Gosh I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! I have been quite remiss in keep up with my diary entries, for a variety of reasons – some good and some not-so-good.
The biggest thing that happened recently is that mum and I stayed in London for three days in June so that she could have a procedure at the Royal Free Hospital. Long story short, after scans and before surgery, the team discovered that the tumours in her liver (as well as the primary in the colon) had now spread and there were three further lesions – now in her lung. They weren’t able to proceed with the surgery and after due reflection, mum decided not to have any more treatment. The proposed plan would have amounted to almost two years of surgery and chemotherapy, during which time the cancer cells would still be circulating in her blood stream and settling in new locations – potentially the lymph nodes and the brain. If she went through everything and survived (including having 80% of her liver removed and half her right lung) then she could potentially still only have six months to live – or less.
And so, with our support, she elected to refuse any surgical intervention to remove the cancerous parts of her body. She has also decided against any further chemotherapy. She is now under the care of the local team, including Macmillan and has a life expectancy of six to twelve months. Hopefully though, that time while difficult and with some pain, will not involve constant trips to the hospital, surgical procedures and chemical infusions that made her feel so terribly ill.
So, that has been a big part of our lives in the last month. It probably seems that I am dealing with it quite matter-of-factly, but a month has passed and we have had time to adjust and live with the reality of the situation.
I had guests to stay a couple of weeks ago – my good friends from college, one of whom was my lecturer and I lived with for two years, and her partner who I have a great deal of affection for. In fact, I love them both dearly and they have been so supportive of me and such a valued and treasured part of my life since I met them. So, they came to stay and we had a blow out Chinese meal. Fortune cookies duly followed, with my motto advising that “the night life is for you”.
Let’s see how right it is!