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...........'

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?)

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.

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.

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.