Yesterday we had the opportunity to get results and interpretation of those results from a couple of consultants. Firstly it was really no surprise to discover that the cancer has spread. There are secondaries.
Dad is to have a stent put in by gastroscope over the next couple of days - this will allow him to eat so he can keep himself built up. Chemotherapy will start on Monday if all goes according to plan. He will have a week of this and then a break. No one is talking of cure, just discomfort relief.
Needless to say, though we have been anticipating the news not being the most positive, this will still take getting used to. We are distraught that our wonderful Father is in this position and has to go through this.
Mum is settled in Rathdrum and is in reasonable form. We need to ensure her future care and comfort also and will begin looking into those issues now.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday
Hard to believe we are only a week plus one day from the bombshell. Dad had CT scan today and we are to meet the Dr tomorrow afternoon for the results. We hopefully then can move forward
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Eagles Have Landed
At 8 a.m. this morning Dad was admitted as promised to St Vincents Hospital. With the help of two of the most wonderful carers, I got Mum ready and drove her to Rathdrum Community Hospital where she will be in respite care until the end of Feb at least. She was quiet but resigned. The staff, having been informed about the reason of her admission have promised to take special care of her and though it will never be the same as her being cared for at home we will not look too far into the immediate future.
Dad saw the consultant and it would appear that surgery is still not on the cards but a CAT scan is. Still no biopsy results or PET scan results. We have started the next phase of the investigation.
I am away at the clergy conference at Athlone as nothing much will happen over the next 48 hours. We await a more accurate picture.
Dad saw the consultant and it would appear that surgery is still not on the cards but a CAT scan is. Still no biopsy results or PET scan results. We have started the next phase of the investigation.
I am away at the clergy conference at Athlone as nothing much will happen over the next 48 hours. We await a more accurate picture.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Dad
I never thought when I started this blog to keep a record of my overseas placement in Canada that it would become the best way of keeping kind friends and family up to date with Dad and Mum. It seems a long time ago that all seemed normal in our world.
To recap, following a couple of days having difficulty swallowing a routine gastroscopy showed not the symptoms of a stress reaction but an oesophageal tumour. They were able to tell by the scope that it had been there for some time and the consultant found it hard to believe that there was no other symptoms. A referral to St Vincents Hospital was immediate and Dad was sent home to rest and "build himself up" in preparation for a hospital admission when the biopsy results were through (3-4 days). We all went home shellshocked but the message coming through was that this was going to be serious and that surgery may not be an option. A PET scan was carried out as an out patient on Friday and though the results of the biopsy are not through, we hope that both results will be available early next week so we know what the options are.
Mum, of course, has been told everything and is aware of the implications for her. She will be going into the community hospital in Rathdrum Co Wicklow for emergency respite and this is available until the end of February when we should get a better idea of how to facilitate care of both our parents in a way that reflects their love and care and concern for each other as well as their dignity.
This will be an extraordinarily difficult time for us as a family as well as so many people who care for us in the situations we find ourselves. I think we have all benefitted already by the support and care we have received from those around us.
I pray for peace and calm in the days ahead.
To recap, following a couple of days having difficulty swallowing a routine gastroscopy showed not the symptoms of a stress reaction but an oesophageal tumour. They were able to tell by the scope that it had been there for some time and the consultant found it hard to believe that there was no other symptoms. A referral to St Vincents Hospital was immediate and Dad was sent home to rest and "build himself up" in preparation for a hospital admission when the biopsy results were through (3-4 days). We all went home shellshocked but the message coming through was that this was going to be serious and that surgery may not be an option. A PET scan was carried out as an out patient on Friday and though the results of the biopsy are not through, we hope that both results will be available early next week so we know what the options are.
Mum, of course, has been told everything and is aware of the implications for her. She will be going into the community hospital in Rathdrum Co Wicklow for emergency respite and this is available until the end of February when we should get a better idea of how to facilitate care of both our parents in a way that reflects their love and care and concern for each other as well as their dignity.
This will be an extraordinarily difficult time for us as a family as well as so many people who care for us in the situations we find ourselves. I think we have all benefitted already by the support and care we have received from those around us.
I pray for peace and calm in the days ahead.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Its a bit cold
Here I am in my office out the back where it is quite warm thanks to the 2 heaters that are currently plugged in. Its all white outside for the nth day and the birds are currently enjoying the lemon cake crumbs that are on the picnic table. I am in the throes of completing my first tax return :-(
It has been an interesting few months, I hope to record some stuff by hand about it but I did smile this morning when I spoke to a couple of county council workmen on my way into the local RC church to have a word with the Parish officer. They were there with their mouths hanging open, and then I realised that I had my collar on and the sight of a woman going into the church did not compute!
My heart goes out to all of those people who suffered flooding in the Autumn, to be hit with the big freeze now, so unfair.
Stay warm people!
It has been an interesting few months, I hope to record some stuff by hand about it but I did smile this morning when I spoke to a couple of county council workmen on my way into the local RC church to have a word with the Parish officer. They were there with their mouths hanging open, and then I realised that I had my collar on and the sight of a woman going into the church did not compute!
My heart goes out to all of those people who suffered flooding in the Autumn, to be hit with the big freeze now, so unfair.
Stay warm people!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Freaked!
Hi World,
(Here is a picture recently brought up from the past. My and my big brother playing in my Granny's back garden.)I'm a bit freaked cos I realised the other day when I did the school assembly and I was asked to teach the first and second class that I am starting to enjoy the interaction with children. I know, I am a bit worried! They were all dressed up in their hallowe'en costumes and I asked if I could stay in the school for the parade - me looking to do overtime with groups of children, and no valium! What is happening to me? I start teaching in the school Monday week.
Waiting in St Vincents last week to find ouot which ward a parishioner was on, the receptionist glanced up and then said "Yes Sir, how can I help you?" I started to laugh and then he looked up again and apologised and said that he only looked up as far as the collar. As I asked someone later when telling the story was there not a bit of a give away that I wasn't a "sir" below the level of the collar as well? :-)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Children's Address
Heavenly Father may my words reflect your word and may our ears be always ready to hear your call. Amen
One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to go to a supermarket and find foods that I can’t get at home. Some people don’t understand why, when I am on holidays I would want to go around a supermarket but my trip out of the country would not be complete without it. Any one else do that? I know I’m not the only one.
On my recent trips I have found a wide variety of crisps) and in Europe have enjoyed toffee filled Oreo cookies (definitely all gone), very large bags of Lays salted crisps, blackberry mustard, Chocolate sprinkles for toast, and moose jerky. From the US Peanut butter M&Ms etc.
In our house I collected up freeze dried crickets from Bosnia etc-
All the countries I have travelled to had one thing in common – full shelves.
I remember when I was small and growing up in the country we had to go to lots of harvest services as my Dad was rector of 5 churches and often got asked to preach at other churches. We called them home and away matches, and every year would ask how many of each there were, and more importantly how many we were expected to go to. I have to say of all the sermons I heard I only remember the one about the pooky man because it made me my brother and sister laugh so much my Mum glared at us and threatened to take us out of the church – I don’t remember what was even in the pooky man sermon.
I don’t remember the sermons but I do remember the tea after the services. In the country at that time anyway the ladies went all out. I think there was a competition to see which church could do the best spread. The sandwiches always had butter not margarine on them, there was no one paying attention to the number of homemade biscuits or slices of cake we ate, it was great.
One of the other things I remember from when I was small and I think if we are honest, from when most of us were small is having a tantrum and shouting “Its not fair! Or That’s no good” I know I stamped my feet on occasion when I did it. Would you like to join me in remembering - stand up and try! I think there won’t be many occasions when we are encouraged to act like we are having a tantrum in church so I think we’d better make the most of it.
Its not fair
That’s no good.
The world we live in has a lot of occasions when we scream and stamp and say it’s not fair and that’s no good! It seems to me that we say it when someone else has something we want, something that we feel that we should have.
Harvest is a time of year that we need to be reminded to say it on behalf of those who don’t have what we have.
We are going to try a little tantrum on behalf of those people to make this point a little more strongly. For each of the following statements I want you to shout -
Its not fair. That’s no good. (you can stamp as well)
23 million people in East Africa are at risk of starving because there hasn’t been any rain for a long time to help food to grow………
Cheap clothes for sale in some of our shops may have been made in poor countries by women and children working long hours for very little pay………
In some countries boy babies are thought to be better to have than girl babies……...
Some of the vegetables for sale in our shops have travelled more air miles than we did for our holidays from countries where people don’t have enough to eat……...
These are only a few examples, I expect that you can think of many more ways that we are lucky and others are not.
Now we are going to do it again and say it differently in a way that makes us think about what we can do about it because it is not simply enough to shout about it, God wants us to realise that it is the responsibility of all of us here to act for those who find themselves unable to be heard when they cry out for help. This time we will say
Its not fair. That’s no good.
23 million people in East Africa are at risk of starving because there hasn’t been any rain for a long time to help food to grow.
Cheap clothes for sale in some of our shops may have been produced in poor countries by women and children working long hours for very little pay.
In some countries boy babies are thought to be better to have than girl babies.
Some of the fruit and vegetables for sale in our shops have travelled more air miles than we did for our holidays from countries where people don’t have enough to eat.
We sit quietly close our eyes and pray -
May we who have much remember those who have little.
May we who are full remember those who are hungry.
May we who are loved remember those who are lonely.
May we who are safe remember those who are in danger.May we who have so much learn how to share. Amen
One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to go to a supermarket and find foods that I can’t get at home. Some people don’t understand why, when I am on holidays I would want to go around a supermarket but my trip out of the country would not be complete without it. Any one else do that? I know I’m not the only one.
On my recent trips I have found a wide variety of crisps) and in Europe have enjoyed toffee filled Oreo cookies (definitely all gone), very large bags of Lays salted crisps, blackberry mustard, Chocolate sprinkles for toast, and moose jerky. From the US Peanut butter M&Ms etc.
In our house I collected up freeze dried crickets from Bosnia etc-
All the countries I have travelled to had one thing in common – full shelves.
I remember when I was small and growing up in the country we had to go to lots of harvest services as my Dad was rector of 5 churches and often got asked to preach at other churches. We called them home and away matches, and every year would ask how many of each there were, and more importantly how many we were expected to go to. I have to say of all the sermons I heard I only remember the one about the pooky man because it made me my brother and sister laugh so much my Mum glared at us and threatened to take us out of the church – I don’t remember what was even in the pooky man sermon.
I don’t remember the sermons but I do remember the tea after the services. In the country at that time anyway the ladies went all out. I think there was a competition to see which church could do the best spread. The sandwiches always had butter not margarine on them, there was no one paying attention to the number of homemade biscuits or slices of cake we ate, it was great.
One of the other things I remember from when I was small and I think if we are honest, from when most of us were small is having a tantrum and shouting “Its not fair! Or That’s no good” I know I stamped my feet on occasion when I did it. Would you like to join me in remembering - stand up and try! I think there won’t be many occasions when we are encouraged to act like we are having a tantrum in church so I think we’d better make the most of it.
Its not fair
That’s no good.
The world we live in has a lot of occasions when we scream and stamp and say it’s not fair and that’s no good! It seems to me that we say it when someone else has something we want, something that we feel that we should have.
Harvest is a time of year that we need to be reminded to say it on behalf of those who don’t have what we have.
We are going to try a little tantrum on behalf of those people to make this point a little more strongly. For each of the following statements I want you to shout -
Its not fair. That’s no good. (you can stamp as well)
23 million people in East Africa are at risk of starving because there hasn’t been any rain for a long time to help food to grow………
Cheap clothes for sale in some of our shops may have been made in poor countries by women and children working long hours for very little pay………
In some countries boy babies are thought to be better to have than girl babies……...
Some of the vegetables for sale in our shops have travelled more air miles than we did for our holidays from countries where people don’t have enough to eat……...
These are only a few examples, I expect that you can think of many more ways that we are lucky and others are not.
Now we are going to do it again and say it differently in a way that makes us think about what we can do about it because it is not simply enough to shout about it, God wants us to realise that it is the responsibility of all of us here to act for those who find themselves unable to be heard when they cry out for help. This time we will say
Its not fair. That’s no good.
23 million people in East Africa are at risk of starving because there hasn’t been any rain for a long time to help food to grow.
Cheap clothes for sale in some of our shops may have been produced in poor countries by women and children working long hours for very little pay.
In some countries boy babies are thought to be better to have than girl babies.
Some of the fruit and vegetables for sale in our shops have travelled more air miles than we did for our holidays from countries where people don’t have enough to eat.
We sit quietly close our eyes and pray -
May we who have much remember those who have little.
May we who are full remember those who are hungry.
May we who are loved remember those who are lonely.
May we who are safe remember those who are in danger.May we who have so much learn how to share. Amen
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