Chemo at last!!

[Solange]

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick update - after having to pack up as soon as we could to return from our happy stay on the Algarvian Campsite in Portugal, and arriving home mid-January, things seemed to progress so slowly. It was decided that I should have some CT guided biopsies on some more of my tumours, before I start Chemo, to make sure that they were from the OvCa and not from my Melanoma. Although the procedure was requested as very urgent, I couldn't have it done until last Monday, as I was told there are only two people able to do it in my hospital. When I asked whether I could get it done at the other hospital, where I sometimes have my scans, I was told no-one there could perform them - very scary, knowing that I had two new tumours that had almost doubled their size and others had speeded up, in the three months between scans.

However, at last things started happening and I had the chemo-introduction talk last Wednesday, a Piccline inserted last Thursday, the biopsies done, guided by ultrasound, instead of CT, on Monday, the samples sent straight to Histology where they started work on them immediately and the Consultant said the were even being worked on overnight as they were needed extremely quickly. Late Tuesday afternoon, my super reliable Cancer Nurse phoned to say the Chemo will start on Friday (tomorrow). The tests aren't finished but they were able to tell enough at this stage that they are the same sort of tumours as OvCa. Wow, what a relief - and how marvellous is our NHS?!!

So, today, a very reassuring Community Nurse,accompanied by a trainee, arrived to flush my Piccline and take bloods ready for me to start Gemcitibine ,Carboplatin and Avastin tomorrow - six and a half weeks since I received the bad news from my scan. My Husband, family and I are so glad that treatment to try and stop things growing is now to start - but quite scared, too. Mind you, I almost wish we didn't have all the worst scenario things explained so thoroughly. I know we should be told, but a little sneaky thing inside me says "Ignorance is Bliss" What a Wuss!!

I do hope no-one has been flooded out. We're very lucky, fine where we are, thankfully. What weather!! We'd love to run away back to our idyllic campsite. Although things haven't been too good there, though, weather-wise. A great big olive tree blew down last night, we hear, and smashed on to a Dutch couples' awning, bending all the poles. The kind co-owner was soon out of bed, sorting things out with a chainsaw, getting the tree moved off and getting the poles straightened, even though it was in the middle of the night.

Well, I've rambled on enough, sorry. Time to stop.

Bye for now, Love, Solange

[Hidden]

Hi Solange,

Pleased to hear that things are moving along, sending you my very very best wishes for a good outcome.... love x G x

[Solange in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, Gwyn. How are you feeling, nowadays?

Love Solange

[Fitzy]

Hi Solange

Sorry you have to start chemo again, but glad that you have such a good team behind you who have got things moving really quickly. Good luck. Love Col xxxxxx

[Solange in reply to Fitzy]

Thank you, Col, hope you're doing ok.

Love S x

[Whippit]

I hope tomorrow goes well. Luckily the Carbo-Gem/Avastin cocktail doesn't really take too long - and it's good you have Avastin. Much better, of course, to have been in the Algarve on your campsite, but it's good you're home for treatment.

Let's hope this gives you a lovely long remission and you can start your travel plans. I'm just planning two trips to France just as soon as my chemo/Avastin treatment is over. I'm sure you'll soon have travel plans of your own too.

Take care. xxx loads of love Annie

[Solange in reply to Whippit]

Thanks, Annie. Time to start having more positive thoughts, definitely. Hope you end up with a long remission with all your treatment and travelling.

Love S x

[Hidden]

Hi Solange, so glad that things are moving for youknow, I hope all goes well with your treatment and you can return to Portugal when you have finished.

Regards Barbara

[Solange in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, Barbara. Hope things are going well for you, too.

Take care, S

[Hidden]

Hi Solange .. Great to her from you as usual .. it's a good job the tree didn't hit the actual caravan! I'm really glad your treatment plan has been sorted out now. Love T xx

[Solange in reply to Hidden]

It was lucky, wasn't it?!! The week we were packing up to come home in

January there was some awful high tides with enormous waves and part the old end of town flooded, fishing boats ended up on the road and great big granite blocks forming a wall were pushed yards. A beach bar/restaurant had it's table and chairs completely submerged under the sand. We're not the only country having bizarre weather, it seems.

Hope you're well, love Solange

[citrine]

Hope everything goes well for you today Solange.

Love and best wishes.

Mary xx

[Solange in reply to citrine]

Thank you, Mary, I'm quite nervous so will be glad to get started.

Love Solange

[Anitaalmond]

Hi Solange, thinking I need the name of your idyllic campsite in Portugal. We were hoping to travel down to Portugal in January in our Motorhome but then I had to go back on chemo but thinking November might be good. Annie, enjoy your trips to France, somewhere else we want to explore. Glad you have managed to stay safe in the awful weather Solange, hoping everyone else is ok too. Bye for now x

[Solange in reply to Anitaalmond]

Thanks, Anita. Will let you know about campsite. Hope you're feeling better.

Love, Solange

[Whippit in reply to Anitaalmond]

We're flying to Toulouse and hiring a car to visit the Gers region which is my favourite part of France and where I went for my student exchange 44 years ago. Trips to France are always a treat as I spend some time with my penfriend and his family. We're having a grandchild competition. He has two boys and two girls and another on the way. I have one boy and three girls and hope there will be more to follow!!! lol Enjoy your travels in your motorhome. I'm rather envious. xxx

[Dyana]

Oh I'm so pleased for you that you are stating it at last. Sounds like everyone has now worked hard to make it happen , good luck , dy xx

[Solange in reply to Dyana]

Thanks, Dy.

Love Solange

[Solange]

Thank you, Wonkylegs

Love Solange

[sarah1963]

Hello Solange

I can relate to how you are feeling. The wait before treatment starts is unnerving and those conversations when the health professionals feel obliged to put you fully in the picture. You will feel so much better now you are getting on with the treatment - positively fighting it. At least you have been busy de-camping from Portugal which will have been a good distraction. Yes the NHS is wonderful. I appreciate it when I feel they haven't given up on me.

My next line of treatment has been delayed and I am waiting to hear if I will have a tricky acsities drain carried out beforehand. We can't plan any treats. But if you can possibly do that then a holiday or just a weekend away is a lovely thing to aim for.

Good luck - all the chemo will knock it into touch I'm sure and you will be back in Portugal before you know it.

Love Sarah

[Solange in reply to sarah1963]

So sorry your next line of treatment has been delayed, Sarah, and it must be hanging over you so much- not knowing about the ascites drain. You poor thing. Hope a decision is made quickly.

Love Solange

[sarah1963 in reply to Solange]

Thank you. We managed to distract ourselves by spending the morning looking round junk shops and feel saner for it!

Hope your first dose went OK. Nice to think its in your system now doing its job.

Love Sarah

[Hidden]

Hi Solange,

All the best for your treatment. How great that your team have moved so well and things are happening.

Like you we cannot wait to get back to our caravan. It is such wonderful relaxed way of life, for David and myself it is a time for each other too.

I am waiting to start my next treatment in a fortnight too. I know that my tumours are beginning to grow a bit faster and causing me some problems. Can do no more than I am so just have to go with the flow

Lots of luck and love

Suex

[Solange in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, Sue. All went well and the piccline made things much easier and faster. Hope your treatment won't upset you, too much. Roll on the time we can both get away in our caravans again. As you say, time for each other.

Love, Solange

[Hidden]

Great news and you do sound in very good hands.

I hope today goes smoothly with not too many after-effects.

Not the right reaction maybe, but I chuckled a bit at your tale of the campsite... It's awful at the time when storms hit camp-sites, but they do make some of the best tales in the years afterwards.... my favourite was fishing the tents out of the river after they'd been washed down from the site further up. Much less grim than what so many people are going through now in their homes. Love Chris

[Solange in reply to Hidden]

Love the story about fishing the tents from the river. Wonder whether the owners managed to trace them and whether they lost the contents.

Wouldn't fancy caravanning much at the moment with all the flooding - or even going to those areas later in the year. We were staying in a 5 'van only farm field a few years ago, near Stratford on Avon, and our Daughter phoned to ask whether we were ok. She'd seen on TV that Stratford was flooded, so we went to have a look and were out some hours. As we came back past our farmyard, something caught my eye and when I looked I saw it was all hay and polythene, caught in the trees in a field a bit behind the farm house. We walked along to look and couldn't believe our eyes, the field was flooded but by then we could wade in it in our wellies. We waded across to the trees and saw that there was a little tributary that had obviously been a raging torrent, had lifted those great big round hay barrels across several fences, with all other debris, and we could tell from the trees that the water had been 8 or 9 feet up. We were so glad that we were on higher ground. The field quickly drained but a few days later, a small Rally was held. Good job they hadn't been there a few days earlier!!

Must stop prattling on, take care, Solange

[jennybutler]

I must be a wuss too as rather not know every thing, nice to hear from you again hope all goes well for you Solange weather gosh its awful so glad my business and home on top of hills those poor people in flooded areas must be awful.

love Jenny xxx

[Solange in reply to jennybutler]

Thanks, Jenny. It did all go well- no nasty reactions, thank goodness. Made so much easier and quicker with the piccline.

Yes, the news of all those poor people being flooded out, and the farmers with their animal problems, makes me feel very lucky. Mind you, we live about a mile back from the cliffs and the wind last night was really frightening. We could hear all the roof tiles lifting and dropping back again - so much so that my husband got up to move the car onto the road in case they did come right off and fall on it. Couldn't put the caravan anywhere else, though, but luckily none did come down, in the end. The only problem was he rushed back in the house so quickly because he was only in his dressing gown, he left the lights on. One of our sons has just been able to start us once my husband had managed to mend the jump leads. No peace for the wicked!!

Love, Solange

[Hidden]

I'm th other way. Need to know everything. Then I can understand what is going on in my body what to worry about and what not.

We do all deal with things differently in life. The main thing is to do what is right for you and not be swayed by others.

Love suex

[Solange in reply to Hidden]

That's very true.

Love, Solange

[Anne-2]

Hi Solange

Glad that they are now able to start your treatment. Was 'our mutual friend' involved in all this?

We've just had a few days away in Prague where they were having strange weather too- no snow!! It was brilliant seeing the sun a few times after all this gloom and rain. We were also fortunate enough to go to the ballet!

Thinking of you and sending you my love and prayers,

Anne xx

[Solange in reply to Anne-2]

Hi Anne,

Not sure. It seems that so many people were involved. My case has had much discussion at 3 or 4 MDTs . Not sure about this weeks, though.

So glad you've had a happy break in Prague. It sounds a beautiful city.

Love, Solange

[Hidden]

Hi Solange

That all sounds like it has moved along fast actually -- but must have seemed like ages! Glad you have it all planned out now and are feeling chipper.

We live in between a triangle of Berks villages - all prominent on the news this past two weeks for being totally flooded- and so we have had some nervous times here and been all but cut off much of the time with water rising in the cellar and encroaching on the garden. Fingers crossed it has come up no further...

Love

Sue xxx

[Solange in reply to Hidden]

Oh dear, what a worry, Sue. How scary having water rising in the cellar . Do so hope it doesn't come higher - and that it soon drains away. I do feel for you.

I'm so pleased to have had the first chemo on Friday - feel relieved that something's being tried after all.

Keeping my finger's crossed for no more flooding for you, Love, Solange xxx