Devastating news.

Suffering with a nasty chest infection for the last 10 days, I have now got some strong antibiotics and hope this finally knocks the infection on its head. The Doctor has taken blood to see if my white blood count is OK as I only had chemo (in Germany) two weeks ago.

We had some really bad news last week, my youngest sister has been diagnosed with renal cancer and is seriously ill. She needs operations and drugs to help her. This is a tremendous blow to her and us and I can't believe how unlucky our family is. She is being very brave and I know that, like me, she will fight this with all her might.

We are off to Germany again on the 8th September for treatment on the 9th, hopefully my bloods will be OK by then and I can have the treatment. I will also get the results of the August treatment.

I am losing quite a lot of hair after the August treatment. I had forgotten this side effect to the chemoembolization. Fortunately it doesn't all fall out, just thins a lot.


The picture this week is a photo is of me and my lovely sister taken about 20 months ago.

I Am Happier Now.

I am so much happier now after my visit to the Prof. in Frankfurt, he has put my mind at rest somewhat.

The Doctor, who got me to sign the treatment authority, told me to drink lots of fluid to flush my kidneys as the chemo fluid can do damage to them if left in the body too long.

I told Professor Vogl that it was painful last time and he gave the anaesthetic a little longer to work. He does the treatment with the aid of an Ultrasound scanner and the moment he puts the chemo-embolizing fluid in you see a sudden splat on the screen. I can't always see the screen, but the couple I have seen produced a small circle. This time though, the splat was ten times bigger and I could see the fluid going into small blood vessels around it. It was an amazing picture.

The procedure went well and I was sent to rest in the anti room outside the theatre; I assume because the ward was full. I didn't get offered anything to drink though, but this didn't worry me as I was determined NOT to have to ask for a bed pan, as I am not allowed to sit up for at least three hours after the treatment. Also the nurse only put about 200mls of fluid through the catheter instead of the usual litre plus. The nurse on the ward after previous treatments was quite fastidious about me having to have the whole lot. I made up for the lack of fluid by drinking lots of water for the rest of that day and the following day too.

After I was allowed up I saw the Prof. again. He said he was very pleased with the way it went as he had hit the spot this time. He would usually try to put the chemo-embolizing fluid where the tumour blood supply is, but it is impossible to get to the exact spot each time. This means that the chemo can do its work but the tumour blood cells don't quite die off, they just sleep. (This is what I think happens.) The Prof. says I will need three treatments and that they will embrace the lymph nodes too. This makes me happy.

I asked if the mesothelioma could stop reacting to the treatment, he says not usually but he has a large arsenal of poisons in the cupboard to attack it with if this happens.
Just what I wanted to hear.



My watercolour painting this time is of a couple of beached boats, done with a palette knife.

Off to Frankfurt again....

We are off to Frankfurt on Sunday for a treatment by Prof. Vogl on Monday. I am a bit worried about it as it really hurt last time. Also I don't know how much of my mesothelioma is growing so don't know how many treatments I will need. I have to ask the Prof. how often I can have this treatment as all chemo stops working on meso after a while.

For once I did quite well with my Pound/Euro exchange.

My visit to St. Barts was a bit unsatisfactory, as Dr. Steele has now said he will monitor me but not consider any treatment until I have finished with the Prof.. Back to square one. The Prof. says my lymph nodes are now affected and he thinks I need full chemo, but Dr. Steele says it is unlikely to spread.

August is a busy month with several social events so we will not be able to get away for a break until September, but at least the weather is still pretty good.

I am delighted that my friend Debbie Brewer is able to have an operation for her TOF and this will stop the endless cycle of chest infections leading to pneumonia.





Today's painting is the last of the 'Door' group. It is of a blue Majorca Rustic doorway