"Seconds away...Round Two"

I have likened this treatment to a kind of boxing match: it goes in phases rather like the rounds in a bout, in this case its 6 x 3 week rounds. All the top boxers will always tell you that they need a great team in their corner and I would like to say that I have the best team I could wish for: from my wife Jen, and the girls, as well as the rest of my family for all their love and understanding, even thus far when I have been nothing short of a right old grump!. Add to that all my friends on the net whose messages have given me so much strength so far, and to the people at Addison Lee who have been very supportive and very understanding right from the start. I know it won't be the last time I say this but thank you all for that support: It means a lot.

Among all the tidying up at home and getting things organised here its back to the serious business of focussing on the fight  from Friday. Was at the Viking Day Unit this morning for blood tests and pre-assessment and all seems to be OK so it's 10.00am Friday for the start of cycle 2.

Jen also had a call from the Spencer wing this afternoon and they are organising the Short Synachten test to check cortisol levels, and reported also that the blood test this morning gave a perfectly acceptable potassium level so hopefully all that is settling down and there won't be any obstacles to get in the way of the chemotherapy drugs doing their job over the next couple of months.

I do hope that the firs chemo cycle didn't spoil me regards the after effects and reaction, because everyone is quite surprised just how little reaction I did have: but come what may I will take whatever the treatment throws at me and whether it's good or bad I intend to see it through and to stay on top of the cancer and its effects.

One of the important things that happens all through this treatment is monitoring of those effects, and as we have already seen, things like blood tests. Another indicator they always use is weight: now when I was first diagnosed my weight was some 142 kg which equates to 22 Stone 5lb. Today when I was weighed I topped the scales at 129.3 kg (20 stone 5lb) so that's 2 stone gone in a couple of months. Rapid weight loss is not always a good sign, but the chemo nurse at Viking Day Centre said it wasnt anything to worry about at the moment but they will monitor it.

With the new haircur, and new physique I might need a whole new wardrobe soon.