Sunday 20th July

My sister and brother-in-laws wedding anniversary today- nice its on a Sunday. Just seem some lovely photos of the wedding in UK that we were supposed to attend and had to cancel. It looks like the rain held off and they didn't get flooded, so very pleased for them!

I've enjoyed the weekend, included in some retail therapy as needed a summer lightweight dressing gown in readiness for next week.. and that of course involved buying a few extra items of clothing enroute ( well, there was a sale so of course think of what I saved!)

I managed two swims in the sea today, one before 10am and one after 3pm, a dog walk and a few hours of tennis. Just enjoyed scoffing our homegrown garden veg for supper with some fresh lobster (thanks Jack) and bass from The Fresh Fish Company. Plus, I made a raspberry bakewell tart last night (with dairy free butter, so I could enjoy it too!).

I can feel myself starting to get nervous about next week, and I'm already having nightmares, but I am teaching myself to breathe deeply and try to remain calm. When I get really bad I can't stop talking at very high speed, ( or typing a load of drivel.....) so, until the next blog....

 'Mad Hatters tea party?'

Billy with Bagpuss- (loved that childrens tv programme- won this one in a raffle......!)

Friday 18th July

Well I'm very glad the hospital did call with the new date for surgery next week, I did think at one point it would be August before i got admitted!

I have been having a very good week out and about, playing tennis and racquetball and badminton, plus trying to swim in the sea every day- I have it on good authority it is 17.4 degrees, (like a bath?)

I'm busy trying to cram my summer all in before I have to 'rest and recuperate', although I have ordered some new swimsuits tonight in readiness for my first post op 'exercise'!!

Ive had lots of people wish me well and good luck for the operation, and I am trying to remain positive and 'think' myself well and healed- you never know it may just work!

I've taken lots of pictures so they will remind me of good and happy times, and that will speed my recovery i'm sure....here are a few to be going on with...

Tennis friends.....

Neighbours....and friends....

look at the hair!!! Love it ;-)

Mixed tennis partner FB....

Last Friday in town, promoting an awareness of gynae cancers/Macmillan...

More tennis friends!!  And yes, I do have a very long arm!

Finally thanks to the friendly farmer Pdlh down the road who delivered beautifully cooked beetroot and fresh potatoes to my door today (actually on the kitchen table!) Delicious..

Thursday 17th July

The hospital rang yesterday, I have a date........ Next Thursday the 24th of July.
Flights booked to leave Jersey on Wednesday evening....
Let's hope it doesn't get cancelled again!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Monday 14th July

Non-Operation day, or Bastille day or Operation Stand Down, or just plain old July 14th....Whatever!

Now for all those folk not on FB, a few pictures of our FANTASTIC weekend at Wimbledon! We were so lucky with the weather, only seeing a bit of rain on the Saturday, but we were able to watch the ladies doubles up on Henman Hill (or Murray Mount). We saw so many games, the girls singles, wheelchair tennis (amazing) , had close encounters with Roger and Novak.... and of course had an incredible mens final to watch that lasted fours hours, (plus mixed that followed)!!

 Watching the mixed doubles finals....

 A selfie by the gold postbox..... (it's got to be done)

Novak warming up Sunday morning

 Ditto Roger....

Me trying to look cool with Boris Becker and Djokovic ....

Our centre court seats!!

Roger Federer!!

 The speeches....

 Selfies, with brother and sister-in-law @breakfast!!

There are plenty more photos, but I wont bore you with anymore on this blog...

A few people I'd just like to mention, firstly St Martin Methodists for my beautiful flower arrangement that arrived last week when we got back from Wimbledon- thank you.
LT who baked a beautiful Victoria sponge cake, (plus extra nibbles and snacks)....Many thanks ( i know how busy you are!)

Today I arrived home to find the Chef from St Martin CM had made a family sized Chicken curry and left it in my fridge....Yesterday I had a beautiful china mug and fresh tea dropped off from PW (courtesy of Coopers Coffee)....

Thank you 

Both Stephen and I have once again been overwhelmed by the offers of support that we receive on a daily basis, it is incredibly comforting knowing that so many people really do care.

Lastly, I called the hospital today and after three attempts managed to talk to the doctor who had rung me previously, she said that she hadn't been able to contact the Professor, and when I asked her if there was a possibility that I may be called in on Monday 21st, she didn't think it was very likely, but couldn't be sure....and she hadn't rung as there was no information to give me.....

I'm just 'rolling with the punches'....

Quote

when things dont go your way and you adapt to the changes and keep moving ahead instead of flipin out...

Nothing ever goes my way so i just roll with the punches

.....

Thursday 10th July

Its 3:30pm and I've just had a call from a doctor at the Royal Marsden, they've cancelled my operation for Monday.......

They think one of the surgeons is out of the UK , there may be a possibility that it will be rescheduled for the 21st July, but don't know yet.....

Im still reeling from the news, having got my head around it all, never mind the fact that family have booked trains and accommodation to come down and visit me in London.

So far I've contacted the Travel Office and postponed our flights.....

Now off to take the dog for a walk, and maybe a dip in the sea whilst I mull over what I need to do next....

What a mess up....

Wednesday 2nd July

Further to the appointment at the Royal Marsden yesterday.....

Options:-

 a) They open me up and remove the two lymph nodes that are either side of my left kidney.

b) They open me up and see that the nodes are firmly attached to the kidney and then have to decide to remove nodes and kidney, or sew me up and leave them still attached.

c) They open me up and see that there is actual other small amounts of disease that wasn't picked up by the scans, so removal of nodes would be pointless, sew me back up.

There are two surgeons carrying out the operation, and despite a two hour wait I was pleased to be able to see them both and have these various options explained.

Although the whole experience was a little surreal, and despite me nodding and appearing to take it all in I couldn't quite grasp the fact that this was all going to happen to me, until I got outside the hospital and broke down.....

If option B and/or C happens I will be given another six courses of Chemo..... one of the issues with taking a kidney(and we all know that 'normal' folk can live with one kidney quite happily) is that I will in the foreseeable future need more chemo and your body could really do with two to flush out all the toxins...

DN (one of the surgeons-and a 'top man') explained that chemo as well as operations causes scar tissue, and that makes the whole procedure even more difficult. He used a good analogy....
Imagine looking at a book, but you've dropped it into water, and despite it still looking like a book now all the pages are stuck together, but you don't realise it until you try to open it.

 The nodes look like they could just peel away from the kidney, or not...

My CA 125 has risen at an alarmingly rate up to 176- he said this was good (?) some ladies don't ever show marker rises, so at least we have that as a definite indication, but it was 27 in March....


I will have to spend 4/5 days in hospital, and the operation could take 2 to 3 hours- (all approximately) .

We had a short hours break then lots of pre surgical tests in the afternoon, blood pressure (110/60) thats good! Height, weight etc. blood tests, swabs for MRSA, and an ECG, which I 'failed'..... apparently I was abnormal, at 48 it should be 50 or above. It's because I'm so fit she said....

Talking of which we did have one brief moment of lightheartedness, when the nurse in going through all the checks said to lessen the chances of blood clots forming I had to increase my daily exercise- to which my husband gave a somewhat derisive snort and said I couldn't fit anymore in to my already hectic schedule!!

The procedure I am having is a Laparotomy para-aortic lymph node dissection....for all you nurses out there, at least that's what's printed on the sheet......

Saturday 28th June

This will end up being a jumbled, mixed up, random blog, full of bits of useless information with a smattering of highly intelligent facts......or not....

Did you know that the word avocado is from ahuacatl which means 'testicle' in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. This is probably due to their shape and the fact they grow in pairs.... I used to quite like avocados...

Last Sunday just after I posted the blog and feeling particularly tired I headed off to bed. Imagine my dismay when taking out my earrings to find I only had one, and they only happened to be my very best diamond/sapphire earrings that hubby had given me 25 years ago... I was gutted, and tried to think where I might have lost it. The fact that I had been to keep Fit, tennis, and had a swim in the sea during the course of the day did not exactly narrow down my search area.

Waking up on Monday and still a bit miserable, I thought I might head down to the beach with the dog and have a look in the stones...like that wasn't a really stupid idea, but desperate times. It did occur to me when I found myself on the beach, down on my hands and knees talking to myself at 7:30am as I sifted through the site that I had been the night before ( no the tide hadn't been up high enough), that a) I wasn't going to find it and b) thats why we have insurance.

A few weeks ago when I was at work the class I worked in had an assembly which was all about "friends". It was lovely, with good ideas about helping others, and using lots of very special ingredients for a cake! I couldn't help but bring some of the 'sayings' home with me- here are a few:-

50g of smiles
a sprinkling of cheerfulness
I litre of sharing
a teaspoonful of helpfulness
3 heaped tablespoons of laughter
a pinch of happiness
I handful of kindness
2 spoonfuls of gentleness
lots of love

Reckon thats a pretty good mix, enough to get me through the next few weeks perhaps? Im starting to get a bit twitchy about the whole operation thing, I'd forgotten about the 6 week recovery time, no driving, no sport, no doing anything much I guess. Except ordering my family around, and feeling sorry for myself. Actually its not going to be like that at ALL, because Im going to be positive and happy and pleased that the Marsden are going ahead with this op as I do not want anything remotely nasty growing inside me thanks!

Weve got a long day on Tuesday in London with a clinic appointment in the morning and pre surgery assessments in the afternoon, but at least its not so bad with two of you. I'm thinking up a list of questions to ask the consultants already.

Dont forget I have WIMBLEDON to look forward to next weekend, hurrah! We fly out late on Friday night, tickets for court no 1 on Saturday and centre court  ( the finals) on Sunday- get in!!!!

My poor Jess had to spend a day and a night at the vets yesterday.. we did miss her so much the house was soooo empty. Silly dog had a 'hair ball' stuck in her colon, (probably rabbit fur) and it had caused her to have an inflamed pancreas... and thats not good...

Pancreatitis in Dogs

The pancreas is part of the endocrine and digestive system, which is integral for the digestion of foods, producing the enzymes that digest food, and producing insulin. When a condition occurs to cause inflammation of the pancreas, the flow of enzymes into the digestive tract can become disrupted, forcing the enzymes out of the pancreas and into the abdominal area.

If this occurs, the digestive enzymes will begin to break down fat and proteins in the other organs, as well as in the pancreas. In effect, the body begins to digest itself. Because of their proximity to the pancreas, the kidney and liver can also be affected when this progression takes place, and the abdomen will become inflamed, and possibly infected as well. If bleeding occurs in the pancreas, shock, and even death can follow. 

Inflammation of the pancreas (or pancreatitis) often progresses rapidly in dogs, but can often be treated without any permanent damage to the organ. However, if pancreatitis goes long-term without treatment, severe organ, and even brain damage can occur.

This blog wouldnt be the same without a few photos...

Billy the hunter?

Fish supper with good friends....

And to finish tonight on an amusing note? Thursday night I went to put away a pair of earrings and what did I find in my jewelry box, yes, the missing earring......I must have taken one earring out, put it in the box, and later on went into the bathroom and took the other one out, forgetting I'd already removed one, "This is seriously worrying" was the statement my husband uttered when I told him!