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.
