Just chugging along

Limited clinic and hospital visits due to not having any treatments has made life a lot quieter and easier for me. I try to balance my time with plenty of rest days and enjoy having visitors and lots of spoiling!!

Had a lovely surprise visit from my Australian based brother together with his daughter (my niece) and her 7 mth old baby. They stayed for the first 5 days at a friends house 5 minutes away then Gemma and the baby flew home and David, my brother is now staying here for a short time.

I have unfortunately picked up a bad cough (from my brother I think) which I am finding it hard to shift. I am still getting the bad bone pain in my spine and right hip but the morphine does help slightly.  Otherwise I am coping and are in reasonably good spirits.

Thanks to everyone for their phone calls, visits and support. Take care.

xx Judy

Feeling down but not out

Had two hospital appointments yesterday, the first with the lung oncology dept at Greenlane Hospital. I have now been transferred out of their care to my GP and Hospice as there is nothing else they can do for me. I am terminal and as advised back in January only have months to live. Even though I knew this it has really hit home now. I am just praying that it will be relatively pain free.

I am so sorry my family will have to cope with all of this. I know it is hard for them now and will get even harder. I just hope they know how much I appreciate and love them for all they are doing.

I am not going to gloss over what is happening and how I am feeling. I am still me and hopefully in a day or two I can think more positively and enjoy what life has to offer on a day to day basis.

My second appointment yesterday was at Auckland Acute Oncology where I had another bone infusion to relieve some of the pain. I will still get pain relief.

A great big thank you to all my wonderful supportive friends whom I couldn't do without.

xx Judy

So much happier ...

Just wanted to let you all know how much better I am feeling at the moment. Such a relief to be virtually pain free most of the time. Have helped achieve this by being disciplined with meal and medication times. I am eating and drinking much better and am a lot more relaxed and having some quality sleep time.

At the beginning of last week I was actually praying to die, now I am starting to enjoy life once again. Nicky and Paul are coming tomorrow to take me out for coffee and cake!  My wheelchair and walker arrived today which will make it easier.

Long may my reprieve last ...

xx Judy

Update

It has been a while since I last updated. A very miserable time I must say. Couldn't  seem to eat anything much just a few spoonfuls of jelly or soup. I am still feeling sick and in pain. My great friend Karen has brought around a meal as has Donna, Debbie and Dawn. Karen has already sold a few of my stamp sets for me and I am really grateful for her help to declutter my craft space. My doctor and the hospice nurse have also been very supportive and of course I couldn't manage without my husband and daughters.

I have been receiving some beautiful cards from Stampin' Up girls with such lovely thoughts. Barbz Bicknell also sent a lovely box of chocolates which I wish I could eat. Perhaps later when I get my appetite back.

Everyone is so supportive and sweet. Thank you all.

I hoped this next week would be easier. I only seemed to have enough energy to get up and sit by the window then back to bed again. Not much of a life ........ But no I ended up in isolation in hospital on a drip for 4 days, brain scan, chest X-ray etc.  My constipation caused by all the morphine changed to terrible bouts of diarrhoea. All combined with the shingles. No I wasn't a pretty sight!

Anyway I am now home again and have started eating and drinking again. I am on Fortasip which is a prescribed nutrition supplement and this is also helping. I have come to the decision that I will not start chemotherapy which will not cure me but only give me, if lucky, a few more months and could make me sick and upset my body. I would rather have quality of life compared to quantity. Feel so much more relaxed since making this decision.  I am now starting to get home care
each day which should make life easier.

Thanks again everyone.

xx Judy

Radiation therapy

Thursday morning I had an appointment with the haematologist who is treating my myeloma and chronic myeloid Leukemia. Everything seems to be progressing quite well.

Thursday afternoon I had an appointment at Auckland Hospital for radiation to my spine and right hip to help relieve the pain. We just got part way along the motorway going home when I started vomiting, and vomiting, and vomiting. My poor daughter Nicky was trying to drive as well as see to me and we had to pull off the motorway. When we finally got home stripped off all my spew covered clothes, put my pyjamas on and literally fell into bed with a bucket and towels beside me. I felt a real mess what with the nausea and the pain.  Had a really bad night as I couldn't keep my pills down so the pain just got worse and worse.

Friday I felt absolutely rotten all day and only slightly better today (Saturday). Nicky is here again caring for me. Not an enviable task washing all my clothes that were ruined and cleaning the inside of the car.

Two nice things happened though. My friends Debbie had made a lasagne and brought around while I was at the hospital Thursday and Karen brought a lovely bouquet of flowers around yesterday. I'm really spoilt.

Judy

Now ... Shingles

Went to the doctor. She took a specimen but is fairly certain that I now have shingles up my right arm and shoulder. Just like I need more pain!  Now have added to my list of meds antibiotics to be taken 5 times a day. Feeling even more rotten.

Fed up ... Judy

A week of hospitals

Last week was a busy week. On Monday I had an appointment with Lung Oncology at Greenlane Hospital. They had my recent scan results - not so good. The cancer has progressed further and the metastasis in the bones has got worse, hence the increased pain. We discussed palliative care and will also be starting chemo in about 4 weeks time.

Tuesday I had an outpatients appointment with Oncology Radiation and they are going to give me a one off radiation treatment to help with the pain. I did have the option of 5 consecutive days of radiation but didn't think I could manage that.

Wednesday I had a blood test to check my blood type as I am very anaemic and need a blood transfusion.

Friday we left home at 6:40 am for an 8 am appointment at Oncology Radiation at Auckland Hospital for my prep scan and marking for the radiation scheduled for next Thursday. Then it was just a short walk down the corridor to the Acute Oncology department where I spent the next few hours having 2 bags of blood transfused followed by a bone strengthening infusion. Thank goodness for my portacath as they would not have been able to access a vein otherwise. Was extremely exhausted when we finally got home.

Thanks to my support drivers - my daughter Nicky, and son-in-law Murray who filled in for my other daughter Kim who was sick and unable to help.  Don't know how we would have managed without you.

Judy

Hello

Hello.  I have decided to start this blog to update everyone on my cancer journey - definitely not a journey I ever wanted or envisioned having to make. As I am finding it tiring having to repeatedly report on my hospital visits and treatment to everyone thought those who are interested could follow my blog.

A summary of my long fight with cancer is on the About Me page and the posts on here are what is happening now.

Thanks for reading.

Judy