Another Kind of Caminho…

Cancer is a journey, but you walk the road alone. There are many places to stop along the way and get nourishment – you just have to be willing to take it. ~Emily Hollenberg

Having been diagnosed with type F 2 invasive bladder cancer,I recently had to acknowledge that I should not be making my next Caminho, planned for May.
Initially, I decided to close the Blog until I might be able to take another walk towards S de C. However, a chance remark from a friend about travelling a different kind of “Caminho” made me decide to Blog my cancer journey.
One other way of recognising and taking on the challenge of accepting treatment and, hopefully, recovery over the next few months.

“Man performs and engenders so much more than he can or should have to bear. That’s how he finds that he can bear anything”. ~William Faulkner

So, after a number of interviews with consultants at Good Hope Hospital,we decided to proceed with an initial course of Chemotherapy, over the next three months.
That commenced yesterday, a five hour session during which I was given Saline solutions rinses, intravenously and painlessly followed by an hour’s infusion of the drugs.
This takes place in a room with comfortable arm chairs for about twelve patients; a cheerful atmosphere is maintained by the highly experienced , nursing staff and with frequent offers of tea , biscuits and sandwiches, it was a reassuring start.

Two prescriptions:- for alleviating any nausea and steroids, to be taken for three and four days, respectively.
I was previously given a thermometer to record my temperature, each morning because infection is the most dangerous of possible side effects, of which there are many.

Today 20th March, I feel fine and have had a busy morning taking debris from our kitchen refurbishment to the local tip and some gardening.
However, I am taking the advice from my specialist nurse, that as the Chemo accumulates, so I shall become more easily tired and am trying to moderate my physical activity accordingly.

A blood test is scheduled for next Tuesday and on 26 th March, session two of the this round of Chemo, followed by a fortnight’s break.
I am anticipating 3-4 rounds altogether , with similar breaks in between.
I meet with my consultant,early April.

Surgery of some kind will follow the Chemotherapy.The nature of the surgery is yet to be decided, but could be destruction of tumours by Radiation treatment ,or Bladder removal ,or replacement.

This whole process will take upto and beyond mid- summer.

“One must not forget that recovery is brought about not by the physician, but by the sick man himself. He heals himself, by his own power, exactly as he walks by means of his own power, or eats, or thinks, breathes or sleeps. ” ~Georg Groddeck, The Book of the It, 1923

A real reason to be cheerful!
Baby Jake.

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I almost forgot to mention that my two, fellow walkers,brother- in- law,Roger and school friend of many years,Dermot, are both still leaving Seville as planned;I am really pleased as we put a lot of planning and….some training into the preparations, plus a lot of expectation.I shall be with them in spirit.

“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk
beside me and be my friend.”
Albert Camus.

Wednesday 26 th March

Second Chemo session, today, after blood test yesterday.
Not much of a delay, this time, underway by 09.15, after 08.30 arrival.

Changed my armchair this time, so I could unplug the trolley more easily
when I needed to use the Loo.Quick learner!

I did the Guardian crossword and, determined to cut down on possible eye strain by reading for too long, plugged in to my current Audiobook “Who Am I?”, by Pete Townshend, of The Who- searingly honest , if Narcissistic,tortured account of his life, upto 1971, at this point – a loner , genius, but most importantly, great RocknRoll songwriter:-
“There once was a note, pure and easy….”

Nothing easy in his creative processes; not short of blind alleys followed by “success” he felt hard to deal with because he was always thinking “What next?”
Any Who Fan will know the title of the Album……
“Who’s Next”
Musical Album by The Who
Who’s Next is the fifth studio album by English rock band The Who, released in August 1971. The album had origins in a rock opera conceived by Pete Townshend called Lifehouse as an attempt to follow Tommy. Wikipedia
Release date: August 14, 1971
Artist: The Who
Awards: Grammy Hall of Fame Award
Labels: Track Record, Polydor Records, Polydor K.K.
Songs
1 Baba O’Riley 4:57
2 Bargain 5:34
3 Love Ain’t for Keeping 2:10
4 My Wife 3:35
5 The Song Is Over 6:15
6 Getting in Tune 4:49
7 Going Mobile 3:43
8 Behind Blue Eyes 3:37
9 Won’t Get Fooled Again.

Thanks to Wikipedia!

Will always be in my otherwise ,constantly fluctuating ,Top Ten Albums….

Back to treatment; the routine was the same intravenously fed range of saline drips and rinses,followed by two Chemo bags.

Fed and watered by two of Good Hope’s band of volunteers,dispensing tea, biscuits and a lunchtime,Turkey sandwich, throughout the day – lovely ladies.

My regimen enjoyed a welcome interruption in the form of a visit from my good friend Mac.
We passed a couple of hours discussing the usual – Football and Cricket – the not so obvious, EG “The Trojan Horse”,Muslim extremist attack on Birmingham school head teachers. I have a close, if indirect link ,with one of the schools, discussed in a recent “Telegraph” Whistleblower article and Mac knew of a former colleague, who had suffered at the hands of these extremists.

Eventually, Hannah came in and around 3.30pm, we were free to,leave with the same 3-day prescription and dates for next blood test and Chemo sessions.

I feel better than at the same time, last week; probably by not reading so much and less strain knowing the routine

Have got eye-test tomorrow..Yes he is going to Specsavers!
Just to eliminate that from reasons for this occasional , muzzy feeling in my head,which actually started before last week’s Chemotherapy.

We’ll see….

PS Staff at Good Hope, unfailingly competent and caring, in an unfussy way.

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