Thanks for sharing your experiences . . .

[Quickasyoucan]

Mo so pleased for your good news how fabulous. Re Boris I have a provision in my will leaving jake my beloved dog to my friend and a sum for his keep. Here in oz too the animal welfare league takes legacy cats whereby cats whose owners have passed on are provided for for the rest of their days. They have a big house specifically where they live with sofas etc . It's rather hysterical to see pics tho as unlike dogs who are gregarious the cats are mostly pointedly ignoring each other!

I am flying this time next week and although desperate to see Dad am also dreading leaving jake as he is 14 and has a number of issues. Luckily my friend will stay with him at my house but I am irrationally scared he might pass while I am away. He is my only companion.

[Elaine123]

Hi Mo great news about Peters scan I can imagine how happy you both were. How are you any relief with your back problems. I totally understood your sudden thoughts about being alone. This is the bit in all this I am not getting I know the end of the journey is inevitable but my stupid brain will not take in that he will actually be gone. It seems to be refusing to accept this fact.

Please do not stop your barking mad posts Mo I rely on them to cheer me up and see the lighter moments in all of this madness.

That's great Peters bloods were OK and that his chemo went ahead.....how has he been with this one ? Love the after shave bit . Pete's biggie about the chemo is that he always feels really cold in the area where he gets it, so in my wisdom I decided that layers were the answer as he could take off a layer or two when he judged how it felt in the room or keep them on if cold. Off he goes to get hooked up and I was feeling all smug about myself solving this problem. It seems he was shown into a different area and instead of the usual chair he was plonked into a bed immediately and hooked up really quick. Turns out that room was really warm and he felt as though he was going to melt and end up as just a puddle in the bed. By the time he came out he looked as though he had been lying in the sun for eight hours. No more multiple layers. A sensible thing would be to ask for a blanket but he said he hates to make demands on them as they are really busy.

Mo maybe to ease your fears about being alone you could go into manufacturing Kitty sleeping bags with a picture of Boris on the packaging endorsing the product.. You never know he could end up a very rich cat. I'm talking nonsense now seriously I hope Peter is tolerating this chemo session and feeling good. Take care

Elaine

X

[stepuha]

Thank you for making me smile, Mo. I am so glad the scan showed good news.

My mum, who is currently staying with us, doesn't stop complaining about all the noise and constant mess created by children. She has been living alone with her dog for about fifteen years and she wouldn't change it for the world. She is always keen to come and help but as soon as she is here all she can think of is going home to her dog to have some peace. I also know a lady who since becoming alone has signed up to the university and has been travelling all over the world. As long as you are healthy it is just a start of another journey and judging by the scan results there is still some time before it starts.

x Stepuha

[Justamo]

Thanks, girls, for sharing my good news. This is the day that Peter should be lying in bis bed, feeling whacked out, "fatigued", and graciously consenting to eat dainty sandwiches lovingly prepared by yours truly. Instead he's gone out with a mate. I hope he doesn't pay for it later, but I think his good spirits are indicative of his state of mind rather than his body. He got such a lift from hearing that the tumour hasn't grown. So have I, but I'm more wary of the roller-coaster than he is.

I must have been in quite a low spot when I was pondering about being alone. I'm solitary by nature and can always occupy myself, but it just suddenly struck me as terribly sad not to have a next of kin. Not the sort of subject to dwell on if you don't absolutely have to, so I'll place these thoughts firmly in a box and label it 'Not Wanted On Voyage'.

I've spent the day slaving over a hot keyboard, finally doing the design job which I should have started a fortnight ago. It's coming together now, and looking sort of OK-ish. Which isn't good enough, but tomorrow things will probably slot into place.

Take care all of you.

Love, Mo

[Elaine123]

Mo I think those dark thoughts worm there way in at times and can come as a shock when they do. I go through periods of totally concentrating on getting Pete better and then reality kicks back in and I react as though I am just realising for the first time that I cannot make him better. I think my kids and the grandkids think I am pure nuts at times. Like you I am becoming an expert at putting those thoughts aside, we have to either that or lose it completely . Wishing Peter a good weekend .

Elaine

X

[Justamo]

My nanny used to call it 'whistling in the dark'. When you're frightened to death of something and you just stick your head in the clouds and pretend it's not happening. I'll keep on whistling for now.

Peter and his buddy went to a garden centre for coffee during their jaunt yesterday and Peter ordered a catnip plant for Boris. He's killed the one that he had by rolling in it and dribbling on it (Boris, not Peter) so we have to replace it. He didn't even give it a chance to flower, so there are no seedlings.

Peter's buddy lost his wife and son to cancer, and now he has had a tumour removed from his neck with radiotherapy daily for 8 weeks. They've taken out all the teeth on that side and the poor guy can hardly eat. He has been so supportive since Peter was diagnosed and it's nice to be able to return his helpfulness.

Hope everybody is OK.

Love Mo.

[Guest]

Hi Mo,

Whistle in the dark if you like, we will go along with it but we are here for the heebie jeebies too. This is the one place you can say you are frightened.

I'm sure Boris will relish killing the new catnip in due course, once he emerges from his diamond studded sleeping bag!

Glad Peter and his mate had some quality time out. Hope you are managing to swim.

Love and hugs,

M xxxx

[Proud Wife]

Hello Mo

I don't post on here as often as I used to but I always pop on to see how Peter is doing and for a dose of your wonderful humour. Pleased to hear Boris is still misbehaving. I'd expect nothing less to be honest.

I am very sorry to hear that Peter's buddy in battling the big C too, after losing both his wife and son to the same disease. That's just horrendous.

much love to you all

PW xx

[Justamo]

Just noticed it's been a bit quiet on the forum for a couple of days ? Hope everybody is alright. On Planet PC No News isn't necessarily Good News.

We've had a very quiet weekend; Peter had chemo last Wednesday and the fatigue hit him on Friday evening, so he spent most of Saturday and today in bed, issuing instructions to his Devoted Carer (me) and Devoted Cat. His Devoted Carer didn't pay a great deal of attention and I think his Devoted Cat will have to be surgically removed from his sleeping bag. He thinks it's wonderful and is spending 23 and a half hours a day in it, leaving it only to eat and powder his nose.

Ghastly weather; Storm Doris and Storm Ewan largely missed us but as almost every day in winter could be named Storm Something-or-other it's hard to tell if we've been blasted or not. My rhododendron is flowering its socks off, and the hebe has been showing off all winter but the daffs are scared to poke their noses out. We had an outbreak of snowdrops a month or so ago but otherwise everything is dormant. And, until he gets tired of his sleeping bag craze and moves onto something else, so is Boris.

We have a week off from appointments next week (good) and by way of celebration we are planning an exciting day out visiting Sainsburys in the next town because we don't have one here. We might even throw in a trip to Aldi as well. We sure know how to have a good time here !

Hope everybody is OK, it's been so quiet that it bothers me.

Take care

Love, Mo

[Veebee]

Yes, Mo, it's very quiet. I've been a bit worried about Elaine as she hasn't updated on Pete's progress. I truly hope all's ok. I've only been here a week yet when we're all in the same boat on this forum.

Your rhododendrons are early! Do you live in the south? Up here in the north the snowdrops and crocus are out and the hellebores are blooming. We live more or less on the local park doorstep and there's a beautiful crimson rhododendron in there. Every year I admire it.

All quiet at our house... just keeping on.

[Dandygal76]

Hey Mo,

Sorry I have not been about... I have also been whistling in the dark for other reasons. I also have a new boss and my old boss and the team I manage has been covering my lack of work for a few months and I need to catch up with things. I am sure you can imagine (from my passion for PC and dad) that I am actually a very dedicated worker but my efforts steered towards dad and my enthusiasm for work diminished (well actually it went completely.. but don't tell anyone!).

I don't know what else you follow online for PC but the issues that happened pre scan for Peter they call Scaniety online. It is the worst of times.

I am glad things are ticking along as well as they can and that Boris has his new sleeping bag. Make sure you keep up the swimming and take care of yourself. And don't fret about the future and being alone. I think you have made some friends for life on here and it was lovely you donated to my dad's just giving page. The support of you guys on here has meant the world to me and we are never alone. x

[Guest]

I drove up the M6 in storm Doris in my tiny VW polo (soon to be replaced by expensive Audi Q3). It was quite a drive with all the flotsam and jetsam whizzing past the windscreen! Have been away for a couple of days in the Peak District, I had forgotten how beautiful it is. I have to pop into the shop today to see if the parcel fairy has been but after that I am making tea for Suzie and Duncan who are going to start to clear my loft Agggggghhhh!

So glad you have a week off and can go crazy spending your AA at Sainsbury's, it's amazing how easily pleased we become. Is it a big one with cafe and clothing etc or just high priced imported veg and other food? I expect Boris will be looking out for some Dreamies when you get back.

Enjoy the trips out, love to you both

M xxx

[Proud Wife]

Mo that's really funny. Hubby and I discovered Morrisons whilst he was going through treatment. We used to have fun, just walking down the aisles looking for bargains and visiting their cafe and marvelling at the cost of dinner!!

Doesn't matter what you do as long as you are together. Hope that today, the patient finds himself feeling better with more energy other wise the devoted carer must learn to try harder.

Pleased to hear that you are continuing to keep Boris in the manner to which he is accustomed.

lots of love to you all and of course, keep on keeping on xx

[Elaine123]

Hi Mo just a Wee catch up to see if you are both enjoying you free week and getting out and about have you been to Sainsburys and Aldis yet?

I am in Scotland and our daffodils are out already also my clematis are fairly coming on ...rhododendrons are still sound asleep as yet. Well that's us left winter behind and officially in Spring do you think anyone will inform the weather to act accordingly. As I said just on to catch up and wish you and Peter a good week.....has Boris emerged from his sleeping bag yet ?. Take care ..hugs

Elaine

X

[Justamo]

Hello folks. We've enjoyed our week off but we didn't get as far as Sainsburys.

The weather has been so stunningly gorgeous (blue sky and -3 in the mornings, +9 in the afternoons) that we trotted off to my favourite garden centre (which doesn't sell candles or knick-knackery, but which raises its own plants) on the hunt for a nepeta cataria. Boris has killed the one he had by the back door so I have equipped myself with a large bell cloche and the idea is that I have two plants going at once; one for Boo to dribble on and roll on, and the other safely protected under a cloche. When the active one is about to expire it can go into intensive care under a cloche and I will reveal a new plant for Boris's attention. Once he's tried to kill that one, the original one will have recovered sufficiently to withstand his love and affection and I can admit the second one into ICU. That's the theory. I may well start a separate thread with daily bulletins on the cat nip for those of you who can't wait to find out. (NURSES - that was a joke).

So, off we went to the garden centre to see what they had; no catnip at this time of year but it's interesting to see what shrubs are flowering in their stock fields. I'm into coloured leafery of all kinds and jotted down several names in my little black book just in case I have space for it. My pink rhododendron has been affected by the general hysteria chez nous and has been flowering since last September, but the yellow one ('Chikor' - raised from a 1" cutting 40 years ago) is a nice well behaved regulation number and is in tight bud, ready to flower at the end of March. There are azaleas and things too, and they are all beating their chests and thrusting little green shoots up ready to burst. Even the peonies which usually lurk about until the last minute, sulking, are producing nice sturdy purple shoots. When it warms up a bit I'll have to divide up the hellebores a bit because they are acting like triffids and encroaching on next door's hot tub. Here endeth the gardening news.

Peter has felt so well all week that it's hard to remember that he's poorly. On Thursday, equipped with carbs and his blood meter and his little tin of sugary Coke and his bananas he went off to the golf club and hit some balls on the practice fairway. I had made him promise to hit 10 and then take stock, and then hit another ten, and after twenty shots he felt tired and went back to the car. His blood sugar was 4.0 so he ate a Kit Kat and sat for a while. Which is fine, except that the fat in the chocolate of the Kit Kat stops the sugar being absorbed quickly, so really he should have drunk his Coke for a quick result. Anyway, he tested himself 20 minutes later and he was fine. He was completely whacked out on Friday, so spent the day very quietly, but his morale is sky high and he's really cheered up.

Next week we have GP on Monday, Dr Feelgood on Tuesday and chemo on Wednesday, so it's back to Groundhog Week. But we can face it because it's been such a good week this week. Actually it's been a pretty ordinary week but on Planet PC that counts as 7 red letter days because you learn to appreciate the 'ups'. I even managed to do some sewing and a few alterations for a friend so it's been all good really. Boris hasn't emerged from his sleeping bag for longer than 5 minutes at a time but has developed a passion for Fruits of the Forest Activia Yoghurt.

I could go on, and on, and on, but I won't.

Quickly, I'm glad your Dad is well enough to tell you off. Elaine, I do hope Pete is hanging in there and isn't feeling too bad. DG is was lovely to hear from you but Scaniety sounds like that website you sent me to: Sweatology. Veebee I hope Allan is OK. Marmalade, Veema and PW it's so nice that you stay on this forum; your experience is SO useful to us and we get so much identification from each other. Stephua, you are, like Ruthus, an inspiration to all of us. Bet I've missed somebody out.

Take care

Love Mo

[Proud Wife]

Dearest Mo, you are an absolute tonic.

I will start a cat nip thread for you and I'm not joking. Although it could be said I'm being particularly truthful.

I am so delighted to hear that Peter has had such a good week. I know that feeling and it's WONDERFUL! When I look back at our PC journey, our good weeks far outweighed our bad weeks in all honesty and that, on Planet PC is an absolute miracle. I wish nothing but the same for you and the patient.

I'd love to join in on your blooming conversation but I'm afraid I haven't got a blinking clue what you are on about. I do however, love the idea of an ICU to fix Boss Boris' misdemeanours although I am very surprised at his love of fruits of the forest Activia - their strawberry version is far better.

I've actually learned something from you - I had no idea that the sugars in chocolate were slower absorbed because of the fact - I tend to eat chocolate rather than glucose tablets when mine go too low. Thank you for that.

I tend not to post so often now, I think it's part of some kind of healing mechanism but I am always on here daily catching up on everyone's news and I can't see that changing any day soon. I absolutely LOVE to hear the positive stories so everyone out there, let's be hearing them!

Lots of love to you all xx

[Quickasyoucan]

Justamo

Glad to hear Peter is so well. Dad has had 2 good days and I am hoping for a third today. He couldn't resist coming outside rugged up to show me how to use the whipper snipper and then monitor me through the windows as I was doing it wrong apparently.

I am also in gardening mode and have bought some potted annuals for dad's pots, as mum used to, to brighten the place up.

George the springer spaniel also needs a whipper snip so scissors are next. And for the record I'm a valia berries yoghurt fan (go Boris).

[Veebee]

Ah, Quicky. ..It seems that us women need more tuition in the things that we've been doing for donkey's years! You have a springer. ..We had one for 14 years and I still melt when I see one...my favourite breed but I won't get another as the one we had was a rescue dog when he was a year old and he was such a lovely,loyal friend that I can't see another one coming close.

Thanks Mo for asking about Allan and it's good to know that Peter is having good days. Long may it continue. Allan seems to be static at the moment. Not improving yet no discernible deteriation. He's eating small amounts but no weight gain and very thin ..Unfortunately, I'm piling weight on because even though I'm busy enough I tend to sit with him for hours watching the TV or reading and, of course, nibbling ....my downfall ! As I've mentioned in another thread, we don't see what others see. Last week my daughter said "Mum, he's green!" I said he wasn't but when I took a good look in the light, I could see what she meant. She came yesterday and said he looked OK. This disease is a devil. Love to all Veexxxx

[Justamo]

Today we had an appointment with Dr Feelgood who gets bigger and louder every time we see him. He bounced around his surgery for a bit and then said that Peter was responding very well to the chemo regime and having completed 5 cycles he would have another 4 cycles and then further treatment (if any) would be decided. At the moment it's just plain Gemcitabine, 2 weeks on and 1 week off.

And then he announced that the CA19.9 markers had dropped from 136 to 35. I didn't pay attention to very much after that because I was so stunned. I had a feeling everything was OK, but not as OK as all that. Peter doesn't even know what CA19 markers are so I had to explain it on the way to the golf club where we had a celebratory bacon roll and Peter bought himself an electric ride-on golf buggy for a bargain £2085.70.

Which says evrything about how he feels because 6 months ago he refused to replace worn-out socks or underwear on the grounds that "it's not worth it, I won't get the wear out of them".

I wonder if they allow golf buggies in Tesco ? I could get a whole heap of shopping at once and drive it home without having to heave it into the boot of the car. . .

Boris has had a tiny tin of tuna and is lying, purring, inside his sleeping bag. Peter is watching snooker or darts or something and swearing robustly at the telly. And I'm lying down because my back really hurts and trying to type. But I had to share our good news - next week it might be your roller-coaster that's going up, not down.

Take care,

Love Mo

[Guest]

Oh what a super post Mo, such a boost for Peter, you and us. I expect that Boris is also celebrating in his own way. Absolutely smashing news, you are right to enjoy every moment of it.

Sorry about the back, would a nice massage be a comfort or has Peter spent the housekeeping on the golf buggy? I'd drive the damn thing anywhere you feel like and wait to be arrested just for the hell of it.

Rest well Mo and thank you for leaving us tonight with some very welcome good news!

M xx

[sandraW]

Agree with Marmalade, fabulous news about Peter, shame about your back though, hope you feel better soon, Boris! well what can we say Boris is just being a feline. love sandrax xx

[Quickasyoucan]

Great news mo. Peter is a shining example of how each individual is different and should not be written off due to age xx

[Elaine123]

Mo brilliant news for Peter and yourself....I am so happy at the results no need to ask how Peter is feeling as the golf buggy says it all. Why don't you get two and go on a Peter and Mo road trip , No need to book accomodation as you can just pop into a different forum buddies house every night , I am sure we are scattered all over the UK and even a cross channel visit to Stephua. Ok enough silly nonsense your news is wonderful. I can imagine the two of you would have been wound up like springs going into the appointment and that it would take time for you to take in What you were hearing.

It is such a boost to hear good news on here it gives us hope , thanks for sharing I am delighted for Peter. Take care

Elaine

X

p.s. If you do the road trip remember to pack Boris's exclusive sleeping bag. Have a lovely day.

[Sandiemac]

I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear this news. So glad for you both. Enjoy!

[stepuha]

Oh, what great news! Just what I needed to hear. And thank you for your warm words, Mo.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the lovely ladies on this forum a Happy International Women's Day! What would your husbands/partners/children/cats and dogs do without you.

We are having a little celebration with a friend of mine who came to visit from the UK. She made a delicious looking cake and we are about to dig into it.

I hope your back feels better soon, Mo.

Xx