2 years in and still fighting

Its been a while since I have interacted on here.

I'm now 2 years since diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. 

It's been a turbulent 2 years.

My 25 year old son was diagnosed with B-cell Hodgkins Lymphoma 4 years ago and has now had to have 2 x 3 weeks of radiotherapy to knock it back down, the latest was 2 months ago. He's now back on watch and wait for it to flare up again. 3 monthly bloods and 6 monthly scans.

Then I was diagnosed in the June 2024.

It had already left mt prostate and gone into my left pelvic and thigh bones. 

Just coming to terms with it when 3 months later my 40 year son died of a heart attack on a flight back from Bulgaria with my 2 grandsons.

Last year we moved house having to sell our guesthouse as I was struggling and we bought a lovely house in Wirral.

Struggling more and more with increasing pain in my groin so had scans 3 weeks ago.

On Tuesday I had an urgent appointment with the consultant, well, his oppo, to reassess my pain and was told it hasn't spread. Demanded to see the man himself next door who told me it HAS spread. Now in my right groin and possibly my back. So waiting for another scan on my back.

He prescribed me with morphine to see if that works.

3 hours later I started with severe upper abdominal pain so stopped taking the morphine in case it was the cause.

Had a terrible night, crawling to the bathroom to wretch nothing but white bile up. Refused my wife's pleas to call 999. Didn't fancy spending hours on a trolley in a corridor. Our A&E is reputed for it.

Wednesday morning was still bad so wifey rang cancer nurse who said to ring 111 as its not the morphine.

An hour later a nurse from the critical care team came put and took bloods and full examination. 

An hour later another nurse came and did a bladder ultrasound scan.

Pain started calming down.

Thursday morning yet another nurse came with the blood results and it appears my liver has decided to join in my pain and causing concerning problems. Readings gone from around 16 to 300 in 3 weeks.

That's still not the cause of the abdominal pain.

It appears I had food poisoning.  A blessing really because they wouldn't have found the liver problem for another 3 months when I give my regular bloods.

The possible cause? A tablet I had been prescribed by my GP for toenail infection. Great. 

I am struggling to walk more than a couple of hundred yards or stand around for 10 minutes.

We recently went to Twickenham for the Army v Navy rugby and had to hire a wheelchair. So I'm considering buying an electric scooter so I'm not housebound. 

Approached the British Legion who, until recently, I worked for as a poppy appeal organiser raising over £240,000 in 8 years, to see if they would help my buy one.

They refused as between the 3 of us, we have over £11,000 in savings. They main of that being an ISA we started for our 25 year old son years ago. The same reply from other military charities. Over the years I've raised around £350,000 for charities which they received gratefully. Ask for some help, no chance. Rant over about that. 

My meds seem to be mainly working, keeping it at bay in my groin area. For how long is in the laps of the gods. It looks like I'm going to reach my next goal, my 70th birthday on the 3rd July. Wifey has organised a garden party on the 4th for family and friends. As I've had to give up drinking, it will be my turn to sit and watch them all make asses of themselves.

Anyway, I've gone on long enough so will say

Chins up and keep fighting.

Hope to speak again soon.

Forgot to say.

Me and my son had signed up for a tandem skydive last year but I couldn't do it so my lovely wife stepped in and jumped in my place last month. Raised £4,750 for St John's Hospice in Lancaster.