Just a line to explain my absence to some old friends that may have been wondering where I've been.
February 2nd 2009 after feeling ill for quite a while and after many tests during January I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I had a large tumour in my left lung.
Luckily the cancer was confined to the lung and hadn't spread further.
I was assured I would be cured if my left lung was removed completely. I agreed to the surgery which took place in April.
When the surgery took place and the lung was almost removed the surgeon found that the tumour had wrapped itself around my aorta and I had to be stitched back up and the lung removal abandoned. The surgeon assured me that they could still shrink the tumour. I was sent home five days later very disabled. I have never felt so ill.
Another specialist decided to take on my case but wouldn't allow me to start chemotherapy for three weeks after the operation as I was so weak. I was told at this time that the cancer couldn't be cured but I could be given 'time'.
The end of May and I started three cycles of chemotherapy over 9 weeks - it was quite successful and shrank the tumour down by half - much to everyones surprise.
August and it was decided that radiotherapy was now the treatment of choice. I was now told that there was a one in three chance the tumour could be got rid of but the most likely scenario was that the thing wouldn't bother me for two - three years. I embarked on 20 days of treatment consisting of 6 'zaps' a day.
I had sailed through the chemo with no problems besides feeling exhausted but the radiotherapy proved a much harder treatment for me - a week after it had finished I was burning up from the inside of my chest out (no sweating just dry heat), the skin fell off the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. This lasted 8 days. Then the coughing started, much worse than before the radiotherapy started. I'm still left with a huge burn on my back.
End of September an x-ray and I was left to recover from all I had been through.
Yesterday I saw my Oncologist and had the best news. He showed me my first x-ray which showed a black shape the size of a grapefruit and my latest x-ray which showed just grey wisps of smoke. It was amazing and I couldn't quite believe it. He said I had responded very well to the treatment and he was "not pessimistic" (his words). We discussed why I was still feeling quite ill and he said it was down to the treatment and I should just plod on until spring and then start getting myself back into a fitness regime.
I'm not out of the woods yet and I have to have a CT Scan at the end of February to get a better picture of what is going on but I think I have reason to be hopeful.
The Health Service, the Social Security, my GP have all been wonderful and I have had all the help I could have wished for. My family have been marvellous too and have looked after me all the way through my ordeal.
I feel so lucky.
Just wanted to let you all know what was going on.
Love and peace
Alan xxxx
Wish me luck guys!
February 2nd 2009 after feeling ill for quite a while and after many tests during January I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I had a large tumour in my left lung.
Luckily the cancer was confined to the lung and hadn't spread further.
I was assured I would be cured if my left lung was removed completely. I agreed to the surgery which took place in April.
When the surgery took place and the lung was almost removed the surgeon found that the tumour had wrapped itself around my aorta and I had to be stitched back up and the lung removal abandoned. The surgeon assured me that they could still shrink the tumour. I was sent home five days later very disabled. I have never felt so ill.
Another specialist decided to take on my case but wouldn't allow me to start chemotherapy for three weeks after the operation as I was so weak. I was told at this time that the cancer couldn't be cured but I could be given 'time'.
The end of May and I started three cycles of chemotherapy over 9 weeks - it was quite successful and shrank the tumour down by half - much to everyones surprise.
August and it was decided that radiotherapy was now the treatment of choice. I was now told that there was a one in three chance the tumour could be got rid of but the most likely scenario was that the thing wouldn't bother me for two - three years. I embarked on 20 days of treatment consisting of 6 'zaps' a day.
I had sailed through the chemo with no problems besides feeling exhausted but the radiotherapy proved a much harder treatment for me - a week after it had finished I was burning up from the inside of my chest out (no sweating just dry heat), the skin fell off the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. This lasted 8 days. Then the coughing started, much worse than before the radiotherapy started. I'm still left with a huge burn on my back.
End of September an x-ray and I was left to recover from all I had been through.
Yesterday I saw my Oncologist and had the best news. He showed me my first x-ray which showed a black shape the size of a grapefruit and my latest x-ray which showed just grey wisps of smoke. It was amazing and I couldn't quite believe it. He said I had responded very well to the treatment and he was "not pessimistic" (his words). We discussed why I was still feeling quite ill and he said it was down to the treatment and I should just plod on until spring and then start getting myself back into a fitness regime.
I'm not out of the woods yet and I have to have a CT Scan at the end of February to get a better picture of what is going on but I think I have reason to be hopeful.
The Health Service, the Social Security, my GP have all been wonderful and I have had all the help I could have wished for. My family have been marvellous too and have looked after me all the way through my ordeal.
I feel so lucky.
Just wanted to let you all know what was going on.
Love and peace
Alan xxxx
Wish me luck guys!
Glad you appear to be on the mend.
