What a great night. Went to watch the Hawthorn and Collingwood match at the MCG with great friends and 78000 other people.
Felt pretty good most of the night which is a bonus.
Great Hawthorn win. Almost made up for last years finals loss.
For my friends offshore I attach a short video of the start of the game to give you an idea of the energy. Wait for the roar at the end, it’s worth it (actually it was much louder at the game)!
For the Hawthorn supporters enjoy this.
Feeling much improved this afternoon and it feels like I am turning the corner. Hoping for steady improvement until the 3rd chemo cycle on the 17th of April.
A great friend arrived from Canada today to spend some time with me. Spent the evening catching up. Just what I needed.
Good to watch Carlton win tonight as well. Hope the Hawks get up tomorrow night.
I received some good news today. The Dr called through my medical results from yesterday tests. “Medically perfect” he said. Blood work has no signs of any chemo whatsoever. Red and white count normal. Can’t ask for more than that at this stage.
All good
A big thank you to all my family, friends and colleagues for all your continual messages of support.
They do make me feel better and improve my attitude. I have received heaps of messages outside of this blog, by text, email and ordinary mail. I appreciate everyone of them.
I received an email today from a friend with a message that made me smile and included in it was a link to this video.
I love it!
It’s also perfect timing with the AFL season really starting tonight. Last weekends match was a bit pretend.
Hope you get inspired to.
Cheers
It’s been a fun day.
Woke with Breaky in bed, my new chemo favorite of jam toast and coffee. I was a savory guy before this all started but have since developed a bit of a sweet tooth, so go figure.
Anyway, girls left for school with Petra, I could here the burble of my car fade into the distance. I was ok watching the ABC news and catching up on emails etc when I heard Petra return.
I walked down stairs to great the day and was surprised by all the Duchini girls jumping and screaming happy birthday! Petra had decided they could take a mental health day and spend it with us. It was a great idea.
Surprised and happy I received gifts and cards. As I really do have everything Alessia suggestion to Petra of a Porsche Carrera or White “Mazza” was felt to be a little over the top. Instead they decided to do something I really did appreciate. They researched into the plight of the Orangutan ( I won’t go into the details) and adopted twin Orangutans for me. More dependents!!
I thought it was great.
We all went out to brunch and then drove out to buy a new table tennis table. My other present.
As the day was ours the girls wanted to watch a movie together, which we did. A bit girly for me.
After the movie I was feeling ok so I decided to practice my putting (my golf is terrible) before having to go to the hospital for more blood tests and some x rays. That was a bit of a bummer. The girls came and had a poke around which is a learning experience.
We are now getting ready for an early family dinner at St Katherine’s which should be fun. I am stuffed. Way to much activity for this man, but loving it!
A tricky day today.
The new drugs are better so that is positive. My Dr called and wanted to see me for a full medical as he was a little concerned about my persistent shortness of breath, the very sore veins in my hands and arms and my nausea. I could not make it today as I was picking up the girls but agreed to an appointment tomorrow.
My father and mother in law dropped in for lunch and a chat and it was good to see them. The State funeral for Jim was not my favourite viewing.
A psychologist linked to the room with the big blue chairs called me today to have a chat to determine how I was travelling. When I was last in for the juice I agreed to participate in a study for “beyond blue” and filled in a questionnaire. She had read it and was following up. It was a really good conversation and I was pleased she called. She will come and say hi when I am next in. Gave me some good options for dealing with the girls I had not thought of and I was appreciative.
On reflection I do think I am slightly depressed or blue. I don’t think that is unusual but I have noticed it of late. It has sort of crept up on me. I guess it always does.
Tomorrow I turn 48 and although it is just another day, this evening I have been thinking about this birthday.
I can say that the first 48 years have exceeded every expectation I may have had as a young adult of what my life would be like. I feel very fortunate in all aspects of my life and I am very thankful for this. Growing up in Brunswick and going to the state schools I did I was lucky to still have my teeth let alone get into University. The rest is history. A good history. This cancer though is shit, just shit.
So what of tomorrow and my future birthdays? I have never thought of having a finite number of birthdays, we all do this is true, but I have never contemplated it. Tonight I am, and it’s a little strange.
Petra is out with friends for dinner and the house is quiet. Petra needs a break, its hard being a carer. As a carer you are deeply engaged and impacted by the circumstances, yet detached. It’s just not happening to you, so its different. The girls are sleeping.
One of my closest friends has arrived from Canada to spend some time with me which is great. He is in Sydney tonight with another friend of mine. We plan on going to see Collingwood V Hawthorn this Friday night at the MCG which should be a lot of fun.
I think it might be time for an “Avitan” and to drift of to sleep. That is one great drug!
Tomorrow will be a good day.
Sunday and Monday have been like ground hog day. I sleep well with the wonder drug “Avitan” doing its stuff over night but then I wake to a fairly flat, yuk day. Maybe I should take it all day!
Petra managed to drop her iphone into a friends swimming pool yesterday and then, much to Siena’a shock, disrobed down to her smalls to duck dive into the pool to save the phone. Apparently, the owners of the house were just about to pull out the twister, light a candle and play “miss free love” from the Hudo Guros until they realised Petra was trying to save her phone.
“Dad it was so grouse, Dad, I mean in her undies Dad…I could die Dad, I mean XXXXX parents were home”!! “Dad”!! Poor Siena was mortified. Anyway, the phone died. No doubt the insider will share her take on the incident.
Anyway, I booked in at the Apple store, Chadstone, 11.20 am at the Genius Bar (should be called the not so Genius Bar, but that’s another story) to share my story. I lied, told them I dropped the phone whilst shaving, tried to take that important phone call and in she went into the sink. He smiled and said “we will swap the phone for $179.00”. I thought that was a bargain, so we did.
All this shuffling about tired me out so I sat while Petra shopped a bit. I also noticed the absence of the male species in shopping centers. As I looked around it was the domain of the young mum and retired women. Nothing more to add than that. The shopping centre was also basically empty other than the frenetic activity in the Apple store and at the Genus Bar. They are doing something right or their clients are dong something wrong. Probably a bit of both.
I called my Doctor to tell him that this cancer thing really does suck and I am over the sympathy and empathetic nods and its time to kick this into another gear. He listened and prescribed a different anti nausea drug and faxed the script to a local chemist that I will pick up later today. Almost 7 days in post the last chemo cycle and I am hoping that this will help turn the corner.
Other than that, it’s all ok.
Today very similar to yesterday.
Minor improvement. Slept most of the day.
Did not make it to the girls basket ball final but they won their way through to the grand final and I will be fine by next Saturday.
Couple of friends dropped over for a visit early afternoon which made me feel better. One came with “soup” for dinner. Perfect.
Feel I am close to turning towards better days.
Really difficult day today. Feeling really ordinary with nausea and general crappiness (my word) prevailing pretty much all day.
It’s relentless which does your head in at times. Can’t seem to find any relief. Drugs seeming to be loosing impact. Had to focus on work matters for a fair chunk of the day which has made it a bit more difficult.
My goal is to get to the girls basket ball final tomorrow.
Not a good day.
Sorry about my post yesterday. A bit dramatic and I think I stressed a few people out.
I have been given much stronger drugs to help with the side effects and a new one called “Ativan” is a whooper. If you google it you know why. I think I was channelling Bob Dylan or River Phoenix when I wrote yesterday’s post!
I have been in bed all day basically sleeping and feeling like crap. Nausea, agitated, restless, feverish but without a fever.
Have not been able to escape from a number of work issues which is a little stressful and I am doing all I can on that front. I hope I recover overnight.
You feel yourself slowly shutting down, withdrawing, breathing shallower, body burning, stomach churning, descending to a place where you can allow this stuff to wash through you. Hopefully flushing away the bad stuff with some of the good.
Not good.
Waiting to resurface.
My Unplanned Sabbatical 