All done ... bar the shouting

I have officially completed my treatment.

I have a veritable frenzy of appointments over the next couple of weeks to check my oil and top up the washer fluid, so to speak, but I am now officially ramping back up to return to work.

It will take a few weeks for me to put myself back together again but I am hoping to be back at work by beginning of May.

I have to say that I am looking forward to getting amongst it, although the thought of weaving my way through thousands of cagers, all intent on my destruction, is a somewhat terrifying.

I have an appointment with my oncologist next Tuesday, I'll post again then.

Cough cough

Nicky and I have just returned from the pulmonologist's office.

He thinks that it is too early to say conclusively that the damage to my lungs will be permanent.

For now, I will continue taking prednisone and hope for the best.

Nicky has confirmed that I am, in fact, a miserable bastard, so the steroids are definitely making me irritable.

I also seem to have a somewhat insatiable appetite which is doing nothing for my otherwise svelte, athletic physique. Everything wobbles when I move. With luck I will be able to exercise a little more in the coming weeks and try and counter my ever increasing waist line.

I'll post again when my radiation therapy is complete. Cheers.

Oops I accidentally my blog

Just tried to respond to a comment from Pat (FinderGuy) and something went horribly wrong. Post deleted.

So here we go again.

So it has been confirmed that my breathlessness is bleo toxicity, currently my lungs are able to exchange gases at 66%, down from 95%.

I am continuing the prednisone in an effort to relieve some of the problem and am being referred to a pulmonary specialist but bleo toxicity is not, as far as I understand it, reversible.

Slow and slovenly though I am, I did used to enjoy the occasional run which, as things stand, will be pretty much beyond me. It's a depressing thing to admit at 39.

But, all things need to be kept in perspective. The bleomycin helped arrest my lymphoma, throughout my treatment my lungs were constantly checked, it just so happens that the last dose pushed me over the cliff.

Because the radiation can also adversely affect my lungs I am not ready to see how far I can push myself until I have finished that course of treatment; thereafter, I will start seeing how far I can go and start working out a schedule for regular exercise and hope that a healthier diet can help me balance calories in and out.

Obviously this is disappointing but, all things considered, it is better than the alternative outcome.

Hope you are all keeping well.

I huff and I puff

but I can't even blow down the straw house.

Over the last couple of days I have become increasingly breathless.

A chest x-ray yesterday seems to suggest more changes in my lungs. We aren't sure if this is the result of bleo toxicity or something else.

I am starting a course of steroids that will hopefully arrest and reverse the symptoms, but if it is the result of bleo, well, best to just wait until we know that is the case before contemplating what that means.

I have just completed my first week of radiation. Nothing special to report, no super powers and just a little lethargy.

I'll post again when I have completed my pulmonary function test and we know a little more about what is going on with my lungs.

Have a nice weekend.