Kar's blog

1st Chemo session today

2010-03-02T12:27:02Z

Well here i go, the first session to kill off my Hodgkin's Lymphoma hooray!

It is doing such funny things to me that I cannot wait to get started.

I have a new party trick. turn to the left hiccups, turn to the right hiccups move back to the centre and guess what, they stop straight away. spooky........

I will be back with an update later x

Well now its a waiting game!

2010-02-04T09:17:17Z

I have been supporting my father since August when he was incorrectly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was not strong enough for chemo and although the gastro doctor put in a metal stent it did not clear the bile that had caused his jaundice.

He has now been referred to another hospital and a very good team that have biopsied his liver to try and confirm PSC a liver disease and they plan to remove the metal stent he does not need.

What a few months! I thought getting into a new year things would settle down but unfortunately I found a neck lump whilst in the shower early in January.

My GP referred me straight to an ENT consultant who confirmed that I had a 5cm by 5cm hard lump just above my collar bone in the triangle at the front of my neck on the left.

In the last month, i have had a chest xray, an ultrasound and needle biopsy, a CT scan from my nose to my thighs and on tuesday a sample of my lymph nodes removed for biopsy. I get my results and my stitches out next thursday.

I have been a little confused and uncomfortable because i have had a lot of swelling in my neck along my shoulder blade and into the top of my chest,the top of my back and down my left arm and hand.

Sometimes one side of me is a different temperature to the otherside which i assume is down to the inflamed lymph nodes in my neck and chest and the fact that my lump is deep seated attached to a vein .

I have felt fine and have not lost weight, if anything my weight keeps going up not down.

I am bound to be tired because i have spent the last few months sleeping between the bed and settee because of the shoulder and neck pain that i was being treated by a chiropractor for

There was no visible lump in December because my doctor checked my neck and glands then.

I feel positive and i am being realistic but not worrying unduly because that wont help me or anyone around me.

I am having to take a few days off work whilst my layered incision heals but I am keeping in touch with work on my blackberry and looking forward to having the opportunity to read a couple of books before returning to work next week.

This site has given me tremendous strength through my dad's illness and I wish I could wave a magic wand and heal everyone on here . I cannot believe the strength and character everyone on here has. I will be drawing strength from this site if i do not get a quick fix next week because you will understand the emotions that I will be going though and these can only be shared here with those that understand.

Love to you all

Kar

Had a really bad day

2009-09-22T21:47:06Z

My Dad had an appointment with the oncologist today and still nothing is offered. He did not seem keen to refer him to a homeapathic doctor and reluctantly offered him a blood transfusion to give him a temporary boost

Still no info and no clear diagnosis even though from the first appointment i felt that he was not going to offer him anything.

How can you do that to another human being, not even offer them any hope, or even the truth so that they can get their head around it and do the things they want to when they feel fit enough?

I feel so helpless and want to help him in any way i can, each person we see either GP, Oncologist or palliative care case worker all tell us conflicting information about who to contact if we are worried.

I think they forget this is a first time experience for my Dad and it is not a learning curve he will not get another stab at it.!!

Sorry for the rant but i feel really sad and panicky, we thought because he was so much better they would at least offer him chemo today and the only thing we came away with is desperation.

Glad to be back

2009-09-19T07:08:37Z

Hi, I have missed not being able to log on to share for the last few days

I am still new to the site and I am still finding my way around.

I have received great comfort from the support not just to me but all over the site .

I also find the info on he site really helpful.

When my Dad fell ill 6 weeks ago I just felt helpless and panicky.

Thanks so much x