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Weekly update letter …

Dear family and friends

Today, we got some good news from the specialist. The PSA reading has come down from 1000 to 300. That means we are slowly headed towards remission. When we meet again in October, the specialist expects the reading to be around 100. All going well, remission could be declared by the end of the year. Now that would be a great Christmas present, wouldn’t it

This week I started some alternate medicine regimes utilising bovine cartilage, shark cartilage and lactoferrins. These supplements are aimed at boosting the immune system and preventing cancer cells from creating their own blood vessels required for the cancer cells to grow.

My new Internet friend, and fellow cancer (Leukemia) survivor, Dianne has been using these supplements during her 10 year fight against all odds. She credits them for some of the success she has had and her doctors are encouraging her to continue what she is doing.

Clinical trials of these supplements are ongoing but the powers that be cannot yet endorse them although there have been some very positive results independently documented. I am running out of time and, as they can do no harm to the ‘palliative’ treatment I am receiving and with my doctor’s approval, I must give them a go.

2 day old calf on the way to a new home

Last week, I visited the orphaned calf. Just two hours after he was born, he fell about 4 metres into the dry creek bed on our property. With the lack of stamina I am suffering, it was one hell of a job to get him on his feet and push him about 50 metres along the creek bed until we found an exit point. He was so glad to get back with his mum and she was so glad to have him back she started licking me. Over the next two days, I visited them often and played with the calf with mums approval.

Now, a week later when I visited him in his new home, how excited do you think I was when he came running over to me to get a pat? You wouldn’t think they could remember at such a young age.

Whilst the morphine medications are doing their pain management job, the side effects are very frustrating. The hot flushes brought about by the hormone therapy have increased in intensity and frequency. I simply do not get through the night without a ‘cool down’ break of an hour or more. During the day, I have to strip to the waist and rug up again ten minutes later. It is a bloody nuisance and keeps reminding me of my condition. Because of the broken sleep, I need a few naps during the day and that makes me feel like a slug.

The other side effect is the effect on my mind … I keep making stupid mistakes. I need a written note to buy three items from the general store – without one, I simply forget. Today, a friend called in and I made him a cup of instant coffee using ground coffee beans … embarrassing! My specialist says I need to keep my mind very active and reckons this blogging thing is a great way to do that.

Next weekend, the inaugural meeting of the North East Blogging community is getting together for lunch. Sounds official, doesn’t it? Well, it is actually just an excuse to eyeball each other for the first time. Whilst I have met Dave and Jim, I am looking forward to meeting Ray, Jack and Kieran. I am sure you will read something about that meeting on one or more of our Blogs.

Regards
Greg