Thursday, September 29, 2011

CT results etc

Had my appointment with Leanne the Haemotologist yesterday. She said my spleen was back to normal size and several of the lymph nodes that had crept up in size were now back within acceptable range. However, my lungs apparently looked a mess. This was due to the sickness as described in my previous blog post. She decided to send me over the the imaging dept for a quick chest X-ray which all went ahead very quickly. She had a look at it as soon as I walked beck to her department and said things were looking much better than the CT showed 10 days earlier. Better, but not perfect, as I'm still not 100% - but I'm getting closer by the day. She was happy with the result and said she wants to see me in about 6 weeks. That will probably even trigger another blog. Wow!

Following the tragic death of the Human Cannonball at the Easter Show, a spokesman said "we'll struggle to get another man of the same calibre."

Just been to the gym. They've got a new machine in. Only used it for half an hour as I started to feel sick. It's great though - it does everything. KitKats; Mars Bars; Bounty Bars; Snickers; Chips; the lot!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Latest CT scan

I had a further CT scan Monday this week. I have appointment with Leanne the Haemotologist this coming Wednesday so will get to see/hear how things are doing internally.

I have had a real battle with the lousy cough/cold/flu (yes, actual flu - not the colloquial variety) which has been doing the rounds in Auckland this winter. Because I've been on oral chemo for almost 3 months, my immune system has been much less effective than it would normally have been. Usually, others all around me can be falling prey to various infections etc and I just seem to steam through without a problem. Not so this time around.

I ended up off work for a week, then went back - only to get marched home again after half a day. Was off a further week, and have been back all this last week. I'm told I still sound like a voice-over announcer but have been feeling improvement each day. I'm on my third lot of antibiotics - having had the lab do a hoik sample/culture to make sure what the infection really was after the second lot of antibiotics didn't seem to work any better than the first.

Poor old Mum has unfortunately been really struggling with the same lurghy. Initially she was doing much better than I was and improving much faster than I, however as I have been graphing up over the last week to 10 days, she has been going down and/or sideways. Jeanette had her back to the Dr yesterday who has updated the medication.

I'm looking forward to 9 holes of golf tomorrow, out at Maxwell's Golf Retreat at Ramarama. I feel like the body is up to it again - even though a couple of weeks ago the thought of golf was entirely unappealing (imagine that!). The last time I played was a few weeks ago with the same group as we'll be with tomorrow. I had the rare lucky break to bag a hole in one on a short par 3. I have always felt that while you still had to hit it close by means of good line and length, the difference between missing by 6 inches and holing it was purely luck, not precise skill and judgement. According to research, the odds for an amateur golfer scoring and ace on a par 3 hole are about 12500:1. I know I haven't played anywhere near that number of par 3 holes, so the odds of getting another one any time soon are not great - but that won't stop me trying!

The Wallabies are playing the USA in the Rugby World Cup as I type and I need to concentrate (on the game). So far, not the walk over the Aussies were hoping for.

All the best,

Bruce