I know it's been a while since I updated, but during this cycle of chemotherapy I have felt just fine. It's been thoroughly uneventful which, I suppose, is the ideal situation. I now have no hair and no beard, but that will grow back at some point. Anyway, happy Christmas to one and all whatever you are doing, and I shall keep you posted with health related developments after the festive season.
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Chemotherapy
I had originally planned to write this post about a week ago but I'll come to the reason for the delay later on. Anyway, I've had my first course of chemo and the first three days of it were as an in patient and pretty intense. The chemo itself wasn't too bad as I didn't suffer any sickness or anything during the treatment. The worst thing turned out to be the trapped wind I managed to get from being hooked up to a drip and pumped with fluids for two and a half days solid. I hadn't expected trapped wind, and it was the sort that makes you feel like someone is sticking knives into your chest, rather than just needing a good fart. I eventually solved the problem in the night with the world's biggest belch - I kid you not, it was ridiculous!
So I started to feel better by Sunday afternoon, apart from the tiredness which tends to come in waves and all of a sudden sleep is the only option. They'd shifted my next chemo appointment forward a few days to bring it back in line with clinics and things, so I was back in Cheltenham on Tuesday for 'day 8' of my treatment. One small bag of toxic stuff later and I was back home munching on a chicken doner kebab (I felt the need for a treat).
The headache started just before bedtime, a real pounding migraine type affair. I had a night of frustrating non sleep and Wednesday began as Tuesday had ended. On Wednesday we had been booked in for swine flu and seasonal flu jabs, so we had those and expected to feel off colour for 24 hours or so. By night time I was feverish and beginning to get concerned but decided to ride out the 24 hours to see if it would ease off. Thursday was spent alternating between freezing and sweating, so early on Friday morning I took the bull by the horns and phoned the chemotherapy helpline offered by Cheltenham hospital. They advised me to come in straight away for a blood test, which I did. The results of the blood test showed that my white blood cell count was ZERO, which means no immune system of any description consequently no method of fighting any sort of infection. Seems I had bypassed all the other side effects and gone straight for the worst one.
I was duly admitted, and due to my highly vulnerable nature I had to have a private room away from sources of infection, a room which included my own bathroom, flatscreen tv and dvd player (paid for by charitable donations). So whilst I felt dreadful, I did at least have some way of combating the usual monotony of a hospital stay. It's a good job they kept me in, as that night my temperature went up to 38.9 degrees and I blacked out, collapsing to the floor and taking loads of stuff down with me, luckily I escaped any serious injury suffering only a bruised bum and a pulled muscle. So they've pumped me full of a wide range antibiotics and fluids for a few days, and by Monday my white cell count had moved off the floor. By Tuesday I had recovered enough to be allowed home after my 'day 15' chemo. I'm still a bit fragile, but at least my body works a bit better. As an aside, we all know that cancer and weight loss are always associated - I lost just over a stone in 11 days, and I was eating.
So now I have a week to be at home, during which time I will hopefully build up some more strength and mentally prepare myself for the next 3 week cycle which begins the middle of next week.
So I started to feel better by Sunday afternoon, apart from the tiredness which tends to come in waves and all of a sudden sleep is the only option. They'd shifted my next chemo appointment forward a few days to bring it back in line with clinics and things, so I was back in Cheltenham on Tuesday for 'day 8' of my treatment. One small bag of toxic stuff later and I was back home munching on a chicken doner kebab (I felt the need for a treat).
The headache started just before bedtime, a real pounding migraine type affair. I had a night of frustrating non sleep and Wednesday began as Tuesday had ended. On Wednesday we had been booked in for swine flu and seasonal flu jabs, so we had those and expected to feel off colour for 24 hours or so. By night time I was feverish and beginning to get concerned but decided to ride out the 24 hours to see if it would ease off. Thursday was spent alternating between freezing and sweating, so early on Friday morning I took the bull by the horns and phoned the chemotherapy helpline offered by Cheltenham hospital. They advised me to come in straight away for a blood test, which I did. The results of the blood test showed that my white blood cell count was ZERO, which means no immune system of any description consequently no method of fighting any sort of infection. Seems I had bypassed all the other side effects and gone straight for the worst one.
I was duly admitted, and due to my highly vulnerable nature I had to have a private room away from sources of infection, a room which included my own bathroom, flatscreen tv and dvd player (paid for by charitable donations). So whilst I felt dreadful, I did at least have some way of combating the usual monotony of a hospital stay. It's a good job they kept me in, as that night my temperature went up to 38.9 degrees and I blacked out, collapsing to the floor and taking loads of stuff down with me, luckily I escaped any serious injury suffering only a bruised bum and a pulled muscle. So they've pumped me full of a wide range antibiotics and fluids for a few days, and by Monday my white cell count had moved off the floor. By Tuesday I had recovered enough to be allowed home after my 'day 15' chemo. I'm still a bit fragile, but at least my body works a bit better. As an aside, we all know that cancer and weight loss are always associated - I lost just over a stone in 11 days, and I was eating.
So now I have a week to be at home, during which time I will hopefully build up some more strength and mentally prepare myself for the next 3 week cycle which begins the middle of next week.
Sunday, 15 November 2009
'Nurse, I've got foot rot', and other stories.....
I've just spent 5 1/2 days in Cheltenham hospital having the procedures I described in the my post. Both bits were supposed to happen at the same time but due to internal waterworks distortion they had to be performed separately. Both bits were successful, thankfully, but I would have to recommend that anyone having stents put in has it done under general anaesthetic rather than local - hurts like hell, even after 8 injections and 10mg of morphine, but at least the surgeon let me watch him poking a needle into my kidneys (via the ultrasound machine) - quite an experience. Anyway, I now have bags connected to each kidney to drain them effectively, and two wounds on my back which means a massive lack of comfort when doing anything. I even have to have a complicated arrangement of pillows to sit down properly
I've also had two of my pre chemo tests done (hearing and lung function), both of which were fine. During the lung function test, the lady in charge recommended a game called Korg DS10 for the Nintendo DS - it emulates the classic Korg MS10 analog synth but adds a sequencer as well - I'm so gonna get that to help with more hospital stays! The lady performing the hearing test was surprised when I exclaimed 'Oooh, a modulated sine wave!' I just can't help myself.
I spent a total of 2 1/2 days as 'Nil by mouth' whilst I was in, and two whole days just sitting around with little but my own brain for company (couldn't have any visitors due to complicated family circumstances). Being a cancer patient is sometimes a very lonely place, and I don't mean that I'm not getting enough support because I'm getting so much it's overwhelming and something for which I will be eternally grateful. It's more in the sense that over the last week virtually all the patients I've met have some kind of cancer, some terminal, some not, but everyone is slightly different, and whilst we could identify with each other on a certain level it remains impossible to completely understand exactly what each person is going through. That said, I struck up some good bonds over the last week, in particular with the chap in the bed next to me, a 62 year old man with terminal cancer. We talked long into the night on several occasions about the whys, whats and whens of cancer and he seemed very curious about my approach to the disease. He was happy to be able to talk everything over with someone outside his family, not involved in the whole process of death and timescale, and I think by the time we parted company on Saturday morning his perspective had shifted somewhat and his whole outlook was different - just from talking stuff through, but then that's one of the points of this blog.
On the day before I left we had a new arrival on the ward called Charles. Poor old Charles is about 300 years old with little or no comprehension of where he is or why he is there. I have no idea why he was admitted, but his condition did give rise to the odd moment of mirth. When anyone (literally, anyone) walked past his bed he would cry 'Nurse' to raise their attention, and when he got lucky and it was a nurse he would ask any one of a variety of random questions or engage them in futile conversations. The best one of these was on Saturday morning when the interaction went as follows:
'Nurse........nurse.........nurse...........nurse'
(sigh) 'What is it Charles'
'I've got foot rot'
I think it will remain the only time I have seen a ward full of people erupt with laughter in unison. I realise I shouldn't laugh at another person's misfortune but in hospital there is little other source of amusement.
My chemo starts next Thursday, so for the time being I'm going to enjoy being at home with my family for the next few days before it all starts getting weird again.
I've also had two of my pre chemo tests done (hearing and lung function), both of which were fine. During the lung function test, the lady in charge recommended a game called Korg DS10 for the Nintendo DS - it emulates the classic Korg MS10 analog synth but adds a sequencer as well - I'm so gonna get that to help with more hospital stays! The lady performing the hearing test was surprised when I exclaimed 'Oooh, a modulated sine wave!' I just can't help myself.
I spent a total of 2 1/2 days as 'Nil by mouth' whilst I was in, and two whole days just sitting around with little but my own brain for company (couldn't have any visitors due to complicated family circumstances). Being a cancer patient is sometimes a very lonely place, and I don't mean that I'm not getting enough support because I'm getting so much it's overwhelming and something for which I will be eternally grateful. It's more in the sense that over the last week virtually all the patients I've met have some kind of cancer, some terminal, some not, but everyone is slightly different, and whilst we could identify with each other on a certain level it remains impossible to completely understand exactly what each person is going through. That said, I struck up some good bonds over the last week, in particular with the chap in the bed next to me, a 62 year old man with terminal cancer. We talked long into the night on several occasions about the whys, whats and whens of cancer and he seemed very curious about my approach to the disease. He was happy to be able to talk everything over with someone outside his family, not involved in the whole process of death and timescale, and I think by the time we parted company on Saturday morning his perspective had shifted somewhat and his whole outlook was different - just from talking stuff through, but then that's one of the points of this blog.
On the day before I left we had a new arrival on the ward called Charles. Poor old Charles is about 300 years old with little or no comprehension of where he is or why he is there. I have no idea why he was admitted, but his condition did give rise to the odd moment of mirth. When anyone (literally, anyone) walked past his bed he would cry 'Nurse' to raise their attention, and when he got lucky and it was a nurse he would ask any one of a variety of random questions or engage them in futile conversations. The best one of these was on Saturday morning when the interaction went as follows:
'Nurse........nurse.........nurse...........nurse'
(sigh) 'What is it Charles'
'I've got foot rot'
I think it will remain the only time I have seen a ward full of people erupt with laughter in unison. I realise I shouldn't laugh at another person's misfortune but in hospital there is little other source of amusement.
My chemo starts next Thursday, so for the time being I'm going to enjoy being at home with my family for the next few days before it all starts getting weird again.
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Cancer treatment: Phase 4 - Chemotherapy
I went to see a consultant oncologist at Cheltenham general hospital late yesterday afternoon, and I have now reached the point where the proper treatment can begin.
Firstly I need to have an operation under general anaesthetic which will enable a number of things to take place. My catheter will be removed (woo hoo!) and uretary stents inserted to allow proper drainage of the kidneys into the bladder. It's effectively what the catheter is doing, but having a catheter presents a greater risk of infection during subsequent treatment. The surgeons will also remove my infected right testicle whilst they are poking around in there. This will hopefully happen within the next week and will only mean a maximum of one night in hospital.
After all that has been done I can go for my pre chemo tests. There is a lung function test, a hearing test and a kidney test, all done to create a base level of health against which they can measure any deterioration during treatment. This is all outpatient stuff.
Then I am in for 9-12 weeks of chemotherapy, apparently the best way to tackle my particular type of cancer. There are many different types of chemotherapy, and mine is called BEP, named after the initials of the drugs used (Bleomycin, Etoposide & Cisplatin, which contains Platinum). The treatment itself runs over a three week cycle. In the first week I will have three days of chemo as an inpatient - Day 1, Etoposide & Cisplatin; Day 2, all three; Day 3, Etoposide. Six days later (day 9) I will have Bleomycin as an outpatient, then a week off, and on day 16 Bleomycin again as an outpatient. Then a few more days off before the cycle starts again. After two cycles my progress will be examined and a third cycle undertaken. The fourth cycle isn't always necessary, it depends on the effectiveness of the rest of it.
The good thing is that my cancer is sure to disappear after the treatment. The bad thing is that all the treatment has to be done in Cheltenham which means a lot of travelling, but the NHS provides a transport service for cancer patients which I'm sure will prove invaluable. There are of course many potential bad things about chemo, given the list of possible side effects, but that's not something I intend to dwell upon as I may yet experience none of them, or some, or all - who's to know. I shall cross that bridge when I come to it.
Firstly I need to have an operation under general anaesthetic which will enable a number of things to take place. My catheter will be removed (woo hoo!) and uretary stents inserted to allow proper drainage of the kidneys into the bladder. It's effectively what the catheter is doing, but having a catheter presents a greater risk of infection during subsequent treatment. The surgeons will also remove my infected right testicle whilst they are poking around in there. This will hopefully happen within the next week and will only mean a maximum of one night in hospital.
After all that has been done I can go for my pre chemo tests. There is a lung function test, a hearing test and a kidney test, all done to create a base level of health against which they can measure any deterioration during treatment. This is all outpatient stuff.
Then I am in for 9-12 weeks of chemotherapy, apparently the best way to tackle my particular type of cancer. There are many different types of chemotherapy, and mine is called BEP, named after the initials of the drugs used (Bleomycin, Etoposide & Cisplatin, which contains Platinum). The treatment itself runs over a three week cycle. In the first week I will have three days of chemo as an inpatient - Day 1, Etoposide & Cisplatin; Day 2, all three; Day 3, Etoposide. Six days later (day 9) I will have Bleomycin as an outpatient, then a week off, and on day 16 Bleomycin again as an outpatient. Then a few more days off before the cycle starts again. After two cycles my progress will be examined and a third cycle undertaken. The fourth cycle isn't always necessary, it depends on the effectiveness of the rest of it.
The good thing is that my cancer is sure to disappear after the treatment. The bad thing is that all the treatment has to be done in Cheltenham which means a lot of travelling, but the NHS provides a transport service for cancer patients which I'm sure will prove invaluable. There are of course many potential bad things about chemo, given the list of possible side effects, but that's not something I intend to dwell upon as I may yet experience none of them, or some, or all - who's to know. I shall cross that bridge when I come to it.
Friday, 30 October 2009
The Results Are In
Biopsy results:
So, it would appear that what I have is not a lymphoma as first thought, but something called a 'seminoma'. It's what the experts call a germ cell cancer, and it's a type of testicular cancer where the disease starts from an infected testicle but manifests itself as a lump on a lymph node (in my case, the one on the right hand side of the pelvis), so it's easy to see why they thought it was a lymphoma.
Typical treatment is an inguinal orchiectomy (sounds posh, but it just means having a bollock removed) followed by either chemo or radiotherapy, and it is a tumour which is still highly sensitive to treatment, with a cure rate of around 90% so all is still nice and positive.
What impresses me is the fact that 2 days after my biopsy, I get the phone call to tell me the results when I was expecting to have to wait at least a week for them. I'm expecting a phone call today or tomorrow from Cheltenham hospital to arrange an appointment with the expert on the subject - a gent by the name of Dr. Owen - so it's highly likely that by early next week I should be undergoing some kind of treatment. It's only a week since the initial diagnosis and already there's significant progress, showing that for all its flaws, the NHS can work brilliantly when it needs to.
So I reckon it's about time for a sing song, all together now,
'Szleppard has only got one ball...........'
So, it would appear that what I have is not a lymphoma as first thought, but something called a 'seminoma'. It's what the experts call a germ cell cancer, and it's a type of testicular cancer where the disease starts from an infected testicle but manifests itself as a lump on a lymph node (in my case, the one on the right hand side of the pelvis), so it's easy to see why they thought it was a lymphoma.
Typical treatment is an inguinal orchiectomy (sounds posh, but it just means having a bollock removed) followed by either chemo or radiotherapy, and it is a tumour which is still highly sensitive to treatment, with a cure rate of around 90% so all is still nice and positive.
What impresses me is the fact that 2 days after my biopsy, I get the phone call to tell me the results when I was expecting to have to wait at least a week for them. I'm expecting a phone call today or tomorrow from Cheltenham hospital to arrange an appointment with the expert on the subject - a gent by the name of Dr. Owen - so it's highly likely that by early next week I should be undergoing some kind of treatment. It's only a week since the initial diagnosis and already there's significant progress, showing that for all its flaws, the NHS can work brilliantly when it needs to.
So I reckon it's about time for a sing song, all together now,
'Szleppard has only got one ball...........'
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Cancer treatment - Phase 3: Waiting
So I'm at home now, with a supply of night bags for my 'travel catheter', a massively swollen right leg and the prospect of another week before I find out exactly what it is that's causing me all this grief. After that I'll find out whether it's chemo or radiotherapy that awaits me, and how long I'll have to undergo said treatment. I'm under the care of the district nurses who are going to deliver me codeine and further spare catheter stuff as well as make sure I'm ok at regular intervals. At least I can have a bit of almost normality for a while, and I can't go back to work, so all I can do is watch TJ Hooker on Quest, write more music, play with my boy (not too rough) fuss the cat and finally cuddle up to my wife - heaven.
So far, all my care by NHS staff has been wonderful. Nurses on Monnow Ward at Hereford Hospital - you are brilliant!
Anyway, the tests show that there are no more lumps lurking anywhere in my body, so I remain hugely positive that I can get this bastard disease beaten , especially if it is confirmed to be a lymphoma as success rates for people my age are almost 100% (did I already mention that?)
So far, all my care by NHS staff has been wonderful. Nurses on Monnow Ward at Hereford Hospital - you are brilliant!
Anyway, the tests show that there are no more lumps lurking anywhere in my body, so I remain hugely positive that I can get this bastard disease beaten , especially if it is confirmed to be a lymphoma as success rates for people my age are almost 100% (did I already mention that?)
Cancer treatment - Phase 2: Initial Treatment
Catheter:
I needed to have a catheter inserted in order to drain my bladder effectively. This would reduce the pressure on my kidneys and hopefully ensure their correct operation - vital that all my bits function properly before any further treatment can be undertaken. For those who are unsure exactly what attaching a catheter entails (as I was) I will describe it for you now.
Firstly a syringe full of anaesthetic gel is squeezed down the urethra to numb the area right down into the bladder. The doctor then unleashes a scarily long length of plastic tube (about a foot) for which there is only one possible destination. A surprisingly painless process until the tip of the tube hits the sphincter which leads to the bladder itself - a really sharp pain for about 3 seconds and then it's all over. Feels weird though. When I'm still and relaxed I barely know it's there, when I move it wobbles and pulls all over the place and makes me feel like I need a wee, even with extra support. At the time of writing I've had it in for 5 days, and I've almost got used to it! You never realise how much you take stuff for granted until you can't do it normally - wearing a catheter affects EVERYTHING you do.
The Weekend:
Nothing much happens in a hospital over the weekend, so after a blood test to confirm that my kidneys were doing what they should be doing I was allowed home for a few hours on Saturday and all day Sunday, provided that I was back on the ward by about 9.30pm.
More Tests:
Monday morning meant a CT scan to check whether there was just one lump, or more hiding in my lymph system. I had to drink 1 litre of aniseed flavoured liquid (which shows up the small bowel on the scan) and then get injected with two huge syringes full of iodine based solution (which shows up the rest of the intestine), then lie on a motorised trolley and get whizzed through what looks like a giant polo mint. The CT scanner whirrs gently and makes some cool noises as you pass through, but the best bit has to be the computerised male voice telling you to 'Breathe in, and hold your breath', then 'Breathe normally' as they take the necessary photos. You'd be a fool to disobey ;)
I was hoping to have my biopsy on Monday as well but it was scheduled for Tuesday at 2pm, which arrived pretty quickly thanks to a good book and some great tunes on my mp3 player.
The object of a biopsy is to take a sample of the cancerous tissue in order to determine exactly what it is. This is performed by guiding a needle to the precise area with the aid of an ultrasound scan. First the correct area is anaesthetised (local) and the insertion spot marked then nicked with a razor blade. The needle they put in is about 6 inches long and about 1.5mm wide. There's no pain when they jam it into you but it feels a bit like being kicked in the guts a few times. Once that's in place (and I could see it sticking out of me - yes, I was watching it all) a thinner needle is inserted down the middle of it and that it the device which actually grabs the sample, and at least three are taken). All done, and the world's smallest plaster applied to the 'wound' (pretty much non existent. Three hours later I was on my way home, the rest of my treatment to be done as an out patient.
I needed to have a catheter inserted in order to drain my bladder effectively. This would reduce the pressure on my kidneys and hopefully ensure their correct operation - vital that all my bits function properly before any further treatment can be undertaken. For those who are unsure exactly what attaching a catheter entails (as I was) I will describe it for you now.
Firstly a syringe full of anaesthetic gel is squeezed down the urethra to numb the area right down into the bladder. The doctor then unleashes a scarily long length of plastic tube (about a foot) for which there is only one possible destination. A surprisingly painless process until the tip of the tube hits the sphincter which leads to the bladder itself - a really sharp pain for about 3 seconds and then it's all over. Feels weird though. When I'm still and relaxed I barely know it's there, when I move it wobbles and pulls all over the place and makes me feel like I need a wee, even with extra support. At the time of writing I've had it in for 5 days, and I've almost got used to it! You never realise how much you take stuff for granted until you can't do it normally - wearing a catheter affects EVERYTHING you do.
The Weekend:
Nothing much happens in a hospital over the weekend, so after a blood test to confirm that my kidneys were doing what they should be doing I was allowed home for a few hours on Saturday and all day Sunday, provided that I was back on the ward by about 9.30pm.
More Tests:
Monday morning meant a CT scan to check whether there was just one lump, or more hiding in my lymph system. I had to drink 1 litre of aniseed flavoured liquid (which shows up the small bowel on the scan) and then get injected with two huge syringes full of iodine based solution (which shows up the rest of the intestine), then lie on a motorised trolley and get whizzed through what looks like a giant polo mint. The CT scanner whirrs gently and makes some cool noises as you pass through, but the best bit has to be the computerised male voice telling you to 'Breathe in, and hold your breath', then 'Breathe normally' as they take the necessary photos. You'd be a fool to disobey ;)
I was hoping to have my biopsy on Monday as well but it was scheduled for Tuesday at 2pm, which arrived pretty quickly thanks to a good book and some great tunes on my mp3 player.
The object of a biopsy is to take a sample of the cancerous tissue in order to determine exactly what it is. This is performed by guiding a needle to the precise area with the aid of an ultrasound scan. First the correct area is anaesthetised (local) and the insertion spot marked then nicked with a razor blade. The needle they put in is about 6 inches long and about 1.5mm wide. There's no pain when they jam it into you but it feels a bit like being kicked in the guts a few times. Once that's in place (and I could see it sticking out of me - yes, I was watching it all) a thinner needle is inserted down the middle of it and that it the device which actually grabs the sample, and at least three are taken). All done, and the world's smallest plaster applied to the 'wound' (pretty much non existent. Three hours later I was on my way home, the rest of my treatment to be done as an out patient.
Cancer treatment - Phase 1: Diagnosis & Tests
A visit to my GP:
On Thursday the 22nd of October I visited my GP with a swollen right leg, linked (or so I thought) to a previously torn thigh muscle. While I was there I mentioned the fact that I was having waterworks trouble so he gave me a prod and a poke and within minutes had decided to to refer me to A&E at the local hospital. Off I went and I was seen almost straight away. The usual questions ensued after I had been admitted, and after a prostate exam I was told that I had to stay in overnight as they were very concerned, but as yet were unable to determine what was the matter.
The Tests Begin:
Having been moved to Monnow Ward late on Thursday night, testing began in earnest early on Friday morning. Chest x-ray, pelvic x-ray and ultrasound of both my abdomen and right leg (suspected deep vein thrombosis). Lunchtime came and went (hospital food's not that bad you know) and my visitors arrived. I had hopes of going home that afternoon, depending on the results of the test and it wasn't long before Nicki and I were called to see the doctor - we knew something wasn't right when we were seen in the private office, and the butterflies started.
Results:
I was told the good news that I had no blood clot in my right leg. The loudest BUT in the world made itself heard. The problem appears to be a lymphoma in my lower abdomen (to be confirmed after a biopsy), which is putting pressure on my bladder (hence the wee wee difficulty), which in turn is pushing on the tubes leading from my kidneys impairing their proper operation. On the plus side, if it is what they think it is, it should respond very well to treatment with almost 100% chance of being disease free after treatment is completed.
On Thursday the 22nd of October I visited my GP with a swollen right leg, linked (or so I thought) to a previously torn thigh muscle. While I was there I mentioned the fact that I was having waterworks trouble so he gave me a prod and a poke and within minutes had decided to to refer me to A&E at the local hospital. Off I went and I was seen almost straight away. The usual questions ensued after I had been admitted, and after a prostate exam I was told that I had to stay in overnight as they were very concerned, but as yet were unable to determine what was the matter.
The Tests Begin:
Having been moved to Monnow Ward late on Thursday night, testing began in earnest early on Friday morning. Chest x-ray, pelvic x-ray and ultrasound of both my abdomen and right leg (suspected deep vein thrombosis). Lunchtime came and went (hospital food's not that bad you know) and my visitors arrived. I had hopes of going home that afternoon, depending on the results of the test and it wasn't long before Nicki and I were called to see the doctor - we knew something wasn't right when we were seen in the private office, and the butterflies started.
Results:
I was told the good news that I had no blood clot in my right leg. The loudest BUT in the world made itself heard. The problem appears to be a lymphoma in my lower abdomen (to be confirmed after a biopsy), which is putting pressure on my bladder (hence the wee wee difficulty), which in turn is pushing on the tubes leading from my kidneys impairing their proper operation. On the plus side, if it is what they think it is, it should respond very well to treatment with almost 100% chance of being disease free after treatment is completed.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Album recording finished at last!
As of yesterday evening, all the recording for 'Night's Dawn' is finished. The full track list will be as follows:
1. Confederation
2. On Oenone's Wing
3. Affinity & Concensus
4. Interstellar Warfare:
i) Combat Wasp Launch
ii) The Relative Calm Of Irradiated Space
iii) Starship Rendezvous
5. FTL
6. Mortonridge
7. Quinn Brings The Night
8. Calvert's Progress
All that remains to do now is finalise the designs for the packaging and we should be ready to roll.
Keep them peeled for some technique related posts soon. I'm going to be looking at some of the melody lines from FTL, talking about playing in odd time signatures and tackling polyrhythms/time manipulation/crossing bar lines and other such goodies.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Myspace profile relaunch
So, with the imminent arrival of 'Night's Dawn', I've decided to relaunch my much underused myspace profile. Until recently it was home to some older tracks from 'The Resonant Frequency Of Flesh' (see 'Projects past and present'), but you will now find some tracks from the new opus. It is my intention to upload all the tracks when they are complete just so they can all see the light of day. The mp3 compression on myspace is quite lossy though, so anyone who wants a proper high quality version (with full track explanations I might add) can get one direct from me after the album is completed.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Night's Dawn update
Work still continues on the much vaunted 'Night's Dawn' album. I think it's going to be 8 tracks in total clocking in at about 45 minutes, and should be unleashed before Christmas 2009. Five tracks are completed, with two more getting there slowly, and one still floating around in my head.
Completed tracks are titled as follows:
Affinity & Concensus
Confederation
Mortonridge (can be heard on The Autopsy Report this week - see previous post)
On Oenone's Wing
Quinn Brings The Night
One of the two I'm working on is becoming a bit of an epic, entitled Interstellar Warfare, part one is called Combat Wasp Launch, and part two is called (deep breath) The Relative Tranquility of Irradiated Space. There will be a part three, title as yet undecided.
Completed tracks are titled as follows:
Affinity & Concensus
Confederation
Mortonridge (can be heard on The Autopsy Report this week - see previous post)
On Oenone's Wing
Quinn Brings The Night
One of the two I'm working on is becoming a bit of an epic, entitled Interstellar Warfare, part one is called Combat Wasp Launch, and part two is called (deep breath) The Relative Tranquility of Irradiated Space. There will be a part three, title as yet undecided.
Szleppard on 'The Autopsy Report'
One of the tracks from my forthcoming 'Night's Dawn' album is to be featured on the internet radio show 'The Autopsy Report'. Hosted by Gramie Dee, stalwart of the British metal scene, the show has been running for 301 episodes and can be heard by tuning into one of the stations listed on the website (all USA I'm afraid), or by accessing the show archive at the beginning of next week (week commencing 14/07/09).
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Enter Shikari remix competition
I've entered a competition run by Metal Hammer magazine. The task was to remix a song by the band Enter Shikari called 'No Sleep Tonight'. I quite like the song, but I felt it lent itself to full on metal destruction in the style of Devin Townsend's 'Physicist' album. you can have a listen to it here. There's too much reverb, masses of guitars and I think it's kinda fun :) Enjoy
Friday, 12 June 2009
My sound
Obviously in a metal tune, the emphasis is largely on the rhythm guitars, so to generate the necessary density of sound I use plenty of layers. My main sound comes from either my Washburn N2 Nuno Bettencourt signature model for 6 string work, or my Jackson DX7 for 7 string things, bridge pickup on both for rhythm parts.
From the guitar I run straight into a TLA Fatman Fat1 stereo valve compressor. This evens out the spikes and boosts the overall level - plus gives a load of warmth courtesy of the valve inside - before the signal reaches my Korg AX1500G. As far as multi fx stompboxes go, the AX1500G works perfectly for me - it's compact, easy to use and has a huge range of sounds and options, plus the footpedal for expression/pitchshift/volume, and it wasn't expensive either. Anyway, for rhythm guitars it's set to high gain running through a 4 x 12 cabinet simulation, with a fairly scooped sound although I favour a touch of middle to cut through the mix (unlike Dimebag for instance, who tended to completely remove all the mid eq). I do four separate rhythm guitar tracks, panned hard left, mid left, mid right and hard right which are then bounced to one stereo track and compressed and eq'd (Waves C4 and Q10 Paragraphic EQ).
Bass is very simple - Once again through the Fatman and the Korg, either clean tone or sometimes a bit of distortion, not so much that it muddles the notes but just enough to give it that low rumble. Once again, this gets compressed and eq'd.
Drums all come from Toontrack's excellent Drumkit From Hell (the original version, running in Native Instruments Battery 2). I usually use one of the Sensitone kits as I like the sound of the snare and program the initial midi track using the close miked sample set. When I'm happy with the composition of the drum track I add a second midi track and load the room miked version of the same kit into it. It's usually about 70:30 (close:room) that works, although it's not always the same - I use my ears rather than the numbers. Both of these tracks get converted to audio separately and then individually compressed (Waves C1) before being bounced to one stereo track. I don't use a lot of eq on the drums as the sample quality is so good, but occassionally I might cut a tiny bit of top end if I've used a lot of fully open hi hat in the drum track.
And that's the basis of a track! Now it's time to get creative with sound design to produce some unique sounding melodies and textures.
From the guitar I run straight into a TLA Fatman Fat1 stereo valve compressor. This evens out the spikes and boosts the overall level - plus gives a load of warmth courtesy of the valve inside - before the signal reaches my Korg AX1500G. As far as multi fx stompboxes go, the AX1500G works perfectly for me - it's compact, easy to use and has a huge range of sounds and options, plus the footpedal for expression/pitchshift/volume, and it wasn't expensive either. Anyway, for rhythm guitars it's set to high gain running through a 4 x 12 cabinet simulation, with a fairly scooped sound although I favour a touch of middle to cut through the mix (unlike Dimebag for instance, who tended to completely remove all the mid eq). I do four separate rhythm guitar tracks, panned hard left, mid left, mid right and hard right which are then bounced to one stereo track and compressed and eq'd (Waves C4 and Q10 Paragraphic EQ).
Bass is very simple - Once again through the Fatman and the Korg, either clean tone or sometimes a bit of distortion, not so much that it muddles the notes but just enough to give it that low rumble. Once again, this gets compressed and eq'd.
Drums all come from Toontrack's excellent Drumkit From Hell (the original version, running in Native Instruments Battery 2). I usually use one of the Sensitone kits as I like the sound of the snare and program the initial midi track using the close miked sample set. When I'm happy with the composition of the drum track I add a second midi track and load the room miked version of the same kit into it. It's usually about 70:30 (close:room) that works, although it's not always the same - I use my ears rather than the numbers. Both of these tracks get converted to audio separately and then individually compressed (Waves C1) before being bounced to one stereo track. I don't use a lot of eq on the drums as the sample quality is so good, but occassionally I might cut a tiny bit of top end if I've used a lot of fully open hi hat in the drum track.
And that's the basis of a track! Now it's time to get creative with sound design to produce some unique sounding melodies and textures.
Monday, 1 June 2009
Projects past and present.....
Office Experiments was my first full length record. Recorded entirely live, direct to minidisc (!) using only a guitar (Washburn N2) and an effects pedal (Korg AX1500G) over a two week period in February 2005. A little trimming in Wavelab tidied up the ends, but other than that it's essentially a live recording. Three tracks are available here to give you an idea of what it's about.
Test Card followed later in 2005, under the pseudonym 'Knucklechild'. A mixture of guitars, synths, real and virtual instruments and a melting pot of styles ranging from thrash metal to lounge music, this was me indulging myself and reworking a number of my favourite TV theme tunes. Titles include 'Dallas', 'Jim'll Fit It', 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em' and 'Miss Marple'. I only ever posted 'Dallas' on youtube but that was removed at the request of Warner Bros as I had also recut Madonna's video for 'Hung Up' as it went really well with it - BUSTED! I'm fully intending to repost with the original titles, and hopefully it will stay up for a while longer, and I shall also post some of the tunes at some point - watch this space.
The Resonant Frequency Of Flesh was my first full length metal album, something which had been in the pipeline for many years. Recorded over about 8 months (work commitments reduce recording time) it was finally finished in October 2006. 13 tracks, fairly progressive in intent with a sprinkling of electronica which I decided to release through CDBaby. I've sold a few, and general response was positive although I'm becoming less happy with the overall sound of the record now that my production and recording techniques have become more refined - thoughts of a partial re-record are beginning to enter my head. Audio samples and a couple of reviews are available here.
Since then my wife and I have moved house twice, had a son, and generally been very busy doing parent stuff. Musical output has remained steady, but rather than creating a specific body of work I have been attempting to develop a more consistent sound across a range of individual tracks. I've moved towards a totally guitar driven sound, preferring to create synthy type textures from my guitar and using layering to give extra depth and a wider range of tonal qualities. The simply stunning Drumkit Fom Hell has become more prominent in recent recordings too, mostly because I've now worked how to use it properly! I run it in Native Instruments Battery 2 (I have the original DFH), but I think it now runs exclusively in EZDrummer.
Content wise, my original material is largely progressive math metal style work with a heavy emphasis on technical rhythm guitar playing and mind twisting grooves, whilst attempting to maintain melody and structure within the piece. I'm also still reworking theme tunes - movie & TV. All of it is available for free online (protected under the Creative Commons Music Sharing License so it can be downloaded and broadcast, but not altered or used for any other commercial purposes) at Szleppard's page on muzic.com.
Night's Dawn: In 2004 I randomly picked up a book in a charity shop in Ross On Wye. I only picked it up because I wanted a long sci fi epic to sink my teeth into (at the time I had a pretty lengthy work journey). That book was 'The Reality Dysfunction' by Peter F. Hamilton and it weighs in with over 1000 pages of full on sci fi action - part 1 of a trilogy, and British. They are 3 novels of mammoth scope, expertly written with enough ideas and situations to fill countless others. I have since become a devotee of his work, but the Night's Dawn trilogy has inspired me like no other and I have begun work on a full length album in tribute to this literary monster. I'm currently three tracks in, with another 4 in progress, although work has slowed lately due to a variety of things. I shall write further on this subject in due course.
Test Card followed later in 2005, under the pseudonym 'Knucklechild'. A mixture of guitars, synths, real and virtual instruments and a melting pot of styles ranging from thrash metal to lounge music, this was me indulging myself and reworking a number of my favourite TV theme tunes. Titles include 'Dallas', 'Jim'll Fit It', 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em' and 'Miss Marple'. I only ever posted 'Dallas' on youtube but that was removed at the request of Warner Bros as I had also recut Madonna's video for 'Hung Up' as it went really well with it - BUSTED! I'm fully intending to repost with the original titles, and hopefully it will stay up for a while longer, and I shall also post some of the tunes at some point - watch this space.
The Resonant Frequency Of Flesh was my first full length metal album, something which had been in the pipeline for many years. Recorded over about 8 months (work commitments reduce recording time) it was finally finished in October 2006. 13 tracks, fairly progressive in intent with a sprinkling of electronica which I decided to release through CDBaby. I've sold a few, and general response was positive although I'm becoming less happy with the overall sound of the record now that my production and recording techniques have become more refined - thoughts of a partial re-record are beginning to enter my head. Audio samples and a couple of reviews are available here.
Since then my wife and I have moved house twice, had a son, and generally been very busy doing parent stuff. Musical output has remained steady, but rather than creating a specific body of work I have been attempting to develop a more consistent sound across a range of individual tracks. I've moved towards a totally guitar driven sound, preferring to create synthy type textures from my guitar and using layering to give extra depth and a wider range of tonal qualities. The simply stunning Drumkit Fom Hell has become more prominent in recent recordings too, mostly because I've now worked how to use it properly! I run it in Native Instruments Battery 2 (I have the original DFH), but I think it now runs exclusively in EZDrummer.
Content wise, my original material is largely progressive math metal style work with a heavy emphasis on technical rhythm guitar playing and mind twisting grooves, whilst attempting to maintain melody and structure within the piece. I'm also still reworking theme tunes - movie & TV. All of it is available for free online (protected under the Creative Commons Music Sharing License so it can be downloaded and broadcast, but not altered or used for any other commercial purposes) at Szleppard's page on muzic.com.
Night's Dawn: In 2004 I randomly picked up a book in a charity shop in Ross On Wye. I only picked it up because I wanted a long sci fi epic to sink my teeth into (at the time I had a pretty lengthy work journey). That book was 'The Reality Dysfunction' by Peter F. Hamilton and it weighs in with over 1000 pages of full on sci fi action - part 1 of a trilogy, and British. They are 3 novels of mammoth scope, expertly written with enough ideas and situations to fill countless others. I have since become a devotee of his work, but the Night's Dawn trilogy has inspired me like no other and I have begun work on a full length album in tribute to this literary monster. I'm currently three tracks in, with another 4 in progress, although work has slowed lately due to a variety of things. I shall write further on this subject in due course.
Aconbury Studios up and running
The new studio almost totally works! Studio relocation is always a nightmare, and I've done it more times than I care to imagine - at least my current setup is largely pc based (with the exception of guitars and 'real' instruments) so it wasn't the ordeal it has been in the past. Rackmounted synths and samplers are not the things to be carted around too much. I am however having epic fail with my midi controller keyboard - whether it's a software or hardware issue remains to be seen, but for now I have good old point and click.
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