January 2016 A new year, but no change to the blog name

Apart from the arrival of Arabella Maria Kuhlmann - third child and first daughter for Sally (my niece) and Christian, it's now official.
 
I DON'T LIKE THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY! 

January 2015 - scans bring shock diagnosis of advanced renal cell carcinoma - tumours in spine and left pelvis.
January 2016 - scans show cancer has spread to the right lung. 

After a recent xray, there was some muttering (from the report) that suggested I probably had TB. 
However a follow-up CT scan revealed numerous small cancer spots on the right lung. I was not surprised - one has to be a bit suspicious when the oncologist rings to bring forward my scheduled appointment to 'this week' instead of late January.


However, it's not all doom and gloom. 
The CT scan also showed that the bone tumours have been contained and in fact have decreased in size, particularly the one in my left hip (I take this as a go-ahead to do some careful walking with a frame, instead of only using the wheelchair).
So I will now go off the 'targeted therapy' tablet drug - not such a bad thing as I have been losing quite a lot of hair.
The next treatment is to be an immuno-therapy drug (Nivolumab) which I will receive intravenously every two weeks in Warrnambool. It's a fairly new drug - not yet on the PBS scheme but my oncologist will access it free (instead of $120,000 per year). It's not chemotherapy, but to put it very simply it works by assisting my own immune system to recognise and attack the invading cancer cells. I shouldn't experience significant side-effects, but of course they list everything from an itch to death! I'll begin the treatment in a week or two - when all the paperwork is completed. 

Enough about me.
After some very trying days of pain, Brian has now begun (at my suggestion to the doctor!) the nerve drug Lyrica, and after several days of trial we are cautiously optimistic of an improvement. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, we have enjoyed having our two little grand-daughters from Albury around for a play. This included some significant milestones for the girls - Kaylee turned 4, and Lauren lost her first tooth at Kaylee's 'fish & chips' party! 

 They headed back to Albury today, armed with a photo album of all their Portland adventures, and although life will be quieter we will all miss them (and the rest of the family who came for Christmas).