Category Archives: cancer

help?

09 Tuesday Dec 2008

Posted by in cancer, friends, life stuff

≈ Comments Off on help?

help-1

I really really hate doing this, but …

I think I may have jinxed things by writing that cosmic accounting post because there haven’t been any donations since the beginning of October and I’m starting to get worried.  I’ve been trying to keep a month ahead just in case there is some unforeseen financial emergency**, so I will probably be okay for December and maybe January’s rent, but that’s  gonna clean me out.  I really have been living frugally – those trips and lunches out are very generous gifts from my friends here.  And I haven’t been buying anything that isn’t for ‘immediate consumption’ – other than a woolly cardie I got when I went to M&S  I’m making all my clothes and shoes last another year, and I’m okay about not doing anything special for Christmas.  So I can’t think of any other ways of cutting back and it’s scary to feel so vulnerable. Also, Nog might be going back to Wales soon.  It’s not definite but he’s not making much of a living here by teaching and I don’t think his heart is really in it.  He may stay until the summer or he might leave next month – another up-in-the-air scenario that’s making things quite difficult at the moment.

Anyhow, it isn’t my intention to put any of you on the spot because I know that many people are being affected by the recession, or generally just don’t have much extra themselves.  And I do know that I’m going to have to find a way of supporting myself by working from home, especially with Nog leaving,  since it looks like I’m going to be stuck here for awhile yet with surgery recovery and chemo.  I should be able to start planning future stuff better once I get the biopsy report and find out what the next treatment is going to be.

Meanwhile, every little bit will help. Thanks.

[update: ** such as … washing machine breaking!]

bedridden

03 Wednesday Dec 2008

Posted by in cancer, health & happiness, home, hospitals

≈ 29 Comments

taxi-2

Yet another taxi ride to the hospital today.

On Monday the nurse came over and took out my staples (ouch!) and when I asked him why the pain wasn’t getting any better he just said it was a big incision, plus it was the second time they’d opened the same area, so that it would probably take longer to heal.  I’m also having a bit of leakage  (ewww) but the nurse said it didn’t look infected, and I didn’t have a fever, so we left it at that. And then . . .

Continue reading →

art & burgers

29 Saturday Nov 2008

Posted by in art, cancer, food & drink, friends, health & happiness, photos, restaurants, sevilla

≈ 33 Comments

thinker

Pipocas dragged me out of the house yesterday afternoon for art and burgers. I wasn’t sure if I was up to it as the op was just over a week ago and I’m still in a fair bit of pain and discomfort. But as the weather forecast was calling for RAIN until next Tuesday, I thought I’d better try and get out. And it really was worth the effort. . .

Continue reading →

après op…

22 Saturday Nov 2008

Posted by in cancer, hospitals

≈ 50 Comments

hospital_room

I made it!  Though things got a bit scary when once again they couldn’t find a vein to put the first IV thingy into and after about four tries I started to cry. Then the next thing I knew I was in the wake up room, drifting in and out of consciousness. Then back to my room for a rather rough night of it. Yesterday I was still pretty groggy but I was given the go ahead to drink water (yay!) and I also convinced the doc to take me off the morphine. But I really couldn’t do much other than lie here. Feeling a bit better and stronger today.

So here’s the deal. The surgeons were able to remove the tumour residue in the liver and one of the lesions in the peritoneum. Apparently the second one was very close to an artery and they didn’t want to risk hemorrhaging so they left it there and took a biopsy sample. They think it will end up being benign scar tissue like they found last time. If it ends up being malignant it will mean further surgery to remove part of my pancreas, my spleen and possibly a kidney (eep!). So it’s going to be a long 2-3 weeks waiting for the biopsy results. But the surgeon said it didn’t look like a malignant tumour and The Team is convinced that it’ll turn out benign like last time. And so, overall it’s good news.

More good news – it looks like I’m going to have the room to myself all weekend. The other bed was blessedly vacant when I came back from the wake up room, then yesterday I had another roommate for about  six hours – she was just here for some tests and went home at 2pm.

I’m hoping to have all the tubes taken out so I can get out of bed today. Just waiting for the doctor to make his morning rounds. Nog stayed here again last night (I was feeling a bit lonely) and Pipocas should be here soon. So I am being very well looked after. And you guys really made my day when I read all your comments on the ‘hanging out’ post this morning. f_hug.gif

Must lie down again for awhile, will be back later…

hanging out

20 Thursday Nov 2008

Posted by in cancer, computers, friends, health & happiness, hospitals, life stuff, scrabble

≈ 73 Comments

hanging-out

Well, it’s a beautiful morning here … watched the sun come up about an hour ago, all apricot coloured on the horizon. Nog’s gone to the cafeteria to have brekky and then he’ll head home to shower, snibble the boys and probably make a few sandwiches for today. Although my op is scheduled for 3 o’clock it could really happen anytime after 11, so Nog wants to get back here by then.

The Team should be here soon for a quick visit (mostly to reassure me – they know how nervous I get). Then I’ll shower while my bedsheets are changed and after that just hang out, waiting for THEM to come and get me.

Hope I’ll be back soon. Or even just back (eep!) …

You’re probably getting a bit tired of sending best wishes, etc, so random chat would be just fine.
What are you guys up to today? 🙂