May – August 2016

As I want you to get up to date with my disease I’m finding it difficult to remember everything, starting a blog 1 yr in is tough!!

Anyway here it goes with the remaining half of 2016. During this period of the year a lot of lung problems, I ended up having a pleurodesis, a procedure when they insert a camera into the lung and at the same time pump talc powder to seal the pleural. 

This is done under general anesthetic. It was 80% successful but I still have breathing problems particularly walking up stairs. 

In August it was found the chemo wasn’t working although cancer was remaining stable. My consultant found a new treatment, it was a clinical trial from Italy and she asked would I like to try. Of course I said ‘what other choice do I have’ 

From my biopsy they indentified my cancer has the same receptor as prostate cancer. The treatment I was offered is hormone therapy used to treat prostate cancer.

I was surprised that hormone treatment reduces testosterone in men as this is what feeds the cancer. The side effects could be worse but they are manageable, it gives you hot flushes, fatigue, weight gain and muscle weakness. 

Ohh one thing I just remembered as this is a major issue for me it’s memory loss. This is due to having radiotherapy to my head. In June they found 5 tumours in my brain ‘Sorry should mentioned this earlier’ but there you go ‘Memory Loss’ 

So nearly up to date with disease, please continue to read on where I am now……