I think this is by some distance the longest gap between blog posts. It is down to a number of reasons, mainly 1) a few failed attempts to start one off and not really finding the words, but more so 2) it has been a fairly rough last month or so, and I have struggled to find the motivation or energy to do a great deal in that time.
Cycles 2 and 3 of LONSURF have been completed since last time and bit by bit, the side effects got somewhat overwhelming. Regular readers will know that my lung function has deteriorated over time, making it more of a struggle to move about. One of the listed effects of LONSURF is breathlessness. You can imagine the result of combining the 2. As a former multiple-marathon runner, the frustration at being reduced to shuffling about at a snail's pace is real, and is significant.
I must be glad that there were no other side-effects of note, but the annoying cough persisted, although partially suppressed with codeine-linctus medicine, and at times it remained so aggressive that it continued to trigger vomiting, absent any sense of nausea. This continues to insert an element of uncertainty and surprise to the evening meal. What I have discovered, by trial and error, is that there are certain tastes and textures of foods that trigger a reaction. There is no rhyme or reason to what works and what doesn't: for instance the bizarre example that pasta shells are fine, spaghetti is not.
The period since the last post covered Christmas, my birthday and New Year. The UK continues to be Shitshow Central in its handling of covid, and there was much debate as to what would be permitted for Christmas day. As it was, 3 households were allowed to meet for the day, which resulted in 6 of us having lunch. It was a different Christmas to what any of us would have planned, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The following day we went back into our regular lockdown, and we have remained until present day, and likely will for some months to come. Given the daily case and death numbers only seem to be getting worse, I am honestly in no hurry to leave the compound any time soon.
I did have a call with a oncology nurse before Christmas to update on progress, and to sign off cycle 3 of LONSURF. The nurse was good enough to skip over any bad news until a 2nd call the day after my birthday to update me that my CEA marker had risen again.
I got news this week that a friend I know through my running club had died due to his own cancer. The time line from his initial diagnosis to dying was around 3 months. It is heart-breaking stuff, and shows again just how evil an umbrella of diseases cancer is.
Last week I had my end of cycle CT scan, with the results due on the 20th. As treatment has progressed, each scan has become more pivotal than the last, and this one is no exception. If adverse results are returned this time around, it ends the 3rd of the 3 mainstream chemo protocols. At this point, focus will turn to any available clinical trials. I have already had conversations with my oncologist on this subject, and have advised that I am happy to be a guinea pig for anything viable. At this point, I don't really have a lot to lose. It is likely that any slots would not become available until February, and my hope is that the ongoing pandemic does not impact things. Although, the likely venue is a cancer-specialist hospital, with no other treatments going on. Fingers crossed.
This past week the UK government announced their commitment to give the 1st dose of vaccine to the top 4 tiers of the population by the middle of February. I fall into this category, so prima facie this was good news. However, the bitter cynic in me has long since given up believing the words of politicians, so we'll see what happens on this front.