Hello to all my friends. We have been in Brisbane for the past 4weeks, Bob being an in patient at Wesley hospital and I am now writing to all of you to let you know what is happening with my dear husband.
As most of you know, they found a tumour on his sacrum joint last December and a small one on his lung. These were diagonsed as secondaries from a melanoma he had removed four years before hand. Radiation treatment did shrink the one on his lung, but it didn't seem to do much for the one on the sacrum, and cosequently he has been in terrible pain all year. Other procedures to try to shrink the tumour gave him a small bit of relief for a while, but not for long.
We have been here at Wesley this past month, to allow the doctors to work on a mixture of pain medications to completely free him of pain, and after a lot of trial and error they have found the right mixture,which at the moment is being intravenously injected, but will be converted to a patch tomorrow which will make things much easier.
The good news on the pain relief was short lived, as they then did a Cat scan, and found several other tumours in his body. Stomach, spleen, lung, adrenal gland and one on his vertebrae in the middle of his back. They feared this one would press on his spinal chord and cripple him and so intensvie radiation was performed last week, and successfully shrunk the tumour. They also found that the tumour on the sacrum has crushed some of the bone there, and as well he has a slight fracture on his hip.
After a week being made to lie in bed 24/7 they got him out of bed on Thursday, not even sure if he could stand, but incredibly, he not only stood, he also walked with the use of a walker around the hospital ward. Over the past few days, he has continued to walk more and easier each time and the doctors are overwhelmed at his success at it.
Our aim now is to get him home by next Thursday, with the medication in a patch and all the necessary equipment to help him at home. The prognosis is not good, these other tumours will eventually wear his body down, it could be 3 months, it could be 12 months. Whatever the time left, I intend to keep him home and look after him. Paul will also be on hand hand to help me, as well as other services available when and if we need it.
The good thing is, Bob is pain free, finally, with none of the side effects of the pain medication that he has been also dealing with. No pain, no constipation, no nausea, and he is completely lucid with no confusion and as I write this, sitting up here in bed watchng the cricket. He actually looks better now than he has done for the past 12 months, has been eating like a horse this past couple of weeks and regaining some of the weight he has lost. So he is in peak condition to fight this insidious disease with a positive attitude, a sense of humour and his normal strength that he has always had.
Oh, yes, we have also shed many tears together, because we think it bloody well sucks that we will not grow old together. But we are trying not to dwell on that,thinking ourselves as so lucky to have had 40 happy and loving years together. We want to make the most of what we have left and make sure we remain in good positive mood. We have great support and Bob will be surrounded by his family constantly, which, as you know, is when he is happiest.
I know as our friends you will be concerned, but I would ask you to keep positive thoughts for Bob, if you pray, say a prayer and if you like, let him know you are thinking of him via my email.
Love to you all
Sue xxxx
