bjs

brian thnx for getting in touch. decided to let everybody know how i am.

on christmas eve i had a clinical diagnosis of grade three, diffuse large b-cell, high grade, non-hodgkin's lymphoma. my first appointment in the bristol haematology and oncology centre was on new years eve.

there has to be about 50 different types, stages and varieties.
the standard treatment for my type is R-CHOP. as i have a heart rate of only 50 it was decided that R-CHOP would not be suitable.

had more blood tests than most of you have had cooked dinners, four scans and two biopsies.

after much deliberation i decided to accept a place on a clinical trial. have a chemotherapy regime of IO-R-CVP. if anybody wishes they can go on the cancer research web-site and type in inca trial you will get it all.

i have just completed my second round of chemo

if you just google in inca trial you may end up in the andes!

hugs, dave
ps
just bought some greenhouse staging. will spell out iorcvp if you wish d

Hope all goes well Dave, its good to see you, I was wondering how you were getting on and hope its not knocking you for six, I know it affects people in different ways, sending healing vibes your way. Sue xx..

thnx sue. hugs, dave xxx

Thoughts are with you, hope all goes well xxx

All the best with the treatment.

thnx pam and paul.

really appreciate messages of support. they really are nice to receive.

still got my hair, but told it will go. i want to come back blond and curly.

as the colour of the lymphoma association is purple (periwinkle) may go for that. if that happened everybody would say look at that dumb.....................

think i will stay with blond and curly,

hugs dave xxx

Well, it would seem grey is the 'in' hair colour currently Maisiesdad"..........so, that's gonna save me a lot of money in hair dye!

I was lucky as although I needed the radiotherapy I didn't have the chemo Dave, they still advised me to not use a colour on my hair though, I bought a colourant and kept it in the cupboard untiL new year, I nearly bought a grey one but hadn't got the nerve to use it, I now have a mental image of a purple haired Leo Sayer lookalike, lol.....

paul and lincs,

think i will do a pauls patch and keep the grey. let me know when you need some.

gloucestershire ccc do a purple tinsel hair wig for supporters. love one. must try and get one. go with my lymphoma shirt

hugs, dave

My hairdresser says greys the new blonde when I went once and she was just finishing off a lovely silvery grey style on a young woman

Thanks to gran and mum mines a silvery grey (mum badly allergic to dyes so I kept the grey)

i've got quite attached to my unruly grey/silver style, but i do have to book a hairdresser to come and give me a trim.

I went to ,the hairdressers yesterday.......
they were shut! (which will explain my current hairstyle)

hi paul,

mine used to be like yours is, but have a very thin patch on the top of my head.

have a hairdresser coming to the house on monday to tidy it all up. assuming of course that there is some left.

now in the second half of my 3 week chemo cycle and starting to feel much better and have done some pottering about in the garden wearing heavy duty builders gloves.

I "liked" this blog because of your positive attitude to everything. Amazing!

Good...let's hope the improvement continues. At least you are managing to get out in the garden.

bit bloody cold today though paul. had to give my tree fern a blanket last night.

Yes, cold here too.........lots to do n the garden but too cold, certainly for planting out.

Nice one Dave, little spurts at a time recommended so as you don't overdo it, pleased you are improving.....

thnx all. got to be so careful in the garden and everywhere, even the smallest pinprick and i could end up in hospital with an infection. after each chemo i have to inject myself with filgrastim for 10 days to ask my bone marrow to make some more white blood cells so that i can fight off an infection.
miss my football, but certainly not going to miss my garden. weather permitting, i am outside most days even if it is just a coffee in the greenhouse or pottering about. with gardening gloves on of course......
hugs, dave