UTTER WRETCHENESS

Dear All,

I cannot quite believe I am penning another of these updates. 

As many of you know, Sammy received the euphoric news of being in remission back in January this year.  There was no disease present and she could stop treatment.  Wow!  Words we never thought we would hear in our wildest of dreams.  At last, we could start getting our lives back and Terry could stop dominating our every thought and waking minute.

Sammy went for her quarterly scans last week and we received the results on Friday evening with Professor Dalgleish.  It is with utter wretchedness and a quiver in my lip that I inform you that Terry is defying court orders and has come back to squat in Sammy’s brain.

The scans have highlighted two areas of white “fluff” in the central ventricle.  Typically, a tumour will show as dark on the scan but this is either a very early formation or because it is surrounded by the fluid of the ventricle.  Either way it is a signal that something isn’t as it should be and very upsettingly it is likely to be a relation of Terry getting up to no good.

We are yet to see Frank Saran, Sammy’s brain oncologist or her surgeon James Laban to hear their views. However, the detection of Terry’s bit of “fluff” is a signal that the treatment must start with haste and I write this from the chemo hall in Wimbledon where Sammy is currently hooked up.  It is an odd sensation being greeted by all the friendly nurses who are happy to see you but at the same time also very sad you are back.

Yet again the cancer rollercoaster has sent us into a gut-wrenching freefall into a pitch-black void.  Sammy has been dealt another atrocious hand but she is still sat at the table, elegant, composed, strong and determined to win.  It is so deeply paining and feels so unjust that someone with so much love, life and positivity keeps getting such distressing knock backs.  This conniving disease always has a twist in its tail and there is no method to its madness and destruction.  I don’t think one can ever prepare for its brutality and the emotional devastation it delivers each and every time.  However, if nothing else cancer certainly keeps one on your toes…

Professor Dalgleish is going to add a vaccine into the treatment which he has been developing at the ICVI.  It is a biological serum which has shown great results when combined with the immunotherapy. With this element of treatment all under way we await the opinions of the brain virtuosos to see what they recommend. There may well be some more radiation from the gamma knife.

Whilst it is terribly hard to hear the news we have had we have to be thankful for the team around us.  Not only do we have world leading experts but we have an armada of loving family and friends to help us pull through.  You are amazing and we cannot thank you enough.  Please do continue to be amazing as it gives so much sustenance to the omnipresent fight! 

I will keep you updated as to the next steps as and when they unfold and praying we can get this under control without surgery.  As ever please do pass this on to those who may wish to know. 

With all our love and thanks.

Johnsiex