Kicking cancer where it hurts!

Firstly, apologies for the length of this post but it can't be helped and I do have an excuse.... for me it's probably the most important 'missive' I have posted to date.

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You might remember way back early last summer I posted a few slightly vague offerings here (you can find them by clicking the 'cancer' tag if you have a mind too) regarding someone who I only referred to as 'The Patient' (TP for short). T.P. is a private kind of guy and as a consequence I felt it inappropriate to rattle on about it all too much here, but I think today can make an exception.

After almost a years illness T.P was finally diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer back in May last year, the survival rates of which were given as something in the region of 2%, unless he underwent some pretty massive surgery. For those interested in the specifics, the procedure involved is pretty rare, the 'Whipple procedure' but if you are squeamish I might suggest you don't click the link.

Luckily and quite unusually T.P was fit enough in all other aspects to be subjected to the surgery which was scheduled to last 6-10 hours, and a week or two after the initial diagnosis he was wheeled into theatre. Amazingly the 'very clever surgeon men' did the job in just over 6 hours and T.P. was then dispatched to ITU where he was expected to remain for maybe 4-5 days...but he beat the odds and was back on a ward in hours and then again beat the odds by being discharged within a week instead of the expected 2-3 weeks!

What followed has been months and months of recovery and chemotherapy, of up's and down's, of hospital visits, of doctors visits, of two steps forward and one step backwards and a plethora of medical and emotional issues to deal with along the way.... all I might add with barely any complaint! T.P is an absolute star, my hero, and I am extremely proud of him. If I ever face anything such as this I hope I can be half the (wo)man he has been through it all!

So, what has prompted this post? Well, yesterday T.P. was summoned to the 'very clever Mr consultant man's' office for the results of the final scans, performed three weeks ago, to ascertain just how much of a success all this amazing medical malarkey had been. I don't know quite how he felt but he went off in the morning sounding astoundingly relaxed... but back here at home I did some floor pacing I can tell you!

And the result?

He's clear!!! No detectable cancer cells remaining!!! It was a resounding success, it was all worth it!!! Huraahhhhhhh!!!

One is never of course referred to as 'cured' and there are one or two minor issues still to be mended and lots of strength rebuilding and getting back to some semblance of normality to be done but the outcome is as good as can possibly be hoped for and probably better than I dared to hope for!

It's been a tough year for all involved but we got there in the end and by no little effort of the N.H.S. who have been marvellous and about whom I will hear nothing bad said (unless it's about parking!) It's been a year none of us would want to live through again and it's been a year of emotions and difficulties no one would relish but it's come to the very best conclusion and with a little luck and a prevailing wind it's all it's all gonna be good from here!

For me it's had an added 'odd-ness' that I couldn't blog it, I blog most things that trouble me but my thoughts and feeling were not paramount, respect for T.P's wishes and privacy were. He will probably still clip my ear for this post if he gets the chance and if he ever sees it but given the happy outcome he might just forgive me!

Did I ever mention T.P. is my dad? No, I thought I didn't! I could bang on now with lots of soppy emotional stuff but he hates that and I hope he knows how I feel anyway, so I will resist and just say today is a happy, happy, happy day and 'well done dad' I'm very proud of you and....no I said I wouldn't do the soppy bit.......

;o)