The Bad News

Because my pain had increased dramatically, Liette and I went to the Emergency Department yesterday. We were eventually able to get a prescription for some stronger pain killers, to tide me over until I see my oncologist.

We were also able to get a new X-ray as well as the results of the recent scans:

• The cancer has attacked my left hip joint. They gave us a referral to the Orthopedic Clinic for Monday so that a specialist can look at the results to see if there is any imminent danger of fracture.
• There is also a new large tumour on my chest, just below the collarbone. This tumour is causing a lot of pain in my arms and chest. However, it seems to be just under the skin and the bone is not affected.
• The tumours on my liver, which had seemed to be dormant, have grown since the scan in March.
• There are other new, small tumours elsewhere.

Up until now, things seemed to be going well: I felt pretty good, except for the effects of the treatments, and was even hoping to return to work this summer. This is a real setback and has come as a blow to each member of the family, since it implies that I may only have a few months left.

On the positive side, the stronger pain-killers have made it a lot easier to function today, eve if I still have pain. We're very eager to know what treatment the oncologist will propose on Thursday.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Although this change is discouraging, it doesn't in any way affect God's ability to intervene. The One who raised Jesus from the dead can easily restore my health, if such is His plan. We continue to trust in Him, whatever happens.

A Turn for the Worse

In the last couple of days, my leg has gotten worse, to the point where I can't walk with a cane anymore. Furthermore, I've begun to have a strong pain on the left side of my chest, a little lower than the collar bone. (No, it's not my heart.)

Liette went out this morning and got me crutches and a wheelchair. The crutches work well, but when we called the hospital, they recommended to not do anything that stressed that area or incurred a risk of falling. Therefore, after the kids stopped playing with the wheelchair, I laid the crutches aside and let myself be pushed around.

Because of the rapid changes we were advised to go to the Emergency department tomorrow morning. The oncologist on duty will probably order an x-ray, to make sure that bones are not affected. Meanwhile, my oncologist has requested a CT scan of my hip and left thigh; we're still waiting for the appointment.

Liette also used her doctor powers to get a summary of the report from last week's bone scan. It appears that there are some problems. We'll find out more either tomorrow at the emerg, or when we see the oncologist this Thursday.

As you can imagine, this has us quite concerned. Once I have some details, I'll post them here.

Thanks for your prayers.

Optimism

My leg is still giving me problems.

Earlier in the week, I stumbled while going out the patio door and landed heavily on my bad leg. I ended up using the cane for three days before the pain eased up.

Last night it started acting up again, and I had a lot of trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep. I didn't really get settled down until 2:30. I'm taking stronger pain-killers today and it feels a lot better.

Besides being painful, my leg gets in the way of family activities. For example, Jeremy and I set up the basketball net this week, and then played for a while. Actually, I stood still near the net, and he ran after the ball for me. Not that much fun.

There's a waterpark near us, that has just added a wave pool. We'd really like to go this summer as a family, since it's something all of us enjoy, but what's the point? If I need a cane to walk, I won't be able to bring it down the waterslides.

There's the worry, too. We don't yet know what's causing the problems with my leg, so of course we wonder if it's related to my cancer. Things have been going pretty well the last few months; is this the start of a downhill slide?

Normally, I'm a pretty optimistic person, with a positive attitude toward the future. As you can probably tell from the above, sometimes it's hard to maintain an optimistic outlook. That's why I love these words by Annie Johnson Flint:

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength his failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Hop-a-long

For the last month or more, my left leg has been sore. It started out as a sore muscle that never cleared up. It then spread to my hip joint so that I limp slightly when I walk.

At my last appointment with the oncologist, she ordered x-rays of the left leg and pelvis, just in case there was a weakness in the bone caused by my cancer. The x-rays didn't show any problem, which is good news.

On Sunday my leg was much worse. I couldn't walk without help. I leaned on Jeremy to walk from the car to church. By the end of the church service, it was feeling better, and I could walk by myself again. We later realized that I had forgotten to take my medication the night before (pain killers and anti-inflamation), which explained why the pain was so much worse in the morning. Towards noon, the medication from that morning had taken effect, so I was back to

I have a bone scan in two days, which may tell us more. In the meantime, I have a really distinguished looking cane that I can use when I need to walk more that just a short distance.

What was that all about?

The painting in my last post was Edouard Manet's Corner in a café concert. It was just an indirect way of letting you know that I did buy an accordion.

The accordion I bought is a small model, which will make it easier for me to take it around. However, I am also looking for a larger one for when I need the full set of left hand buttons. If anyone has knows of a good deal on an accordion with 96 or 120 basses and full-size keys, let me know!

Third Cycle of Chemo

This cycle was pretty much like the last one. The first night was rough, with three episodes of vomiting in the middle of the night. The following nights were fine.

In the last cycle, the rash was much worse than in the first cycle, so this time I thought I would tackle it head on. As soon as the rash began to appear, I started the medication at full dosage. This was a mistake - I was far too drowsy the next two days. I slept 4 or 5 hours during the day, as well as 8 or 9 hours at night. The rest of the time I couldn't do much. It has taken time to get the dosage right, but now I'm feeling much better, although I'm drowsy in the mornings and itchy at night. Judging by the last cycle, I have about three more days to go before it disappears.

June Checkup

I saw the oncologist on Thursday. My blood test was fine, except for one little value that may be a sign of cancerous activity. I'm also having a little pain in my left leg. It's been there for a couple of weeks now. Naturally, I wonder if its cancer-related. The oncologist sent me right away for an x-ray. Everything looked normal, so at least I know that the bones are alright.

My CT scan is scheduled for the end of June; the results will be ready for my next appointment. This is the test we've all been waiting for: it will tell us what's happening to the tumour. The results will determine whether I continue with the same treatment or not. Fortunately this test is not affected by the current shortage of medical isotopes.

In general, I feel great right now. I start the third cycle of chemo tonight; that will slow me down a little.