Day 15 - Thursday 22nd July 2010

Didn't sleep at all well last night. Apart from the drugs, just couldn't stop thinking about it all.
Got to get through the day and get to the appointment with my oncologist this afternoon. Write a list of questions.

Have been told I cannot drive so Maurice took boys to school and spoke to Headteacher and explained the situation. She was brilliant I am told, but I know she is, that's not news to me.

Maurice collects boys from school and comes back to pick me up and we go to Hospital.

Oncologist shows the scan results - there are three tumours, so no chance of surgery.
Without performing a biopsy there is no way of knowing for sure if it is secondary breast cancer or secondary melanoma, so Kings are going to be asked if they will perform a biopsy. There is no treatment for secondary melanoma brain tumours. Radiotherapy course to treat secondary breast cancer will be arranged to start as soon as possible - 10 days of treatment to zap the brain tumours which will reduce the swelling and hopefully the tumours.

More scans too to check other organs for secondary cancer.

The rogue cancer cells probably travelled and rested in the brain before I had the mastectomy and chemo does not touch blood in the brain, so they wouldn't have been zapped then. Nor does the supposed wonderdrug Herceptin that I had a year of following chemo and radiotherapy. Damn and blast - double and even triple blast !

There is a new drug that does get to blood in the brain, it has been registered but not yet approved by NICE and if we can get confirmation that it is secondary breast cancer there may be a case to get special approval to use the drug. Looking on line it appears to give 2-4 months longer.

Asked the oncologist about best and worst case scenario. He said it was likely that it would take my life - worst case - any day - best case - up to two years.

Got to get everything sorted out admin wise - must make sure all is in order soon.

Photo: July 2009 - The boys on holiday in France