Wow what a fantastic day it is outside today! It's car cleaning weather!
So far I've managed to clean both the Evo race-car and STi Impreza. I'm not sure I have enough energy left to do the van, I think it can wait till next time.
Tomorrow we are travelling over to the Wairarapa to enter a hillclimb event there.
The event is at Admiral road, near Gladstone. It's a very short hillclimb, only about 40 seconds to the top, but very tight and twisty.
Last year I entered and broke the record that had stood for nearly 25 years by 2 seconds. This time round I'm just in it for the points. I may not be able to make one or two of the next rounds of the 'Duncan McKenzie' series so it's important I build a lead now so I can hopefully win the series again this year.
Health-wise I feel completely normal except this darn cough and persistent asthma.
I have no idea if it's because of the lung involvement, I guess it's got to be, But I have suffered from it in the past when scans showed no involvement. So who knows.
If I wasn't coughing all the time I'd be convinced there was nothing wrong with me.
It's easy to see how some people only find out at the last minute that they have cancer and that it has been with them for years.
I fired an email off yesterday to the haematologist at Wellington hospital. I figure he's had two day's already to schedule me an appointment, so it was time for a hurray along from me. None of this waiting 18 months for a referral! The squeaky wheel gets the oil.!
Well I'd better continue packing the van full of race gear, then load the car onto Murray's truck for the trip over the hill early tomorrow. Then it's off to cast my vote.
I'll post an update on my race results tomorrow.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Response from Germany.
I've just received word from Germany on what they suggest. I've pasted it below.
Interesting that they have come to the same conclusion that I have.
Dear Ron,
thank you for your e-mail. Dr. Kopic and Dr. Draczynski have reviewed your PET results and would suggest: high-dosage chemotherapy plus stem-cell support - this is the sole option that you have.
Due to the fact that you are young, Dr. Kopic would not recommend conventional therapy, but the above-mentioned high-dosage chemotherapy.
Please let us know what you plan to do. Dr. Kopic would suggest that you have that done at your home address, it will probably be cheaper for you.
If you want to come here, you would have to plan a 4-weeks stay.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Kind regards
Interesting that they have come to the same conclusion that I have.
Dear Ron,
thank you for your e-mail. Dr. Kopic and Dr. Draczynski have reviewed your PET results and would suggest: high-dosage chemotherapy plus stem-cell support - this is the sole option that you have.
Due to the fact that you are young, Dr. Kopic would not recommend conventional therapy, but the above-mentioned high-dosage chemotherapy.
Please let us know what you plan to do. Dr. Kopic would suggest that you have that done at your home address, it will probably be cheaper for you.
If you want to come here, you would have to plan a 4-weeks stay.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Kind regards
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Bad News.
Yesterday I got a really weird email from my GP saying that he could refer me to Dr Alwyn D'Souza the haematologist at Wellington Hospital if I wanted him to. He also said that Dr Dady had no interest in seeing me.
That came as a huge shock as I had not seen the PET scan results yet but it could only mean one thing. That the scan was positive for Hodgkins.
I quickly fired off emails to both my GP and the Dr at Pacific Radiology saying "please explain". Only Trevor Fitzjohn from Pacific replied.
He said that the results had been confirmed that day and were in the post to me and my GP. That he had contacted Wellington hospital to find out who to send the results to there, and that Dr D'Souza was keen to see me.
The result was a very upsetting and stressful night for Sarah as she worried over what the report would contain. I'd resolved myself to the fact it was not going to be good news.
Sure enough today I got two copies of the written report in the post along with a CD of the scan images.
The scan shows that I have new areas of involvement in my chest and some lung involvement as well. That would explain the cough. There are no other significant areas of involvement. The liver, spleen and bones are still clear.
I have sent the results to Germany for their opinion and I've asked if Dr D'Souza, the haematologist at the Wgtn Blood and cancer centre can see me as soon as possible.
Treatment-wise it looks like I'm back where I was three months ago; High dose chemo with stem cell recovery (transplant). It's way too early to even start planning anything but my thoughts are to have the Autologous stem cell transplant here in NZ.
The reason for this would be that if it failed we could then still investigate other treatments overseas. Doing it the other way round may not be affordable.
So there you have it.. really, really bad news. I'm sorry to have to share that with you. I was so looking forward to finally knocking it on the head once and for all. Those night sweats I had a few weeks ago were the bad news I had suspected they were. As to why they have not returned I have no idea. I'm certainly not complaining.
Mentally I'm as up-beat as ever, I'm sure in the end I'll beat this. It's Sarah that I worry about. As you can imagine she really takes it hard.
I'll update once I've spoken to the haematologist or had word from Germany on their thoughts.
..Ron
That came as a huge shock as I had not seen the PET scan results yet but it could only mean one thing. That the scan was positive for Hodgkins.
I quickly fired off emails to both my GP and the Dr at Pacific Radiology saying "please explain". Only Trevor Fitzjohn from Pacific replied.
He said that the results had been confirmed that day and were in the post to me and my GP. That he had contacted Wellington hospital to find out who to send the results to there, and that Dr D'Souza was keen to see me.
The result was a very upsetting and stressful night for Sarah as she worried over what the report would contain. I'd resolved myself to the fact it was not going to be good news.
Sure enough today I got two copies of the written report in the post along with a CD of the scan images.
The scan shows that I have new areas of involvement in my chest and some lung involvement as well. That would explain the cough. There are no other significant areas of involvement. The liver, spleen and bones are still clear.
I have sent the results to Germany for their opinion and I've asked if Dr D'Souza, the haematologist at the Wgtn Blood and cancer centre can see me as soon as possible.
Treatment-wise it looks like I'm back where I was three months ago; High dose chemo with stem cell recovery (transplant). It's way too early to even start planning anything but my thoughts are to have the Autologous stem cell transplant here in NZ.
The reason for this would be that if it failed we could then still investigate other treatments overseas. Doing it the other way round may not be affordable.
So there you have it.. really, really bad news. I'm sorry to have to share that with you. I was so looking forward to finally knocking it on the head once and for all. Those night sweats I had a few weeks ago were the bad news I had suspected they were. As to why they have not returned I have no idea. I'm certainly not complaining.
Mentally I'm as up-beat as ever, I'm sure in the end I'll beat this. It's Sarah that I worry about. As you can imagine she really takes it hard.
I'll update once I've spoken to the haematologist or had word from Germany on their thoughts.
..Ron
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