The whole brain radiation ended two weeks ago, and passed quite uneventfully.
Since then, however, my hair's fallen out (we shaved the remainder off, a couple of days ago. I looked like the stereotypical cancer patient, with wispy, moth-eaten hair. And I was leaving a trail of hair everywhere), and I've been very tired.. sleeping for 10-12 hours per night, and falling asleep in the day, too. I'm hoping that's a side-effects of the WBR, rather than an effect of the cancer.
Tomorrow, I'll be having the last of four sessions of radiotherapy to my pelvis, to hopefully help with bone pain.
It's been a very busy four weeks, with having to visit hospital almost every day. And some days, having to flit between Sheffield and Nottingham hospitals.
It feels very much like all my life is about now, is cancer and hospitals. And I've been doing some serious soul-searching about it all, recently.
Yesterday, I had a bone scan (more radiation.. I'll be glowing soon!) and CT scan, at Nottingham City hospital. And on Monday, I'll be having a heart scan.
All these are to decide whether I'm suitable for the Tykerb/lapatinib trial.
If I am suitable, and I'm accepted onto the trial, I should be starting treatment next Thursday.. just in time for christmas!
Talking of which, this is the third christmas in a row, I've been bald. Still, I'd rather be bald and alive, than be dead with beautiful hair!I hope this chemo wont make me ill for christmas.I'm all too aware that this could well be my last christmas, and I don't want to spend it being ill, in bed.
At the same time as getting the 'official' results of my liver scan, last week, I also got the results of my latest bone scan.The bone scan showed hot spots on my pelvis (where I've been having worsening pain for almost two months now), and on my shoulder.So I'm waiting for an 'urgent' appointment to have an MRI scan, to see if I now also have cancer secondaries in my bones.. which my oncologist feels is likely, due to my history with this wonderful disease.I'm not sure what the NHS' definition of urgent is. But I was told a week ago, that an urgent appointment would be made.So I'm back to waiting, wondering, and worrying.Anyone who's been in a similar situation will understand the how hellish it is, to be waiting for scans and results. It's on your mind as soon as you wake up in the morning. You might manage to forget about it for a few minutes at a time, throughout the day, while other parts of your life are distracting you. But it's never far away from the fron of your mind. And it's there, niggling at your thoughts, as you're going to sleep at night. Quite often, it even manages to make an appearance in some horrible form, in your dreams.If the cancer is now in my bones too, it'll be more chemo. Something I'd hoped to be able to avoid, for as long as possible.I should be picking up my new car (VW Polo) next week. I just need to sell my MGF now.. which I'll miss.It's nice to be able to drive through the countryside, in the sunshine, with the roof down. But needs must, and all that. And my needs dictate that I must swap my pretty little convertible, for a sensible automatic VW.
