Week 1, Ready to go, including dinner and driving rosters

So, Week 1 of my treatment has finally arrived, with all of my session times for the week now locked in. Friday involved a bit of running around to get a final (4th) Covid shot that the St Vincent's Cancer Centre wanted me to organise. Then, on the 30th December, they have organised for me to have Evusheld, a pre-exposure prophylaxis for Covid-19. The fun thing about this is that it requires two injections in the rear - woohooo!

To everyone who have asked if they can help with meals, driving and more; a very big THANK YOU! The dinner and driving rosters are now open so fill yer boots!

Dinner Roster
Managed by Claire's sister, Merran. Link below, or contact Merran on 0423 952 668
Click here for dinner roster

Driving Roster
Managed by my brother, Troy. Link below, or contact Troy at troy@thefurlongs.com or on mobile 0401 523 789 to book a spot.
Click here for driving roster

This first week involves Radiotherapy everyday (Friday is 2 sessions 6 hours apart), and Wednesday also includes 4 hours of chemotherapy, so a long day.

As I go into this journey I am positive, yet anxious. I know I am going to win this battle. My next update will be on Monday night with a view of my first radiotherapy session.

Thank you everyone for your support ... it does help me :)

If I don't speak to you beforehand, have a Merry Christmas - I know I will be :)

 

Popular posts from this blog

Home again!!

Image
After nearly 4 weeks in hospital, it's time to go home! As one nurse quipped to me, "Hospital is where sick people go. Home is where sick people go to get better".  To those who visited, or helped Claire keep everything running at home while she juggled starting a new job and looking after pets and kids; thank you. It's so good to be home amongst familiar surroundings. As an added bonus, Formula 1 testing was on last night so it was great to put my feet up and watch F1 on the big screen :)
Read more

Week 8 - I'd rather forget it. Hallucinations and more.

Image
Week 8 since treatment started, and the first week with no treatment, is a week in my life I'd really rather forget. It turns out I developed Aspirated Pneumonia and Week 8 I was running a fever over 40 degrees, while dealing with the after effects of chemotherapy AND radiotherapy. In addition, I was on morphine injections and cocaine mouthwash for pain, and was sweating and hallucinating, whilst in a 4-bed room in a public hospital ward. The burns on my neck from radiotherapy were at there peak, so imagine what the burns were like on the inside of my neck! In addition, chemotherapy was smashing me for six. Seriously, I cannot imagine a worse week ever in my life. Claire battled with a SNAFU to get me transferred across to St. Vincent's Private Hospital and by Thursday evening I was transferred across to the private hospital. If you are reading this and don't have private health insurance; get it.  I don't have much of a recollection of this week other than frightening ...
Read more

Tumor shrinking, Greg not shrinking :)

Image
At my weekly meeting with my radiation oncologist, June, on Tuesday, she was on the lookout for tumor size in my neck and what they were up to. I have been able to noticeably see and feel the tumors reducing in size, and to quote her "tumor is shrinking, Greg's not shrinking, this is good". My weight is still holding stead (omg I am eating like a horse!) and the tumors are indeed shrinking; great news! This week is also when June walked through my upcoming chemotherapy and pain medication to allow me to continue eating as long as possible. I've been prescribed a solution to gargle, swish and swallow before eating to totally numb my throat for 15 minutes or so. This is to enable me to get food into me "normally" for as long as possible. The other drug is a type of liquid morphine derivative that I squirt into my mouth, swish around, then swallow. I'm to use this when panadol will no longer keep the pain at bay. Other than this, it's radiation therapy ...
Read more