Weekly Blog No 131 – Cancer Friendships

Copyright ZebraKat 2018

When you start researching the disease, you start to develop friendships with people who have been diagnosed with Carcinoid Cancer around the same time as you. They’re also learning the implications of living with rare disease, therefore you start to gather knowledge from each other. Even though you can live miles apart, there is a special bond that is hard to describe. You share information and support each other through thick and thin. You’ve formed a friendship like a pen pal or should I say a cyber pal. The friendship can progress to private messages, cards or even telephone calls. Through illness we unite and friendship blossoms.

Nothing prepares you for when they die. You feel the heartache that their family and friends are going through. Nevertheless you feel a sense of loss, a friend who has travelled your journey with you. Furthermore there is a niggling thought in your head at each passing. Is your time on this earth coming to an end soon. I don’t think that there, isn’t one person on this journey who doesn’t have the same thoughts.

This year, I have witnessed a lot of friends who have departed to hopefully a symptom free resting place. I have many friends who continue to travel my journey with me. I would like to personally thank you for your continuous support. There has been many friends that I haven’t been able to thank personally, because it was too late.

Make sure you thank your cyber pals, let them all know you are grateful for their support and guidance. To all my cancer friends that have passed, you will be forever in my thoughts. ❤️

Advertisements

Weekly Blog No 130 – Hamish

Well I’ve been with my new human parents and Lottie, my 4 paw sibling for 4 months. I’m now fast approaching 6 months old. Gosh that went quick.

I’ve grown up as you can see, I’m going to be a big tom cat with mighty fine whiskers. My hair is a beautiful thick coat and to touch is like an expensive carpet. My eyes are no longer topaz blue but a sage green. My little peas were done at 16 weeks on the advice of the vet with no complications. I have a microchip and all the annual injections required. I’m on top of my game.

I love my nosh and my human parents are great at feeding me. I will on occasions attempt to rob Lottie of her dried food, which I guess is like eating chocolate to humans. You can’t leave it alone because it’s addictive. My humans parents are on top of that one.

I am fascinated with playing fetch with a ball. I should say it’s a paper ball and I will flick it around with my paw. I can entertain myself with Lottie’s toys too as she doesn’t play really, she likes to snuggle and cuddle all the time.

I like to jump out on Lottie or try and swipe her with my paw. She doesn’t get my playing at all. I will greet her with an Eskimo kiss in the morning when she comes down stairs.

I have been a little naughty at times, I’ve ate through the telephone cable. I will jump behind the tv and try to chew the cables. I have been found in the handbasin in the toilet/washroom trying to get water out the tap. I ripped up my human mums flowers that are in a vase. I’ve flicked off ornaments whilst sitting on shelves. I will flick any pen or pencil within reach. Ain’t I just a bundle of entertainment. I do keep hearing my human mum say “it’s like watching a 2 yr old and he will grow out of it”.

I will venture into the garden like its an obstacle course. I will nip into next doors garden as there is a 3 yr old who loves me and tries to feed me pizza. However I haven’t yet ventured beyond that.

I am super relaxed in my new home. My human parents and my 4 paw sibling Lottie are purrfect.

Weekly Blog No 129 – Mary Berry’s Fruit Scones

Photo Credit Mary Berry

The other day I attempted to make fruit scones to have with jam and clotted cream. I chose Mary Berry’s recipe and added some photo’s of the different stages.

I also used mixed fruit instead of sultanas and used 100ml of milk and 50ml of cream. Thank you to P for the tip of using cream for a softer scone.

Ingredients

• 75g (2 1⁄2 oz) butter, chilled and cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing

• 350g (12oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder

• 30g (1oz) caster sugar

• 75g (2 1⁄2oz) sultanas

• About 150ml (5fl oz) milk

• 2 large eggs, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/425°F/Gas 7). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Put the flour and baking powder into a large chilled mixing bowl.

Add the cubes of butter, keeping all the ingredients as cold as possible.

Rub in lightly and quickly with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar and sultanas. Pour 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) of the milk and all but 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg into the flour mixture.

Mix together with a round-bladed knife to a soft, but not too sticky dough, adding a bit more milk if needed to mop up any dry bits of mixture in the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, lightly knead just a few times only until gathered together, then gently roll and pat out to form a rectangle about 2cm (3⁄4in) deep.

Cut out as many rounds as possible from the first rolling with a 6cm (21⁄2in) cutter (a plain cutter is easier to use than a fluted one) and lay them on the baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.

Gather the trimmings, then roll and cut out again. Repeat until you have 10 scones.

Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved egg. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Cooks in 10mins.

Approximately 10 Servings.

Weekly Blog No 128 – Cancer Update

Cancer Update written Thursday 21st June 2018

Today I was prepared to discuss either chemo or PRRT as a treatment plan. Subsequently we did discuss them both and here is the outcome. The chemo, he felt was not suitable for me due to the side effects on my body. I think I had actually come to the conclusion already and had mentioned it to a few friends. The PRRT treatment, he is not going to proceed with this treatment at this time.

Even though the CT scan didn’t show up the Pet scan findings, the MRI did. There is multi tumours on the liver and disease in various places of my pelvic region. On my last appointment, the Consultant took various bloods and informed me today that he was concerned with the results. My liver function bloods have been rising since my last op. My GP highlighted the issue back in January, however everyone thought the cause was my recent op. Yet the results continue to rise making the results questionable. There is some other bloods that are troubling him too, for instance my thyroid. As I wasn’t under an ENT Consultant for my thyroid, he phoned someone in-house to seek advice and it was decided to increase my dosage of thyroid meds. There’s a lot of ambiguous results and he is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Today he’s taken another 7/8 tubes of blood. If he is not satisfied with the results, he is going to organise a liver biopsy to see what is going on. I nearly fell of my chair because I had one in Canada prior to my liver resection op. I was very awake watching him do the procedure. The pain after the procedure was so horrendous that the doctors had to give me some powerful drugs. The Consultant did inform me that the team in London are very good so not to worry.

Follow up, he has organised another scan for 4 months instead of the usual 6 months. He wants to monitor me more closely. I should be ecstatic with the news of no treatment at this moment in time but i have a mixed bag of emotions. I’m happy that there is no treatment but sad at the same time, as no further treatment means no improvement in quality of life.

There’s no light at the end of tunnel but I’m still chasing the light.

Love to you all ❤️

Weekly Blog No 127 – My Life Continues

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Kat who dreamed of travelling the world but she was stuck down with a disease called cancer. How her life changed……

No one can prepare you for life with cancer, it’s an ongoing assault course. I don’t want pity but everyday its a challenge. It’s wasted energy, which I would have preferred to use in my career. Cancer was not my chosen career, however it is a full time job of manoeuvring through symptoms, medication, side effects, appointments and procedures.

My last blog, I did mention there may be more tests between appointments. Subsequently there was, I even had some scans last Sunday, ready for my Oncologist next week. Hopefully he will have a treatment plan, which may involve a clinical trial with PRRT. As soon as I’ve been to the appointment, I will update you within a couple of days.

I’ve also been to see my Neurologist, who would still like to stick a needle in my head. I’ve chosen the less invasive action of increasing my medication for migraines. Sometimes the medication is not so effective that the only solution is a drink of Coke or Pepsi. Don’t ask me why it works but it does.

Let’s move on to more happier events in life. Mr Zebrakat has been awarded a Fellow in the construction industry. There was an award ceremony in London and I couldn’t be more prouder of him. He deserves the acknowledgement for his contribution to the construction industry

Whilst in London, we went to the London Docklands Museum. I will do a separate blog for that visit.

Although going out is a challenge, Mr Zebrakat & I have adapted to my needs. Only now, did I had realise what precautions we actually take to make travel more accessible for me. It’s become the norm for us but there is a degree of planning & organisation. You learn to adapt very quickly and I’m sure it’s the same for any illness.

The story continues……….

Weekly Blog No 126 – Cancer Update

This was my Facebook update for family and friends.

Unfortunately I’ve been a little quiet recently as I’ve been suffering with abdomen pain and a suspected partial bowel obstruction. I had a Pet Scan beginning of May, it was first one since last year. I did have a couple of CT scans in Feb, which revealed cancer in the abdomen. Well yesterday I went to the RF to discuss my current problems and the results from the Pet Scan. Although it was a great appointment with my Oncologist, he did kindly tell me “I was a complicated case”, my reply was “I did tell you I wasn’t straightforward”.

Now Im going to tell you the findings from the Pet Scan, I have cancer in the abdomen in various places, however there is something of concern on the left side were I have intense pain. Furthermore, I have additional cancer spread on the liver. Subsequently I will have CT’s to the thorax, abdomen, pelvis and liver in the next couple of days. The Oncologist will have a multi discipline team meeting to discuss my case. I may have to have additional tests before I see him again mid June. The proposal is a tablet form of chemo therapy or a clinical trial of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy. This will be discussed in more detail, once he sees me again and I will explain it more to you.

My thoughts: Something has to done about the continuous progression, I do find that I’m constantly saying that I have progression to you all in my updates, however the fight goes on. Obviously my 4th surgery last Nov didn’t buy me time like I initially thought, hey ho there you go. If I have this chemo, there’s some nasty side effects that I don’t want to experience and PRRT is the last resort treatment for my cancer. However PRRT can slow down progression so its definitely a bonus. I will keep doing what I’ve been doing and that is trying to enjoy life. Life is so precious.

Sorry I haven’t done personal messages but there’s too many people to do and easier this way. 😍

Love to you all. ❤️

Weekly Blog No 125 – I’ll Be Back Soon.

Happy Friday Everyone.

I’m just having some medical issues. My medical team and I working together trying to resolve the unexpected problems