Popdate

G'day, Marcus here again with a quick update on Pop.
He is going extremely well, recovering much quicker than I expected and making significant progress every day.
He's disconnected from all the tubes and lines and drugs and drips now and apart from it being a struggle to stand up is moving around freely. He went for two walks yesterday and climbed two sets of stairs each time.
He had made such good progress that the Dr said he might even come home today but I got a call from Dad this morning that there's been a minor setback with his wound opening up a bit so he'll be staying in hospital another day or two I suspect.
He is in very good spirits and has had none of the difficult and unpleasant after-effects of surgery that he experienced last time.
He must be getting better because he has started cracking jokes at my expense.and playing tricks on me!!!!!! But don't worry, I have his credit card!!!

My wife Carolyn is flying up from Victoria tomorrow for a five day break away from the cold and the stresses of home. Needless to say I am really looking forward to seeing her.

Can't close before saying, "Well Done to the SOCCEROOS who beat Iraq last night in Sydney and are on their way to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. Go Aussies!"
I was watching the game while riding an exercise bike at the gym last night and let out a very loud yell when we scored the winner with less than 10 minutes to go!! Just as well there was only one other bloke there with me and he was just as happy about it!

Surgery This Morning

Hi everyone
It's Marcus here, posting an update on Dad's condition.

He had the surgery this morning to remove the tumour from his bowel and I'm pleased to report that the operation went very well and the doctor's were very pleased with the result.
Further good news is that unlike last time, he had no unpleasant after-effects from the anaesthetic and was looking and sounding pretty good when I left him at 6pm.
After some initial concerns about low blood pressure his vital signs were all improving. He won't be able to eat for 2-3 days! and is restricted to ice chips at this stage but if he continues to improve that should change soon. He reported his pain level at just 1 out of 10 although that shoots up to 5/10 when he coughs.
Laughter also causes a spike so I'm trying not to be my normal funny self when I'm there!!

All in all it is just about as good an outcome as we could have hoped for and I am feeling pleased and encouraged.

Thank you to all those who have been sending messages of care and support and for those who have been praying for Dad. He and his family really appreciate it.

Birthday Time.

Did you ever think.... At last My children understand me???

I received an early Birthday Card from my Favourite Daughter Vicki today, it was a bit early as today (May 24) is my sister Merle's birthday mine is on May 28 so for 4 days My sister is 3 years older than I am instead of the normal 2 !!!!
I digress, the card had all the earmarks of being the perfect card... Until I opened it up.

Not even pausing to think that this was a card from my daughter I eagerly opened it up'

Scroll Down.








Further.

Further.

Nearly There.

True to their word The Black Rectangles had been removed "Cut Out"

In case you can't read it the message is "This is from your daughter

Not Greenie!

I'm sure Warren will be pleased with that!!!!!!!

Cooler Weather!!!

I'm not particularly fond of hot weather but I really dislike COLD Weather, we had a cold snap with a minimum overnight temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, now that doesn't sound cold if you are in midwinter in areas where it snows a lot, but its all relative our temperature range for the past 8 months has been between 15 to 22, and 20  to 28 so it felt cold to me!!!!
This came to me as a result of all the care and attention that my kids have given me over the last 3 months and the possible need for more care in the future....
perish the thought! but should my health become more of a permanent worry it would seem logical that I should live somewhere close to some of them.
Again logic would seem to be saying that it should be Vicki and Marcus who both live in Victoria (I spent my first 45 years there to) BUT Victoria has a MUCH colder climate than Queensland and I repeat I DON"T LIKE COLD WEATHER.
I suppose this will all be worked out in the fullness of time...........
I have a date set for my next surgery to remove the tumor (a bowel recession), June 13th, so with less than a month to wait its all getting closer.
I have an excellent GP who gave me a pretty thorough going over a few days ago and his comment was "its a pity about that bowel cancer, you would be in excellent health if it wasn't for that"
I am back to living alone again for the moment while the kids get ready for the next round of care, Marcus is the one for the first shift when I go back into hospital and Vicki plans to be here when I' discharged from hospital some 7 to 10 days later.
Sorry all my posts have been centered so much on me and my health but for someone who has always been so well it comes as a bit of a shock.
If you have persevered with my irregular posting and chance to read this, I thank you and trust that all is well with you and yours.

Peter.

Health????

Here we are again, another month is teetering on the edge of extinction, and my first round of 28 treatments (Radiation & Chemo) all finished with pretty near no adverse effects, some minor diarrhea and a little radiation blistering on the butt.
All told though I consider myself very fortunate to have had so little reaction to some fairly aggressive treatment, now we play the waiting game to see when the next surgery to remove the shrunken tumor will be, I have an appointment with the surgical team on May 9 so should find out some more details then.
The word from my Chemo Doctor is probably between 8 & 12 weeks so the game continues!!!
Apart from the.... until now.... continual running around for medical appointments not much has been happening in my world, the continued support from family and friends has kept me sane???? throughout the last few months, "thank you" just doesn't cover it!!!!
I find that my world has become very self centered of late, I'm ashamed to admit that while I have plenty of "Time" I have not been reading blogs or keeping up to date, hopefully in the waiting time that appears to be in front of me I will be able to generate some energy to get back in touch?
My sister Merle is facing the same problem, no energy to get back to her beloved blog, heres hoping we can both break the ties sometime soon.

Peter.

Just a note from holtieshouse

G'day, time for another quick post.
My cancer treatment program, radiation and chemotherapy, is just over the halfway mark and to date i have had no adverse side effects, they caution me that there is still time for these to kick in but I'm choosing to believe that I might dodge that particular bullet.
Again I am indebted to my family and friends for their support over the past couple of months, without them I can't even imagine what my life would have become, the current carer is my youngest son Bruce he relieved my good mate Warren who in turn had offered to come up so that Vicki could have a break, she returns at the end of the week so Bruce can go home and back to work, between them all we have been a great support to our airlines!!!!!
For any of you who read this and are my sister Merle's friends I'm sad to say I think her blogging days might be over, she is quite well in  herself but can't summon up the energy to get back to blogging, this is sad because she really loved her blog and the circle of friends she made from it.
Queensland has been experiencing a lot of rain again, not the torrential  variety that causes flooding, just the sort that grinds you down and becomes a bloody pest, its harder to remain upbeat when the sky is always cloudy and grey.
Don't get the idea from this Gripping post that I'm giving up on life, far from it, as the time passes I'm more and more confident that my number isn't up just yet.
For those who read this I thank you for your support and perseverance.

Peter.

A medical update

Hi to all, my dear friend Judy has reminded me that it was time for another post, it is gratifying to know that there are people who actually care about how I am coping with my Cancer, thankyou.
My treatment was delayed for a week for various medical reasons that I don't really understand and would make boring reading for you, suffice to say that today (Tuesday March 19) was my second day of treatment, radiation and chemotherapy, the course is for 28 days of treatments spread over about 38 days, so far it has been painless and without any side effects.
My family have been the cornerstones of my survival and I just haven't got the words to express my thanks for their love and devotion, when the news broke Vicki and Marcus were on the next plane to Queensland to give me comfort and support, Marcus then had to fly back 4 days later to return to work, Vicki stayed on as Chauffeur and nurse for the following week until my oldesrt son Alan was able to fly in from WA, while he assumed these duties for a week Vicki was able to spend a week officially moving into her new home in Victoria.
As I write this Marcus is once more on a plane to Queensland, he is here for a week this time and Vicki and I have been discussing whether she should take advantage of his visit to get a few more days to organize her home.... and life.
There is another couple to thank for their help with a loan car for all these interstate visitors getting to and from the airport (Gympie is 190 Klms from the airport) and they, Susan and Steven have made it all possible, Susan is the oldest daughter of my lifelong friends Neil and Joan, always on my visiting list when I go to WA, again I find I don't have the words to thank S&S enough.
To finish of this brief post, I am feeling quite well and confident, I have no pain to speak of and apart from the vacuum wound dressing portable machine which goes everywhere that I go, a bottle of my particular chemo mixture connected to a Pic line in my right arm just above the elbow which must NEVER be allowed to get wet... imagine if you will me showering with an arm wrapped in gladwrap and my Colostomy bag stuck to my abdomen.... on second thoughts perhaps you might prefer to skip that particular image.
Thank you all once again for your thoughts and prayers it means more than I'll ever be able to say to have you out there caring.

Peter    

A New Life

Hello to all my very good friends from a very humble recipient of all the love and caring I have been getting lately, being ill is pretty much a new sensation for me as I have been blessed with good health all my life.

I felt it might be an opportune time to jot down a few of my feelings and thoughts, these will be in random order as they occur to me rather than an orderly list... much like my life has been.

The obvious first thing is the mix of fears and emotions that the news that the bowel obstruction you have is "Cancer", still in my mind more of a sentence than a word, and it would take a braver man than I to hear this without "fear" being a part of what you felt.

I'll repeat.... my health has always been good and until this last 10 days I had never spent a night in hospital, if you chose to you could say that translated into "I had never before been totally humiliated" I was pushed and prodded in places that should remain sacred, I had tubes, digits and various pieces of equipment inserted into these same areas, one of these insertions was enough to clear the obstruction (Cancer??) in my bowel which in turn led to the worst night of humiliation of my life, during that night I managed to soil myself 13 times creating an unofficial Nambour Hospital record!!!!

The other side of hospital culture which I knew nothing about was the absolute dedication and caring so generously given by all the staff members that I came into contact with.

Then there was the strength and cheerful acceptance of their lot by long term patients who had been through more in their sometimes short lives than it seems anyone should have to.

As the last few paragraphs should show this has been a learning experience for me and while its true to say I would very much have preferred not to have been here it has been a strengthening process that will be of a long term benefit.

Then there was the humor!!! from Cleaners, Wards men, Nurses both male and female, in short from almost everyone you contacted, made you smile or often laugh out loud at a time in your life when you felt less inclined to laugh, especially after abdominal surgery!!!

Above all else has been the love and devotion shown by my family and friends, how can you say thank you for love like this??

The preparation and treatment period begins early next week and I have no idea whether this will leave me inclined to more posts about the progress I'm making or not... time will tell.

Again I thank you for your concerns, well wishes and prayers.

Peter.   

Holtie Health Update

Marcus here again with an update on Pop's condition.

On the plus side: He has been a bit better each day and is likely to come home early next week.

On the minus side: The Dr has confirmed that Dad has bowel cancer. However, they are optimistic that it hasn't spread and can be treated. First with radiation and chemo followed by further surgery to remove the tumour. This will happen over the next 3-4 weeks we think.

Vicki will stay on while he undergoes those treatments. I have to get back to work so I'm flying home on Monday morning.

Pop has been very touched by the well wishes and expressions of love and support from family and friends. He is still prone to tiredness and has little appetite at this stage. It has been a very traumatic and emotional few days and at times he feels a bit over-whelmed. We are very glad we've been able to come up and be with him and we know he appreciates us being here.

Marcus

All's Not Well at Holties House

Hi. This is Marcus, Peter's son just updating Dad's blog.

Peter is in hospital following emergency bowel surgery. He went to hospital on Sunday night and they transferred him to nearby Nambour hospital where they operated on Monday.

We are not sure what the prognosis is for the immediate future, hopefully we'll have a better idea in a day or two.

My sister Vicki and I flew up to Queensland yesterday and saw him at the hospital yesterday evening. He was in pretty good spirits and not experiencing any pain but is weak and tired and will need a fair while to recuperate. It was pretty emotional for all of us to see him under those circumstances. He normally enjoys very good health.

I will provide updates on Holties House once we know more.