How I am, physically

Some of the more (physically) distant of you have asked "how I am, physically", possibly triggered by my brilliant liver news.

Well, I am " well" is the most vital thing to say - different levels of wellness, depending on where I'm at in the cycle (first Monday to Thursday after treatment Thursday are getting really tough), but I'd not have been allowed to get this deep into the aggressive chemo/MAB regime if I was not!

As you can imagine my oncologist and the centre's nurse practioner verify each and every patient is fit for treatment, via a 20 minute (sometimes much longer!) face2face interview and comprehensive blood tests every single cycle.  (For me, vital signs of things like white cell count and infection remain AOK - the focus is my Mg level (last time 0.56, cf. 0.60) hence the 4 hour infusions)

So, the most obvious things to say are that I've lost around 2 stone since diagnosis, and 1 stone since treatment began:  back to my weight (10 stone 10 lb) and waist (32 in!) when I was 30!

All my hair has not fallen out!  In fact it's showing signs of recovery, particularly my beard (blondie-white) and very bushy eyebrows (black, and curly eyelashes!). And my "hair" hair looks closely trimmed, rather than clumpy.

No sense of taste, appitite or fullness, but managing a proper diet thanks to Diana's cooking blended with the fantastic range of wholesome ready meals (currys etc.) around today.  And the smell of food continues to be A1, hence a preference for "aromatic" dishes rather than meat, potatoes etc: lamb rogan Josh, not roast beef.

Insides now more-or-less behaving themselves, which is a blessing, partly down to the medication, partly diet. I loose weight when they don't, and can't put it back on :-(

Very dry skin generally, with some cracking and inflamation of cuticles managed brilliantly by a daily routine of a special moisterisers and sudacreme (brilliant stuff); I'm more moisterised than David Beckham!

 The cetuximab rash has migrated from my chest and back to legs, on it's way to my feet I guess!  And my face looks weathered rather than rashy.

Maybe the only pain (not physically, thankfully!) are the daily self-injections, one to control clotting (of which I believe I am now free), and one (5 days in the 14) to keep my white blood cells going (which they are!).

As Diana say's, overall I look really well, even on duvet days, even if i am slightly too slight!  If only I could do more "standing up things" - energy levels estimated at 50 to 60% normal across the fortnight.

And Sean the Stent and Paddy the Portacath continue to quietly and with no fuss "do their jobs" brilliantly!!!