15th June

Been to the Queen Elizabeth today for hubby's chemo. Thought we would be clever and go by train as I hate driving on the motorway and there is a train station just by the hospital. Got there fine with 1/2 to spare and booked in. "there's a bit of a hold up - where do you live?", when we replied that we were an hour and 15 mins away by train it was suggested that we go and have an early lunch and that she would phone us on the mobile.

Went down to the restaurant but there was no signal, so we went to the coffee shop. £3 for the most disgusting sandwich I have ever, ever had! (even worse than those the eldest child makes). Hadn't heard anything, so went back to the waiting room. Just as I was waiting to tell the nurse we were back hubby was shouted through - only to be weighed.

So we sat and we waited, and waited and waited. After 1 1/2 hours, I went through to check that he hadn't been forgotten - "we are waiting for pharmacy". Another hour later and he was finally called through.

I know that hubby was having a drip for an hour, but why is there only 1 comfy chair when I was also going to be sat there for an hour? He was a big brave boy - the needle was only small but once again the male mind came to play and it turned into the most massive needle that he'd ever seen.

He was first given anti-sickness medication and then a steroid to keep his energy levels up. Apparently hes going to be bouncing later - "he'll be wanting to do the garden, wash clothes, wash dishes". Never in a million years; he might say that he could do, but he would leave it at that, no matter how pumped up of laughing drugs he has had.

Then the chemo. It went a lot quicker that they said - before we knew it she was talking us through the drugs he had to take home -

• one anti sickness drug to be taken as close to 12 hours after this treatment as possible
• another anti sickness drug
• a steroid that has to be taken with food and not to be taken after 5pm as it will make him hyper later into the night

hes going to have a very down day after the 3 days of steroids as his body reacts to not having them anymore - god help me!

4th June

Youngest woke up at 5.30 and decided that the whole house should be up as well as it was his birthday - trying to get him back to bed was as successful as the England football team!

Hubby had to have his kidney function test today in readiness for the chemo. The hospital called yesterday and offered an appointment today. Had to drop him off at 10am then I went to work for a few hours - there was no way that I was going to sit and watch him moan about the amount of blood they were taking from him. I met him at 2 and he still had two more tests to do. They have injected some radioactive 'stuff' in one arm and then taken bloods at hour intervals from his other arm. And I was right (as always) if you listen to him then they have taken pints off him, all the hair on his arm has been ripped off from the tape and the list goes on.... How men manage to get through a day is one of the wonders of the world.

Youngest had a good day - lots of presents but I did feel sorry for him as the eldest had training so he had to spend his birthday at the cricket club (as usual in the summer).

2nd June

travelled down to the appointment. I was worrying about the motorways so made hubby leave far to early - but it was a good job!We eventually found the place, but trying to find a carpark was another thing. Building work means that car par signs are no longer correct - apparently if there is a builder about, then all signs are telling you porkie pies.

The doctor we saw was very good, explained everything and suggested that Hubby have a single dose of chemo as surgery alone only gave a 80% chance of a cure, but chemo would push this up to 98%. We were given a load of information, booklets etc which is only going to make my life worse as hubby read the side effects ( you know those ones that don't affect anyone until they read the information sheet and all of a sudden you think you have every symptom under the sun) and has already decided that he will be too tired to wash the dishes.

He has to have a kidney function test that will last all day which they can do at the local hospital, but everything else we have to travel to this centre for - treatment, monitoring for the next 5 years - better buy myself a lot of good books - traffic jams and sitting in uncomfortable chairs is all I can think about for the future now; of and losing my temper at the man flu x 2000

26th May 2009

Lounging about in pjs today as off work due to half term. Post comes and there is an appointment at a hospital 1 1/2 hour drive away. We we told that all results etc would be sent to the 'centre of excellence' for our locality but they would just verify the results and may offer suggestions. As they actually want to see hubby I got very panicked - have they seen something else that our local hospital hadn't seen????

Called the support nurse - she is going to tell the docs off at our hospital as they are supposed to say that this centre want to see everyone with the diagnosis and not just see the results.

Had to send urgent emails as I am at work on the day of the appointment and I need to arrange for that day off, more and more agro!

May 12th

doom day - results await us in a few hours, not sure if its the sickness bug that the eldest and hubby had the other day, but got a wobbly tummy this morning. Wrote down full list of questions that I want to ask and the definitions of the terms that may be used.

The last week and half have been as normal - hubby gone back to work (thank god - he was costing us a fortune! Not with lost wages, as he has been in receipt of full pay but with his spending as he was bored). I'm back to running around like an headless chicken with the house and the kids. Cricket season has started in full swing. The eldest plays for a club and is involved in 2 different age group teams which not only needs the matches days and nights sorting but also practice, net sessions and when hes not timetabled for any of these then he wants to go to the cricket club anyway. Might as well move his and hubby's clothes etc up there in the summer as they spend more time there than at home.

Anyway, off to the outpatients - finding a parking space is harder than thing of the winning 6 numbers on a Saturday, we eventually parked with 2 minutes to spare, only to have to sit in the waiting area for over an hour as the clinic was running late. We were called in to hear the most fantastic news - although it was defiantly a tumour, it was the type that doesn't spread and they got it all! He may still need a shot of chemo (as a precaution) but that's it for any sympathy from me!

I can get back to telling him off for having a good 'ferk around' in public (the hair is growing back) without feeling guilty. Life's back to normal...

1st May

his last day off work (thank god - hes driving me nuts, you will have to excuse the pun again!) he had to look after the youngest today as he was off school due to an INSET day. He lasted 1/2 the day before he went down to his mums, but he has managed to put a pair of jeans on, so there is progress.

He sent the eldest a text - meet me at the pub by your school as I have dropped your brother off with your nan. What hubby doesn't know is that the eldest's phone network doesn't have a signal at school! So the youngest was dropped off, I had a text to tell me to pick him up from the in-laws and he was picking up the eldest (he has a van that will only fit 1 in the passenger seat).

I got to the pub (as usual on a Friday - have a quick drink then pick up the kids) to find that the eldest was up there on his own and the hubby was on his way up - turns out that eldest was at the bus stop (didn't receive the message from his dad to go to the local near the school) and hubby's best friend was there, gave him a lift home; he couldn't get in as he didn't have a key so he went to the local and called his dad - "I'm up the pub, where are you?".

So in one day, he had dumped the youngest and lost the eldest - hes back to normal!

We have got to wait until 12th May for the results of all the test - on count down.....

28th April

HE IS DRIVING ME MAD!!! Man flu has nothing on this! I called hubby at home when I went back to work the other day - "I've taken the dressing off - hes gone at me with a machete". I was expecting the usual man think - 1cm scar that looks like it is 50cm, but I was surprised at the size of the scar it is as big as he said it was, a lot bigger than I expected (never said that before!).

He is up and down, as he says that if he sits for too long its sore, he stands or walks for too long and its sore - driving me insane.

Had CT scan today; he had to drink a pint of water an hour before scan, then drink a pint of water just before the scan. I ended up snapping at him as he was moaning and moaning. Firstly about the lack of parking spaces, then about the amount of water "I don't do water". So I snapped that I had no sympathy when I had to drink water before a scan when I had his sons kicking hell out of my bladder.

Scan was over and done with in 10 minutes. All results will be given in 2 weeks - next update then.