After the first chemotherapy cycle.

Well, one month of my 4, 6,8 month prognosis has now gone and I don’t feel any worse than I did then. In fact I have more energy and am more comfortable. Whether this is down to the Professor’s treatment or not I don’t know. I certainly look better than I did a month ago. I am seeing the Professor again next week for another embolisation.

After the first complete cycle of chemo I have had a few days of feeling quite bad, but am beginning to feel better now. I have a week off chemotherapy now to gather my strength and enjoy myself.

The first three days after taking the chemo drug are not too bad because I am high on the steroids they give, but day’s four to six can be quite bad, in as much as I am totally exhausted, and my head is in a continual fog. It is quite hard to explain exactly how I feel then. I do get quite emotional at this time too.

This chemo drug, Vinorelbine, doesn’t seem to make me sick, which is a huge bonus. It means I can do other things when I feel like it instead of being tied to home. I try to keep busy the first three days as this helps to distract from the treatment and I have the energy, courtesy of the steroids.

The metallic salty taste in my mouth is still there, it comes on day two of treatment. After the first tablet it went in five days, but has hung around after the second, for longer. It makes food a bit tasteless, but not impossible to eat. The steroids also improve the appetite considerably so I indulge to boost my weight for the time when eating is more difficult.

Our Hospice Nurse Sandra asked my surgeon, Karen Harrison-Phipps, about the possibility of more surgery. Karen looked at my scans and said that the mesothelioma was covering vital arteries and it would be far too dangerous to operate. She likened it to a bucket of dried cement with arteries running through and trying to chip away blindly without damaging the blood vessels. It would be an impossible job. It was worth asking the question though.

I am thinking a lot about other meso warriors fighting at various stages of the disease. We get so much support from everyone and it really helps us to fight, even though we know there is no cure and it is eventually a losing battle. I was shocked to hear that a young American, 23 years old, has contracted the disease and can’t believe how cruel this is for him and his family.

My husband Rob has been such a tower of strength, without his support and help this fight would be so much harder, so I am in awe of my friend Debbie Brewer and others who are fighting this on their own, they are so brave.

I hope my blog is helpful to anyone fighting meso, it seems that it is read in over fifty countries.
How amazing, the power of the internet.

All the positivity of everyone makes me feel I am not fighting this alone, so thank you so much for it.













Today’s picture is of Rob and grandson Joe taken about a year ago, they look so happy.