So Mum had agreed to do a drug trial, NET is rare so getting enough people for the trial was expected to take years. Mum joined a couple of years into the trail after numerous tests to make sure she was suitable, not too far gone and with adequate liver function. She seemed to really enjoy it, she loved the team looking after her, she had regular check ups, tests, scans and filled in lots of surveys. She ended up in the baseline group having the standard chemo treatement for NET. She was lucky, she withstood the chemo really well. She wasn't sick, her hair didn't fall out and other than issues with the skin cracking on her hands and feet she was feeling pretty good once the tiredness subsided. The ascites came back because as part of the chemo she couldn't take the spiralactone. Luckily the draining was moved to the same hospital once chemo started so there was less travelling and Mum got to know the hospital and all the staff and patients. It was a bit of a home from home.
The treatment worked, Mum improved and the chemo came to an end but the trial and the close monitoring continued. The draining meant Mum had developed a hernia but once she was back on the spiralactone things improved and she was feeling so well that by the end of 2007 she was talking about going to South Africa to visit friends. She booked her flights and sorted out her insurance (which took some doing) for April 2008 . She was on a waiting list for a hernia repair but things were looking good. She had her life back and she was enjoying it.
In March 2008, she was having too good a time when she very suddenly found herself in very severe pain. An ambulance was called and she was rushed to A&E at the local hospital where after a long time waiting for something to happen she was given morphine. Eventually a surgeon turned up and a strangulated bowel was diagnosed. emergency surgery followed the next day, her hernia was fixed and she felt much better but the plan to fly to South Africa was scuppered and couldn 't be rearranged. Her friend was coming back tot he UK in June.
Initial disappointment was soon replaced with joy as Mum went from strength to strength. She was feeling better than she had in years. No fluid, no digestion problems and the hernia repair meant that by June 2008 she was back at keep fit, singing, going to church and generally having a very good time. She booked a cruise to Norway with some friends and set about decorating and visiting friends and family. Other than her regular check ups and trial scans she was back to a normal life.
