Friday 31st July 2009

We saw the oncologist yesterday. Jane's cancer tumour markers have risen sharply but are still relatively low compared to 2 years ago. She will have further tests at the end of the month. But, more importantly, overnight she seems to have contracted a really bad chest infection. The doctor called this afternoon and prescribed anti-biotics. Please continue to pray.

Love from us both.

Thursday 23rd July 2009

Just a very short update to let you know that Jane has completed radiotherapy. The side effects don't seem to be as bad as they were last time (2007) but she is nonetheless very tired and achy. However, she is also her usual stoical self in the midst of it all smiling her way throughand lending encouragement to the rest of us. Meanwhile, we have no kitchen for 2 weeks until a new one is fitted - it was planned but we didn't reckon on the radiotherapy happening so soon! We see the oncologist a week from today and I'll blog again after that.

Much love to you all and thank you for continued prayers.

Thursday 9th July 2009

Hi, folks. A little update for you. Jane saw the consultant in Southampton yesterday. She is going to have 5 days of radiotherapy on her hips and lower back to reduce pain. We hope this will happen in the next few weeks. Thank you for continuing prayers.

God Bless

Peter and Jane

Saturday 4th July 2009

Hello, everyone. I just wanted to write a few lines following a wonderful holiday and also to report on Jane's endoscopy. Let's do the medical update first. Jane had a wretched time the day before the procedure because she couldn't keep down the dreaded laxative; she was violently sick twice and was really anxious about whether they would be able to proceed. As things turned out, she was fine and the procedure went off well. Even better, they found nothing untoward and Jane's colon (forgive such details!) appears to be in good shape. She is very relieved but very tired. Next week we are off to Southampton to visit the radiology department to see if they can do something to resolve the pain in Jane's hips. Our hope is that, having had almost 2 years without treatment, she will respond really well.

Our holiday was really great. It was just what we both needed in terms of a change of scenery and rest. Rome for the first couple of days was very hot and busy. It was great to see Filippo and Alessandra again (and to enjoy A's fantastic cooking). The weather changed the day we left Rome and turned cooler and poured with rain. We hired a car and ended up with a Fiat Qubo (it looked rather like a bread van - sliding doors at the rear!!). Tuscany was great - weather was patchy but the temperatures allowed us to do a lot more than we would had it been 10 degrees hotter.

Sandra hosted us brilliantly as did Martin and Tina for our last 3 days. We ate and drank too much (well, I did) and Jane managed some spectacular combat shopping in Arezzo and Cortona. The photos above were taken on Sandra's terrace the evening we arrived there and a sunset shot from the other side of her house on another evening.

We will blog again after we have had news on radiotherapy options. Thank you all for continuing prayers.

Love

Peter and Jane

Sunday 14th June 2009

I just wanted to write a few additional lines now as we prepare to go on holiday. Jane and I are off to Italy on Wednesday for 2 weeks. We shall stay with friends in Rome for a couple of days before returning to Umbria/Tuscany for the third year in succession to see dear Martin, Tina and Sandra.

Jane's liver is swollen and the Crohn's disease has flared up. She is going to need more tests almost as soon as we get back in early July in addition to a visit to the radiotherapy department at Southampton; we've been here before and obviously we are really disappointed to be back here again but there's still a way to go yet.

I shall write again when we get home and as we make our way through the various test, check-ups and treatments. But, as usual, I would just ask that you keep Jane in your prayers.

Love from us both.

Sunday 24th May 2009

It's a Bank Holiday weekend here and we are blessed with warm, sunny weather - this is unusual stuff.  I think in my last blog I mentioned that Jane was going to have a scan; well, she did and we got the results last Thursday.  The news isn't great but I think it could be worse.  In a nutshell, the cancer in her liver has grown a bit (not sure how much but not hugely), there is evidence of colitis flaring up and the cancer in her hips and femurs looks to be on the up.

So, we are going to have some more checks and then consider the options for treatment.  This comes down to radiotherapy for the bones and pimidrunate (can't spell that stuff but it's intravenous and tries to preserve bone mass).  Jane says she hopes to avoid any treatment before October so that we can take a holiday with Lydia and Leo lat summer.  (She doesn't think she will feel like it once treatment starts).  I think we just have to take one thing at a time and see how it goes.

As I write, Lydia and Leo are in the garden playing swingball with friends.  Andy and Alison (getting married in September) called in for lunch.  I have known Andy more than 30 years and Alison I met for the first time 3 weeks ago.  Great to have them here and we really look forward to their wedding.

Looking to the immediate future, we are off to Italy in mid-June for 2 weeks - our 'winter sun holiday'.  Can't wait - Jane reckons last proper holiday was in Gozo back in September so this is long overdue.

Well, that's a snapshot of just some of our news - please pray for Jane.

Our love to you all.

God bless.

Peter and Jane  

Tuesday 28th April 2009

We haven't blogged since early March but Jane's trip to the oncologist has stirred us to action.  The news is not too bad:  Jane's tumour markers have gone up again but the rate has slowed - I guess that's what you'd call a 'bad news - good news' scenario.  She also had an x-ray done of her hip that has been causing quite a lot of pain recently - not sure if that's cancer or athritis.  Finally, she will have a scan in the next couple of weeks just to do a full check of other parts.  So, overall, pretty fair and certainly nothing dire or unexpected.

The rest of our news?  Jane's Mum came to stay for Easter - we really enjoy seeing her here and it gives an excuse to do things we don't normally do.  Jane and I went to the sunrise service at the cathedral on Easter Sunday morning - it's always a delight.  

We seem to have been really busy just lately.  Lydia spent the weekend making a small movie of the set construction at the Playhouse with a lot of help from Sharon and Andrew Cooper who came all the way down from Hitchin to help.  We went to see Leo's band (Taking Tiger Mountain - can be found on Myspace) play a gig at Madame Jojo's in Soho supporting Betty and the Werewolves (don't worry if this sounds like a parallel universe).  We are the only parents who hadn't seen them in action and, despite no sound check, we thought they'd dun good.

The bluebells are out now in Groveley Wood andso we have walked up there a bit to see this fantastic blue/purple haze of colour spread through the wood.  We have had really nice weather so it has really prompted us to get out a bit more.  An amazing contrast from the snow we had not long before my last blog.

My dear late mother's old friend Mary Morris came to see us for a night at Easter and kept us all spellbound over dinner with accounts of her trip to Yalta with Churchill.    What lives they did lead in WRNS.

Well, I must off to the supermarket to get some supper but I shall try and blog more frequently rather than just when Jane sees her specialist.  Please, do keep her on your prayer list because you can see the effect of her prayers with your own eyes.  Even the oncologist has stopped talking about "timeframes".

Our love to you all.