Saturday 18 November 2017

Ignorance is bliss....

I’m not going to apologise for the length of time since my last post. If I’m honest I have been hiding in the safe place called “watch and wait”. Ignorance can be bliss!

I have been busy getting on with life. We have had a great summer with days out and family holidays. We had a fantastic couple of weeks away in west Wales and Cornwall with great weather and days spent walking and relaxing on the beach.

 
    Sunset on Perranporth beach.


   Seagulls settling down for the night.

 I’ve been hiking in the Brecon Beacons and finally completed a circular walk I’d been intending to do for a very long time taking in some of the highest peaks in south Wales.



My health is good. I’m back running and continue swimming. In fact I’d say that I’m fitter now than I have been in a long time. I believe exercise is a very important factor in staying well.

I spent the summer getting on with life. Pseudomyxoma seemed such a long way away and life was getting back to normal, even to the point it was before Pseudomyxoma made its shock appearance into our lives and I embraced it wholeheartedly.

I felt fit, healthy and was enjoying my family, friends and the world around me.

But the annual CT scan date in October was like an annoying alarm sounding someway off in the darkest depths of my mind. As the summer wore on the reality of my situation crept slowly forward to the front of my mind. I have Pseudomyxoma Peritonei and I am on “watch and wait”. By the time October had arrived and the CT appointment confirmed, the annoying alarm sounding in the distance had grown to a light house fog horn cutting loudly through the gloom.

Then in the weeks that passed after the scan had been done the “scanxiety” slowly grew. Week one is fine, you know you are not going to hear anything and its life as normal. Week two is similar, get on with life as normal but keep your mobile phone close by. Week three is different, you may get a call or letter and definitely don’t go anywhere with out your phone. By week four you are anxious…this is the point at which I usually cave in and call the specialist nurses to see if there is any news. Thats what happened this year….

I rang exactly four weeks to the day of the CT appointment. I initially got the answerphone and left a message. That was it, the die was cast and like it or not the answer was coming. I carried on with work, mobile phone just inches away on the desk. And then, less than an hour later a call came in from Basingstoke, it was time.

Linda Cass the Pseudomyxoma specialist nurse was on the other end of the line and advised that a letter had been posted some days before. It was good news! Nothing had changed, the areas of concerned had not grown and my tumour markers remained normal “which is encouraging”! They didn’t want to see me for another year with the next CT scan planned for October ’18.
Amazing news! I could feel the weight that had steadily built up over the last few weeks physically lift from my shoulders. Tracey and the girls will be thrilled!

The letter landed on the doormat the following day!


So there it is, I’m a free man for the next year at least. Pseudomyxoma can be locked away again for the next twelve months in the deepest darkest recesses of my mind. Time to plan some new adventures…..!




12 comments:

  1. My wife is due to have her operation on 7th December . Stumbled across your blog ,and it really opened my eyes to what's involved . Read your first 6 days in hospital post operation with tears in my eyes ,but on day 13 "back in civies" and breathing fresh air ,oh how you lifted my spirit . Thank you for creating the blog .
    Ian

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  2. Hi Ian, Thanks for leaving your comments, its really encouraging to know that my blog has helped you in some way. I wish you and your wife the very best of luck for the 7th. If you have any questions or think I may be able to help in any way please do not hesitate to make contact.

    Kind Regards,

    Dave

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    1. Diane left hospital on 20th December we got home for Christmas . She had a blood clot in right arm ,and epidural fell out in intensive care after 24 hours . She's doing fantastically well :-)
      Ian

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    2. Hi Ian, great to hear that Diane made it home for Christmas! Sounds like she had a few challenges post op but great to hear she is doing well. Now for the steady road to recovery. Hopefully she will be feeling back to normal by the time that spring arrives and can enjoy the warm weather.

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  3. Great news, Dave!!!

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  4. Thanks Nancy, I hope all is well with you and the family? Busy with the preparations for Christmas I suspect!

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  5. Hope you have a healthy and happy new year! Thought I'd share this with you:
    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/well/live/immortality-at-midnight.html

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    1. Hi Nancy, thank you so much for sharing this with me. A beautiful piece of writing that really does capture all those emotions we have faced along our journey. I hope you are all well? Best wishes as ever, Dave

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  6. Thank you for sharing your blog with me, Dave. I appreciate the hope you have given me in my early stages of diagnosis~

    Carol

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    1. Hi Carol, I am glad that you have found the blog useful and I hope that you are doing OK. It's a long journey that requires patience,strength and above all a positive mental attitude. Good luck with your treatment.

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    2. Had my op to remove appendix in nov 17, never realised it was such a rare thing until i seen my brilliant consultant in Jan 18.
      Quite upset & confused. Bloody horrible thing!
      Scan in Nov, must forget about it until then! Easier said than done!
      Have booked to go see my son in Sweden and look forward to my other sons wedding in Oct.
      So have to be positive for this .
      Thanks fellow pp ppl x

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  7. It is good to read daves blog and gives hope to us all, when in fact we feel quite scared

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