Status T+33 days - Start Radiotherapy today

3 August 2010 - Start Radiotherapy today, 5 week daily cycle planned.

About Radiotheraphy:Radiotherapy uses X-rays to treat cancer. A beam of radiation is targeted at the part of your body where the cancer has been found. The aim of the treatment is to destroy cancer cells with minimal damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Radiotherapy works by destroying the DNA inside cancer cells, preventing them from reproducing and so shrinking cancerous tumours. Radiotherapy can either damage DNA directly or create charged particles (free radicals) within the cells that can in turn damage the DNA. Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged beyond repair stop dividing or die. When the damaged cells die, they are broken down and eliminated by the body’s natural processes.
Normal cells will also be affected but they are better able to repair themselves, this leads to side effects although not expected to be major.

So if you are about the hospital area early mornings in the next 5 weeks I might be good for a coffee and catch-up at "the Fix"

How is your "Hauora" today?

Hauora is a Maori health philosophy which takes a far broader interpretation on someone’s health than western culture.  As well as taking a wider perspective on someone’s physical, mental & emotional wellbeing it also takes into account the social components of your life (family, friends and relationships) and your spirituality wellbeing. 

Hauora is taught in New Zealand schools as the "new" health curriculum and has gained some international acclaim. For more information on Haoua checkout here for overview and here for detail .

Hauora is often represented as a Whare (house) with the walls representing the four elements (physical, mental, social, and spiritual). The concept being that if one of the walls is not strong it will impact on the stability of your Whare. Conversely if three of the walls are strong, it will put you in good stead as you rebuild a damaged wall.

When you start to have an upfront and personal emersion in the hospital system you realise that it is a sickness industry not a wellness industry. They are generally fantastic at diagnosing, drugging, operating and treating certain conditions, but are lousy at putting a structure in place to assist you to restore and maintain your overall health, wellness and abilities.  Hauora provides such a structure, and if used proactively may assist you in not getting sick in the first place.

So how is your Hauora today?

The doctor said to get mobile and fit for next series of treatments so I choose power tools and earthmoving equipment in my exercise regime.

Status T=0 DDAY "You have cancer"

1 July 10 : What a terrible job being a messenger with bad lab results. The consultant we were meeting was unexpected away and the job was left to a young registrar. It felt like a B grade movie, left waiting in a hospital waiting room and then in came the ashen faced young doctor and pitches the key line "it's bad news you have cancer, its high grade and very rare its called Synovial Sarcoma".  He did OK but was ill prepared and lacked knowledge for the dozens of question we had. Although bad news it was good to at least get some definitive information on what we were fighting.
I have probably had this cancer for a couple of years, just today I have a diagnosis and a name for it. What has changed, it's seems everything.

Status T-10 Its a Keeper - Operation 1 Success

Initially the operation was meant to be a biopsy i.e. the fine needle biopsys were not providing sufficient material to allow them to diagnose tumor. We overheard our teenage son explained the planned operation as: "The Alien Baby is getting his leg cut off today".

Just prior to operation the surgeon advised that when he goes in and if its easy for him to shell the tumor out, that he was just going to go for it. This seemed a great idea and I was very keen for it to be gone.

The operation and recovery went very smoothly and discharged in a couple of days.

The tumor and some surrounding muscle tissue were removed. Pain was not an issue, they just pump you up, some discomfort and initial shaky in legs when first getting mobile.

The tumor was a keeper, 13 cm by 9 cm. Alas the doctors were right, it was not a Alien and the urban myth and commercial opportunity destroyed. It was a soft tissue tumor, type still unknown and posted to Australia for testing.

Its incredible how quickly you bounce back the human body is miraculous at its ability to restore, repair and recalibrate.

Status T-29 : Gaining Momentum

You often hear that getting into the health system is difficult, but once you get in things move fast if you have a serious condition and that was my experience. During this period I had a plethora of tests as they tried to diagnose the condition. I felt a little like being a patient on "House", with lots of smart doctors and technicians showing extra interest and jabbing me with things and questions. I loved the health technology in use and obviously it has a massive positive impact on diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. The MRI scan (with tracer) was the defining test and provided some amazing images of the tumor and challenge ahead. A highlight I had during process was doing a onscreen "fly through" my own brain, heart (and the tumor), very cool.

Good news during this period was that there were no signs of secondary's in other locations, so a lot of tests were negative. The FNA Biopsies were ineffective and they weren't able to diagnose tumor.

This all ultimately lead to a call one Friday morning T-13 (16 days later) from Orthopedic Surgeon, "there is a large tumor and we operate Monday"

Status T-132 days - Email to Kat

From: "Gary "

Date: 19 February 2010 10:52:31 AM

To: "Kat"
Subject: Osteopath

Who would you recommend for my sore back?

G xx

[Initial symptoms very similar to a standard sore back . Initially went down the Physio, Osteopath, GP path. Treatment made situation worst. Initial logic was that muscle was in spasm. Aggravated playing backyard cricket in Otematata, which lead to second GP Doctor visit who detected a lump in the muscle and referral and appointment with a Orth Surgeon specialist at T-29 days i.e. 103 days later]

Observation 1. Conquer Cancer by not getting it in the first place

Cancer is a preventable disease, or at least partially, through minor changes in lifestyle, diet and avoiding risk factors. Become more informed by reading this insightful Thomas Goestz article

Extract : Cancer is perhaps the most frightening of all diseases we face. And the thing is, it's very often entirely preventable. If we simply made some different decisions, earlier, many cancers would never happen.That sounds like an audacious statement. Cancer after all, comes "out of the blue" -- we report that it happened "suddenly," that it came "without warning." It is the proverbial bolt of lightning that changes our lives all in one strike. How could we prevent lightning? But in fact, a newly emerging consensus holds that 90 percent of cancers are rooted in environmental or behavioral causes].

Friends, family, colleagues, anonymous web readers with unhealthy habits and lifestyle ... wakey wakey... Why are you risking it? When you experience the pain and suffering of cancer down the line you will regret your early arrogance and ignorance. Go to a local hospice or an oncologist department and see the pain and impact that cancer has.

My oncologist said a possible cause of my cancer was radiation and the most likely source of the radiation was long distance flights. Mmm no international holidays or business trips, tough decision but avoidable. Very low risk and I was unlucky, but suggested to sit in centre rows and let radiation filter through other passengers first. Where do Pilots sit when they are travelling back with the passengers? A. In the center/ aisle rows away from the windows.

Get informed, know the risks, make better decisions.

What lifestyle changes should you make?