I might well have overdone it at the festival because yesterday was a very rough day – very fragile and energy-less. The main incident for me was my fainting episode. I strongly believe in committing to 'a faint' and so this time passed-out in a forwards direction, forehead-first onto the corner of a wall. It was just Joel and I in the house at the time, but fortunately he was safe upstairs. Eventually I managed to get to the lounge and onto a sofa and I lay there for a few hours sleeping. Today I feel better, just in time for school on Thursday!
I met with the oncologist last Friday and the results of the scan aren’t good. Everything has progressed slightly and the new tumours are absolutely established. So … it’s chemo time. I had a Hickman line put in today (it goes in through a main artery in my neck and down into my chest and means no more needles for now) and I start the new regime sometime in the next week. It is a tough one and I expect my school life to be reduced by 50%. Anyway, I remain hopeful that I will weather it well as I have done all the previous regimes. However, I am also very anxious that the treatment has effect. Mary and I are very aware that I have worked my way through many treatments and that there are very few left after this, if any. We have a real sense of being in classic cancer territory – strong chemo bringing hair loss, risk of serious weight loss, lethargy etc. It feels like a new land. Anyway, we’re heading into it. I am going to chart the number of times people tell me that I actually suit being bald or that I have a really nice shape of head (all well-meant, I know) The children in my school will be much more direct – “Eh, Mr ‘alliday. Wot ye gone and done with yer ‘air?”
Thanks again for visiting the blog.
