You know the old saying - we HAVE our family but we choose our friends. Well, if I had the choice, the family I have is just the one I'd choose. Breaking the news 16 months ago to Fay and the children was probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and since that time their love, support and encouragement has been more than I could have ever hoped for. And of course, with all the children now married, that extends to the wife/husbands of the children as well. I've heard of similar situations where family members have lost the plot, and been quite dismissive of the cancer sufferer. Not so with my clan - and i have been truly blessed by their love, care and attention, even though they all have a host of other responsibilities and busy lives of their own.So THANKS to Fay and the family, and to God for giving them the patience and growing their character as they learn to cope with a husband and dad who has given them plenty of heartache and anxious moments.
More thanks on the way - stay with me!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
see the big picture...
Sometimes, when you look out your window in the morning, you know its not going to be a great day. Grey, misty, overcast, threatening - all the signs for a day that doesnt hold much promise. But as the morning wears on, someting happens. The mist clears, the clouds lift, the sun peeks out, temperatures rise - and you know its going to be a good day after all. Not great - the cloud occasionally pays an unwelcome visit, theres a bit of a breeze, but certainly a whole lot better than you'd been expecting.
Thats a bit like the scan results than came through today. Still a few minuses, but they are outweighed by the pluses. so we live to fight another day. And what more can we ask for?
The tumors in the 'lower half' have all decreased, some to the point of being almost non existent, which is of course great news. The tumors in the lung, however, are more stubborn, some having increased in size and there are more of them. but they are still small and sparse enough not to be of any real concvern YET. What the future holds is anybodys guess, but thats in Gods hands, so we'll leave it to Him, with a little help from a more targetted diet and supplement regime.
The oncologist was in no hurry to start me on another round of chemo, which was just as well, as I had no intention of doing so anyway. There will be an x-ray (not scan) in 6 weeks, followed by another assessment and treatment programme. So we all breath a big sigh of relief, give praise to God, and box on.
I have been put on to a great book that comes with a supporting DVD, 'Curing Cancer with Commonsense' by Marcus Freudenmann. Like most alternative recommendations, you learn to pick the eyes out of it, discard that which you dont consider helpful, and apply that which does. This book has been a huge help. and shows (yet again) how prevention is so much more desirable than trying to cure the disease after you get it. I'm also very aware that on the 'healing journey' so far I've been blessed by so many people who have come across my path at just the right time, far too often for it to have been a mere coincidence.
So in future blogs I'm going to attempt (note the attempt!) to thanks those who have been 'angels in disguise' and whose combined advise and help has brought me to where I am today. Remember, in Jan last year I was given maximum 18 months to live,so all these people have been instrumental in my 'beating the odds'. This is a risky exercise, for I'm bound to leave some people out, but bear with me and I'll give it my best shot. All the cliches come to mind - no man is an island, we're all there to help each other, etc etc, but without the help from all these dear people I doubt I would have made it this far.
Have a great day, and keep reaching out to people - you may never know how much they need it.
Thats a bit like the scan results than came through today. Still a few minuses, but they are outweighed by the pluses. so we live to fight another day. And what more can we ask for?
The tumors in the 'lower half' have all decreased, some to the point of being almost non existent, which is of course great news. The tumors in the lung, however, are more stubborn, some having increased in size and there are more of them. but they are still small and sparse enough not to be of any real concvern YET. What the future holds is anybodys guess, but thats in Gods hands, so we'll leave it to Him, with a little help from a more targetted diet and supplement regime.
The oncologist was in no hurry to start me on another round of chemo, which was just as well, as I had no intention of doing so anyway. There will be an x-ray (not scan) in 6 weeks, followed by another assessment and treatment programme. So we all breath a big sigh of relief, give praise to God, and box on.
I have been put on to a great book that comes with a supporting DVD, 'Curing Cancer with Commonsense' by Marcus Freudenmann. Like most alternative recommendations, you learn to pick the eyes out of it, discard that which you dont consider helpful, and apply that which does. This book has been a huge help. and shows (yet again) how prevention is so much more desirable than trying to cure the disease after you get it. I'm also very aware that on the 'healing journey' so far I've been blessed by so many people who have come across my path at just the right time, far too often for it to have been a mere coincidence.
So in future blogs I'm going to attempt (note the attempt!) to thanks those who have been 'angels in disguise' and whose combined advise and help has brought me to where I am today. Remember, in Jan last year I was given maximum 18 months to live,so all these people have been instrumental in my 'beating the odds'. This is a risky exercise, for I'm bound to leave some people out, but bear with me and I'll give it my best shot. All the cliches come to mind - no man is an island, we're all there to help each other, etc etc, but without the help from all these dear people I doubt I would have made it this far.
Have a great day, and keep reaching out to people - you may never know how much they need it.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Its all downhill...
Suddenly, D-Day is only 2 weeks away. Thats when i'll be advising the oncologist that i wont be proceeding with any more chemo - at least not for now. The result of the scan? We're in Gods hands for that.
The book and DVD Cancer is Curable Now! has been a revelation - so much sheer common sense, good advise and documented evidence of the power of the body to heal itself IF we do our bit with the right diet, supplements lifestyle and attitude. i now know that the old 'cut, burn and poison' treatments offered by the medical establishment, while they have their place in the treatment of certain cancers (i'm keeping my options open here!) are certainly not the answer for those who want to see the cancer gone from their body long-term without the ghastly and sometimes permenant side effects, so we're facing the future with hope, with dignity, and with a great deal more knowledge than we had 16 months ago. Hang in there with us, as together we fight the good fight.
Its been a busy month with family moving to Hamilton, kids birthdays, a Toy Fair where we displayed our Hornsnoggle book and soft toy (great fun!) - also conveniently in Hamilton. June sees us off to Wanaka for a weeks break - being a warm blooded Jafa we might need the thermals for this holiday.
Thanks for reading - hope we're not boring you to tears. The journey continues, and you are a key part of it!
Suddenly, D-Day is only 2 weeks away. Thats when i'll be advising the oncologist that i wont be proceeding with any more chemo - at least not for now. The result of the scan? We're in Gods hands for that.
The book and DVD Cancer is Curable Now! has been a revelation - so much sheer common sense, good advise and documented evidence of the power of the body to heal itself IF we do our bit with the right diet, supplements lifestyle and attitude. i now know that the old 'cut, burn and poison' treatments offered by the medical establishment, while they have their place in the treatment of certain cancers (i'm keeping my options open here!) are certainly not the answer for those who want to see the cancer gone from their body long-term without the ghastly and sometimes permenant side effects, so we're facing the future with hope, with dignity, and with a great deal more knowledge than we had 16 months ago. Hang in there with us, as together we fight the good fight.
Its been a busy month with family moving to Hamilton, kids birthdays, a Toy Fair where we displayed our Hornsnoggle book and soft toy (great fun!) - also conveniently in Hamilton. June sees us off to Wanaka for a weeks break - being a warm blooded Jafa we might need the thermals for this holiday.
Thanks for reading - hope we're not boring you to tears. The journey continues, and you are a key part of it!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
What happens on May 28?
well, that will probably be the date of the next scan. Very quick, i know, but the oncologist is very keen that I start on the next round of chemo very soon after that. The last week has seen me doing a LOT of research, more than normally, so the bad news for him is that I probably WONT be going ahead with any more chemo!
The new chemo, Irinotecan, is even more potent than the last round, Oxipalatin, and heavens knows that was bad enough. The side effects of this one are almost guaranteed - nausea, ulcers, hair loss, diorrehea (for which i will almost certainly need hospitalisation every few days in the two weekly cycle.) But even worse, and the decider for me, is that the immune system gets hammered, almost to the point where the white blood cells can no longer do their job of protecting the body against disease or any infection. So i ask myself, whats the point of having a few months longer (so they say,) but having a totally crap quality of life, when i could be living comparatively normally, (possibly for a shorter time) save for the lingering effects of the previous chemo!
So in the course of my reasearch, and due to the timely email help from Joanne Chee (thanks Joanne) i am embarking on my own 'healing regime' - courtesy of Marcus Freudenmann, through his remarkable book and DVD, called Cancer is Curable Now! This means stepping up my diet quality -it has slipped a bit over the last few months- doing some intentional exercise, and maintaining and increasing my supplement regime, not a cheap exercise, but very necessary if we are to thwart the growth of any new tumors.
So there you have it - everything has and will be put on the back burner for the next five weeks as i do what i must, and hopefully get a positive response to the next scan. Even if its not, I doubt i'll be going back on the chemo treadmill, but lets cross that bridge when we come to it.
Trouble is, its a bridge that leads to even more unknowns, and a pretty rough journey.
Spare a thought for Fay as we live through this., Its proving to be bas tough a journey for her as it is for me, and we both need an extra dose of prayer and support as we face this together. We need the peace of knowing what we are doing is not only the right thing for my long term health, but that God is in this with us, walking with us and giving us the wisdom to make the right decisions.
Its scary, its daunting, its exciting, its a test of faith and our willingness to change. In other words, its life in a nutshell. No one said we'd have all the answers, but thankfully we can put our trust in the One who does.
More to follow...
well, that will probably be the date of the next scan. Very quick, i know, but the oncologist is very keen that I start on the next round of chemo very soon after that. The last week has seen me doing a LOT of research, more than normally, so the bad news for him is that I probably WONT be going ahead with any more chemo!
The new chemo, Irinotecan, is even more potent than the last round, Oxipalatin, and heavens knows that was bad enough. The side effects of this one are almost guaranteed - nausea, ulcers, hair loss, diorrehea (for which i will almost certainly need hospitalisation every few days in the two weekly cycle.) But even worse, and the decider for me, is that the immune system gets hammered, almost to the point where the white blood cells can no longer do their job of protecting the body against disease or any infection. So i ask myself, whats the point of having a few months longer (so they say,) but having a totally crap quality of life, when i could be living comparatively normally, (possibly for a shorter time) save for the lingering effects of the previous chemo!
So in the course of my reasearch, and due to the timely email help from Joanne Chee (thanks Joanne) i am embarking on my own 'healing regime' - courtesy of Marcus Freudenmann, through his remarkable book and DVD, called Cancer is Curable Now! This means stepping up my diet quality -it has slipped a bit over the last few months- doing some intentional exercise, and maintaining and increasing my supplement regime, not a cheap exercise, but very necessary if we are to thwart the growth of any new tumors.
So there you have it - everything has and will be put on the back burner for the next five weeks as i do what i must, and hopefully get a positive response to the next scan. Even if its not, I doubt i'll be going back on the chemo treadmill, but lets cross that bridge when we come to it.
Trouble is, its a bridge that leads to even more unknowns, and a pretty rough journey.
Spare a thought for Fay as we live through this., Its proving to be bas tough a journey for her as it is for me, and we both need an extra dose of prayer and support as we face this together. We need the peace of knowing what we are doing is not only the right thing for my long term health, but that God is in this with us, walking with us and giving us the wisdom to make the right decisions.
Its scary, its daunting, its exciting, its a test of faith and our willingness to change. In other words, its life in a nutshell. No one said we'd have all the answers, but thankfully we can put our trust in the One who does.
More to follow...
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
6 WEEKS - and then?
Its hard to believe I've not posted anything since March - a lot has happened on the 'family front' since. The last scan was one of these 'good news bad news' scenarios, good news being that most of the tumors have continued to decrease in size, if only marginally. The bad news is that one in the lung (of all places) has increased quite significantly, and they see this as a precursor that the others will stop their decrease and begin to increase in size again, possibly rapidly. How they determine this i'll never know, but i guess they've seen a lot more case histories than i have.
The specialist was keen to start the next round of chemo as soon as possible. We decided to have a 6 week break (with his reluctant blessing) as the next round means a lot stronger dose, with side effects that are horrendous, and almost certainly inevitable. You might be just about to have your lunch(?) so i wont give you the graphic details, other than to say i would be spending a lot more time in hospital while they counteract the debilitataing side effects, and keep my immune system from collapsing. Even then, they admit this is only buying me time, the tumors will inevitably grow back again, into a more resisitant strain, calling for a stronger dose (brand?) of chemo, followed by even more disastrous side effects.
So there you have it - in six weeks we will have to make the decision. I think in my heart i already have, but i am going to be giving the diet and supplements a big 'fine-tune' and see if we can surprise the hell out of them come the next scan. Forgive me if i'm not my usual positive self, but the consequences looking forward are, in human terms, pretty bleak.
We'll continue to live one day at a time, we'll continue to live by faith, we'll continue to pray and seek spiritual guidance and wisdom, we'll continue to share our lives as openly as possible and enjoy the company of friends and family, without whom our lives would be so much poorer. I have to keep reminding myself of the grade 4 diagnosis in Jan last year, where I was told 12 to 18 months was all I should expect. I look back at the journey so far, and its been quite a ride, a huge learning curve in all sorts of areas, (from cancer treaments to childrens book publishing!) as well as a wonderful time of bonding with a growing and supportive family. Not forgetting the opportunities I've had to serve in all sorts of areas at church and the wider community.
So hang in there with me. We're not giving up, we'll continue to fight the good fight, and you're a crucial part of it! Keep praying for a miracle, for wisdom and discernment, for Fay and the family as they process all this new information, and for everyone who is going through tough personal times and life threatening health issues.
Isn't it great to know, and have the assurance that we are not alone?
The specialist was keen to start the next round of chemo as soon as possible. We decided to have a 6 week break (with his reluctant blessing) as the next round means a lot stronger dose, with side effects that are horrendous, and almost certainly inevitable. You might be just about to have your lunch(?) so i wont give you the graphic details, other than to say i would be spending a lot more time in hospital while they counteract the debilitataing side effects, and keep my immune system from collapsing. Even then, they admit this is only buying me time, the tumors will inevitably grow back again, into a more resisitant strain, calling for a stronger dose (brand?) of chemo, followed by even more disastrous side effects.
So there you have it - in six weeks we will have to make the decision. I think in my heart i already have, but i am going to be giving the diet and supplements a big 'fine-tune' and see if we can surprise the hell out of them come the next scan. Forgive me if i'm not my usual positive self, but the consequences looking forward are, in human terms, pretty bleak.
We'll continue to live one day at a time, we'll continue to live by faith, we'll continue to pray and seek spiritual guidance and wisdom, we'll continue to share our lives as openly as possible and enjoy the company of friends and family, without whom our lives would be so much poorer. I have to keep reminding myself of the grade 4 diagnosis in Jan last year, where I was told 12 to 18 months was all I should expect. I look back at the journey so far, and its been quite a ride, a huge learning curve in all sorts of areas, (from cancer treaments to childrens book publishing!) as well as a wonderful time of bonding with a growing and supportive family. Not forgetting the opportunities I've had to serve in all sorts of areas at church and the wider community.
So hang in there with me. We're not giving up, we'll continue to fight the good fight, and you're a crucial part of it! Keep praying for a miracle, for wisdom and discernment, for Fay and the family as they process all this new information, and for everyone who is going through tough personal times and life threatening health issues.
Isn't it great to know, and have the assurance that we are not alone?
Saturday, March 3, 2012
the ides of March
what do Cantabrians have in common with a long-term cancer sufferer? Answer -they both slip off the radar real quick! Its been over a year now since Christchurtch had its devastating shake, with a lot more following, and its been over a year since i got the life-changing news about the Big C. whether we like it or not, time dulls the memories of any event, and while many Cantabrians are still picking up the pieces and trying hard to move on, the rest of the country HAS moved on. Other major news events have come and gone, and we forget the hardships that are still being felt by so many people in Chch. So with cancer - i still get the perfunctory call every so often, and even an email or txt. But its hard not to get the feeling that i shouldn't have hung around for this long - was it just a false alam in the first place, and oh, it cant have been all that serious old chap. I mean, you're still looking good, you're still functioning - i'll definitety move you lower down the pecking order in my prayer list.
First i apologise for not keeping the blog up to date - i'll definitely try harder on this front. Facebook has taken over as the main 'communication tool' for the news etc. Second - its BECAUSE of all your diligent and consistent prayer i am feeling as good as i am - that and the 'new diet', the supplement regime, the can-do attitude, so please - dont give up on me. Look on me as a work in porogress, and THANK GOD that he is answering your prayer. It he wasnt, i wouldn't be feeling as good as i am.
Still not out of the woods, still suffering from the after effects of the chemo, which i have been told could take weeks, months, or longer! to finally dissapate out of the system. sore, numb hands, feet and mouth probably the worst of he effects, as well as constant fatigue (not helped by really old, as i was reminded this morning at church by my class of boys!) So take a big breath, and keep up the good work, and spare a thought and the occasional prayer that there is no big flare up of new tumors in the system (it is a frequent occurence apparently with my kind ond stage of cancer) and the tumors keep shrinking and DONT find a new foothold where they can regenerate. at the same time, pray for those Cantabs who are still not out of the woods, still suffering financially and emotionally, and are looking at a bleak year ahead.
Life goes on - and on and on. - May it be so for all of us, and may we make the most of the days we have and the opportunties we are given. You're all a blessing to someone - whether you know it or not.
First i apologise for not keeping the blog up to date - i'll definitely try harder on this front. Facebook has taken over as the main 'communication tool' for the news etc. Second - its BECAUSE of all your diligent and consistent prayer i am feeling as good as i am - that and the 'new diet', the supplement regime, the can-do attitude, so please - dont give up on me. Look on me as a work in porogress, and THANK GOD that he is answering your prayer. It he wasnt, i wouldn't be feeling as good as i am.
Still not out of the woods, still suffering from the after effects of the chemo, which i have been told could take weeks, months, or longer! to finally dissapate out of the system. sore, numb hands, feet and mouth probably the worst of he effects, as well as constant fatigue (not helped by really old, as i was reminded this morning at church by my class of boys!) So take a big breath, and keep up the good work, and spare a thought and the occasional prayer that there is no big flare up of new tumors in the system (it is a frequent occurence apparently with my kind ond stage of cancer) and the tumors keep shrinking and DONT find a new foothold where they can regenerate. at the same time, pray for those Cantabs who are still not out of the woods, still suffering financially and emotionally, and are looking at a bleak year ahead.
Life goes on - and on and on. - May it be so for all of us, and may we make the most of the days we have and the opportunties we are given. You're all a blessing to someone - whether you know it or not.
Friday, January 27, 2012
One year down...
Blame facebook, blame my laziness, blame anything you like - no excuses for not keeping the blog up to date. 15 Jan marked the one year anniversary of my 'cancer news', when I was given 12-18 months and advised to 'get my affairs in order' so its been quite a year. Everything has changed, but then, you already know that. The GOOD NEWS is that the latest scan (results came back Friday -yesterday) shows a significant reduction in tumor size in all tumors, in the lymph nodes, lungs and liver. Someting to be thankful for and praise God for! Still not out of the woods by any means, but it shows the combo of chemo, supplements, improved diet and consistent and prayerful support from people like you are having the desired effect. So thank you all!
Back on the chemo pill regime, no intravenous (thankfully) for a few months, and more tests and scan in another 2-3 months. Life goes on. I'll keep fighting, we'll all keep praying, and who knows? We just might lick this thing after all. Have a great weekend!
Back on the chemo pill regime, no intravenous (thankfully) for a few months, and more tests and scan in another 2-3 months. Life goes on. I'll keep fighting, we'll all keep praying, and who knows? We just might lick this thing after all. Have a great weekend!
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