My Story

Barbaric but necessary…. Pegs and Ports! Finally today I saw a lovely surgeon who is going to fit my PEG tube and Lifeport. The operation should take place next week and after that is done, my treatment can begin. So why is all this necessary? The PEG tube is a feeding tube. The radiation therapy…

Plastic mask Today I got my mask. I’m not the Man in the Iron Mask but rather the Man in the Plastic Mask. It looks rather medieval and frightening and in many ways it is! This mask, molded to my face will keep me pinned down to a table, unable to move my head while…

With a little help from our friends… I wrote an update last night. It started like this…. ‘I seem to spend my days complaining. Like a child, I get upset when I don’t get what I want. I am in a world where everything and every one is a battle. This week has been a…

We can make it if we try Linda came home on Sunday afternoon. Physically she’s doing great but struggles at times with her speech and getting words out. Understandably she gets very frustrated and upset. She also developed a hacking cough which has been keeping her awake at night and this doesn’t help her as…

Another tragedy I don’t know the person who wrote the script, who crafted the words, who set the scenes and opened the curtain on the play that we, the innocent actors bring to life. Because that is how it feels – like an uncontrolled cascade of events, a never ending series of obstacles and a…

It’s not over until…. Firstly and most importantly Linda and I want to thank everyone who has posted well wishes, thoughts and prayers today. There have been an enormous amount of them, and also a lot of questions. Today has been so traumatic that I simply cannot answer every question and thank every person individually.…

One chapter ends…. So, now the first part of this story is drawing to a close. It has been a journey of seven weeks, a ton of worry, stress and tiredness. I’ve done all I can do. Linda has done all she can do. We are both worn out. When I first got diagnosed I…

you know what comes next….. I didn’t think I’d be writing a post this week as everything was going swimmingly!!! Health insurance kicks in on Sunday – yes! On Monday I also signed up for dental insurance on a really good plan and that kicked in yesterday – yes!!!!!! I arranged an appointment to get…

Countdown to March 4th, surgery day. The clock is ticking steadily down to my day of reckoning and the visitation with Madame La Guillotine! I have to say it is a bittersweet time. Looking forward to getting rid of the cancer but absolutely dreading the process that has to be gone through to get there.…

Maybe miracles do happen…. Shock and horror accompany a diagnosis of cancer. The shock of knowing you have cancer and the horror at knowing paying for treatment will be impossible. Linda and myself looked at the options and none of them were good. I have lived in the USA for just over 20 years and…