It's 21 weeks today since Steve was taken off the AZD0424 clinical trial due to disease progression and spread, and some four calendar months since the doctor said that without further treatment, his life expectancy was in the region of a "small number of months". And here we are, enjoying another Easter - rain, low temperatures and gale force winds notwithstanding!
The period since my last post has been one of growth and change, interspersed with bits of photography, including a memorable London Calling meet up with photographer friends from 1X.com (where we managed to take a few pictures in between eating and rehydration); a day at NEC where we met up with RPS friends at the Photography Show, handled a few cameras and became the proud owners of a new printer; and a studio session organised by Oxford Photographic Society - out of my comfort zone, but a good learning experience.
The growth has come in the garden, where plants are thriving, bulbs are blooming and seedlings appearing, including our first sowing of rocket underneath the big glass cloche Steve was given as a birthday present last month.
Steve has maintained his weight gain, and is now stable at about 60 kilos in shorts and T shirt compared to weighing in at under 55 kilos fully clothed four months ago....that's almost a stone heavier (in old money) than his lowest point last November.
Whether his meso is still growing inside we have no way of knowing. His last scan was in November and he doesn't have another scheduled (in truth, I don't think the doctor thought he would live long enough to make it worth arranging an appointment). His next hospital appointment is less than three weeks away. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the lung/meso nurse specialist when Steve walks in. If she has read his notes from December and assumed his health has continued to deteriorate, she will be in for a pleasant surprise.
The printer we ordered at the Photography Show arrived much earlier than expected, so we had no choice but to bring forward the reorganisation of the loft to make a proper shared workspace/guest bedroom, with enough room to accommodate the extra bit of kit. So the house has changed yet again...although it's still a work in progress and will keep us busy for a while longer.
We continue to make regular trips to Bristol to visit our son who has moved back having finished his work stint in London, and to see Steve's mum who is still holding on to life by the slimmest of threads, but probably not for much longer...so another change on the near horizon.
The social calendar is looking busy, with lots of good things to look forward to in the next few weeks to distract us from the electioneering. However, other members of the wider Wride clan are getting stuck into politics: our niece and one of our nephews are standing as candidates in their local town and district council elections. Good luck Heather and Matt - bring in the votes!
In the meantime, it's Global Asbestos Awareness Week. Please follow this link to find out more about this deadly carcinogen. It will only take a few minutes each day and might save your life or the life of someone you love.
The period since my last post has been one of growth and change, interspersed with bits of photography, including a memorable London Calling meet up with photographer friends from 1X.com (where we managed to take a few pictures in between eating and rehydration); a day at NEC where we met up with RPS friends at the Photography Show, handled a few cameras and became the proud owners of a new printer; and a studio session organised by Oxford Photographic Society - out of my comfort zone, but a good learning experience.
The growth has come in the garden, where plants are thriving, bulbs are blooming and seedlings appearing, including our first sowing of rocket underneath the big glass cloche Steve was given as a birthday present last month.
Steve has maintained his weight gain, and is now stable at about 60 kilos in shorts and T shirt compared to weighing in at under 55 kilos fully clothed four months ago....that's almost a stone heavier (in old money) than his lowest point last November.
Whether his meso is still growing inside we have no way of knowing. His last scan was in November and he doesn't have another scheduled (in truth, I don't think the doctor thought he would live long enough to make it worth arranging an appointment). His next hospital appointment is less than three weeks away. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the lung/meso nurse specialist when Steve walks in. If she has read his notes from December and assumed his health has continued to deteriorate, she will be in for a pleasant surprise.
The printer we ordered at the Photography Show arrived much earlier than expected, so we had no choice but to bring forward the reorganisation of the loft to make a proper shared workspace/guest bedroom, with enough room to accommodate the extra bit of kit. So the house has changed yet again...although it's still a work in progress and will keep us busy for a while longer.
We continue to make regular trips to Bristol to visit our son who has moved back having finished his work stint in London, and to see Steve's mum who is still holding on to life by the slimmest of threads, but probably not for much longer...so another change on the near horizon.
The social calendar is looking busy, with lots of good things to look forward to in the next few weeks to distract us from the electioneering. However, other members of the wider Wride clan are getting stuck into politics: our niece and one of our nephews are standing as candidates in their local town and district council elections. Good luck Heather and Matt - bring in the votes!
In the meantime, it's Global Asbestos Awareness Week. Please follow this link to find out more about this deadly carcinogen. It will only take a few minutes each day and might save your life or the life of someone you love.
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