Brain Fry!!!!

Oh my; so much to tell you!!!

Good meeting at the hospice - very helpful Dr Macnamara.

Firstly; I'm not normal. No laughing. No comments. No 'you're telling me' comments. In cancer terms I have an unusual cancer, at an unusual time of life, I have had an unusual course of treatment to which I responded unusually well. I told you I was unusual. There are no statistics for people like me.

Things we learnt today:

1. I am slap bang in the middle of the highest risk of recurrence. Most cancers that reoccur do so 3-6 months after treatment ends. I'm in month 3 - 'breath holding time'. Time to put my feet up!
2. If it does come back I'd be a gonner. They could not give me any more radiotherapy and the chemo would only be palliative; I'd only have a few months.
3. I am technically in remission. It was described as 'radiological remission'. This is the first time the 'r' word has been used. Nice; I like the 'r' word.
4. There is a slim chance I'm cured. Very slim. Like 1% slim but it is possible - just!
5. The longer I'll live the longer I'll live. Seriously, the longer I live the greater are the chances I'll live longer. Your life expectancy after 2 years is greater than after 1.

Think that's all for now! Mixed news but not all bad.

Luv

Dave

2.00 Today

Hi Guys

Seeing the palliative care consultant at St John's Moggerhanger (yes; the village really is called Moggerhanger for all those non-Bedfordians). Who (in their right mind) would name an English village 'Moggerhanger'?? Someone with Bavarian inclinations? This is our local hospice. I'm nervous. I'll let you know how it goes. We should have a clearer picture about the way ahead after this afternoon.

Comments On My Blog: There are some twerps around aren't there!! I've decided to leave all the comments in place even the mad ones! Thanks for your responses to the comments.

Please pray for our daughter Amy - she's not well. Some kind of strange fatigue related ME sort of thing. She's had tests but nothing found so far.

Thanks Guys

Dave

Pancakes!!!

Hi Everyone!

Pancake Day! How can we go from the depths of winter to daffodil filled Lent in two weeks?? Tonight at WNL we are having an all church pancake party - kicking off Lent in the way intended - a larder emptying, pancake soaked, binge.

Sorry if I sounded neg yesterday; I'm not - just trying to balance positivity with reality with faith! Not an easy three balls to juggle. Always seems to have two the air (at least) at any one time; on the good days it's all three! When I was first diagnosed I was on the Internet all the time. I read hundreds of sites. Clawed my way through statistics by the bucket load. In recent months I have been less keen to research 'Lap-top Land'; when you are feeling well you just tend to live for the moment. My problem is that initially I was told that people with what I've got on average live 9 - 12 months from diagnosis. I'm in month 15. Secondly hard to find any evidence of anyone making it beyond year five without surgery. Remember; I can't have (in fact wouldn't want) the surgery. Massive scars, broken sternum, oesophagus and most of your stomach removed - not nice and very debilitating to the quality of life. Glad it wasn't a decision I had to make. All this raises a question - how do you live when you know you may not have for ever? In fact when it appears at best you've got five years? Mmm - I suggest you live life to the full! It can't fail to effect the way you live though can it? Reevaluate your priorities; change you as a person.

Unfortunately people differ in their advice. Some example include:

1. Carry on as normal


2. Throw yourself in church/prayer/faith seek God for 100% healing


3. Work through the 'bucket-list' of things to do before you croak it - dangerous!!!


4. Move to France/Australia/Spain - somewhere hot - appeals but not going to happen


5. Take risks whilst you can (of a business nature)


6. Do a bit of all five above

I really need, (in fact Teresa and I) really need to decide what to do! All suggestions on a post-card please!! Seriously forget the postcards but you could ask the almighty for some direction for us!!

So guys - eat lots of pancakes; email me any you have spare.

Luv ya

Dave

xxxxx

Back Home (Again)

Hi Everyone!

We are home after a great week in France. The weather was fantastic and escaping the snow a joy. Actually hit 14C one afternoon - Spring! We did all the normal things Pont Aven, Quimper, eating, shopping. Sadly someone felt the need to replace our scales at home with a pair showing us both half a stone heavier than we really are (or were before the hols)! Who would do such a thing??

Holidays are great times for decision making aren't they? We went to France thinking we might swap the cottage for somewhere warmer (Spain perhaps) but fell in love with it all over again and decided we were being daft! We love Brittany - rain and all!

We also got to be thinking about the future; had a few swallowing problems over the holiday (not surprising when your oncologist says that you oesophagus is 'fried') but it pulls you up short. Life can seem so normal sometimes that you forget the diagnosis and the long term prognosis. Both remain terrible though we remain positive. This would not normally be an issue but we are currently in the early stages of some business changes and expansion and suddenly had a panic! Eleanor Church (my upper GI nurse) has arranged a meeting for us with the local palliative care consultant. This is really a 'what happens next' meeting. Need to get down to the nitty-gritty, 'how long' conversations. The consultant in question is based at the local hospice which is a bit sobering but it's only a place. We plan to carry on with life but just need a clearer vision of what that means now. Nice problem to have though.

Think I'll be seeing her on Wednesday and of course I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a great week everyone!

God Bless

Dave

Hi Guys

Sorry - so long since I blogged. Been so busy!!!!

Met with the oncologist a few weeks ago. He's really pleased! I'm signed off now for 3 months! No treatment. No ongoing chemo. Feeling really well!

Next scan is at the end of April.

Snowing again here tonight - will it EVER stop!!!

I'll keep you up to date.

Thanks for checking in.

Luv

Dave

xx

Chloe here...

Hi everyone!

I'm doing a sneaky update for David as his fans aren't happy that he's not been on for a while. 

Wootton has just recently gone through and will continue to go through a new and exciting change! David & Suzy Goodson have now become the leaders of the church and for those who saw the service would agree with me in saying it was a touching one. It's so exciting! We have coffee now before church - check us! Oh and tomorrow we've breakfast. What a great little church we have. All the best to them and thanks to Ken and Mu for their hard work over the years. I often think of a Verse when I think of David & Suzy  "Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." (Habakkuk 1.5)

I never imagined such a small church go through so much in such a small space of time. The changes have been quite sudden and when God spoke He sure did. I mean with the new leaders that we have now they accepted that this is one of those new changes and who better than the two most hospitable people I've ever come across -I've been to Texas a state famous for this very thing. 

So yes! I am amazed at the new happenings and didn't see it coming. As with David too...but like I said, he will share.  

He is currently in...London? I think? I've not actually seen him for most of the week but he received some fantastic news which I will let him tell you. 

Hasn't the snow been amazing!? Carys & James haven't been in school much and it almost turned into a snow week! I'm impressed. Yesterday Teresa was drifting down the drive in her Merc however she handled the car perfectly and after being dug out she shot off to London too.

David will be back tonight but not sure if he'd get around to blogging today. Sunday I shall make sure he gives you the 411. 

Peace!

I'm Out

-Chlo Chlo