The last time I posted anything on the forum was a question about rls and weight. I actually should have known the answer myself, having lost 30kg in 3 months in the early 2000s without it making much difference.
Anyway, I should have expressed appreciation for people's contributions. I didn't because I lacked the energy.
Since the beginning of July, I'd been - on the advice of my osteopath - going for walks in the woods and doing leg exercises on a training mat in the sitting room to alleviate back pain and loosen up knots in the muscles in my seat which may have something to do with my version of rls.
I expected my general form to improve from gallivanting up hill and down dale in the local wilderness in temperatures of 30-40 degrees.
But no. I was getting increasingly breathless, and had to give up all exercising - and nearly everything else - towards the end of the month. On the night between 31 July and 1 August, I developed a serious pain around my kidneys. I was transported to the A&E department of our local hospital, and from there to a lung ward in the hospital.
My left lung had apparently collapsed under the pressure what turned out to be about 4 litres of fluid in the pleural sac.
Now for the funny bit. The doctors wanted to insert a drain into my lung. I was asked to sit on the edge of the bed and stay still. At that very moment a veritable tsunami of rls impulses coursed through my legs. Very inconvenient to put it mildly.
They inserted the drain and attached a bag, and I was sent up to the lung ward. All the rest of that night I was having to wave my legs around like helicopter blades. Thank goodness for the curtains around my bed so the other patients couldn't see. Not that it would have made much difference, they were all much iller than me.
On Thursday night my gout decided to play up - with a vengeance. A really nasty attack. Anybody who's experienced gout will know how painful it can be.
The next day they did a CT scan, and by Monday had the preliminary results of the analysis of the pleural fluid. Full of what they euphemistically term changed cells or cancerous to you and me.
I was discharged on Tuesday, and the next phase will start in the oncology department. They've got to do more analyses to see whether the form of cancer that I've got is susceptible to treatment. So we're in limbo land at the moment.
My daughter - who's a doctor herself and had cancer herself four times - has been a tower of support. My grandchildren too.
After the first night of rls attacks, I think my body more or less collapsed, and I was sleeping peacefully day and night at the hospital.
I ought perhaps mention that - as far as I know - I'm not afraid of dying, and am not going through the five stages of grief. No existential crisis in other words. In fact, I feel quite chipper.
All this does seem to have had a beneficial impact on the old rls. Perhaps it was the change of environment at the hospital, or internal bodily changes. Who knows?
I'm going to invent the reverse bucket list, a list of things one won't be sorry to see the back of, rls being the first of them.
Chris
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Pluto46
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You have been a member of our community for quite some time and it is good to hear from you, although I am sorry to read what you have been/are going through. I do admire your sense of humour and I can feel through your posting that you feel chipper.
It is good to hear that your daughter is a tower of strength to you and your grandchildren also. We need our family, especially at times like these, don't we?
Do keep in touch and let us know how you go on. In the meantime, look after yourself.
Chris, thank you for your story. I am at loss for words. I can only think of “I hope the RLS remains at bay”. I hope the cancer is in its early stages, mild, and above all very treatable. Xxx Lotte
How inspiring to read such a positive piece with the backdrop of otherwise gloomy news. Thanks so much for sharing through your bad news and for showing us how we can handle less good news
Good you are at peace with whatever is coming. You never know. My mom had lung cancer twice and didn’t die of it for about 5 years. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with it 15 years before she died of something else altogether. My father-Iin-law was diagnosed and gone within three months. Do what you can do and remember that it’s a big crazy universe and we are all stardust, one way or another. I wish you all the luck there is.
While you were in hospital were you treated with any drugs or sedatives? Wondering what might have given you relief. Take and sending you best wishes and peace of heart q
Hi Chris, I was away when you posted this and am only seeing it now. I am really sorry to read of all you have been through and hope for positive news for you. As always, you have a unique and intriguing take on your situation. I love your posts, although it gives no pleasure to read of your hardships. I hope you will keep us updated and that the legs continue peaceful.
Thanks for your kind response, involuntarydancer. I can give a sort of update, that is, what I understand so far.
Visited the head consultant at my local hospital, who also happens to be the most respected lung cancer expert in the country. We only got him because of some conflict at his previous workplace. Unlike many doctors, he exudes intelligence and command of his subject matter. Bit of a guru in other words (which in most situations would send me running in the opposite direction, but not this time).
I was fully expecting him to say, Sorry Mr Saunders, I can give you a couple of months to sort out your affairs, but then it's curtains as far as you're concerned. But thanks for dropping by.
In fact, the outome was almost prosaic. I have the commonest type of lung cancer (adenosarcinoma I think it'called). The tumour, located just under the collar bone, is relatively small, it hasn't spread anywhere, and the treatment is a series of chemotherapy, which, if successful will be followed by immunotherapy, the aim of which is to keep the remaining cancer cells in check. I think the immunotherapy is a lifetime project.
There are a few unknowns which may change the prognosis - one of them is whether my cancer cells will prove susceptible to immunotherapy. But we won't know until after the chemo.
I've started breathing exercises to inflate the whole lung, which otherwise might attract an infection if it's not flushed out properly. The only discomfort I have is from a thickened pleural sac caused by the fluids.
Starting my first chemotherapy session this coming Friday. They've given me pills to stop the worse reactions, but the pills have a tendency to cause constipation, so it's doctor's orders to drink copiously. Since the chemotherapy knocks one' natural bacteria flora for six, I'll be putting back lots of yoghurt and sour milk.
So that's the status quo at the moment, almost boring in and of itself. But my British and Norwegian families are relieved of course.
I haven't noticed any change rls-wise, since the calm of the hospital. I putting all my rls eggs in one basket, an iron one
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How long should you walk at night?
Cut off from mirapex 
Coming out of a very very long dark tunnel.
My story and my cure.
My RLS Story
