Myeloma
- I have a wonderful wife who loves me and looks after me 💕💚
- Old friends and family visited yesterday for afternoon tea and a fish and chip dinner 💕
- Children stayed for a wide ranging discussion that included ‘How long could you survive by yourself on a desert island?’, to son talking about IT qualifications he’s doing for his post-construction job
- More old friends coming to a 1970s themed dinner tonight — salmon mousse and cheese fondue
- New line of cancer treatment might be showing signs of positive response (early days but fingers crossed 🤞😷
- Dedicated Dharma teachers who guide me on a spiritual path that is meaningful to me🙏🕉️
- Inspiring people on social media and in real life communities who are trying to make the world a better place — it doesn’t always feel like it, but there are a lot of us
- Knowing that most people are essentially good and want the best for everyone
I’m really enjoying watching the national kapa haka Te Matatini championships on TV. I don’t have much time left on this Earth and this is a genuine pleasure.
Jury duty
I’m in the waiting room for the Kenepuru day ward and blood collection clinic. I think we are best described by an old expression of my father’s, ‘The old, the sick, the halt and the lame’. I seem to be in several of the categories.
Getting great help from health providers
CW: Medical discussion, pain, drugs
We had a visit from the Mary Potter Occupational Therapist on Thursday, which was very successful. I had a very sore back for the past few days, and by last Wednesday it had got too much for me. So I got on the phone to the hospice, my GP and specialist haematologist to get them into action. And get into action they did.
My isolation room in Wellington Hospital
Things they don't tell about cancer
A new notebook
I’ve just created a new section in my bullet journal for September. It’s the last one I have any room for in the notebook. Given my prognosis at the end of last year, I didn’t think I would be doing this. But, things have changed, and I have even had the confidence to buy a new notebook for October and onwards.
It’s not exactly one of my highest priorities regarding my health, but I will be interested to see how much of the new notebook I get time to use!
Gratitude
Lying in bed thinking of some of the things I can be grateful for:
Thank heavens for morphine. (That’s all I have to say.)
Another day in the hospital day ward
Another day in the Kenepuru day ward for a blood top up. Keeps me out of mischief, I suppose.
CW: Adverse reaction to medicine
Blurred vision giving me a new appreciation of web accessibility
Hope can be a dangerous thing when it comes to our health
When you’re face-to-face with serious illness or death, hope in an unattainable cure or treatment can be very emotionally damaging.
I mentioned in a blog post a couple of weeks ago that I was being considered for a newly-funded drug to have another crack at my myeloma. It’s now become available and I am into my first round of 21 days on pomalidomide (tradename Pomilide). I’ve only taken 2 capsules so far, which isn’t long enough for any side effects to show up.