Other Worlds

Out of breath

2007-02-24T08:15:00.000Z

Yesterday, I had a bit of concern about the timing the move home: was I really fit enough; were the rest of the family ready for me in the absence of my parents? The appeal of my better supported and motorised bed won out against the expert (but often very slow medical expertise.)

An ambulance arrived midday, but when they saw the state of me (unable to bend and short of breadth despite wearing an oxygen mask), they decided it was a 4-person job. They had got away with a 2-person delivery because it was an emergency. I had to wait until 2 teams became available simultaneously. I was lucky and this took just over an hour.

After a lot of debate a strategy for getting me from ambulance to home was agreed. So I took a draft of pain killer and the staff slid me from bed to stretcher. I found I physically could not breathe for this transfer, so I had to hold my breath for probably less than 2 secs. In my weakened state, even with oxygen, I found myself gasping for air. Each breath seemed inadequate to replenish my breath. So I felt certain I would asphyxiate, caused by lack of breath capacity and my lungs giving out.

The team were very solicitous, trying out various stretcher positions, while I became increasingly convinced I would die even if returned to my bed. The doctor was called, nurses wandered in and out making posture suggestions, blood pressure was measured. I snatched answers to questions with breadth I thought I could not spare. The only medical action was to give me a slightly bigger oxygen mask.

I signaled the obvious, that I had given up on the move. So I was transferred back, with me expecting the move could be my last. I made it still gasping, but convinced my lung muscles couldn't last. After a while I began to think I might make It and began to stop trying to take the largest breath possible with each breath. So gasped, but more calmly. this is the position my parents found me, having been rung by my wife. I slowly, very very slowly, began to talk between breathes and conditions slowly returned to normal. My breathes remain shallow.

Late last night, I knew I had problems with my catheter. While it had passed some water, it was becoming increasingly painful to drink more. My bladder was under pressure and couldn't relieve it. I kept being assured I would be the next case, but having taken some pain-killer, it was clear that they hoped it would keep me quiet.
Having complained again about the excruciating pain, I finally got attention and a new catheter. Urine flooded out my bladder, easing pressure on my stomach, including my lungs. Suddenly my breathe capacity increased!

With my catheter fixed could probably have made it home with little problem!

Do I go home now? I don't know what the medics would say to this suggestion. Logically, I think I should stay in. It is risky, even if a large part is due to my over-reaction. I hope that my breathe will improve due to anti-water retention tablets and lowered infection. So I am resigning myself to a boring waiting game.

Delay

2007-02-22T22:02:00.000Z

The pharmists wenthome by 7pm, leaving a vague message about a porter. Without firm information, they wouldn't make arrangements about late night transport. Medicines appeared 9.45pm. So another night listening to fellow patients snore and expectorate. All the patients have got stuck here longer than they expected.

Back home today?

2007-02-22T13:21:00.000Z

It is likely I will be home again today. First, more anti-biotics, a blood transfusion to receive and prescription to sort out.

Back in Stepping Hill

2007-02-20T09:38:00.000Z

I am back in hospital.

I could tell you a number stories of why it was thought necessary or the anxious waits while we wondered if I had been forgotten about. To be selective, over the weekend the District Nurses were concerned about the amount of swelling around groin.

Come Monday, my GP was not responding quickly, so the nurse called an emergency GP. In reviewing my case, the GP found several areas of concern, so I was referred to Stepping Hill. From being referred, it was an 8 hour wait for a bed, much of this time we were uncertain whether anyone was dealing with us.

In summary:
Thu, 15th - comfortable, enjoying the hospital type bed;
Fri, 16th - some discomfort from swelling in groin;
Sat, 17th - District Nurse concerned about swelling;
Sun 18th - increasing concerns;
Mon 19th - local practice suggests phone consultation for Tuesday. District Nurse gets on the case and insists on home consultation today. This led to me being admitted on 22:00. Blood tests and X-rays done overnight.
Tue 20th - some changes in medicine. Catheter drained my bladder.

Early days, but staff are talking about me leaving on Friday. A lot of it depends on getting balances right, it will also depends on my attitude to being in: prompt medical attention vs. better bed and home comforts.

Hospital again?

2007-02-19T15:26:00.000Z

It was decided in discussion, with the nurse, that I may be suffering from water retention. The symptoms are not fully clear, so the District Nurse contacted the emergency GP (my usual GP being on leave).

The GP reviewed my case and decided that there were a few other items of higher priority that ought to be dealt with first, in priority order:

the high potassium levels - (this occurred only once, but would be particularly big problem if it returned and;

2nd item - (I've forgotten what it is); and finally,

the original worry of blocked pipes.

So the plan is to get me into hospital so a series of tests can be done so I can be treated appropriately.

Pain largely under control

2007-02-17T16:11:00.000Z

Comfort seems to be coming together. I have a hospital style of bed, which allows me to adjust to comfortale postions or ease me out of ed. The mattress is the ripple type. Which means it is constantly adjusting slightly to prevent pressure sores. It was a bit odd to start with, but now I like it.

Perhaps most fun of all, is that it is possible to place the laptop in a reasonably comfortably position. So emails and and blogging are practical again.

I am not getting out much. I had a trip to the hospital on Monday. On Tuesday we went out for a drive, to see how much fun that would be. It was a scenic drive to a car park the The Romper. To be honest, the fun of the drive, just about compensated for the being shaken around in a car.

I still look forward to visiting Underground Stockport exhibition (perhaps waiting for the final phase of Stockport Story to open as well.

I am in for visitors, though I am well booked-up at them moment. Call me or Lan if you want to come over. I think 3 March is my first available date.

Paul is in Vietnam at the moment. I think I feels a bit guilty to not be here adding suport but Lan and I made it quite clear to him that he should go. Paul phones every day and it gives Lan a great boost to hear the daily updates. Today is Tet (VN New Year) and Paul was interviewd for TV, because he was one of the first people to take a Ha Long Bay ride this Lunar Year. I also enjoy Paul's calls. It makes me think how excellent it would be if I could take a fews hours out of convalescing and install myself at a bar in Saigon, or any number of VN locations.

It is now someweeks since I had chemo. If I had insisted, I could have had chemo last Monday. But I now have more respect for the treatment. I don't want a blast of Chemo if all it means is another 2 weeks in hospital. Of course, no one knows if I would suffer as much the second time around, but we have agreed I need a couple of weeks recuperation before further chemo is sensible.

Back at home

2007-02-10T11:11:00.000Z

I have been home since February 07. I haven't managed to make or take the time the time to post until now. I appreciate that my silence will have been frustrating for readers, as it has been for me.

I will post some more soon, once I have read your emails, assuming I don't get too weary again.

--------
In the end it was decided for me to go home. There were some risks. The infection (cellulitus) wasn't beaten yet and blood clots remain a risk. On the other hand I am avoiding a whole host of possible hospital infections and the tedium of the hospital.

My hospital 'room' was described by one nurse as a cupboard, but at least it gave me some privacy. I don't know what most of the patients on my ward were there for and to what extent it was there medication which was to blame, but it was a noisy and disturbed wing. The ward door was kept locked to stop patients escaping. This didn't stop them trying every hour or so. Poor chaps were bed blocked. Neither Council nor family could provide them with housing in time, so they were practically imprissoned, with no one to appeal to.

----

On the otherhand hospital could be relatively tranquil and organised compared to home. So I hesitate to invite visitors. Can I suggest you talk to Lan and my parents. If I am fit at the time, then I will join in.

----

I am going to look at the Stockporrt Heritage blog now. To be honest, it is more fun.

Out tonight

2007-02-02T18:10:00.000Z

I am currentl waiting for my prescription, but once that is done am off home.

Several people have expressed a wish to see me. I welcome seeing them, but give me and my family a chance to get organised. So leave it until after this weekend. (Gitta, Leslie helen, you remain welcome. If I am not strong enough then I will keep out of the way.

Out even later

2007-01-31T14:22:00.000Z

We haven't had the results of my blood tests yet, but the docotor would like to see some good stable results, today and tomorrow, before releasing me. I am not clear whether it is blood thickness which is most important or signs that my infection is under control. Anyway both have to be satisfactory. If I have two days of good results by tomorrow, I might be out.

I was in a lot of pain ths morning. I think it was because the pain killer came an hour later than usual. t might also be because Dr Leo suggested that I stop using the moisturiser on the wound (as it seems to have softened the skin to such a point that it is leaking). As the wound dries out again, it may be contracting and causing pain. I feel all right now. I shall see if the pain returns.

Steve has lent me a book, You can heal your life. I am cynical, but I will give this book a read.

Lan continues to suffer. A GP visited and diagnosed vertigo. I thought this related only to heights, but Google search tells me that there are a number of conditions and infections, related to blockages of the middle ear which lead to dizziness. I haven't tied the description of Lan's consultation to any of the specific googled diagnoses, but I am heartened that GP seems to have a specific diagnosis in mind, not just an unspecified infection.

Ever since I have known Lan, she has occasionally complained of dizziness due to: running; walking up hill; to much excercise or worry. Usually something too minor to worry about. Maybe this is a clue to something longstanding and maybe it will improve Lan's general spirit of well-being.

Dad had his eye-site tested yesterday, back in Good Hope hospital, Sutton Coldield. They have given him an appointment for laser treatment next month. As well as being grateful that his poor eyesite will be improved, we hope that he will once more be able to drive. This will take the pressure off Mum.

Out whenever

2007-01-30T17:32:00.000Z

The vitamin K has done the trick and got my blood thickened to about the right strength. As Tom observed recently, the 'correct' thickness is a very fine range.

I am not fit enough to leave the hospital, however. The main area of concern is the failure to rein in the infection. I am now on my third anti-biotic after 11 days. The hope remains to get me out soon, but I am hostage to the infection of cellulitus.

I fell a bit like a balloon, with hands and feet puffed up, but am in very little pain or discomfort. I just have to put up with the tedium of hospital life.

Out tomorrow?

2007-01-29T16:39:00.000Z

I am not out today. My blood is even thinner, despite the fact the haven't given me warfarin for 3 days. So they are going to give me Vitamin K, intraveneously, otherwise I could be waiting a long time before my blood thickens to safe levels.

They are also starting me on a new antibotic, in tablet form. Visually it looks like the inflamation is under control or perhaps declining, but blood tests show an increased level of inflamation markers suggesting the infection is far from beaten. The doctor says he prefers to treat the patient rather than the blood tests, but the indicators are strong.

At home, the occupational therapest has delivered useful items such as a bath stool and an adjustable bed table to make life easier.

I hear Jim has fixed our door lock which was getting unreliable and we continue to get cards and messages from friends. Thanks a lot, it is very comforting to have all this support.

Out today?

2007-01-29T08:05:00.000Z

Talking to the nurses, it seems likely that I will be released today, though the Doctors won't meet until this afternoon to make the decision. If it doesn't happen, it will probably be due to concern over the thiness of my blood. A few days ago the worry was too many coagulents risking another blood clot. I seem to have responded too well to the medicine so that I might bleed too quickly.

nyway, I should hear the decision this afternoon, then predict delays while they prescribe the controlled drugs to take home with me. I am still taking a largeamount of morphine derived pain killer.

Meanwhile, poor Lan, who has been worrying about me and scrubbing the house to achieve a sterile environment for me to return to as well as being hostess to my parents and brother, has worn herself out and is suffering from a sore throat.

Friday update

2007-01-26T11:47:00.000Z

The results of the angiogram are that I did have a blood clot near the lungs when I was admitted. It is likely that this was at least one of the causes of my shortness of breath which led to us calling the emergency services.

That led on to the discovery that I had an infection. The infection might also have contributed to my shortness of breath and general level of sickness when admitted. There seems little doubt that the infection was the cause of my pain in the leg and lack of mobility, so it was a timely discovery.

The angiogram also showed up cancerous bit in the blood near the lungs. Mum is insistant that we were previously told that the cancer had been detected round here so it shouln't be veiwed as a further spread.

I am no longer hooked up to tubes, but the plan is that I stay in hospital until Monday. This will give them more time to confirm that the infection is under control & adjust my blood density to make the re-appearance of clots less likely. My next chemo will be delayed by a week, until a week on Monday. This is to give my body a chance to recover.

Angiogram

2007-01-24T10:45:00.000Z

It's a pulmonary angiogram by the CT Unit which I am having, rather than a CT scan.

[Correction: after a bit of Googling, I have concluded that a pulmonary angiogram is one of a number of tests that can be done on a CT scanner. http://www.muschealth.com/gs/TandP.aspx?PageID=P07966 ]

I think this is to test if I have a blood clot. This was identified as a possible reason for my shortness of breath when I was admitted. If so, it has taken a while to arrange. I have been able to take deep breaths, without discomfort, since Sunday.

Of course, if there is a clot, it is important that it identified as clots can move and cause more serious blockages. T nurse pointed out that the doctors may want to know what effect the wound & cancerous bumps are having on circulation.

Having to starve prior to the test presents problems due to my diabetes. I am now managing my insulin, which is an improvement as the nurses are too busy to reliably coordinate the injections with meals. That's fine until they say I can't eat for 10 hours then concede a few hours later that I can have a light lunch.

Scanning

2007-01-23T12:09:00.000Z

A CT scan is planned for Wednesday. I think the main purpose will be to see the status of the infection. I am in hospital so they can blast the infection. Once that is done, they want to chuck me out as soon as possible, because hospitals are a great place to pick up new infections.

Whereas yesterday I was reconciling myself to being here for another week, it sounds like the hope is I will be out on Thurs or Fri.

Email

2007-01-23T12:03:00.000Z

Inow have access to email from my hospital bed, whichis good. (I make no promises as to how often I will read or reply.)

Note that I don't have my address book, so I cannot initiate an exchange of emails.

Still Stepping Hill

2007-01-22T11:11:00.000Z

I am still in Stepping Hill Hospital.

The area of the infection, as implied by the patch of reddened skin round the wound, seems to have stopped increasing. I continue to be fed anti-biotics intavenously, to eradicate the infection. Then chemo can continue. If it can be beaten quickly, then I may still be able to have my second chemo cocktail on Monday, as originally scheduled.

'Patientline' gives me limited Internet access, so I can update the blog. It depends on how weary I am & how restricted my arms are with tubes.

Annoyingly, I can't access Flickr, to view friend's photos, because the content is potentially too adult.

I will see about accessing my email this afternoon, if my parents can find my notes on NTL passwords.

I'll post a comment to the blog when I get onto email.

Courtesy of Patient Line

2007-01-19T14:03:00.000Z

The blog is out of date,so i will jot some quick notes before returning to something more passive.

SAT: awful nights sleep due to pain.

SUN: a fine day out. My brother drove me and my parents ,to Castleton and Buxton, to enjoy the views. We then got out of the car for a coffee at the Palace Hotel. A remarkably untiring, unstressful and pleasant day out.
An awful nights sleep due to pain.

MON: slept downstairs. V comfortable. Concluded pain set off by climbing stairs.

TUE: repeat the success. Little mobility about the house, but lifestyle quite bearable.

WED: meet Macmillans nurse. Good discussion. Initiate steps for improved & focused pain control.

THU: 00:30 - agony. Eventually find bearable position.
04:30 - still in pain and short of breath. Start thinking that it may not be muscular and start worrying about cardiac possibilities and ask my parents to call an ambulance.

CONCLUSION: I am in Stepping Hill Hospital (my local hospital). We are fighting an infection around my wound area using anti-biotics applied intravenously. This will keep me in hospital until Mon/Tues at least. It may delay my next Chemo, until I am up to strength.
I am on ward B4, in my little room to reduce contact with others to reduce risk of further infections.

If you want to visit, please contact Lan/my parents first. Waiting times are restrictive and there is not enough space for all family to visit.

District Nurse

2007-01-12T10:49:00.000Z

I had a visit from the District Nurse who has put me on her books and made me aware of the local Beechwood Care centre as well as other services.

Tuesday-Wednesday

2007-01-11T17:52:00.000Z

The first two days after treatment are said to be the worst, but I actually felt better than usual. I was quite perky. So that was nice.

Kevin dropped by on Tuesday and we had a good chat.

Wednesday morning, the water was cut-off. It turned out the water meter we requested was finally being installed. We requested one a long time ago and after a long delay, they made an appointment to install it in pavement outside. No one turned up on the day. When I complained, they said their records showed the contractors had installed it. So I did nothing more until a while later when the billing department rang to say they couldn't find our water meter. That was some months ago. Anyway we finally have one. That should significantly reduce our water bill.

Later Jim popped round to fix our door bell. There has been a spate of vandalism on door bells on our road. Lan wanted it replacing securely and I am not up to it. So Jim very kindly came to the rescue.

I felt very chipper these two days - the days which are expected to be the worst - then to stop me being cocky I was struck by an accute pain. The unpredictability is annoying.

GP

2007-01-11T17:48:00.000Z

Saw GP and had a useful chat about pain killers and support services.

Chemo

2007-01-10T20:32:00.000Z

I got To Christie Hospital for my 09:30am appointment. We saw Dr Lorrigan at 10am. We had a more frank discussion than Wednesday. Basically, I am in a war with this cancer and the final result may not be postive.

So treatment set for 12:30pm. Come 12:30 and the medicine was not ready. Apparently the cocktail of drugs which make up the chemo are prepared off site, in Burnage. My intravenous bag had not been delivered. I was not alone. Most of the people there were due to start their treatment at 9:30am and were still waiting.

Anyway, my chemo bag appeared 4pm, by which time most everyone else had also go theirs. First was a talk about precautions for Chemo. E.g.:

no salads (can't be sure is it is fully clean - cooked foods only);
full cream milk not skimmed, to counter the tendency to lose weight;
keep a digital thermometer to hand and check temperature at slightest sign of fever then immediately contact hospital if in excess of 37.5C.

We also discussed support mechanisms, so they have refered me to the Distric Nurse. They said they are best for medical and pain relief advice, whereas MacMillan is more geared to benefits advice, which is important to some but not my main concern.

Then I went on the drip. I could feel it stinging as it went in, so they slowed the drip to reduce the pain. That meant a 2 hour session rather the the hoped for half an hour. (Most chemo drips are painless as they go in, but some people react to this particular one.) That was fun. There was a dozen of us patients, plus hangers on. I was the youngest and we were all facing our personal battles.

We finished the day at Christie with a free NHS meal, for all four of us.

Visit from Jim

2007-01-06T17:44:00.000Z

Jim dropped round after a long day in the Heritage Centre, which was very good of him. He brought me up to date on Heritage and Stockport news. This included an attempted break-in at the Heritage Centre. Fortunately for the Trust, the intruders gave up when the saw the size of the drop from the roof to the Centre's floor. However, they have damaged the fabric of the church and the church will have to make a claim on insurance.

Discussion with GP

2007-01-05T17:35:00.000Z

Friday afternoon, I got frightened by one of my bumps. I was worried it was infected and might lead to problems in addition to the cancer itself. My dicoveries always seem to occur on a Friday evening, to give me maximum time to worry before surgery is open again.

But as it was afternoon I was in time for an emergency appointment that afternoon. In fact, it was nothing to worry about, or nothing new. It is one of the melanoma tumours becoming visible beneath the skin.

However, it was a useful meeting in terms getting support from my local GP. We discussed regular consultations and providing practical support. Also the need for Lan to have consultations to discuss her stress.

Visit by Graham

2007-01-04T13:28:00.000Z

Graham was a very welcome visitor. There was a lot to bring him up to date on. I had spent the morning adding some items to the blog, decided I'd had enough of that, when Graham arrived to my surprise. Lan had made the arrangements in secret.

Visitors are welcome. It's a fairly full house what with me, Lan and my parents. Give us a ring first.

For gamers, Graham and I talked about a a Games day here, probably a Sunday. I'll see how the chemo affects me before setting a definite date, but I guess 21st or 28th Jan are likely to be the best dates for me.

Sorry for the embarrassing photo Graham. Lan did take a lot, but this is the least worst in terms of someone pulling a funny face.

Hospital visit

2007-01-03T17:01:00.000Z

It's a fortnight since my last appointment with Dr Lorrigan, during which time I have been watching the bumps and get bigger and spread.

It was the usual procedure, a half hour wait in the waiting room then Lan and I were shown to a room and we were left there for half an hour before the Dr and his assistance finally came. Next door there was a lot of activity with 10 staff coming and going. My parents thought all this attention was for us.

When the Dr finally did come, Lan was so upset by what she might hear, Lan left and my mum came in. (It was only later did I learn that mum thought I had. been briefed for the last half hour and the information was being repeated for her benefit only.)

Dr Lorrigan now says I cannot go on the trial after all. Having been treated for a previous cancer (radiology for testicular cancer in 1998) automatically excludes me.

So my treatment starts on Monday. This is the BOG standard treatment or gold standard treatment as Dr Lorrigan called it. I had read-up on this for
the trial, except that it is not the same after all. The trial used a more friendly, oral version of temosolide.

[I will complete this posting after a bit more thought.]

Not much help line

2007-01-02T09:57:00.000Z

I was right. I only got a response from the Christie line on Tuesday and the secretary couldn't offer much, except to cancel my appointment if I wanted. Which I definitely did not want.

Christmas Day video

2006-12-31T23:00:00.000Z

Lan took this video on Christmas Day. No one likes the sound of their voice, so I have promised to produce a version without dialogue, meanwhile here is my first edit.

[Click on the picture to activate, then click the 'play' symbol. Or click on the 'google video' button if you want to see links to similar videos by me or others.]

More pain

2006-12-31T19:59:00.000Z

Friday night, I was in great pain, which hadn't gone by Saturday morning. Typical that these episodes happen at the start of a Bank Holiday weekend.

So I called Christie on the number that I had been assured I could get support. I got the answer machine of the doctor's secretary telling me she was away from her desk at the moment and she would get back to soon. I think she will be away from her desk till at least Tuesday.

So I called Emergency GP support. The GP who returned my call was very helpful. I still have a range of pain killers from before the op. So she was able to advise me what to take (Oxynorm). So pain is largely back under control. So I think I can make it through to Wednesday when I get to learn when my chemo starts.

Mum and Dad have responded by coming back to give me support, which is very good of them. Not only that, Mum has postponed her hip operation. I think she should get the treatment as soon as possible, but this very good of her.

Yuletide update

2006-12-28T19:17:00.000Z

On Christmas Eve I over did it a bit, accompanying mum on some last minute shopping. I was in quite some pain by the evening. My leg muscles and stomache muscless seemed to be pulling against each other. By Christmas day, my muscles were relaxed enoough for me to enjoy the day.

The five of us: Mum, Dad, Paul, Lan and myself; had a good time following the Hoad traditional Christmas, taking it in turns to open presents, then a lot of TV watching - not that there was a lot to watch.

Paul gave us a slideshow of his recent holiday in Guetemala. Almost a 1000 photos, all very well taken. In return, we introduced him to Vietnamese kick horse or horse chess. I don't think he was impressed, particularly when mum kicked his horse. Mum always used to be a cooperative player of family games, but kick horse brings out the competitor in her.

Paul had to return home for some urgent work on Boxing Day and the parents left a couple of days later.

Excerpt from ThanhNien News

2006-12-27T10:26:00.000Z

At 8pm Vietnam time, CNN, BBC, AP and others carried news of the tsunami off the southern Taiwanese coast. It later killed one and injured three in the Chinese territory.

Vietnam, which as yet has no equipment to predict tsunamis, immediately stirred into action.

Vietnam's National Hydrometeorology Center and the Steering Committee on Flood and Storm Prevention instructed provinces stretching from Quang Binh to southernmost Ca Mau in the central and southern region to move residents at coastal areas deeper inland, and call vessels ashore.

Around 2 hours after the first warning, the Japanese said the tsunami was unlikely to pose a threat and one hour later at 11pm, Vietnam reported the danger over.

But in that short span of time, the Vietnamese government managed to put one half of the nation on full alert, with thousands ready to be evacuated any time.

Mass preparation

Deputy first Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung immediately arrived at the central weather bureau to hear updates on the seaquake.

At 10.30pm, central Quang Binh province mobilized all soldiers ready to evacuate over 10,000 locals.

In former imperial Hue city, over 15,000 started their evacuation.

In Da Nang, plans to move 20,000 residents to safety were in place.

Deputy PM Hung said after the incident, “This was an important drill for real calamities”. He instructed provinces to return to normalcy but to be on guard against possible aftershocks.

He also instructed weather agencies to keep a close watch on international forecasts and warnings.

The country has 24 stations to monitor earthquakes but none to predict tsunamis.

This Thursday, the Vietnamese Institute of Geophysics will hold a conference to discuss earthquakes and tsunamis.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the seaquake as occurring at 19:34pm Vietnam time (1234 GMT).

According to China Seismological Bureau, two quakes - the first measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale and the second measuring 6.7 - hit the East Sea.

The epicenter was located at 21.9 degrees north latitude and 120.6 degrees east longitude, about 350 kilometers from the Chinese mainland and 15 kilometers from Taiwan.

Panic in Vung Tau

2006-12-26T21:58:00.000Z

Today's earthquake in Taiwan (7.2 on the Richter scale) caused a tsunami warning to be issued to parts of the Philippines. The threatened tsunami never appeared.

Meanwhile, somehow or other, the message got through to Vung Tau, Vietnam, that a tsunami was on its way within the hour.

According to Lan's family, the result was chaos. People on the Front Beach ran to the Back Beach and people on the Back Beach ran to the Front Beach. Lan's eldest son walked up the adjacent hill to the lighthouse. While the younger son took a lift with his girl friend 25km in land.

As far as I am aware, the evening passed without any calamity.

If you look at a map you will see there is no direct line from Taiwan to Vung Tau, though a hypothetical tidal wave might have swept round the curve of Vietnam, having hit cities such as Danang first.

Stress of inept letting agents

2006-12-22T16:49:00.001Z

Making plans for a successful let
Originally uploaded by Dep Lan.

Everyone warned me that letting agents cost a lot and do very little, which is why I was wary of buying to rent, but Lan was keen to own a place to rent.

We use a letting agent and management service because Lan's English still has it's limitations and I don't have the time to chase up rents and frankly I don't want to.

However, I really could do without the hassle of having to keep chasing the agent. Nothing much is going to happen over the festive period. I was going to vent my spleen by publishing an excerpt from a draft letter, but the agent, (Reeds Rains) may consider it defamatory as may the tenant. Reeds Rains have annoyed me enough to throw caution to the winds, but as I don't know to what extent the tenant is contributing to the problem, I had better be more circumspect.

Wednesday 20th, scanning and other things

2006-12-20T14:07:00.000Z

Morning: Dressings Clinic & Surgeons Clinic
A couple of visits to the hospital today. The first was a standing appointment at the dressings clinic. Dr Lorrigan's assistant said it was a good idea to attend, as they been monitoring the wound and may have some insight on the changes.

The dressings nurse referred me to the surgeon, who was also holding a clinic. I overheard Mr Murphy send back the message, that there was no point in him seeing me.

So Mr Murphy came to see me and gave me his best bedside manner. He confirmed it look like cancer. He said it was unusual for it to reappear so soon after surgery and grow so aggressively. He did explain that surgery can trigger the growth of cancerous cells. He confirmed that surgery was inappropriate (I had wondered if as a surgeon he would have a different point of view). So the 'systemic' approach is required, i.e. use chemotherapy to attack it everywhere in the body.

Mr Murphy also assured me he had spoken to Dr Lorrigan to try to move my next appointment forward, but Dr Lorrigan isn't holding a clinic between Xmas and New Year.

So that was 1.5 hours in the hospital for a few minutes with the surgeon.

Afternoon: CT Scan
Back home, my good friend Tor dropped by, who I hadn't seen for some years. That was great.

Then it was back to the Christie that afternoon. As before, I had to spend an hour drinking dye. This time I was given a choice of flavours: orange, blackcurrant or something else. I commented on this new sophistication. The nurse said that they had changed the dye, because their had been too many complaints about the cheaper one.

I spent quite some time being scanned. They concentrated on my brain and neck. I don't think they scanned my wound or bumps at all. I am not sure as I was told to keep my eyes most of the time, to avoid the laser light used to target the scan. It was at this point that the implications sank home.

Then it was back home. My parents had arrived. It is nice to have them here to give us both some moral support.

Heritage Meal

2006-12-19T20:00:00.000Z

On Tuesday night we went out with the Stockport Heritage Trust for a Christmas meal. It had been a long day, but I felt the need to be sociable.

For more photos, click here.

Tues 19th: further treatment required

2006-12-19T18:02:00.000Z

I saw the physician today, Dr Lorrigan, and his assistant.

The assistant started by talking about radiology and using the drug, interferon, to reduce the chance of reoccurrence.

They then inspected the wound and decided that some bumps on the skin which have appeared in the last week are probably caused by the skin cancer. The physician's opinion is that further surgery is inappropriate and that treatment by chemotherpay is urgently required.

A CT scan is being arranged and it takes a week to get the radiographer's report.

I have an appointment with Dr Lorrigan for 3 January, by which time he should have the CT scan report. By then, he should also have discussed me with the surgeon and other specialists to see if they recommend alternative treatment.

There is a clinical trial of a new drug which may be superior to the existing treatment. Assuming I agree to this treatment, I have 50% chance of getting the new drug. From what I gather both of them would be done as an outpatient. The standard treatment is Temozol and is described on the Christie's website at chemotherapy cards. There is no description of the experimental treatment, but the test is reported at Medical News Today.

Both treatments can have side-effects and my resistance to infection is likely to drop. The documentation I have refers to continuing the treatment "until you stop receiving benefit from the treatment". But the TMZ.htm link above, refers to 4 week cycles repeated upto 6 times. So I assume it is expected to have done its work within 24 weeks. I hope that it is not normal to require such a long treatment.

I am going in to the Dressings Clinic tomorrow morning. They can compare the bumps with what they saw last week and they may have their own opinion.

I had been feeling better and cutting back on painkillers, but my skin has got more irritable over the last few days. I put it down to healing, but I am having a rethink.

The Martian Chronicles

2006-12-12T20:28:00.000Z

I have read and released The Martian Chronicles. See book crossing journal here.

A musical market tonic for Christie

2006-12-08T10:51:00.000Z

[A fund raising event for Christie Hospital desrves a bit of free advertising]

A MUSICAL Christmas market will spread festive cheer in Stockport.

The organisers of popular summer festival Moorfest, headlined by acts such as Badly Drawn Boy and The Fall, hope to raise more funds for the Christie Hospital with the market on December 23 and 24.

It will take place in the grounds of the Moor Top pub in Heaton Moor, from noon until late on both days.
Organiser Jamie Crowley said: "There will be local carol singers, piano and guitar lessons and a gig inside the pub on the evening of the 23rd, as well as a selection of stalls to pick up last-minute Christmas presents.

Click on the above image for the full article.

A Life

2006-12-07T19:00:00.000Z

I have just finished reading this book. I had to make sure I finished it in time to return to Paul so that he can read it before his trip to Vietnam.

It's a great book. To read more click here for my BookCrossing journal.

Typhoon Durian

2006-12-06T16:53:00.000Z

I have been concerned about Typhoon Durian.

This Typhoon hit the news when it ran through the Philippines, killing about 500 people, mainly under mud slides. That was disturbing enough. We have friends of friends who live in the Philippines.

It lost power and I think it was only a tropical storm by the time it hit Vietnam, killing 50 people in an area unused to tropical storms. I then learnt that Ba-Ria Vung Tau took the brunt of the storm, with 23 dead.

Lan's two sons and many of her family and friends live in Vung Tau.

Lan remained relaxed. She didn't believe in Typhoon Durian when I first told her, she thought I was just joking about the awful, smelly durian fruit she had just brought home. The Vietnamese language Internet sources didn't mention it. Anyway, Lan had weathered Tropical Storm Linda in 1997 (I had weathered from a 100km away in HCMC), at that time one of the worst storms on record.

Today we heard from Lan's sons and have seen reports on VN cable TV. As far as we have learnt, Lan's family and friends are uninjured. The storm hit at 4.30am ripping rooves off houses, not just rural houses but modern concrete and tile villas. Lan's sons live in a ground floor flat of a two-storey building. The wind pulled tiles off the roof of the flat above. (See the first photo). These tiles smashed through the roof of our ground floor extension. Five years ag,o Lan employed the man upstairs and his mate to replace the roof of the extension. I helped them, much to their amusement. (See the second photo.)

Also damaged is the nightclub where Lan's eldest son works, so he is out of a job at the moment. We have sent money for repairs and a few luxuries.

The VN cable news shows a lot of damage to houses and trees and the politicians are having lots of meetings to deal with it. The report claims 34 died in Ba-Ria Vung Tau. Good thing we haven't built on either of our plots of land yet.

Update
We just learnt that friend's coffee shop was badly damaged. We feel very sorry for or friend, but Lan relieved that she turned down the request to invest in this venture.

Of course almost nothing in Vietnam (except for foriegn commercial buildings) is insured. Insurance companies are starting to appear in Vietnam, but it is said that no one has ever heard of Vietnamese insurance paying out.

Click on the above image for the news article.

Biopsy Report

2006-12-06T15:32:00.000Z

[I am feeling rather tired at the moment, so I will make do with posting excerpts from an email.]

The biopsy says 295g of tissue was removed, which included all 8 lymph nodes from that area. Four of the lymph nodes contained melanoma (skin cancer). The surgeons have done all they can to deal with the cancer. In six weeks or so, they may consider surgery to reshape the flap they added, so I am not left with an odd shaped lump of fat and skin.

I have also been give some antibiotics, because it might be infection causing some of the swelling.

Meanwhile I have referred to a physician. He will decide whether further treatment, such as chemotherapy, is appropriate to counteract microscopic tumours that might have spread to elsewhere. I am told that it is unlikely I will get an appointment this month.

The other relevant action is that my case will be discussed by a monthly interdisciplinary meeting. It might throw up insight which my previous consultants have missed. Apparently I am unusual in that they have never had a secondary tumour grow from such a small primary tumour before.

Uploading some movies

2006-12-01T16:41:00.000Z

You will have noticed from the video postings appearing on this blog that I have got rather hooked on Google videos and YouTube, as an alternative to watching TV all day.

I have now uploaded a couple of my own videos, as an experiment. One Rosslyn Chapel you can see below, or follow the link to see My Thuan Bridge.

I created a number of videos between 2002 and 2004. They are nothing great, but I might as well upload them.

Christie Hospital debated in Parliament

2006-12-01T16:02:00.000Z

I was watching PMQs on Wednesday and, sandwiched between an amusing exchange between John Prescott and William Hague and a remarkably effective put down of an offensive DUP MP's question by Prescott, was a plug for Christie Hospital by Barbara Keeley.

I feel I owe it to Christie Hospital to provide a link to this.

Readers may also enjoy the rest of the debate.

Click the above image for the PMQ record.

How many people does it take to turn off a Vista PC?

2006-12-01T09:40:00.000Z

This item caught my eye.

Click the above image for the article.

Discuss biopsy - next week

2006-11-30T15:03:00.000Z

I contacted the surgeon's secretary, to confirm that the biopsy has been completed. I now have an appointment for next Wednesday. The surgeon, Mr Murphy, will not be available, but I can see Mr Kumar or Mr West. Mr West has been involved with my case for a while.

So may be I will be a bit more clear about what was removed and what further treatment, if any, I will require.

A musical interlude

2006-11-28T19:31:00.000Z

(Something found on the internet.)

By the way, I have updated the link to the Lion Sleeps Tonight animation, to a better version. See "By way of light relief".

Thanks for your cards

2006-11-26T17:34:00.000Z

Thanks for all the lovely cards I have received.

Actually they use electronic ear thermometers these days. Some nurses seem to think it necessary to push it hard into the ear, while nurses with a more gentle approach got just the answers.

A short walk

2006-11-26T15:39:00.000Z

I went for a walk of what must have been at least half a kilometre. I came back exhausted and had a good nap.

The pain is getting a bit worse. Not from the wound, which seems to be healing well, but in the leg where the surgeon had to extracate the nerves from the tumour. I assume it's part of the healing process, but it sometimes feels like I have been whacked on the leg with a cricket bat.

The website below is my report on what Lan and I went to see.

Click the above image for the story.

Visit to the Dressings Clinic

2006-11-22T13:27:00.000Z

I visited the Dressing Clinic at Christie Hospital today. The biopsy report was not in so I didn't learn much.

The dressings were cleaned and replaced, though much of the wound has healed enough to be left exposed.

The one thing I learnt was that after the wound has fully healed and swelling contracted, I may have another operation to shape the transplant. If it still bulges, they may remove some of the tissue under the skin to give me a more natural shape. That will need a couple of weeks or so for me to recover from.

I am now waiting for an appointment to see the surgeon, once he has received the biopsy report. The report should clarify what the lump was and if further treatment is appropriate.

I wore a tracksuit to the hospital, which only slightly irritated the wound. It gives me an option for going for walks outside. However, it was quite tiring walking the length of the hospital, so I am still not up to walking far.

[We drove back home past the Red Lion Cheadle petrol station. I gather the 8-year old was on his way home from cancer treatment when the car-jacking happened.]

2 weeks on

2006-11-21T13:30:00.000Z

It is now 2 weeks from my operation and almost one week since coming home. I am still on painkillers, but just paracetamol and codeine as I was in hospital. I fell much the same as I did, except that I am more mobile around the house and it is a lot more pleasant being at home. THe advantages are: more personal space, Lan's cooking and more choice on TV.

The food was good at Nathan House, but like most institutional catering, it had a tendency to taste and smell the same. It also had a tendency to be too sugary for my diabetes and the task of choosing the menu 24 hours in advance meant I usually asked for too much.

My diabetes is under much better control now that I am home and enjoying Lan's cooking.

I am still wearing the Egyptian galabeya so as not to rub the wound, as a result I still haven't been outside the house. The wound itself is still as swollen as ever, I will see what the nurse and surgeon has to say tomorrow. Lan has pointed out that in taking a flap of skin from my abdomen, my navel has moved almost two inches to the right.

Rising bollards in action

2006-11-20T11:21:00.000Z

I like this video on rising bollards in action: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/men/video/popup/519.html.

Bush visits search for MIAs in VN

2006-11-18T10:22:00.000Z

The issue of MIAs in the Vietnam-American war lives on, which is incredible when you consider that the number of MIAs as a proportion of combatants or of casualities was small comparared to the Korean War and WWII. It's all due to unsubstantiated rumours about Vietnam secretly holding US prisoners, publicised by films such as Rambo.

I met a US officer whose job it was to track down MIAs (which effectively meant war graves), based in Cambodia. He knew it was ridiculous, but as long as there remain a large caucus of Vietnam veteran voters, US Governments have to show a comitment to searching.

Click the above image for the full story.

44 Scotland Street, McCall Smith

2006-11-16T12:39:00.000Z

I have just finished this book.

[Click on the above image for the full story.]

Back home

2006-11-15T15:08:00.000Z

I am back home.

Thanks for all the cards, emails and e-Greetings.

I suppose a quick re-cap is in order.

Monday 6th - went into hospital. The surgeon had said breezily, I would be fixed up to a scale, which would take care of my blood sugars. It was a pretty neat machine, which fed me sugars by saline and insulin - but required me to measure my blood sugars every hour throughout the night. It also meant a disturbed night for Lan who chose to stay overnight, to see me off in the morning.

Tuesday 7th - went off to surgery at 08:30. I was under a general anaesthetic so I knew nothing until that afternoon. I was aware it was not my room and that Lan and my parents were there. It seemed a lot of effort to acknowledge they were there, but I thought I had moved enough to show awareness. Apparently, all I did was flicker my eyes a bit. By evening I was more alert and could hear the drama in the adjacent bed. The poor woman was confused, was fighting to get out of bed and was calling for the police.

Wednesday 8th - I was visited by the surgeon. He explained that he had found the growth significantly bigger than when he had last seen. (That has been my concern for sometime.) He found the growth was going down my leg, so he had a job disentangling my nerve, rather than just cut through it. Having removed the growth, he felt it necessary to replace some skin and muscle, so he grafted what they call a 'flap' from my chest. So I have a scar up my chest, and an eye-shaped graft at the top of my leg. The graft is still a bit swollen from the surgery, so I cam into a hospital with a lump and have left with an even larger lump, but I presume I will regain a more natural shape.
As the surgery had been more than expected, I had been placed in in the High Dependency Unit for 24 hours. In the afternoon, I was moved to an NHS ward, because I was still considered to need better attention than could be given me on the private ward.

Thursday 9th - I moved back to the private ward. I got a lot of good attention. I think the difference is, the private ward had a lot of nurses, mostly students. The NHS ward had a highly over-worked senior nurse, tending to everyone on the ward, but highly experienced.

Friday-Tuesday, 10th-14th - not a great deal to report. It was a nice room, but the routine of meals and TV gets boring. Then twice a day, I would walk the length of the corridor to strengthen my legs. Various cards and e-greeting were a welcome diversion.

Wednesday, 15th - the surgeon declared the wound, 10 out of 10. (I don't know whether I earned those marks, or he was rewarding himself. So he told me I could go home. I go back to outpatients next Wednesday for the wound to be checked, with luck the biopsy will be ready by then and I will learn more about the lump.

Pre-Op visit

2006-11-02T16:56:00.000Z

I went in this afternoon for a pre-op visit to discuss the procedure.

I am now told I should reckon on being in for 7 to 10 days, while fluids are drained from my glands. I will then have to wait for about 3 weeks after the operation before hearing the biopsy on the lump to confirm what is really wrong.

The staff were friendly, but the journey was a night mare. The lump is like an additional spare tyre and every wobble is painful. Each pothole bought more pain. Then when we got to the hospital I insisted on Lan getting a wheelchair. But hospital wheelchairs are not like any other kind of wheelchair. There impossible for the occupant to control, break or move. One is fully dependent on others. They are almost impossible to push, so you are dragged, backwards, swaying along a corridor. It made me nauseous.

So I am relieved to be back home for the moment. It took me a good hour to relax enough to feel human again.

I will try posting an updated lump graph. I'll try a different background colour, but I think the current one works as long as you click on it.

Dealing with pain

2006-10-30T21:36:00.000Z

Having seen me be in agony all of Monday, my parents decided they had to do something, at 7pm, half an hour before they were due to go home. So they contacted NHS direct who asked a lot of unnecessary diagnostic questions. Having established it was not trivial, it was on to Phase II, waiting for a call for the nurse. I was in luck, while the target is 4 hours, the nurse got back to me 40 minutes later. More diagnostic questions and then she told me to wait up to an hour for a GP to call me. A GP eventually called and gave me an appointement for later that evening at the Stockport Doctor Cooperative.

So mum and Lan took me to the doctors. I think they were worried I was a druggy trying to con them out of a fix. I convinced them I was legit and the doctor decided I could signficantly increase my dosage and gave me prescription for liquid OxyNorm. Since then, the drugs and keeping very still has kept me fairly comfortable, though not always lucid.

Lan, who is getting increasingly frustrated by the delays, to the opportunity to tell the doctor how I should be able to get dealt with more quickly with BUPA. I am not sure Lan's arguments went down well the co-op doctor.

Plotting the growth

2006-10-30T15:40:00.000Z

Afficianados of my websites of yore, may have wondered who long it would take me to graphically represent the problem.

I have been plotting it for some time, but have only just got round to posting it.

The graph shows the measured length and width of the lump. The first two measurements are by the GP and the consultant, the rest are by Lan. Lan doesn't believe in spurious accuracy, so she has measured roundly to the centimetre. I think that's why the lump appears to shring sometimes. However, the lump does sometimes feel larger and more intrusive (it looks like a shelf trying to grow from my hip).

The X-axis starts on the day when I found the lump (it didn't hurt at first, until I had poked it a few times to work out how big it was) and ends on the day I should be having surgery to remove it, 7 November.

I am annoyed, I learnt on Saturday, they have booked me into NHS not private, because they are not sure if Mr Murphy does private work. I wish they had told me four or five weeks ago when there were delays waitin for Mr Murphy. I would have perceviered with finding a different BUPA surgeon if I had known.

So I have told them to try and get Mr Murphy's permission to go private. I won't get treated any sooner, but I have been paying in the insurance for some years now. I want the luxury of a room to myself and other comforts.

sleep and books

2006-10-28T11:36:00.000Z

I had a better sleep than usual, sleeping through until 6am. Not taking the painkillers seemed to help, though this was only possible because my leg was relatively pain free last night. It seems to be biting back this afternoon.

I have finished a couple of books, you can look at my book crossinng journals to learn more:
The Year of the Hare: America in Vietnam, January 25, 1963-February 15, 1964; and
Galapagos.

The parents are coming for the weekend, to help entertain me, which is nice of them.

Lazy day

2006-10-27T16:52:00.000Z

I didn't go out after all. I spent the morning catching up on sleep lost overnight.

Keep trying

2006-10-26T19:42:00.000Z

I had an attempt at pushing things forward. I rang up the surgeon to tell him about my near diabetic hypo last night. The lack of sleep (I have been having disturbed sleep for 2 months now) caught up with at 9.30pm and I just wanted to crash out. Fortunately, Lan got me to take blood sugar test first and I was very low. I found it quite a struggle to stay awake long enough to take some food. So it was rather worrying.

So I told the surgeon all about this, but he assured there was no way he could move me forward, but least he now definitely knows I am diabetic and he tells me I will be the first on the day.

In fact this happened two nights ago, so I have been kicking myself for not mentioning it at the consultation. So by ringing him up, I have stopped being angry with myself for not bringing it up.

I have twelve days to go, so I have made a decision to try and use the time positively, rather than just sitting in front of the TV or PC, trying to find the most comfortable position. So I initiated this resolution by going to Morrisons supermarket with Lan. Which I think shows dedication because I hate Supermarket shopping at the best of times. I ended up spending most of the time sitting at the old codgers bench at the check out, with all the other stick carrying, infirm men.

This shows just part of the
original Manchester Museum building.

Then in the afternoon we went to the Manchester Museum at the University of Manchester. I have never been there before. It was bigger and better than I expected and Lan enjoyed it too.

We are out again tomorrow, for a cremation. Our neighbour died of cancer. She was well into her 70s, if not 80s and been smoking all her life. She had just about got her garden and house into the way she wanted it. She was always very friendly and thought our garden was amazing. She was often inviting people into her back garden to view our garden. She was also the best source of all the local gossip.

By way of light relief

2006-10-26T11:53:00.000Z

[My thanks to Graham for introducing me to Google Videos. ]

Date for surgery

2006-10-25T13:18:00.000Z

I saw the surgeon, Mr Murphy this morning. He has decided to remove the lymph node (or nodes, I am not sure) at the top of the leg, but leave the nodes on the inside as they are unlikely to be affected.

He does surgery on Tuesdays, but he is fully booked next week, so my operation is on Tuesday 7 November. I will go in the day before. How long I have to stay in will depend on how long they take to drain. I may come out quickly or I may be in for as long as a week.

Stockport introduces Vietnamese business practices

2006-10-24T19:48:00.000Z

I have just attended a meeting organised by Stockport Homes, the arms-length from Council but owned by council company responsible for managing residential council property. We were invited because the property we rent out is on a council estate.

What amused me was that all attendees where given £5. It reminded me of Vietnam were it is standard practice to pay staff to attend meetings. We had to do it to get the Vietnamese government officials to attend. It's the first time I've been paid to attend a meeting.

You may suggest that I should have refused it as the other attendees were more cash strapped than I, but it is coming out of our service charge (£1,400 was paid out to attendees last year) and they are asking for more than £500 from us to pay to paint a stairwell we don't have access to.

Stockport Homes seem to have problems with quality control of work done by contractors. Amazingly, they have only one contractor, who is another Council company. Having established that the meeting had little confidence in Stockport Homes' ability to manage small grass-cutting contracts, the Stockport Homes representatives were very slow to understand why residents should then be concerned about their management of a new £40m fund for environmental improvements. (Comments such as, "It is completely different" and "It's a much bigger fund" were not reassuring.

Actually this posting was just supposed to be about my amazement at being paid an attendence allowance. I've wittered on again. Be thankful you don't work with me and have to read my meeting notes.

Time line

2006-10-19T07:29:00.000Z

25 August - I found the lump and discussed it with NHS.
31 August - Saw GP, who favoured inflamed lymph nodes due to infection, but wrote to Christies. just in case.
7 September - Saw GP. Lump not responsive to anti-biotics so the favoured diagnosis became a hernia. But he said he chase up the letter to Christies.
15 September - Dr Leahy diagnosed a seminoma. He decided to dispense with a biopsy as he was so confident.
20 September - Hearing test, so we know much it deterioates as a result of Chemo.
28 September - CT scan (a biopsy is usually done at the same time).
2 October - checked in to Christies Hospital, expecting Chemo to start. Instead, all that was done was a Kidnet test, to check it is working well enough to suffer the rigours of Chemo. Then Dr Leahy told me the CT Scan suggested it was not a seminoma. He had overlooked the fact I had had skin cancer when he diagnosed me. 3 3 October - biopsy
13 October - Dr Leahy told me it was a melanoma (from the skin cancer).
19 October - I am going to talk to my GP about delays and pain killers.
25 October - see surgeon to discuss next steps.

Throwing myself on the hospital's mercy

2006-10-18T07:08:00.000Z

To try and psh things along, I have just faxed the hospital. Rather than tell them of my annoyance, I have told them how worried I am about the consequence of further delays. On Friday, it will be 8 weeks since I discovered the lump. I have also given them a bit of a sob story about lack of sleep, which is no less than the truth.

Not impressed

2006-10-17T13:21:00.000Z

The surgeon's secretary has given me an appointment for 25 October, a week on Wednesday. That will be exactly two months after I discovered the lump and marks two months of disturbed sleeping.

I have contacted BUPA and they have given me some numbers to call if I want to switch hospital, but then who knows what delays that might bring as they review my case.

So I am seeing my GP on Thursday (the earliest he could see me) to see if he will give advice on the way forward. I could do with assurance about how time critical this all is.

I could also do with some tablets which work. The latest are supposed to act directly on the brain, rather like alcohol and make one drowsy as well. They make me drowsy but they also prevent me from sleeping properly, just like alcohol.

The pain is not major, but it's enough to discourage all excercise except for a slow walk. Work seems to be the best distraction to the pain, but it's becoming a challenge to stay awake.

Thanks allowing me for this moan.

A new way forward

2006-10-13T15:24:00.000Z

This morning the Doctor explained the results of the biopsy. Under the microscope, the small specimen looked like a melanoma rather than a seminoma. Both are quite distinctive, so that is probably a sound diagnosis. They tried to confirm it with a dye test, but it didn't show anything.

[Seminoma is testicular cancer, while melanoma is skin cancer.]

So I have a lump which is probably a secondary from the melanoma I had removed from the base of my spine in 2001. Melanoma doesn't respond well to chemotherapy, so the first action is to cut it out. The surgeon is on holiday this week, but his secretary reckons I will probably be able to see him on Wednesday morning. Then, if he agrees with the doctors diagnosis, he will arrange to cut it out.

The doctor said that the tumour is well-defined, hopefully it hasn't spread other tumours and hopefully I am not going to have further problems in the future. The tumour is in a lymph node, which filters the blood. That presumably is why the tumour is lodged there. My hope is that it did a good job of picking all tumours produced.

Summary

Downside

It means an operation, that worries me more than chemo;
there is a possibility of more melanomas in the future;
a bit more waiting; and
for a long time, I have wondered what I looked like with a Yul Brynner/Andrew Richards look.

Upside

No chemo - which could be life-threatening if I picked up an infection;
I can abandon my 4-week self-imposed abstinence, which Lan had sensibly suggested to protect my kidney before the ravages of chemo. I just have to decide whether I prefer beer or painkillers.

The wisdom of Kylie Minogue

2006-10-12T21:24:00.000Z

I am not a great Kylie Minogue fan, but this evening I caught part of an interview about how she coped with cancer and chemotherapy. She said the worst part was waiting for the diagnosis - the waiting for tests and waiting for doctors. I concur with that.

As I cast my mind back, it is not as bad as eight years ago. My recollection is of seeing the consultant, who would look through my papers and would say something like, "We need to get you a Scan." So I then had to wait for an appointment for a scan, followed by another wait for an appointment to see the Consultant again. The Consultant who would get out the Scan results and study them for the first time and say we need another test, or you need Radiography. Then I would have to go home again and wait for the next appointment. The Consultant could have looked at the tests beforehand so that when I saw him he could have said, you need Radiography which has been booked. It was probably partly a function of how the waiting time targets worked.

Anyway, that's my moan for the day. Tomorrow I hope to learn where we are. THis morning I got a letter confirming my appointment, but it implied that the treatment is imminent. So I starting to think that maybe the Chemo will start next week.

Consultation

2006-10-10T14:18:00.000Z

A week after the biopsy, I chased up the Dr Leahy, the consultant at Christies Hospital, with a phone call. His secretary got back to me with the message that he got the preliminary report yesterday. He would like to discuss it with another doctor but he is on leave this week. So I have an appointment to see Dr Leahy on Friday morning.

This sounds like this is not a simple case of confirming the original diagnosis. lan takes this as good news, that it probably means something less important. I am not so optimistic. There is obviously something he wants to take advice from someone else, but he doesn't feel able to defer talking to me till next week. To me it suggests there is bad news to be discussed.

Working while waiting

2006-10-08T18:22:00.000Z

I have been back at work since Wednesday and expect to be working Monday and Tuesday this week as well. I hope by then, a diagnosis will be derived from the biopsy and I will know where I stand.

It is probably not sensible, but having an operation, even as an outpatient, worries me more than Chemo.

Being back at work has been a bit tiring. Driving to work aggravates the pain in the leg and my poor co-workers are uncomfortable watching me hobble around. I think its those who know about the testicular cancer because, despite me telling them that the lump is much higher up, almost on my hip, these guys are imagining having a tumour on the testicle. (There was nothing painful about that, 8 years ago, until they operated. I could have gone some time not worrying about it, had Lan not insisted - thank goodness.]

What I have found is that the pain is less at work than at home, I assume because work takes my mind off it. So I was worrying about this weekend. In fact it was no problem and I even pottered around the market, to see the Cultural Jamboree on Saturday. On Sunday friends took us out to the Thai Buffet at the Pacific, Manchester Chinatown. Later I took a slow stroll across the antique bridge, to be demolished tomorrow and through the new Mersey Vale Nature Park. So far, all that is new about the nature park is the rather absurd Seeds of Change statue.

So may be it is stress related. But that is rather odd, for I am getting very little stress at work. Having handed all my work over to others and not being sure I will be around for long, I just have bits and pieces to do and can almost choose my tasks.

Waiting

2006-10-03T16:03:00.000Z

I had the biopsy this morning. Now I must wait a week to find out if the chemo is to go ahead, as planned. Or whether some other treatment is required.

If you want the full story, Lan and I returned to my room in the hospital at 06:45, a bit earlier than we were aiming for due to the lack of traffic. We were told the earliest anything that would happen would be 8am so to be there by 07:30. We watched a DVD I had brought then fell asleep.

The nurse came in at 08:45. She thought we had been there all night and that Lan has slept on the chair. She was ever so sorry for Lan. Anyway, they said they hoped the surgeon would be with me within the hour. It was in fact 10:15.

He took a couple of samples of the lump with a needle. He had difficulty getting much of a sample, which possibly suggests it is more likely to be a seminoma or from the skin cancer I had in 2001. So we checked out the hospital and I am back in the office tomorrow.

Diagnosis in doubt

2006-10-02T20:27:00.000Z

After eight hours in the hospital, doing very little except for four blood tests, we now know less than we thought we did.

When the doctor eventually saw me at 4pm, it was to say that Thursday's CT Scan revealed a lump which didn't look like a a typical tumour. He was originally so confident with the diagnosis, he hadn't asked for a biopsy at the same time as the scan. How he is less sure, so I am having a biopsy tomorrow.

If it's a tumour, then the chemo will commence after all. Or it could be something else, such as an abscess which could be dealt with me as an out-patient.

Lan is feeling exonerated, as she said for some time she didn't believe it was cancer. I am not convinced. I have girded myself up for the ordeal of chemo and am frustrated by the delay and uncertainty. It has been a very tiring day, even if it has just been waiting.

While my proviate bed is still there at the hospital, I have come home for the night, where it is easier to relax.

The history of Greens Norton village

2006-09-30T15:06:00.000Z

My mum showed me this site, for my grandfather's birthplace. It includes a brief description of my grandfather, Albert Wright.

Mr Albert Wright and Mr Arthur Wilinson travelled the district with a big thrashing machine and a steam engine. They would travel to their job and 'set up' one day, ready to begin work the following day. They always carried their bikes strapped to the box so that at the end of the day they could cycle home.

I did a bit more digging on the site and found that my great great grandmother was summoned by the Guardians of the local school to account for Albert being absent for 11 weeks. I had never heard this tale before, instead I have often been shown a certificate he got for long service, running the Sunday School.

[Click on the above image for the full story.]

Inside the big polo mint

2006-09-28T19:35:00.000Z

This afternoon I had a CT Scan test. First I had to spend an hour drinking 800ml of dye to colour my organs for the MRI scanner. Then they put a need the size of football pump needle into my arm. Through this they injected a dye for my blood. Apart from the needle, it's quite a nice experience. A warming glow spreads round the body, more powerful than a fine whisky. The radiologist observed that it feels like one has wet ones pants. I had just thought of it as a warm glow in the loins, but it could also feel like incontinence.

After all this the table moves in and out of the scanner that, that reminds me of a large polo mint.

It reminds me of 8 years ago and going through all this for the first tumour. That was a lot more disturbing as I had less idea what was going on and Lan was adjusting being in Britain, let alone British hospitals.

One major difference this time is the pain. Last time didn't hurt, except for recovering from the operation and the radiology sapped my strength. This time the tumour is painful and getting worse. It's keeping me awake. Meanwhile staff in Abu Dhabi and Australia are hassling me to provide inputs for a proposal, for work I know I won't be fit enough to do.

There is no doubt I want the time off work and the treatment as soon as possible.

Round-up

2006-09-27T21:59:00.000Z

I have got a bit out of date. I was writing something every day, but have run out of speed. It's partly that poor sleep due to the pain in my leg has made me less keen to spend evenings on the PC. If I am feeling tired now, what's it going to be like when Chemo starts. Well at least I won't be working as well.

Having left a message on my consultant's secretaries ansaphone last Friday, I spoke to her on Monday and was passed to another secretary, who wanted to pass me back again. It became clear that my paper work had just been sitting on a desk, the appointments for tests were just waiting for departments to get back to them, and no one had read my letter confirming I was going private. Since my phone call, they have tried to show themselves as models of efficiency.

Tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) I get my CT Scan. Lan is still hopeful that this will show it's been a misdiagnosis. I don't find that thought comforting, because I would be back to square one on finding out what this lump is. It is increasingly painful and the consultant was confident it is cancer.

I check into Christies Hospital Monday morning.

No news is - frustrating

2006-09-22T19:59:00.000Z

A week on from the diagnosis and I still haven't heard anything apart from the hearing test. I remain unsure whether treatment starts a week on Monday or a week later.

At work they have been very supportive. My absence is going to put stress on the team, but they are gearing up to it.

Luckier than some

2006-09-21T20:54:00.000Z

I have reckon I have always got some good treatment and been well looked after by NHS. (Private hospitals in HK, Vietnam gave me good service too and I got lucky in Croatia.) So it is sobering to read the following in the Manchester Metro News.

A father died of testicular cancer after his GP sent him home with paracetamol tablets, his family claim.
Farmer Billy Finney, 32 repeatedly complained of a lump on his groin, pain in his leg, sickness, weight loss and tiredness.
But his family say that despite seeing his doctor four times in 12 months, he was never given proper medical examination or referred to hospital.

I can hear

2006-09-20T19:56:00.000Z

I had my hearing test this morning. I put on headphones and clicked a button when I heard beeps. My hearing is good, all except for the upper range in right ear. I don't know why I didn't discuss it with the audiologist, but it is because I can hear a constant high pitched sound in that ear. I hadn't noticed until I was in that quiet room, but I am still conscious of it. I will raise it next time they test me.

Hearing test

2006-09-19T11:23:00.000Z

I am booked in for my hearing test tomorrow morning, at Withington Community Hospital.

One of the Chemo drugs can damage upper range hearing or leave ringing in the ears, so I will be tested before and after the treatment. I am not sure they can do much about it if my hearing suffers, I will just know much worse it has got.

Chemotherapy - a guide

2006-09-18T19:53:00.000Z

For those who want the details of my proposed treatment and the gory details of the potential side effects click on the image below. There are a large number of Chemotherapy regimens, but this is specifically for my treatment.

The Big C

2006-09-17T15:12:00.000Z

I have once more been diagnosed with cancer. I had a tumour removed by surgery in 1998, followed by two weeks of radiography near my stomache to kill off secondary tumours in the most likely area of development. Since then I have had regular check-ups at Christies Hospital to check it doesn't come back. Indeed, I had been checked just a month ago and as always no sign was found.

When I found a lump just above my groin, it seemed to me that a tumour was a distinct possibility as it is where the doctors often check me. But my GP thought it was probably a glandular infection. Then, when it didn't respond to penecillin, the GP favoured a hernia. That mad me feel old and decrepit.

However, the GP arranged a recall at Christies. The young registrar wasn't sure what the lump was but didn't believe it was a tumour, but the consultant have decided it is 99% sure that it is a tumour.

Mellor Dig

2006-09-03T12:48:00.000Z

I went to the Mellor Dig and met Steve, Ann, Coral and Frank. See my Mellor Dig Open Days posting to the Stockport Trust blog.

2006-08-27T11:58:00.000Z

I visited the New Hall Mill for the first time. Having lived close to it for 15 years of my childhood, it was the first time I saw it. Mind you the hall has not been open to the public until recently, and even now only for special occasions. However, I did now since middle school about there being a mill and the nearby Vesey House. It is possibly that that made me interested in making the building treasures of Stockport (my adopted home town, available to the public.

[Click on image below for the full story.]

2006-08-19T13:07:00.000Z

Lan's Jackson Pollock.

[Click the image above for the full story.]

2006-08-19T13:00:00.000Z

This site is fun. Create your own Jackson Pollock on line. Below is my attempt.

[Click the image above for the full story.]

A heritage weekend

2006-08-09T12:02:00.000Z

I have blogged this weekend at the Stockport Heritage blog.
For Saturday see: Staircase House.
For Sunday see: Chadkirk Festival.

Flat for rent

2006-07-16T13:44:00.000Z

We have a two-bedroom room ground floor flat close to Castle Street shopping street, Stockport Station, Stockport college and a short walk from Stockport centre. £425 per month. Contact me if you are interested.

Nile cruise

2006-07-01T06:13:00.000Z

We took a weeks cruise on the Nile, starting at Esna and sailing down to Aswan and back again.
We saw an awful lot: the Colossi of Memnon; the Valley of the Kings: the Valley of the Queens; the Tomb of Hatshepsut; the Temple of Horus, Edfu; Kom Ombo; Philae; Aswan Dam; quarry, Aswan; Abu Simbel; Kitchener Island; Karnak; and Esna temple.
While we loved all that culture, neither Lan nor I felt comfortable on an orgainsed tour. We were coached to the site, lectured on its history, let loose for a while, then back to the boat where there was nothing to do but laze away the rest of the day. Neither of us are sun bathers, especially since I got skin cancer, so it was with some relief when we came back. In fact was still light headed from the gastro interitis I contracted on the final days. Almost all the passengers were struck down for several days. Lan was one of the few to emeged unscathed.
We are both glad to have seen the sights, but I think we have done Egypt now. We saw no pyramids, but it was always the temples and tombs which I was more interested in seeing.
See more of our photos at www.flickr.com/photos/torve/tags/egypt/ and www.flickr.com/photos/dep_lan/tags/egypt/.

Marple meander

2006-05-29T19:07:00.000Z

Having looked down on the canal on the drive home yesterday (not by the most direct route but we get bored with the A6) we walked out along a canal from Marple, then up and over a hill, via Hawk Green and the back past Goyt Mill.

We also went for a walk on Monday, along the Mersey from our house, quite fortunately missing the showers. But I'll put this in the Stockport Heritage Trust blog.

Hathersage hack

2006-05-27T13:56:00.000Z

On Saturday we went for a walk from Hathersage with friends. However, the rain this month meant the stepping stones were impassable which curtailed our walk.

Afterwards I bought a couple of books at the Bamford garden centre (I am told you can get plants at garden centres as well): Longitude and The Curious Incidence of the Dog in the Night-Time. I will register them on BookCrossing soon.

The Crown Inn under the viaduct

2006-05-26T23:09:00.000Z

The Crown Inn under the viaduct
Originally uploaded by Torve.

Met with James, Alistair, Phil, Karen and Bob for a drink. on Friday evening. I don't recall there being such a big range of drinks before. I wasn't too fond of the light Golden Dragon. But the dark stuff was almost like Guiness and was beautiful.

Ran Run

2006-05-21T19:35:00.000Z

Bill at the start line
Photo by Lan.

I did complete the run. It took me one hour 10 minutes. It was longer than I had hoped, but I have never timed myself before and it is some time since I was running regularly. It would be nice to maintain a certain level of fitness, but that remains to be seen.

Official timing: 01:09:23, position: 16,442 out of about 25,000.

Manchester 10k Run

2006-05-20T14:19:00.000Z

Above is a photo of most of the Faber Maunsell runners, stood outside our Altrincham office. You can see me somewhere at the back, which will also represent my position on Sunday morning.

2006-05-16T07:45:00.000Z

Click below to see an interesting Faber Maunsell job. I can't claim to have anything to do with it, apart from being reminded about it at every corporate event I attend.

2006-05-13T17:08:00.000Z

I recently finished this fascinating book, by the revisionist historian, Sterling Seagrave.

2006-05-02T20:30:00.000Z

Played today. A game of Condottiere has been interrupted by a phone call.

2006-04-25T13:51:00.000Z

I have just started work on this project. My involvement is checking the traffic demand modelling.

2006-04-16T09:42:00.000Z

I have just finished reading this fascinating book. I will now re-read The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori to put the two life stories in context.

2006-03-29T17:31:00.000Z

My job is done. Alternatively - another city I won't be welcome in once the tram is built.

2006-03-16T07:39:00.000Z

A book I have just reread.