Hi all,

I was just freaking out. The doctor said it's quite normal & she is spotting only now. She is experiencing bad diarrhoea so her bowels are quite inflamed. All said though her red blood cell count is now over 110 & no transfusions in 10 days.

She starts brachytherapy next Monday & has 3 sessions. Her last chemo is the end of next week & radiation should finish around 23rd October.

We don't have a plan after that except for recovery & then back to work. The doctors think her recovery may not be too long as she is coping well (apart from diarrhoea as mentioned above) with all the treatment.

Everyone is nervous about the January scan which tells us whether more/different treatment is needed or whether it's in remission. We're hoping the scans for the brachytherapy show it's already shrinking as that is a positive direction.

We're coping the majority of the time now & our emotional conflict is less. Only flares up mainly in me due to stress & my own debilitating health issues which I'm still trying to deal with.

I'll check back in later this week or next week after brachytherapy starts.

Thanks again,

Kermit

 Hi  Kermit,its good that the bleeding is normal as the doctor stated, and its understandable you would pfreak out abit, you have been under alot of stress with  everything that has been happening. I think you are coping very well from what you write.  That is good news that the doctors think her recovery is  not going to be to long, and you both are coping alot better. Hoping the  brachytherapy goes well, and before long hoping you both will be able to put this all behind you"s. Of course you will be abit nervous about the Scan in January, but until then try to relax and believe in the positves  also looking after your own health. Good thoughts to you both , take care Barbara.

Well brachytherapy starts today. She's very scared as she is not a fan of anything invasive. The staff have advised a nurse will be with her all day. Her sister will also be keeping her company.

I'm unable to attend as my own health issues have flared up worse than ever so trying to rest, see specialists & resolve what is happening (but highly unlikely & I'll be dealing with the pain).

Still don't have the final date of therapy yet but hoping to find out today. Going to push my luck with my employer & take another week off to spend time with her while she starts recovery.

All up she is doing well & feeling OK. They see to have finally got the nausea meds right but they will change again after her last chemo this coming Friday.

D

 Hi  kermit,  sounds like things are progressing along  quite good now. Its good that a nurse is going to be with her for the day but, having her sister there will be the best comfort for her.  You certainly do need to try and sort out your own health as you say  so, you can be in the best health  possiable,   so you can continue to help your wife, which so far you have been doing an amazing job helping her and supporting her fully through out it all.  lol  good luck with trying to get another week off i know how hard that can be. I myself have finally  sorted out my health problems , and am due to start back work this Thursday. Heres hoping the brachytherapy goes well  , until next time take care , Barbara. 

Hi all,

Her chemotherapy is over. It finished yesterday so she is a little happier there is less strain on her body. Luckily her last few blood tests has garnered good results so no transfusions have been needed.

Her first bracytherapy went off with a hitch. She was just very tired when she got home. The second one did not go so well as they changed anesthetist. Her pain meds were not administered in time & then they overdosed her on morphine as the pain levels were high. Here is hoping she gets the original anesthetist for her last bracytheraphy on Monday. Apparently the tumour had shruck by at least 10% before the brachytheraphy started so I don't know if this is a good figure or a low figure. We haven't found out yet if the other areas for concern have recovered as it's hard to get hold of the primary doctor.

My own health is still cause for concern as it's now descibed as chronic pain but I'm working on reducing it witht the help of my doctor & physio. My issues started before we were aware of any of her issues.

Treatment finishes up around 24th October so not long to go. I have managed to get a week off as well to coincide with this. Her mother is also flying in that week to spend a month with her,

I believe we have an initial check up at the end of this month but don't know what is in relation to. I'll update everyone next week.

Thanks,

Kermit

Hi Kermit,

Sorry I haven’t replied sooner. I have been on holiday for the past two weeks. I am glad to hear that your partner has stuck her chemotherapy out to the end and also to hear that no transfusions were needed. It was not so good to hear about her second session of brachytherapy and to discover that she found this so painful. I hope that yesterday’s session went off better and that she got the first anaesthetist again.

I’m not sure myself what percentage of shrinkage is expected, but 10% sounds pretty good to me. I’m sure that having her mother over with you for a month will be a big boost and will also possibly take some of the pressure off you for a few weeks?

It sounds as if you need another week off to take care of yourself. All of this running back and forth to hospital must have taken its’ toll on you. I hope that your GP and physiotherapist are helping you in some measure. Chronic pain is not an easy thing to deal with. Have you ever been referred to a pain management clinic? I have found this helpful at times.

It won’t be long now until radiotherapy finishes. I hope that this goes well for her.

Kind regards,

Jolamine

Hi all,

Her 3rd brachytherapy went better than the 2nd but still not as smooth as the 1st one.

Treatment officially finished a week ago. She is coping well. Her nausea is almost none existent already (although we've been warned she may get sudden impacts for a few months).

She is eager to go back to work even only part time but I've talked her out if it for a month. She'll relax while her mother is here. I'm going back to work as our savings are almost out.

My own health has taken a bit of a battering as I haven't taken care of myself at all. My chronic back pain is worse due to the onset of sciatica but have also developed diabetes type 2 (I knew this part was coming). My GP is reluctant to refer me to a pain specialist just yet as wants to see if medication works. We are starting to work on it ourselves though. As a couple we've started walking & swimming last week & have started adjusting our diet.

The 1st follow up appointment is towards end of November so will check in after that unless there is an update prior.

Kermit

Hi Kermit,

This sounds more like it. Good to have a rest from treatment. I am glad to hear that she is doing well, but I cannot imagine that she is in any way well enough to go back to work yet. You’ve done well to talk her into staying off for the month that her mother is here.

I am sorry to hear that your own health has suffered as a result of all this – not unusual when you are looking after someone in hospital. You just don’t have time to take care of yourself when you are running back and forth so much. I hope that the medication works for your back pain. The only trouble with this is that it can make you very sleepy. The pain clinic can be quite time consuming, particularly if you become involved in some of the classes.

As for the Diabetes, are you on dietary control or medication? Both my husband and I developed this a few years ago. I am glad to hear that you have already taken yourselves in check and are watching your diet and getting some exercise in too. We have been doing this for the past few years and have found it very beneficial. My hubby has had a quadruple by-pass and a stroke, so it has helped us both. Sadly, I have had to stop the 2 exercise classes we’ve been attending each week, because my back is too sore at present. I think that I have tried every possible treatment to no avail. I was back at the hospital being assessed by a specialist physiotherapist last week and she told me that they couldn’t do any more for my back - I was gutted.

I was seen by my consultant 3 weeks ago following a radioactive full body bone scan and told that there was nothing untoward and advised to return in January, just to check things over. Imagine my shock when I received a letter with an appointment for 8th November. This gave me absolutely no indication of why he is calling me back, but I suspect that it is not good news!

I hope that your partner’s follow up goes well, and that all the treatment she’s had will make a difference.

Enjoy yourselves in the meantime and I hope that there is no need for a prior update.

Kind regards,

Jolamine

Hi,Kermit, you both will be so pleased that the treatment is finally over and that she is feeling alot better and looking towards the future and returning to work. Shows her spirits are up, but i think it is abit early and its good you have talked her into having abit more time at home resting , with her mum.  Sorry that your own health is still not the best, but you have been  looking after your wife and all the stress and worry would take its toll on you as well.It is good that  you are both going swimming and walking together ,slow and steady wins the race. Hope that your medication does work and generally it takes a few weeks for it to start working properly as you would know.  Hope that your wife's 1st follow up is all good and it is looking towards the outcome you both wishing for. Take care Barbara.