Update

Hi Guys,

Apologies is this is too much info but......

My health is really not too good at present. The Addenbrookes radiotherapy has left me with ZERO appetite and a very painful oesophagus. Eating and drinking hurts like mad and I'm loosing weight which is not ideal. Really don't went a stent but may have to soon. The polyps removed from my tail end earlier in the month were all benign - which is good news but the surgery was (and still is) painful. No gory details but you can imagine! May have to have another procedure this week to rectify a spasm that won't go away. Pure joy!

Feeling a little sorry for myself which is not my style so I'm going to pull myself together, rise to the occasion and either go shopping (always a tonic), build a fire and watch a movie, or perhaps both.

On the movie front I've seen two at the flicks recently 'The Road' and 'Avatar'. I can recommend both but the road is unremittingly depressing; quite the bleakest thing I've ever seen but brilliantly acted by Vigo Mortesen (Lord of The Rings). Avatar totally lives up to its press - see it in 3D.

Can't be too ill can I as I managed a night out with my mates night, poker (with matchsticks) at which I'm unbelievably crap. Quite clueless.

I'll probably regret blogging this but faith levels are low at present. God seems quite distant and getting to church is a battle and not much of a priority which perhaps it should be. Been 100% for God all my live but suddenly realised how many family days haven't happened because of churchy stuff. How many evenings in the past we haven't seen our kids because of one event or another. It's bizarre really but we are not really going much at present and not particularly missing it. Taking a spiritual sabbatical. No doubt I'll be inundated with comments (that will teach me to be so self disclosive) but please, keep it nice!

So guys; thanks for checking in.

Regards

David

Addenbrookes Update

Hi everyone..

I spent last week in Addenbrookes hospital Cambridge have 5 consecutive sessions of radiotherapy on my oesophagus and upper stomach. Rather than traveling each day I stopped over there in a budget hotel on my own and then Teresa joined me and we booked into somewhere a bit posher! I can recommend the Felix Hotel in Cambridge.

I'm feeling OK, quite tired from the chemo tablets and I have absolutely no appetite at all. Seriously I make myself eat because I know I have to. I never feel hungry and more than a few mouthfuls leaves me feeling sick. If you are praying for me then a return of my normally healthy appetite would be a good place to start. Thanks.

Looking forward to welcoming my cousin Julia and her boyfriend David for lunch today and then a quiet week next week getting over the treatment. Might just have planned a night out with my mates next Friday (for medicinal purposes you understand). I have a scan booked again in early Feb to check that things haven't spread further.

Promise I'll keep blogging and letting you all know what's happening.

Love

Dave

Round #3

Hi Troops,

Well back from France to frozen Britain, it wasn't balmy there but certainly warmer than here!

Chemo starated for the third time today for ten days and I've five days of radiotherapy @ Addenbrookes in Cambridge next week. Not really looking forward to it but, needs must.

For your prayers (good to pray specifically) let's ask the Almighty to use the treatment to halt the spread. Who knows I might even hear the glorious word 'remission' one day.

This is cheeky but if you are not great at the prayer thing I've written one for you!

Dear Lord,

The bible is full of stories of you healing people. You haven't changed. Heal Dave. Stop the spread of this nasty disease, use the treatment, his doctors and your power to put him right. AMEN

OK, thanks for checking in!

Dave

Christmas Eve In Our Village!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!!!

Hi everyone and New Year Greetings from Brittany. Hope you have a great 2010 and all the happiness, peace and prosperity you can handle.

We’ve had a great Christmas and are enjoying our New Year break here, reserves are built up for round #3 of treatment in January. I’ll keep you briefed as to dates and how it’s going as the month progresses. The aim is to halt the spread into my stomach. They are holding further intravenous chemo in reserve to handle secondary spread as and when. It’s amazing to think that it was the presence of ‘specks’ of malignancy on my diaphragm and inside my body cavity that denied me the chance of surgery (only ‘human’ cure) in the first place. That spread was absolutely stopped in its tracks and, did not originally (and has not since) developed into anything nasty.

Health-wise I’m doing OK, swallowing happens (with some water) but I do feel sick sometimes. This is a very small price to pay for still being around. I’m very blessed. Diagnosed in 2007, given 9 months and still here in 2010. Brill – roll on 2011. Got loads planned for 2010 including decadent holidays with my lovely wife and family, mad breaks away with mates and lots of boating when the sun shines again. I utterly intend to live life to the full so brace yourselves for all the details!

I’ll blog next in a week or so after we are back from France and the treatment’s started.

God Bless

Dave xxxx

More Chemo & Radiotherapy In 2010

Hi Guys,

Well had the full CT scan this morning and then a meeting with my oncologist and upper GI nurse. It would appear that things are pretty much as the endoscopy suggested yesterday. The tumour has spread from it's original site in the junction of the gullet into the top of my stomach. This growth combined with the radiotherapy damage (fibrosis) is causing the swallowing difficulties. Talking to Dr Bulusu it would appear that I've done very well to have no spread until now and he doesn't seem too concerned. I'm booked in for a course of radiotherapy at Addenbrookes and the start of Chemotherapy (Capacitemene tablets) after Christmas. This should help keep the little blighter in place.

The good news is that there is no sign of any secondary tumour which is a real relief, liver, lungs etc. are all clear. He's explained how the tumour and fibrosis affects the 'motility' of the oesophagus and stomach meaning that food doesn't go down as quickly as it might and my brain gets told by my belly 'I'm full'.

All in all, two years on things could be a lot worse, I respond well to chemo and it's been 18 months since the last treatment. I'm relying on your prayers and God's intervention.

Thanks for checking in.

Dave

Bad News I'm Afraid....

Hi All,

I know, I know, I've not blogged for ages. I've been well and not had a lot to say. Unfortunately my swallowing has deteriorated recently and so tests (which were for once not scheduled) were swiftly arranged. Yesterday I had an endoscopy which showed (so I am told) the tumour spreading into my upper stomach and up my oesophagus from the lower junction where it was originally. This is the first really bad news for over 18 months.

I have a full CT scan and meeting with my hero oncologist today so will blog tonight with the latest news. I will keep blogging if I'm starting treatment again too.

Just to fill you in with other news, we had a great two weeks in Antigua early in the month - fantastic sunshine therapy and then back to the snow. Amy held the fort business wise whilst we were away and did a great job. She's in Aussie with James at the moment. We're off to the cottage in France with my Mum and Dad for the new year.

Congratulations to Anthea Burrell (my best mate's daughter) who has just given birth to a bouncing (9lb 7oz - ouch) baby boy called Cody. He's a fantastic little chap and I've already had lots of holds and cuddles and tackled an 'interesting' nappy! Not lost the knack!

Check in later for more news and if you have kept looking at my blog despite me not writing too much recently then thanks.

As always Teresa is working hard and looking out for me; thank-you my darling.

Have a great Christmas everyone.

Luv Dave xx