Today I’ve been at Guys Hospital for all the normal pre-treatment tests, including taking measurements for my height, weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. The medical team has gone over with me today what I can expect over the coming days and they have told me its likely I’ll feel a bit nauseous and fatigued and will need to rest and take it easy over the coming week.
After over 6 months since my annual review and the latest diagnoses. Tomorrow I will be starting my nuclear treatment under the team at Guy’s. The main nuclear drug called ‘Lutathera’ will be given via an infusion. Which will also include anti-sickness drugs and other drugs to help protect my body from the effects of the radiation. The main effects of the treatment should slowly dissipate over the coming 4-5 days.
The infusion should take about 4 hours, then I will be taken to a lead-lined isolation room where I will be kept overnight. On Friday morning I will have further blood tests and a further PET to monitor how things are going. Sue will be coming up to Guy’s to bring me home around midday.
I will do another update on my progress over the next couple of days. Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
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After no health updates for a while, then 2 health updates come along at once! Just like buses!
A couple of days ago in my latest blog, I mentioned I was now expecting my treatment to start at the end of July unless a cancellation comes along. Sue and I were disappointed to hear this because it meant waiting longer for the treatment to start and it could also affect our already booked holiday and the rest of Sue’s school holidays.
Last night we met with a group of other friends from our church and we asked them to pray specifically that the date might be brought forward, specifically to early July. So whether you have any faith or not, we believed that someone was listening. So I want to give testimony to the power of prayer.
This afternoon (Thursday) I received a call from the Nuclear team at Guy’s, to say that they had now managed to get me an earlier date for my treatment. Which would now start on the 6 July. Thank you God for our answer to prayer.
Sometimes we do wait a long time for answers, but at other times God hears us and acts immediately. God is good.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
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There hasn’t been much news to share with you all since March. But in the last few weeks, I’ve had a whole bunch of tests, including blood tests, kidney function tests, and reviews of my medications. Last Monday I had PET scan, that required me to fast for 6 hours before the scan, so after the 2 hour scan I was starving and had to grab some food on the way home.
The scan went fine, but I won’t get the results myself, as the results will go straight to the multi-disciplinary team to discuss my case when they next meet.
I’ve since spoken to the nuclear team’s clinical nurse and I’m now on the waiting list, it now looks like my treatment might not start till early August unless a cancellation arises beforehand. We hope and pray for an earlier appointment in late June or early July.
Apart from all the hospital visits and work. I did fulfil my childhood dream of driving a rally car. For my birthday last year, Sue gifted me an experience day voucher and my dream was fulfilled by doing a RallyMaster experience at Brands Hatch race circuit. This was a great experience even if I was knackered afterwards.
I’ve been keeping busy workwise and still feeling fairly optimistic about what lies ahead. Thanks again for all your ongoing support and prayers over these coming months.
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Over the last 10 years, lots of you have supported me and my family on our journey with cancer, which we as a family have really appreciated. I haven’t posted any updates since October 2016, which is good news as my health has been very stable since then. But I now do have some news to share with you all.
I still have an annual MRI scan and review with the team at Guys Hospital. My latest scan in December was a PET scan, my consultant called me a week later, which was a week before Christmas to let me know that something new had shown up on the scan, but he told me not to worry, as he would see me at our January appointment. So obliviously we didn’t worry much over Christmas! Not!
At the appointment, we were told there were some new areas of interest showing up in my chest and small spots elsewhere that need to be investigated further. My consultant Mr Obholzer also said that after 9 years clear he was surprised something new had now shown up. My case would need to be discussed at the next Multi-Discipline Team (MDT) meeting. We also talked about options. One of those options being a nuclear medicine treatment.
Sue and myself this week met the Nuclear Medicine team to talk about the direction of my treatment and get more information from them. We found out more details about the tumour so I have an area in my chest with larger growth and also have smaller spots on my lungs and on my spine.
The consultant then explained the way ahead. My particular tumour type is slowly growing and can respond well to a treatment with a radioactive drug called ‘Lutahera’. This drug has the ability to target and attach itself to any cancer cells and in turn kills these cells. The treatment will mean me being in hospital for around 24 hrs after a drug infusion and will mean I will be radioactive up to 2 weeks. I can meet with people but need to keep at a 2-meter distance away, Nothing new as we’ve practiced this during lockdown. I am likely to need up to 4 treatments with an 8-week gap between treatments and is unlikely to start until June.
We also found out that Guy’s hospital is the only hospital in the UK that offers this treatment and there are only 2 doctors who specialize in this area of medicine. So I feel very thankful that I am under this great team at Guy’s.
I have felt surprisingly calm and peaceful since finding out his news and understanding the way ahead, as the outlook doesn’t feel quite as daunting, compared to my original diagnosis and treatment which did have a very bleak outlook. As most of you know I have my Christian faith which I believe has got me through the tough times in the past and will get me through these coming months.
I do recall these words from one of my surgeons, Dr. Richard Oakley, who said to me at one of my reviews these words “You’ve had a remarkable recovery and you know, you’re a bit of a miracle!” He then went on to say “and you’ve also dodged a lot of bullets in the process and survived”. I told him “I’m here by the grace of God” after both Sue and myself had a number of conversations with him about our faith over the last couple of years.
We really have appreciated all the support that so many of you have given us over the last 10 years and we value your ongoing support and prayers over these coming months. I will try to keep you updated on this blog, as and when we have any new news to share with you.
It’s been a while again since my last blog page and it’s now nearly 3 years since the my initial operation in November 2013 and the start of my ongoing treatment. It’s also been a busy year in the Jeremy household for which I will be writing about in our Christmas communications.
But for now I just want to update you all on the outcome of my latest hospital trips. At the beginning of October I had my annual MRI scan, which was a 2 hours session that scanned my whole body. So after waiting for nearly a month to find the results, Sue and myself attended an appointment at the new cancer centre at Guys hospital yesterday 26 October, which I must say is a very nice new building, although yesterday they was having a computer system nightmare.
I wasn’t actually looking forward to this appointment getting the results from the scan, but we met with the oncology consultant Dr Mary Lei. Mary then told us that the whole team had reviewed the scans and that there had been no changes and everything had remained stable and they was all pleased with the current situation and no further action was currently needed. This as you can imagine was a massive relief to both Sue and myself.
I now only need to have 1x MRI scan a year and less appointments. but I still have another appointment next week with the head and neck surgeon Mr Rubert Obholzer, but this again should be a fairly routine appointment.
So we can again relax and enjoy life and make plans for next year!
Thanks you all again for your ongoing love, support and prayers. I do believe that Jesus and father God have been watching over me and it’s a miracle that I have pulled thought all this treatment and which has been against the all odds and by the grace of God I can live another day. Thank you God.
