2009-03-23 — News about Margaret

By one of those strange coincidences that seem to happen quite often, my ex-wife Margaret has also had a mouth tumour and I've put some stuff about that on this blog.—mostly 'newsletters' that our son Chris and sometimes I have sent out on her case. This below was the latest newsletter to her friends following some very recent developments.

Dear All

I'm sorry to have to tell you all this news, but Margaret had some routine 'control' checks this afternoon and although the lung x-ray proved fine, the ultra-sound scan of her throat area did not. While the person doing the scan won't commit to a definite diagnosis there are definitely new problem lymph nodes -- ones that will have to be investigated further, probably by an MR scan. The person doing the scan is the same one who correctly spotted the last re-occurrence so it is likely that he is correct in thinking there is a new problem.

The new problem areas are under her chin and on the other side of her throat (the opposite side to the last problem area).

Margaret is understandably feeling down about this and that is certainly to be expected, coming as it does right in the middle of her chemo treatment.

She does not want to talk much right now, but if you text her (0664 xxxxxxx) she will certainly reply when she has recovered from this initial shock.

Of course there is a lot to investigate, and probably another operation but while this is upsetting to say the least, nevertheless there are certainly many options left open -- it is probably the uncertainty that is one of the worst things

Your thoughts and prayers would be welcome, for Margaret of course, but perhaps also for Chris and Sarah who have been subjected to a lot of horrible worries from both their parents over the last couple of years.

Best regards to you all

David

2009-03-21 — Tumour news: All going well, home on Monday

Dear All

First of all thanks to all of you who emailed, texted or phoned me -- it is a great help to know I have so many friends wishing me well.

Things are going well. After two days of tests and scans I had the operation late Tuesday afternoon. It apparently went well (I was asleep during it so cannot confirm that) and I spent a comfortable night in the recovery station. There was a 85 year old lady in the bed next to me (separated by a screen) who was complaining very loudly all night that they had her in the wrong place and wanting to know why she hadn't been operated on (she had of course) so sleep was a bit disturbed but comfortable.

Wednesday and most of Thursday were a bit uncomfortable but I was got out of bed and taken on walks by a young physiotherapist which surprisingly enough helped a lot. Then Thursday evening the drains were removed from the wound and things really looked up. Almost all the discomfort disappeared and there is a great psychological boost in being able to get up and do things without having to call a nurse to be disconnected from pumps and things. Started using the computer and reading books from that point -- before that I just dozed or listened to the radio.

I will be going home Monday which is great but the results of the biopsy won't be known until later next week. Then they will decide on what further treatment is needed. There is a small chance that what was removed was not malignant but that's not something I'm banking on right now.

And the bad news? Well I am having a running Spoon Battle again -- they keep giving me teaspoons to eat my soup and yogurt with (real men don't eat yogurt with baby spoons) so every time I see a real spoon I 'borrow' it and hide it in my room. Then the yogurt (my staple food) comes in bowls covered in cling film which I find almost impossible to remove, the bowl being completely enclosed. Am I alone in the world in thinking that cling film is the Devil's Invention? When you try to put it on it sticks to anything possible except what it is supposed to and once it is stuck it won't come separated.

So you can see my troubles are really rather trivial!

I wish you all a good weekend -- looks sunny out of my window -- I hope you have the same

love to all

David

2009-03-12 — Tumour news: two steps forward, one back...

Dear All

It's been a long time since I last wrote one of these newsletters. I have improved so much since the end of the chemo-therapy and was planning to announce this week after spending Monday to Wednesday in hospital for a whole set of what were expected to be routine tests and scans … so much for the "best laid plans of mice and men" (* see note at the bottom of this email)…

Unfortunately, although most of the tests proved fine, they found a new thing on my lung. Quite small but definitely new. My oncologist wasn't able to decide whether it was malignant or not and wanted me to go to my original lung surgeon. I was able to get an appointment with the surgeon last night and he said another operation is the only sensible option. Having established that it would be very unwise to wait the 8 weeks until I'd taught my Webster classes we settled for next week. Might as well get it over.

So I'm in the Confraternität hospital (I might write a 'Patient's Guide to Vienna's Hospitals' with 'bedpan' ratings instead of stars — am certainly getting to know them all) on Monday and will operated on Tuesday. If it is anything like last time I'll be in hospital about a week. Maybe 10 days. Operation-wise it's not a big deal if I remember rightly from last time. I know I spent quite a lot of time in their garden and didn't feel too bad.

Still at least I've got my weight up a bit and am feeling good physically right now so I should be able to handle the thing well. I was (and still am) more upset about letting down Webster and the students than I am about the bad news itself — this is what you get from missionary parents I think — but there is no alternative. I contacted the head of faculty last night and he has already a plan in place to replace me. So that is working out as well as it can under the circumstances.

Apart from the news above I'd managed to add a new problem — a delayed reaction to the chemo-therapy — this new thing is called polyneuropathy — it's a sort of pins-and-needles tingling in my toes and now in my finger tips. Makes doing up shirt buttons difficult but otherwise is just a little uncomfortable — not painful. But they are treating that now and I'm on a course of medication.

Anyway, I'm still in good spirits and once again am grateful that this thing, like the other things that have been detected, was found while it is small and not when it had a chance to grow (actually it might not be malignant but they don't want to chance that). Luckily all the chemo side-effects (apart from the tingly toes thing) are well in the past and so I'm expecting a quick recovery.

Best wishes to you all

David

* do mice really plan things? Or is that the point? Apparently the real quote is "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley" which doesn't clarify things much.