It arrived eventually

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Hi, I'm actually not "New" been here a while, just browsing.

I've lived with an inevitability for years now. By inevitability I mean I was found to have Hep C around 15 years ago. It took 2 lots of interferon/Ribavirin treatment before I was rid of the bugger but it took 3 years and it's toll on me. I was left with a Liver that was Fibrotic and eventually Cirrhosis moved in and it did what it does. 5 years ago I was told that on  top of all this I now had Liver Cancer. I was mentally prepared for this and it came as no surprise and I was on the transplant register. My scans were sent to the London Free Hospital and they came back with a report making me unsuitable for transplant due to some connective tissue damage or some other malarkey.

I was moved to Oncology from the Liver unit and I had my first Ablation surgery around 5 years back and the game of "Whack-a-Mole" began. The results were initially promising but the old Cancer took a liking to me and kept popping back to say "Hi"

Back again, and this time "Sabre" radiotherapy was the ticket and so Off I went again for some of that fun and frolics. Again, promising, but "Trevor" ( I name all my tumours, the first was Timmy, then Trevor you get the gist) gave birth to "Trey" my third wee sod.

I'm now informed that Radiotherapy will be ineffective with me and actual invasive surgery is also off the cards add that to the no transplant option and I'm left with Ablation only.

It's been 6 weeks now since my Last Ablation (Sounds like a confession) and I was scanned last week for the outcome which is yet to be confirmed. This Ablation was performed whilst in a scanner with rods through the chest I was blissfully under general anaesthesia, isn't it nice?

So, that's where I am, waiting to see if Trey has been evicted. But there is a funny side to all this.................I get periods of life when I forget I have all this going on and am enjoying a "normal" existence and then...................................." Did I know it's national non survivable cancer week" Well, no, thanks for that.

And then a bulletin advising that from initial diagnosis of Liver cancer to death can be five years or less. How jolly.

I think having a dark sense of humour is a great crutch to lean on. Treating the "Big C" with little respect helps too, although the wife sometimes finds my levity a little strange . 

I'm 69 next birthday and still work 4 days a week for good money. My employers are fantastic with me and on the 16th of July I celebrate 25 years with them and coincidentally it's our 10th Wedding anniversary.

My forum name, Triumph legend, is now out of date as I retired from Motorcycling last year and I treated myself to a little classic car to "See me out" It's a 1974 Vanden Plas Princess 1300. I've left the name as it is "Princess" as a handle is a step too far!

I also enjoy good music & Hi-fi and treated myself (Again) to a nice Mission CD & Amp with a pair of Wharfedale Evo 5.2 Speakers to keep me entertained. I also have "Got into" SACD & 5.1 bluray. I don't do telly but have a collection of over 3200 DVD's of all sorts but with a preference for old Amicus and Hammer horror films.

Just prepping in case it does get the better of me.

It'll have to up it's game though, at the moment I'm 3-nil up.

Let's hope England do that against Mexico.

Some hope!

Take good care everyone and enjoy the lives we have. I try to. 

  • Hi  

    welcome to the MacMillan community. I am sorry the inevitability caught up with you but am pleased to see you are tackling it all with your excellent sense of humour. I am not a member of this community as my primary cancer is breast cancer, but I noticed you hadn’t had a response, so I hope you don’t mind me chipping in. My cancer spread to my liver, so I have experienced the joy of ablation procedures myself. Whack a mole is about right. After my last one, I woke up to be told the ablation probe had exploded inside me, so my liver now permanently carries needle fragments too. As you say, you just have to live the life you have. 

    I hope you enjoy the football and that England win. Rugby union is more my thing than football so I endured England losing to South Africa. With the Brits failing at Wimbledon maybe it will be one out of three? 

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    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

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  • Oh, dearie me, metal fragments in the old Liver! That'll make them look up from the questionnaire at your next CT scan. 

    "Any metal fragments"?

    "Well, you should know"

    What a palaver. 

    I hope England win but I won't watch it live,the last World cup nearly ended me. I can't risk my Portal Vein exploding during a penalty shootout. I need something more gallant and heroic to precede my demise . Lifting a car off a toddler or thwarting a terrorist attack would be nice. 

    Anyway good luck with it all. And above all keep smiling.

    Steve F.

  • It’s ok for CT scans. MRIs not so much as it might lead to another impromptu ablation!  I used to have to have both as part of my surveillance. I really don’t miss the 30 minute liver MRI process. I am guessing you will be familiar with it. 

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    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    I am a Macmillan volunteer.

    I have metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer, in remission

  • I get CT & MRI muddled up. Surprising as not only have I had so many of both the past 10 years or so but I also work for the company that invented the technology that makes them possible.

    The contrast they use that makes you feel as if you're emptying your bladder and bowels? I always look forward to that. And always to a physical check afterwards, It's so darn realistic.

    As I'm rapidly approaching 70 It's only a matter of time before clenching isn't enough. Still, dryness can be a source of joy.

  • Love your sense of humour, the little buggars find it more difficult to sneak up on you if you just laugh in their faces!

    my own little liver gremlins have decided to take up residence in one of my lymph nodes

    so I’m now in the process of learning the delightful new language of Atezo Bev immunotherapy.   I have my first treatment on Tuesday with the promise of hundreds of potential side effects to look forward too - it’s a whole new game of whack a mole and that thought will keep me smiling through (I hope anyway)

    Enjoy the new car and I’m sure she is still very much the princess 

    Pauline

  • Yes that lovely rush of warmth. Same age and I am female so always slightly worried about bladder, especially as they always want you to drink quite a lot before a CT. 

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    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    I am a Macmillan volunteer.

    I have metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer, in remission

  • Ah yes. I am guessing Atezo Bev is Atezolizumab? I had the delights of Pembrolizumab. Similar drugs. Yours is a PD-L1 blocker. Mine a PD-1 blocker. Since PD-1 and PD-L1 bind together to both protect our endocrine systems and organs and to hide our cancers from our immune systems, they do more or less the same job and come with the same shed load of possible downsides. In my case the positive has been sustained remission. The downside kidney, thyroid and lung damage. Wishing you all the best! 

    Community Champion badge

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    I am a Macmillan volunteer.

    I have metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer, in remission