A short summary of 2009

2009 began well was enjoying uni and socialising and drinking alot with friends. Life was pretty sweet until April I had just got a girlfriend to. Then in short lets sum up the amount of kicks in the teeth ive had:

1)Diagnosed with bone cancer and step dad diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer
2)Told the best option for a cure is chemo and amputation
3)Things got to real for my GF and i was dumped
4)Grandad diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer
5)Lose my leg below knee and now have to learn to walk again

Now its xmas time and I cant stop thinking that this time last year I thought 2009 was going to be a lot different than it is. Yes im beating the aggressive little fucker they call Ewings with every ounce of strength i have and yes the physio is going well and ill be running faster than before by the time ive finished.

My point is WHY should i have to do these things to survive and then continue to live my life once chemo is over. I think the chemo is making me exhausted to and my mental strength is hard to keep going but i know i have to. Once the clock strikes midnight on December 31st it is a new beginning and 2010 will be good whatever happens im not letting the next year be as shit as this one has. Im not looking for sympathy im just telling it like it is i dont want sympathy just want people to know how hard it is to go through this. How hard it is to know that some people you meet in hospital arent doing as well as me and some the unlucky ones dont make it. Its scary to think what might have happenend. But it didnt and im winning the battle and will fight on to make sure it doesnt come back.

Heres to a happy new year

Matt

First leg has arrived

I got my first leg yesterday. I went to Seacroft hospital leeds and the technology been used for my leg meant i could get my leg fitted and taken home in the same day. The software used was CAD/CAM and used a lazer to scan my leg and get a perfect shape for the shape of my socket for my false leg. There was alot of waiting about yesterday but eventually I got my leg fitted and after a few adjustments there it was my first leg. I was told that they had ordered me a better foot and should be on its way in a few days. Eventually I am going to end up with two legs one for everyday and one for sport.

Getting the leg is a step in the right direction and theres only 4 months of cancer treatment left. Still got the whole fed up ora around me but im coping ok and its christmas soon so thats something to look forward to.

Post 8th Chemo

Had my 8th session of chemo at last thursday and came out of hospital on saturday. I also had my swine flu vaccine last week and felt terrible wednesday night had a temperature and went into jimmys on early thursday morning to check all was ok before i started chemo.

I had a call from the physio while i was having chemo and she said they wanted to try a new cad/cam method for builiding my prosthesis. This would mean if it worked i could have my false leg on the same day as my primary fitting. This is very exciting meaning i could be walking by january which i cant wait to start walking again. The frustration of been on crutches and in a wheelchair is unbelievable.

The charity ball is now confirmed for the 19th June aswell. Anyone wanting details please ask.

Matt

Chemo delays and the fall

My chemo has been delayed this time I have to go back this friday. Thid is due to my white blood count been to low which also means im more prone to infection fingers crossed I dont get a cold then. I had a bit of a tumble last week I was in pub with my friends and went to toilet I slipped on the wet floor and landed on my stump.

The pain was quite bad and I had to have some oral morphine to go to sleep that night, I also had to miss my physio the next day because of the bruising on my stump. The upside of missing chemo meant i got to go and watch footy this weekend which was good i seem to be alot more happier when am out and about and not in my house. I get more fed up sat about in the house but when im out somewere different im more happy. Chemo is due to finish in April now so im counting down the days till then.

Matt

Physio and other shit

Hey

Ive now had 4 sessions of physio and im getting more confident on my feet as phsyio goes on. Ive bin walking on a temporary limg i get my first proper limb on my birthday which is abit strange. Im fed up of been one legged now its really annoying cant do anything for myself. Also even though im beating the cancer i still get really fed up and sick of everything ive hated 2009 cannot wait till its over. This has been the worst yesr of my life by a mile and as soon as its over i can get back to getting on with my life.

Matt

Post 7th chemotherapy

Hey ive just had my 7th lot of chemotherapy. This set of chemo has been a lot milder and hopefully the side effects wont be as intense as the last 6. Ive bin abit fed up this week waiting for the post surgical results to see how dead my tumour is. For there to be a good response more than 90% needed to be dead

I got the phone call from Mr Tillman yesterday and he informed me the tumour was more than 95% DEAD and therefore the response was good and i would be having 7 more cycles of chemotherapy and my treatment would then be complete. Therefore at the end of MArch 2010 i will be able to go back to leading a normal life.

This is the happiest ive been for a while and it shows that the last 6 months have been worthwhile even though very hard.

Matt

Update on my leg

Its almost 2 weeks since my operation and my stump is healing well. Tommorow i go in for chemotherapy which will be milder than the chemo i was on before the amputation. Also i will be in hospital for less time which is good. The pain in my wound is mild now but the phantom pain and pins and needles from the nerve damage caused by the operation is starting to piss me off. Its a very strange sensation not really pain but a electric shock sort of sensation,

Last week i had my first physio which was good and i did more than i expected. I walked on a temporary false limb and a video of this can be found on my facebook site. Im pretty fed up to i cant wait to get my prosthetic so i can walk and get about without having to really on my family to do the simplest things for me like get me a drink or get me my tablets or get me my breakfast. Be good to be independant once again.

Bye for now
Matt