Hooray! An x-ray on Friday (28th August) showed no further spread of the tumour in my right lung, so I continue with my chemo every two weeks (now by pill) and don't see my specialist again until November. And Roy's cataract surgery on Monday went very well, taking only four hours from the time we left home for the hospital till we got back. He's on drops three times a day for a month and then sees an optician about a new prescription. He can already read much better than he could before the surgery.
Our stair lift is being installed on Thursday and that will deal with the problem of Roy's knees on the stairs. Kate and Chris have been here for the weekend and today we took Roy to Ipswich, where he had a gentle stroll down at the marina (regenerated docks for those who know the area) before lunch at a seafood restaurant.
We're off to Blakeney for our short break on 7th September. When Roy and I used to come to England in September (after Harper's sales conferences in August) we often had glorious weather so let's hope for the same this year.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
19 August 2009
I can't believe it's been more than 6 weeks since my last entry. Roy & I are much the same as reported then in general health terms. He is having cataract surgery on Monday, 24 August, something he's been waiting for for some time. He should be in good shape after that for our little break at the Blakeney Hotel in Norfolk the week of 7 September. David & Gillian Gadsby are going as well, so we'll have company in looking around. I don't think we'll keep company with many of the birdwatchers (especially twitchers) the area is so popular with, but it's a beautiful area crammed with lots of interesting things from stately homes & sandy beaches to gorgeous seafood, churches & a steam railway line. I note in 'Literary Norfolk' that Jack Higgins was a guest in our hotel, where he got the setting for the opening scene of 'The Eagle has Landed', so we won't be without literary associations. (I have just finished Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall' & have been submerged in over 600 intense pages of the Tudor period & need some light relief.)
We had had no offers on the house since it went on the market a year ago, so last week we decided to remain at 77 High St until somebody makes us an offer we can't refuse. (I have spent a lot of time recently clearing out cupboards, closets, chests, even rooms of accumulations over the past 30 years & will keep going until we are pared down to a bare minimum.) Today we bought a stairlift & that will make a big difference for Roy's knee problems in general, but especially if I am unwell & he has to bring me food & drink in bed. Let's hope our health remains stable. We are both receiving excellent care of all sorts on the NHS. Any difficulties seem to be administrative ones, not medical. (I see my lung oncologist on 28 August for the first time in 3 months & my breast people on 3 October.)
Thanks to all of you who remembered my obsession with 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' & have let me know that Meryl Streep IS Julia Child in 'Julie & Julia'. (But is it a good movie?? It opens here on 11 September.) Kate had already bought the book & read it, as she remembered sitting beside her teddy bear & watching the TV show while we were living in Kips Bay. At a librarians' conference in Washington recently she skipped out of a meeting early to visit Julia's own kitchen in the Smithsonian, but alas no postcards. But Julia is still very much with us even in the UK. Just this morning on a BBC program that was nothing to do with the movie, a chef referred to that wonderful moment when she dropped a chicken to the floor while transferring it to a serving platter & without batting an eye looked straight at the camera & said 'Remember that you are in the kitchen on your own.'
So you needn't worry about changing all your data about us yet. And we are happy to entertain visitors at any time.
We had had no offers on the house since it went on the market a year ago, so last week we decided to remain at 77 High St until somebody makes us an offer we can't refuse. (I have spent a lot of time recently clearing out cupboards, closets, chests, even rooms of accumulations over the past 30 years & will keep going until we are pared down to a bare minimum.) Today we bought a stairlift & that will make a big difference for Roy's knee problems in general, but especially if I am unwell & he has to bring me food & drink in bed. Let's hope our health remains stable. We are both receiving excellent care of all sorts on the NHS. Any difficulties seem to be administrative ones, not medical. (I see my lung oncologist on 28 August for the first time in 3 months & my breast people on 3 October.)
Thanks to all of you who remembered my obsession with 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' & have let me know that Meryl Streep IS Julia Child in 'Julie & Julia'. (But is it a good movie?? It opens here on 11 September.) Kate had already bought the book & read it, as she remembered sitting beside her teddy bear & watching the TV show while we were living in Kips Bay. At a librarians' conference in Washington recently she skipped out of a meeting early to visit Julia's own kitchen in the Smithsonian, but alas no postcards. But Julia is still very much with us even in the UK. Just this morning on a BBC program that was nothing to do with the movie, a chef referred to that wonderful moment when she dropped a chicken to the floor while transferring it to a serving platter & without batting an eye looked straight at the camera & said 'Remember that you are in the kitchen on your own.'
So you needn't worry about changing all your data about us yet. And we are happy to entertain visitors at any time.
Saturday, 4 July 2009
4th July 2009
On Sunday, 21 June, Kate, Chris, Roy & I celebrated the solstice by eating lunch in the garden, although the sun soon retired & I had to put on a warm jacket. In contrast, today is a scorcher, as it's been for the last week, as you may have noted if watching Wimbledon tennis. Fortunately it really cools off at night, & with curtains drawn during the day & excellent cross-ventilation as you can get in these timber-framed houses there is no problem sleeping.
Once a month Roy & I have his & her hospital appointments together in Stowmarket: he a 2 hour infusion to replace lost bone calcium & I my 30 minute vinorelbine chemo. I also have a chemo session on my own in between. I continue with my daily anti-oestrogen tablets for the breast cancer. I see my breast consultant next week & my lung man in late August for routine checkups. Recently I had a severe attack of vertigo, which wasn't attributed to anything drastic & seems to have cleared up, & I continue to have a great deal of dry eye discomfort that none of the magic potions I've been prescribed have improved. Fortunately, carbomer (a gel) & hot water compresses enable me to get by. I may be able to change my anti-oestrogen tablets, as dry eye is one of the side effects of the letrozole I'm presently taking.
Roy's left knee (the really bad one) played up recently but has now improved. (He can't have a replacement because of his heart problems.) He walks everywhere with his stick, even around the house, & can't walk any distance. We talked of a French river cruise south of Lyon, as that would have given him a bit of sightseeing while lounging about (& maybe some good food), but our ages & health problems combined to make the two of us too toxic a package to arrange travel insurance & no tour will accept you without it. (I really worked on this but it defeated me; details on request.) At the moment we are talking of driving to the north Norfolk coast for a few days in the next couple of months.
Meanwhile, the tennis at Wimbledon has been especially good this year, & we are presently in the middle of a heatwave. Schools close the middle of July, when we look forward to a visit from Harry & family plus Janet & Margaret.
Have a good summer!
PS No interest in the house. Perhaps we'll have to let the shop & our living accommodation & rent a bungalow (single story) here in Needham. Gabriel (10 years old in just over a week) has had a short story of under 50 words published in a collection of school fiction! Thanks to those who sponsored Kate in her Cancer Research UK walk; she did very well in every way. Yes, I'm following the story of South Carolina's governor -- !
Once a month Roy & I have his & her hospital appointments together in Stowmarket: he a 2 hour infusion to replace lost bone calcium & I my 30 minute vinorelbine chemo. I also have a chemo session on my own in between. I continue with my daily anti-oestrogen tablets for the breast cancer. I see my breast consultant next week & my lung man in late August for routine checkups. Recently I had a severe attack of vertigo, which wasn't attributed to anything drastic & seems to have cleared up, & I continue to have a great deal of dry eye discomfort that none of the magic potions I've been prescribed have improved. Fortunately, carbomer (a gel) & hot water compresses enable me to get by. I may be able to change my anti-oestrogen tablets, as dry eye is one of the side effects of the letrozole I'm presently taking.
Roy's left knee (the really bad one) played up recently but has now improved. (He can't have a replacement because of his heart problems.) He walks everywhere with his stick, even around the house, & can't walk any distance. We talked of a French river cruise south of Lyon, as that would have given him a bit of sightseeing while lounging about (& maybe some good food), but our ages & health problems combined to make the two of us too toxic a package to arrange travel insurance & no tour will accept you without it. (I really worked on this but it defeated me; details on request.) At the moment we are talking of driving to the north Norfolk coast for a few days in the next couple of months.
Meanwhile, the tennis at Wimbledon has been especially good this year, & we are presently in the middle of a heatwave. Schools close the middle of July, when we look forward to a visit from Harry & family plus Janet & Margaret.
Have a good summer!
PS No interest in the house. Perhaps we'll have to let the shop & our living accommodation & rent a bungalow (single story) here in Needham. Gabriel (10 years old in just over a week) has had a short story of under 50 words published in a collection of school fiction! Thanks to those who sponsored Kate in her Cancer Research UK walk; she did very well in every way. Yes, I'm following the story of South Carolina's governor -- !
Friday, 12 June 2009
12 June 2009
Hello to everyone. It’s Kate here and I’m hijacking Mom’s blog to let you all know that I’m doing a 5km sponsored walk/jog/run later this month in aid of Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading independent organisation dedicated to cancer research. I’m doing it with some friends, Tracy and Emma. For full details please go to:
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/tracydriver2
Think of me in Richmond Park on 28 June!
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/tracydriver2
Think of me in Richmond Park on 28 June!
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
13 May 2009
Thanks to all of you for your queries about how Roy & I have been getting on. Remember that when there are no major headlines I tend to write nothing, so keep assuming that no news is good news. Also, for the past 3 weeks we have been quite busy with a steady flow of visitors from the UK, US & France, so I've been having too much fun to spend time at the computer.
The house is still on the market but we've had only one viewer since January. Because we're both feeling much better at the moment, selling it doesn't seem as pressing a matter as it did 4 or 5 months ago, thank heavens.
After a recent bone scan Roy saw his oncologist, who thinks the current pace of his prostate cancer is not as aggressive as a few months ago. He is benefitting enormously from a weekly 2 hour balance clinic (one to one with a physio) that's improved his muscle strength & taught him a lot about walking & falling safely . We have had occupational & physio therapists all over the house sorting out hand grips at doors & steps & supplying a perch stool to sit on in the kitchen while preparing food & a support at the side of the bed to help in getting up -- all supplied by the National Health Service. We are both having another neck & back massage tomorrow in the alternative therapy section of the oncology unit at Ipswich Hospital.
I saw my breast oncologist 2 weeks ago & she is very pleased with the decrease in the size of the tumours & hopes that the medication will eliminate them. By the way, my medication ( a daily pill) is not oestrogen as I thought it was but an oestrogen inhibitor (an aromatose inhibitor that blocks the production of oestrogen in the body) called letrozole. Unfortunately, one of its innumerable side effects is an increase in dry eye problems, a condition I've had for years that's been steadily worsening. If worse comes to worse, another inhibitor may be necessary but the consultant wants to stick with letrozole for the present.
The next scheduled appointment with my lung oncologist isn't until early September. Until then I continue with my chemo sessions of 45mg of vinorelbine every 2 weeks. I feel fine generally but I need a lot of sleep at night plus little rests during the day & a proper nap as well. I can handle a gentle walk of about an hour (in a lovely bluebell wood several weeks ago & in a gorgeous nearby woodland with 15 ft high rhododendrons & azaleas, the end of the camellias, & other spring-flowering things) & a stint of 2 to 3 hours sorting books at the charity shop where I help.
So things are looking pretty good at the moment. We had hoped to have a few days on the continent in the spring but now we'll probably have to wait till the autumn. We hope to have more guests here before then, so come see us. We can do lunch, tea, even full board & local excursions for willing workers!
The house is still on the market but we've had only one viewer since January. Because we're both feeling much better at the moment, selling it doesn't seem as pressing a matter as it did 4 or 5 months ago, thank heavens.
After a recent bone scan Roy saw his oncologist, who thinks the current pace of his prostate cancer is not as aggressive as a few months ago. He is benefitting enormously from a weekly 2 hour balance clinic (one to one with a physio) that's improved his muscle strength & taught him a lot about walking & falling safely . We have had occupational & physio therapists all over the house sorting out hand grips at doors & steps & supplying a perch stool to sit on in the kitchen while preparing food & a support at the side of the bed to help in getting up -- all supplied by the National Health Service. We are both having another neck & back massage tomorrow in the alternative therapy section of the oncology unit at Ipswich Hospital.
I saw my breast oncologist 2 weeks ago & she is very pleased with the decrease in the size of the tumours & hopes that the medication will eliminate them. By the way, my medication ( a daily pill) is not oestrogen as I thought it was but an oestrogen inhibitor (an aromatose inhibitor that blocks the production of oestrogen in the body) called letrozole. Unfortunately, one of its innumerable side effects is an increase in dry eye problems, a condition I've had for years that's been steadily worsening. If worse comes to worse, another inhibitor may be necessary but the consultant wants to stick with letrozole for the present.
The next scheduled appointment with my lung oncologist isn't until early September. Until then I continue with my chemo sessions of 45mg of vinorelbine every 2 weeks. I feel fine generally but I need a lot of sleep at night plus little rests during the day & a proper nap as well. I can handle a gentle walk of about an hour (in a lovely bluebell wood several weeks ago & in a gorgeous nearby woodland with 15 ft high rhododendrons & azaleas, the end of the camellias, & other spring-flowering things) & a stint of 2 to 3 hours sorting books at the charity shop where I help.
So things are looking pretty good at the moment. We had hoped to have a few days on the continent in the spring but now we'll probably have to wait till the autumn. We hope to have more guests here before then, so come see us. We can do lunch, tea, even full board & local excursions for willing workers!
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Sunday 5 April 2009
Great news on Friday when I saw my oncologist Dr Podd. The original tumour in my right lung has shrunk still further & there is no further spread elsewhere in the lungs. And my next appointment with him is not until September!! I'll continue with my very mild chemo sessions (45mg of vinorelbine) lasting about 30 minutes every 2 weeks (or 3 weeks if I should be abroad on holiday). I don't see my other oncologist, Dr Smith, about the lumps in my breasts until 27 April, but they have also reduced in size & density, so the oestrogen tablets seem to have been working well. This is the best possible result we could have hoped for & I'm still dazed by it.
In spite of lots of phone calls, we are still waiting for treatment of Roy's symptoms I mentioned a week ago. Meanwhile, social services have done wonderful things for him: a splendid throne-like perch stool for the kitchen & grips at various steps arount the house to steady him & prevent falls; an exercise list to strengthen leg & ankle muscles, which he has already lost (if only they could do the exercises for him); a district nurse who's been to the house for dressing a small leg wound; etc. Stuff like this isn't always attended to so promptly & I'm also dazed by such service.
On Thursday Roy & I enjoyed neck & head massages which are part of the alternative therapy offerings in Ipswich Hospital's cancer unit. We also have discovered a picturesque new route to the hospital that's bursting with spring blossom & growth, so it hasn't been too bad a week.
In spite of lots of phone calls, we are still waiting for treatment of Roy's symptoms I mentioned a week ago. Meanwhile, social services have done wonderful things for him: a splendid throne-like perch stool for the kitchen & grips at various steps arount the house to steady him & prevent falls; an exercise list to strengthen leg & ankle muscles, which he has already lost (if only they could do the exercises for him); a district nurse who's been to the house for dressing a small leg wound; etc. Stuff like this isn't always attended to so promptly & I'm also dazed by such service.
On Thursday Roy & I enjoyed neck & head massages which are part of the alternative therapy offerings in Ipswich Hospital's cancer unit. We also have discovered a picturesque new route to the hospital that's bursting with spring blossom & growth, so it hasn't been too bad a week.
Monday, 30 March 2009
30 March 2009
No blog updates for some time because there has been no definite new health news & my sister Willa has been with us for just over 6 weeks, during which she & I have been incredibly busy clearing out vast quantities of stuff accumulated over 30 years around the house, garden &. barn. She also accompanied Roy & me on numerous trips to the doctor & hospital; acted as a superior housekeeper & cook, daily cleaner, nannie, cheerer-upper -- I could go on & on. She & I also had a few jolly excursions here & there, & she, Roy & I spent a week in Manchester visiting Harry & family in their new house in the neighbourhood where we plan to move whenever we eventually sell the house in Needham (no offers yet, but that's not surprising in the cuirrent economic situation). Willa returns to South Carolina tomorrow, but she'll be back later in the year!
I am feeling fine except for needing a long nap at least once daily. I finish my current course of chemo for the lungs next week & continue with daily oestrogen for the breast cancer & see my lung specialist on 3 April & the breast specialist on 27 April. Roy, however, has had a bad spell, starting with a fall outside the bathroom in early February, when I had to call a paramedic to get him up & check him out. Since then his knees have gotten much more painful & weak (they need replacement but he can't tolerate the surgery), he walks terribly slowly, his balance is poor & his speech is somewhat slurred. Our local GP has requested an investigative scan for these symptoms but we don't have a date yet. Meanwhile, Roy went swimming in Stowmarket on Sunday with Harry, Kate & Chris & spends several hours a day at the computer on his mail-order book business, so he's still bouncing about.
Kate & Chris & Harry & Helen continue to visit every weekend or so, & lots of local friends come up for a night or so. We also welcome any other visitors who pop in briefly & are happy to accept any sort of help. It's gotten very cold again but at least there are daffodils in abundance & the days are getting longer. Thanks to all of you who read this, write, ring or call. It makes all the difference!!
I am feeling fine except for needing a long nap at least once daily. I finish my current course of chemo for the lungs next week & continue with daily oestrogen for the breast cancer & see my lung specialist on 3 April & the breast specialist on 27 April. Roy, however, has had a bad spell, starting with a fall outside the bathroom in early February, when I had to call a paramedic to get him up & check him out. Since then his knees have gotten much more painful & weak (they need replacement but he can't tolerate the surgery), he walks terribly slowly, his balance is poor & his speech is somewhat slurred. Our local GP has requested an investigative scan for these symptoms but we don't have a date yet. Meanwhile, Roy went swimming in Stowmarket on Sunday with Harry, Kate & Chris & spends several hours a day at the computer on his mail-order book business, so he's still bouncing about.
Kate & Chris & Harry & Helen continue to visit every weekend or so, & lots of local friends come up for a night or so. We also welcome any other visitors who pop in briefly & are happy to accept any sort of help. It's gotten very cold again but at least there are daffodils in abundance & the days are getting longer. Thanks to all of you who read this, write, ring or call. It makes all the difference!!
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