Radio & Chem Is Over

My Partner has got to the end of chemo and radio therapy very well. Her progress has shone out and even surprised her oncology doctors. She has had a few complications along the way, a sore ear and skin irritations but has recovered from these during her treatment. She has had a bit of nausea but this has been kept under control with medication. I was concerned the week before last as I had the flu and did not want to give it to her. Fortunately due to the strength of her system she did not get it.

We have had a great group of caring friends that I have rostered over the past six weeks who have taken her to and from the Clinic each day and google calendar and apps have been worth their weight in gold in managing and keeping a handle on this.

Her oncology doctors will be reviewing her progress in a couple of weeks. The amount of Dex-methazone – the steroid that reduces swelling, is being slowly reduced now that radiotherapy is over.

An MRI scan is scheduled a month from yesterday to see how things are going, then further meetings, so there are many people out there keeping their fingers crossed and touching wood for a great outcome.

Carol feels she is reaching a position from which she is able to feel stronger mentally and more able to manage and organise to see people at home.

She still finds groups of people challenging but I am hoping that this will pass with time and we can somehow organise a get together with colleagues.

Sometimes I suggest a Café and we go there for something for a little while but it can be a bit daunting.

Half Way There

Last week and this week have been rather warm down here. We didn't make any plans for the weekend and rested from the busy week. It was "hair loss week" last week. It was unusual how it occurred. I thought that it may take a while to go but it was a here one day gone the next affair. My partner did not seem to concerned about losing it.

We are past the halfway mark for radio therapy, if that is something to celebrate. We would both like to get down to the block but the nights are too cold at this stage.

It is really amazing how going for a walks knocks out the sadness that we share about the future. Of course the intensity of this lies with my partner.

On Friday last week I went to see the Palliative care staff about how the future will eventually be. It wasn't something I'd dwell on but needed to find out how things would eventuate and know how things will travel.

My partner says her situation is total crap. She has certainly been dealt a shit hand. She is so right. When she is tired she gets depressed. This happens when there is too much interaction between too many people going on. So being with one or two other people at once is best.

Second Weeks Up

The second week has gone by and we have got medications running a bit more efficiently. We are a third of the way through the first course. Which is seeing the best of that side of things. I have used google calendar to keep in touch with companions and carers - thanks so much to them. Google calendar is proving to be a great tool. I recommend it to anyone who needs to manage things like this.

When she is tired the dysphasia is worse. She was saying that when she tries to conceptualise on deep level things go blank. It's the first time she has seemed to try to analyse it. When she tries to imagine or see things that aren't related to the present surroundings it becomes harder to call things up. She says reading seems even more distant

She has been more tired and has been sleeping quite a bit. The Chemo and Radio is obviously setting in. On Saturday we went for a great walk along Cornelian bay in the warm morning sunlight. We waved to some friends who had sailed up from Nubeena and caught up with one of them later in the day.

The weeks are vast oceans between distant islands of weekends.

A book of friends and family are being put together so that it is easy for my partner to describe people that are being talked about in conversation. If you can send images of yourselves to me this would help.

Good Weekend But Little Movement

We had a good weekend. Specially Sat'dy with a walk almost to Cornelian Bay and a drive down to Sandfly to visit Mr M who wasn't there on Sunday.

Unfortunately things started to clog up down below and was contemplating another hospital visit on Monday night. The log jam was breached on Tuesday morning with a smile coming to my partners face. She is getting very tired during the day now with the R & C but managing and seemed well this morning. She has a speech therapy session this afternoon and we have had lots of friends and family send photos of themselves for her photo journal to help with her dysphasia

Had a great massage on Tuesday night - Thanks Little Buddhist! Days are busy and start at 5:30 and go to 10:30. Google calendars and docs are proving to be a a good way to keep in contact with carers. Thanks to them all.

Oncology Week One

First week of oncology treatment is completed. Had meeting with oncologist and everything is going pretty much as expected. My partner had a bit of fluid build up on the left side of her face but this has dissapated with some massage with sorbolene. She also had issues with symmetrical movements which aren't as symmetrical as they used to be last week. This is attributed to the amount of fluid built up in the brain which the Dex Meth looks after. There is the option to up the dose to counter this. We are at the typical dose of 4 mg per day at the moment.
We were going to go to our block of land at the weekend but thought the better of it. Just relax and take it easy at home.
Things seem to be more under control compared to the beginning of the week.

Day 1 Radio & Chemo Treatment

Had first day of Radio and Chemo yesterday. The 10 minute session predictably turned into and hour and a half while we searched for the pharmacology unit at the hospital. A few hours after taking the Temodal nausea and full on vomiting set in. Got home from work at six and immeadiately had to call around the hospital to get a doctor to tell casualty that we were coming in. Casualty was chockas. Had to drop my partner and go and park the car. They were pretty quick in getting the tablets to her and a rehydration icy pole. In 20 minutes we were right to go home. A friend who had cooked dinner for us had not been able to collect our son from basketball. I set off to find him bouncing in the dark at the local high school gym. We had tea and went to bed.
She is good this morning. Up early while I write this and making breakfast for herself.

Green tea facts from a 5th Year Cancer Survivor

I became interested in green tea after reading "Foods thet Fight Cancer" written by 2 Canadian cancer researchers, Richard Beliveau and Denis Gingras. According to them it is the catechins in tea which are responsible for the effect. The tea with the highest concentration of catechins is Japanese Sencha which can have up to 5 times the amount of other green teas. I buy mine online from a shop in Brisbane but I think there is a good tea shop in Hobart you could it at. The rolls royce of Sencha teas is Senca Uchiyama or Gyokuro.

The researchers recommend brewing for 8-10 minutes. Anything under 5 minutes results in only 20% of the extraction of catechins. A short brew of an inferior tea can result in 60% less catechins.