It's anxious waiting time at Discombobulated Towers. I've had some of the tests at The Christie to see if I'll be able to get on to a clinical trial and so far, so good. However, I will be going back twice next week for three more tests, so it's not over yet by a long chalk.
In the event of all being well, my first dose of the trial chemo is scheduled for 29th June, and frankly it can't come a moment too soon. I've not had any treatment at all for about three weeks now (this is a requirement for getting on the trial) and the deterioration in my health has been pretty marked. Added to the worsening coughing and breathlessness are pains in my back and the type of fatigue that has me wondering, in my darker moments, how I'm going to cope with the trips to Manchester or even if I'm going to be well enough to start chemo. There is a temptation to go back to my local hospital and say give me some chemo NOW! However, this isn't a wise option. The local oncologist has told me that neither of my two remaining chemo options are likely to be of much benefit to me (in fact the last option has only an 8-10% chance of working). So I'm hanging on, waiting and hoping for the clinical trial at The Christie.
I do have lighter moments though. These include:
- Seeing the Eddie Redmayne lookalike onc once more at the Christie and being reassured by how positive he is about the trial
- Spending time with sisters 1, 2 and 3. *Highlights include; discovering sis no 1 patrolling the garden at dusk, killing slugs while chanting 'double, double, toil and trouble'; sis no 2 and I buying identical handbags and walking around the local open gardens event like two Fashion Girls; introducing sis no 3 to The Sewing Bee and hearing her talk enthusiastically about pvc.
- Watching fluffy TV, like Love, Nina
- Watching bonkers TV, like Versailles
- Getting Germany in the other-half's family Euro 2016 sweep stake. Rest assured, I will not let any winnings change me.
* I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to use semi-colons correctly. I usually avoid them but today decided to throw caution to the wind (that's the kind of wild devil-may-care person I am). Feel free to take me to task if I have played fast and loose with this punctuation mine-field.
Before I launch into the latest codswallop, a quick word for readers in America. The above picture shows Bobby Ball (don't ask) wearing braces. That's right, braces not suspenders. These are suspenders (and don't give me any of that garter belt nonsense).
If you don't believe me check here.
Anyway now you understand the linguistic differences you can appreciate that my selection of the picture of Bobby Ball to illustrate this post is very funny.
Right, back to business. In my last post I bored you with my trip to The Christie and my consultation with the doctor who looked just like Eddie Redmayne. Well Dr Eddie has been in touch and I'm pleased to report that over the next couple of weeks I'll be making trips to Manchester to have a variety tests to check my suitability for a clinical trial. So the ball is rolling.
One of the tests is a lung biopsy, which I am not looking forward to one little bit. However needs must. Also a couple of friends, who are in the know, have assured me that it's not that bad. However, if these friends are lying I will have my revenge. This will possibly involve the appearance of large and tasteless gnomes in their gardens. You know who you are and you have been warned.
So I'm bracing myself for the tests and the results and hoping like mad that I get on the trial, as the coughing and breathlessness continue ad sodding nauseam.
As if all this testing malarkey wasn't enough to be getting on with, last night I foolishly made a nod towards the twenty-first century and bought a modern mobile phone. What a palaver buying it was. The process seemed to take a thousand years and the young salesman was flummoxed by my total lack of interest in different types of phone (they all look completely bloody identical) and my blissful ignorance of all things technical. The other-half was with me (getting a phone too) and he is even more of a luddite than me. I've spent more exciting evenings cleaning out the cat's litter tray. Anyway the purchases were made and now two brand new phones are sitting on the kitchen table Neither of us has the heart to try to find out how to use them. I wonder if the litter tray needs cleaning.
