2012

I do apologise for a long silence. In part this has been because it is the holiday season here and I have been away from Wellington visiting family. Catherine flew home from from London and has been with Miang and me since just before Christmas. We had Christmas day in Wellington then drove to the Bay of Plenty for a few days at Ohope, and then with Jeanine and Murray in Papamoa. The photo shows Catherine, Jeanine, me and Miang on a walk around Mount Maunganui.

But I have to confess, there has been a deterioration in my health. Christmas day was spent dealing with another obstruction, only to be repeated a week later. The experience is unpleasant, but it passes. What doesn't pass is the underlying problem. The record CEA measurement was more than a portent of trouble ahead. It has simply confirmed what my body had been telling me for some weeks. I have continuous pain now and each day brings change. But this change is different. During the 2010 chemotherapy, despite the nausea and tiredness, the tumour pain noticeably receded over the treatment. After surgery, both in 2008 and 2010, each day of recuperation brought noticeable improvement. Now, the change is in reverse, and the mental challenge that this brings is quite different. I am having to learn some new skills.

Next week I have a PET-CT scan. This will enable my surgeon and oncologist to make a decision about future options. One possibility is further chemotherapy.

I am in good spirits.