A thank you to O2

Due to my private healthcare I have had my CT scan, I now know where I stand and I have arranged to start chemotheapy a week on Friday. I will then start to have my treatment again in London in an private hospital on Harley Street.  If it was not for going private I would not know this yet as my NHS CT scan is on the 14th Jan.

Dont get me wrong, I love the NHS, and I am thankful for such a system, but it is also nice to have the support from private hospitals.

I am one of the lucky ones, I am not rich, I haven't got a lot in savings, but due to O2, my employees, I was given a package that included a very good health care insurance and to put it bluntly if it was not for this the chances are I would not be here now. Thank you O2, and with this backing I am going to do my best to beat it again.

I talk about my street food business on this blog, but I also work for O2 part time.

I remember getting my healthcare number through the post years ago. I put it aside and forgot about it, not thinking that one day, that card will be a pass to save my life. Now when it came to bonus time! well, instant gratification, but health care! well, lets just say I enjoyed the bonus more. But now I realise how important this card is to me, I have used it quite a few times in the past 2 years, worth more than any bonus. I am thankful O2 have contiually supported me on my cancer journey.

Also messages from friends and family, they are all empowering, they help me stand tall. Robs Mum and Sister came to see us today, this was therapy and due to not been able to see them at Christmas it was great to see them.

I am about to go to my step Mums and Dads house in Portugal for a couple of days. I have had good news and I can start chemo and I can have the ablation (the treatment in London), but I do feel a bit of fear, at least this time I know what chemo can do, and I can arm myself in everything possible to be able to cope with it, everything from hypnotherapy to sickness drives to a sea band (I have been recommended this but not used it).

Also Michelle, a friend of mine as recommended some cream called uddermint, from mole valley farm this is for my shoulder. I am getting pain from the liver cancer which is passing the pain to my right hand shoulder. This is quite common and nothing seems to be budging it, but this cream really helps and seems to be better than deep heat.

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/teisen-uddermint

I have just had my haircut which seems a bit of a waste of money due to been prepared to shaved it all  off in a couple of weeks (this time, i will do it, not chemo). When the hairdresser said to get the style i require I needed to grow it more, it did kind of kill the conversation when I said, theres no point it will all be gone in two weeks! he listened, while talking scissor or any other sharp objects from arms length away from me.

So right now I am looking forward for a few sunny days away, yet again, thank you for all of your emails and messages.

Thank you x

Result...

I work myself up when waiting for results, anxiety takes over.  The doctors are trained on how to give bad news, so you always know when it is about to happen (they seem to slow down and prepare you before revealing the news).

I get scanned next week to find out how successful the Radio frequency ablation was.

But, by axcident I have been given some results already.

My blood gets tested, at the start it was every 3 months, and now i think its every 2 weeks, this is called CA19-9 and every this below 32 is classed as normal.

When I got the call in December to say that they thought the cancer had come back, my reading was 90, a few weeks later it was 230, after that, I did not really want to know what the reading was, so I ignored it, and I think the doctors knew this as they stopped telling me.

Anyway! I am glad (shocked) to say that i found out yesterday that 2 weeks ago it had gone down to 78, this was after the treatment in London. I had a new test yesterday and I have just got the results from my GP, its now 31!

So, whatever we are doing, if its the treatment in London, or the chemo, or a vegan meal, or sucking on a lemon, whatever it is, it seems to be working, and for now, I am buzzing at the news!

Its chemo tomorrow, and you know what, I'm not scared, actually I am now looking forward. I suddenly see it has a friend, ok a badly behaved one, but still a friend.

Radio-frequency ablation and shopping

Rob and me made our way to London to get the radiofrequency ablation  done, this was at a hospital called The London clinic, this is just on one of the streets off Harley street.

In hope that the radio frequency ablation will shrink or kill the tumour, which can be done if the tumour is less that 5cm.

This is the first time I have gone to a  private hospital.  I am a big fan of the NHS, so I thought it would have to do really well to make me think it is better.

Our first impressions was not the best. Have you ever walked into a bar and you feel not worthy of walking in, it was a bit like that. The security looked at us like we should not even be on the step never mind in the building.


So the day after I was not really looking forward to.

We stayed at a friends house which was lovely as it took my mind off the procedure, and also we all went out for lunch.

The morning of the procedure we had to be there for 6.30am.

Rob and myself have never really been very good at mornings, or times, so we did start to panic when at 7am we still had not found the parking.

You can park your car in London at https://www.parkatmyhouse.com due to panic we did not find the massive car park at Euston, so I got out of the car and ran.

The reception is very different from an NHS hospital, and I must say, my experience of the day before disappeared, from there on, everyone was amazing and made you feel very looked after.

The room was lovely, and includes:

• electronic patient-controlled bed
• en-suite bathroom
• air conditioning
• TV and radio with remote control
• telephone with direct dial facilities
• nurse call system
• personal safety deposit box/safe
• WiFi internet access

But more than that, it was the staff, they where all really nice and really looked after you. I guess for me the difference between NHS and private is they have more time for you, and they were not rushed off there feet. There is one nurse to 4 patients at the London Clinic.

The food was great too, and there was a wine menu! the day of the procedure, professor Leem came to see me, and put me at ease and with all of his staff too, all of them where brilliant and really reassured me.

When I woke up after the procedure I panicked slightly. Just after everything that has happened, I got it in my head that something had gone wrong.

So when I saw Rob, I said to him, somethings gone wrong, and then we then both panicked.

Professor Leem came to see me, and said that it was very straight forward and everything was fine.

I now have to wait to the next scan to see if it has changed anything.

I did sign a contract to say something like, don't sign a contract in the next 48 hours. I didn't really understand why, until after the procedure.

I did feel pain, and professor Leem did say it would feel like i have been kicked, but what he didn't say was, by a horse! but thankfully the drugs was still putting a smile on my face, and the pain is fine, a couple of pain killers and it was not that bad.

I think it does involve some strong drugs because when i came around I could not stop talking, this poor nurse could not leave my room! and as I felt at that point I would sign anything!

and with that in mind, I decided to leave the hospital! I did ask the nurse if I could leave the room and she said I was allowed to walk down the corridor, but down the corridor was the lift and, well, I decided that I felt fine and I wanted to go shopping!

I must admit, I did get some strange looks in the supermarket, i guess this is due to wearing a night gown. The night gown look is extremely popular in Morrions in Hunslet, but not in Waitrose on Harley street.

When we came back into the hospital, i was asked if i was visiting! 

Professor Leem was happy with the procedure and I now have to wait 2 weeks for my next scan to see if it has help shrink or killed the tumour. 

The day after we left the hospital, I felt fine. I will blog when the results come.