
• Not able to concentrate and cannot multi-task at all - more than a male thing, and is a concern
• Fingers and toes numb - normal side effect of Oxaliplatin, part of chemo
• Sometimes abdominal tenderness - likely just bits getting back into position.

Due to the chest pain  and breathing issues we agreed not to proceed with any further chemo, the  high probability of further organ damage and lifestyle issues are much greater than the probability that further chemo would have a significant impact on my survival or recurrence.

We meet again on 7th February, prior to then I have more blood tests and an MRI scan, just to make sure we are under control.

Since 25th December I have had a brief trip to Auckland, tiled the ensuite bathroom and taken a long trip to Milford Sound and Alexandra to catch up with friends.  Over 1600 Km of driving and I got better every day, had a fantastic time.

I am really feeling great and starting to enjoy life, long may it continue.