Tuesday 30th September

We had sad news yesterday afternoon that our friend Ruth died in the afternoon. What an absolute trouper! She certainly was very inspirational to all who came in contact with her, especially in her last few months. A great example of someone who sought to (and did) make the most of the time she was given.

Things have continued to go well for me after last (final) round of chemo. Side effects have (again) been pretty minimal compared to what many have experienced. I feel good and have certainly kept busy. I still have another CT scan (8th Oct) which results will be to hand in time for my next appointment with the Haemotologist (22nd Oct).

I got the pergola alterations completed, so must remove the giraffe pics!

We looked after Hannah from Sat through to Sunday afternoon. All good fun (apart from one episode lateish on Saturady night where she was in pain). She was very good and almost as well behaved as her Grandad always is!

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know?
If all the nations in the world are in debt, where did all the money go?
If all the world is a stage, where are the audience sitting?

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihgug.co.nz

Friday...

Had my last chemotherapy toxic cocktail today. All went well, with no hassles or complications.Yay!!!

I went over to the hospital straight afterwards and saw Ruth Penny. She is doing very well all things considered, although feeling pretty tired after the massive radiolgy dose she has just had, with more on Tuesday. Her attitude is amazing.

I did the supermarket shop on the way home. We're off up to Algies Bay this weekend, and Joel and Katie's St Paul's Cluster are all off to Raglan for a weekend retreat. The house, right as I type, looks a little like an outpost of Gilmours Grocery Warehouse! (A little hyperbole never hurts, once in a while).

My next CT scan is now set for the 8th of September to give the last chemo hit a chance. Results thus far are certainly VERY encouraging.

Thanks again for the amazing sence of support during this 'interesting' phase over the last few months. We really have felt it quite tangibly and so appreciate the love and prayers etc.

For those who liked the dreadful parrot joke the other day...

PIRATE'S INSURANCE
After many years at sea, a pirate decided to retire. Since he had suffered injuries on the job, he thought that he should collect on his worker's compensation insurance. He had a wooden leg, a hook where his right hand should be and a patch over his right eye. The agent assured him that he would be compensated if the injuries were work related. "How did you get the wooden leg?" asked the agent. In a booming voice the pirate replied, "Me and me mates were on the high seas when the boom swang 'round and knocked me into the sea where a shark bit off me leg." The agent replied, "That is certainly work related. How did you lose your hand?" "Well matey, me and me mates were on the high seas when the boom swang 'round and knocked me into the sea where a shark bit off me hand," said the pirate. "That's also work related. Now how did you lose your eye?" asked the agent. The pirate replied, "Well matey, I was laying on the deck one balmy day catching some rays when this seagull flew by and dropped his duty right in me eye!" "What does that have to do with the loss of your eye?" said the agent. "It were the first day with me hook!"

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz

Wednesday 17th

Had my pre-chemo appointment with Haemotologist this morning. All happy. Looking good etc. I have had a shot of GCSF to ensure blood count will be well and truly over the required threshold for my last round of chemo (#6) on Friday.

After my appointment, I popped over to the main hospital (the 'Grafton Hilton') to say hi to Ruth Penny. She was typically bright and witty and is certainly an inspiration to us all with the way she is so bravely and proactively making the absolute MOST out of the remaining time she has been given.

My scheduled CT scan this Saturday morning is now ditched, as Dr Berkahn said it is a waste of time having it so soon after the final chemo. I had wondered about that myself, but figured they knew what they were doing! Looking for a time about three or four weeks hence.

Following that, we're keen to escape to Fiji for a wee holiday. Of all the places we have been (seems like that was all back in a past life!) Fiji was never one of them. The more we've thought about, the more appealing it sounds.

The captain of a cruise liner had a very clever parrot. Whenever the ship's magician was enthralling the passengers, the talkative parrot would always pipe up with "he's got the other one up his sleeve" or "the first one was a fake" or whatever the secret to the particular trick might have been. The smart-Alec bird was a constant source of annoyance to the magician.

One day, after the ship was shipwrecked and sank, the magician and the pesky parrot were found clinging to the same piece of wreckage. After some time, the parrot finally asked the magician "So, when are you going to make the ship reappear?"

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz

Sunday 14th

Everything still all going very well. I have a consultation with the Haemotologist on Wednesday, followed either straight after - or possibly Friday - by the last round of chemo (#6). Again, side effects for round 5 have been very minimal for which I am very grateful.

Tomorrow I have my usual routine Monday blood tests, and then I'll go off for another intra venous vitamin C 'hit'.

It is great having a bit of weather that can almost pass as Spring sneak in amongst all the grotty stuff. I've been dealing to a few things around the garden which have required clear weather. I've done lawns and edges both here and across the road. I've fixed a section of picket fence where the top rail used was obviously not tanalised. A previous owner must have thought it was OK if it only lasted a couple of years. DOH!

I've also been attacking the 'giraffe house' (a slightly odd-looking pergola affair in the back corner of our property which had brushstick nailed on top making it look like something you'd expect to find at the zoo. Our climbing cats have succesfully destroyed the brushsticks (along with a little help from the sun and rain) so it was looking pretty grotty - especially viewed from next door! I'm part way through re-doing the "roof" with 50mm x 50mm timber, spaced at 50mm. This gives privacy, yet allows the right amount of sunshine/dappled shade. I've included a picture of a couple of giraffes we rigged up a couple of Christmases ago for the benefit of our friends next door who also know it as the 'giraffe house'.

Thanks again for all the encouragement and support shown to us in so many ways.

Why do you have to 'put your two cents in'… But it's only a penny for your thoughts'? Where's that extra penny going to?

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz

More good results...

Yesterday I heard that the 'core sample' part of the bone marrow biopsy came back showing no signs of lymphoma now. Great stuff! The X-Ray result on the right leg is now in, but my contact nurse at Haemotology said she couldn't interpret the X-Ray for me. Hopefully, it will also confirm that good progress has been/is being made.

Yesterday afternoon, I took Hannah and Claire to the zoo. It was my first visit there for well over 10 years. It was certainly better than I remember. Much more interactive. Hannah is always fascinated by animals and certainly enjoyed herself. It is cool how you can now get up very close and personal to the lions with just a big picture window in between.

Today (Saturday) I have given myself a typically silly list of things to achieve for the day. I'll see how I well I have done closer to the evening!

A man goes to the doctor, with a strawberry growing out of his head. Doc says 'I'll give you some cream to put on it.'

An ice cream man was found lying on the floor of his van covered with hundreds and thousands. Police say that he topped himself.

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nzh

Tuesday

Ended up at work (physically present at the office!) much of the day today. Managed to knock a bunch of fiddly items off my 'to do' list which was good though, and had a couple of product sessions with a couple of our suppliers.

Did the supermarket shop on the way home and arrived at the front door and was surprised to be greeted by little Hannah and Blue (the dog). Joel (home early having been at the Hospitality Show) was watching her for a little while as Claire had come over and was trying to arrange a replacement EFTPOS card at the bank down the road. Hannah has so far managed to lose or destroy several of these for Claire over the last year or two!

Claire was keen to take Hannah to the Zoo (she has a multi-freebie type pass) but it was getting too late in the afternoon as they stop people getting in after 4:15. So, I took them both to St Lukes Mall (wow, that must have been almost as exciting as seeing the lions and new baby tigers and giraffes etc!) where Hannah was, as ever, absolutely rapt to see and ride on the $2 Thomas the Tank engine ride near Foodtown. She also availed herself of the Wiggles Car, not to mention Bob the Builder's vehicle (OK, so I won't mention that one).

I'm continuing to feel pretty good and again have been relieved to be getting a pretty straightforward run with the chemotherapy. I hope to get more of the test results later in the week. Hopefully they are as positive as what we got last week.

So I was getting into my car, and this bloke says to me 'Can you give me a lift?' I said 'Sure, you look great, the world's your oyster, go for it.'

You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen. It said, 'Parking Fine.' So that was nice.

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz