Settling in.............

It's over a week since my last post and the time has flown by, seems like only a couple of days. The antibiotics have done the business and I'm now able to swallow solid food so I'm back on the Ruby Murray's and the chinkees. Still got the thyroid lump and my new doc is referring me to a specialist - but thinks it will sort itself in time. My latest blood test showed normal blood counts and near normal thyroid levels although the TSH is still low.
Got my first cancer follow up appointment with my new haemotologist in Aberdeen on 31st May, then probably every 3 months for a year or two and then 6 monthly for the next 10 years-ish.

Had a hair raising journey from Ardrossan in the overloaded tranny van the other day. The front brake pads collapsed only a few miles out from Ardrossan, so had to make the journey up to Aberdeen with the handbrake only - doh!!! Had one or two 'tanner-shillin' moments with some near rear end shunts - ooer, but eventually arrived safe and sound - Tranny's off the road now, waiting for bits and the drivers seat requires a valet!

Settling into the new house well, everything is superb at the moment apart from the Starlings that are nesting in the chimney - my trigger finger is getting itchy!!!

Thoughts go out to Chris, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's shortly after my own diagnosis. His post chemo PET scan has come out positive with some residual disease, so he has to undergo further chemo. Stick with it matey, we'll soon have this cracked!

Moooooved

We're now on a temporary dial up connection until our broadband is up 'n truckin in the next week or two. Blog updates might be sporadic!
Moved into the new house on the 15th, everything went sweet and we're now busy emptying what seems like a thousand boxes! The house backs onto a field full of cows which stampede towards the house when the dogs start barking where they remain for an hour or two looking over the fence and scratching themselves on our wheelie bins.

Haven't eaten anything for twelve days now, my throat has been pure hell and I've demolished a couple of boxes of painkillers which give only slight respite. Went to the quacks the day before move day who suggested the pain was due to thrush, which apparently is common in chemo patients. The medicine prescribed has had no effect so I was at my new doctors yesterday where he suggested it might be strep throat and so prescribed an antibiotic which after only a day seems to be having an effect, might be eating normally next week. Lost 17lbs of blubber so far!
The doc suggested my blood counts might be low, so I also had a blood test while I was there, results on Monday.
Back to the unpacking........................

Radiotherapy - Week 3

This week has easily been the worst week of my adult life!! Even worse than my baddest chemo days. I haven't eaten anything since last Monday and even drinking water is pure torture. My throat is extremely sore and swollen and I have been told that this will persist for another two weeks before getting better. I've had no sleep for the last two nights either and I'm vomiting on occasion due to the swelling stimulating my gag reflex. On the bright side - if there is one, the radiotherapy is now complete and I've dropped 9 lbs of lard this week.
I'd expected these side effects, but me being a bad-arse thought I'd just shrug them off as usual but how wrong was I? I'm rattling with pain killers, I'm even on oral morphine but none of it is doing any good.
I also have a large bald patch on the back of my head which, as you can see looks fantastic!
My bowels have seized up due to no food, haven't had a Tom Tit for 5 days.

The blood test taken to check my thyroid function shows it is not producing the normal levels of T4 hormone - hence the sudden weight gain, but further, my pituitary gland is not producing enough TSH hormone to stimulate the thyroid. This may all be hangover from the chemo and is now being walloped by the radio. I am being referred to an endocrinologist when I get to Aberdeen. If its not one thing, its summink else!!!

Apart from that, everything's champion!!!!
More whinging to follow......................................

Radiotherapy - Week 2

Two weeks down, one to go. This week was pretty much like the first, plenty of window shopping around Glasgae, seemed to have spent most of the week reading magazines in Borders bookshop.
One side effect is kicking in big time - my throat is as sore as a mackem caught up the Toon, and it's getting difficult to swallow solids just now, by next week will probably be on liquidised food, last nights zinger was torture!! Also getting a bit of a suntan on one side of my face and neck.
Saw the consultant on Wednesday, discussed my Thyroid and took a blood sample to checks its function - will find out result next Wednesday, it's still very swollen and is causing additional problems when swallowing.
The silver lining of the throat problems is that I'm off my food and feel like I've dropped a few pounds this week. Chins are down from four to three and I appear to have only one arse!!
Went to the flicks last night to see 'This is England', set in the 80's, it's about the skinhead culture of the time - worth a watch, especially if the cinema has Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia - brilliant for a raggy throat!!
Got home this afternoon on the 1230 boat.