Update on oggbashan's health

[oggbashan]

Instead of posting in other places such as Blurt and Coffee Shop threads. I have decided to set up a thread just for this.

Today, Wednesday 25 September 2019 was crunch day. I had my initial discussion with oncology as opposed to all the other specialist consultants I have seen this year.

I have Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome which is caused by small-cell lung cancer. My symptoms (of Lambert-Eaton) are increased unsteadiness meaning I fall over frequently and cannot walk without a four-wheeled walker; My speech is slurred and gets worse during the day; I have double vision and my taste is affected. I have NO symptoms and NO pain from the lung cancer -yet. My blood/oxygen level is about 100% and my lung function 93% both of which are ridiculously good for someone with lung cancer. But the Lambert-Eaton symptoms are worsening.

I saw the oncology specialist with my wife and youngest (medical) daughter. WE agreed that I should start chemotherapy soon even though that will NOT cure the small-cell cancer. It might reduce its spread and extend my life - maybe. It might stop the Lambert-Eaton getting worse or possibly reduce the symptoms - maybe. It will be unpleasant and there are risks from the chemotherapy itself but small-cell cancer is aggressive and if not treated could spread very rapidly making it untreatable.

If the chemotherapy is successful it might be followed by radiotherapy again to try to reduce the spread of the cancer. But neither treatment will stop it. They might buy me time, but not much more than that.

I start the chemotherapy on Monday 30 September and will be back at the hospital every Monday for five more weeks after that. If I don't react too badly, then there will be a reassessment followed by yet another five courses of chemotherapy before radiotherapy is considered - if I survive that long.

The specialist(s) have only agreed to try this because apart from the Lambert-Eaton I am surprisinmgly fit and active for my age. If I had not been they would have said - 'forget any treatment - make your will'. I am doing that anyway.

I will try to keep my friends on Literotica updated through this thread.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Oh, Ogg, what can I say? You are a good man, a brave man.

Hugs.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Thank you for keeping us updated, Og, and my strongest hopes that the treatment will ease your symptoms and give you some more time to enjoy your life.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

Thank you for keeping us updated, Ogg. Keeping you and your family close in thought and prayer *hugs*

 

[MelissaBaby]

Best wished to you, Ogg.

 

[KeithD]

Thanks for the update. Our thoughts are with you.

 

[vanmyers86]

Big hug from Texas, my dear. Sending you positive thoughts and wishing you and your family serenity and focus.

 

[oggbashan]

Thank you, all.

While I wait, I am trying to finish more stories. I have five ready to be submitted for the Halloween contest and a few dozen more in progress. But my writing is slower and more awkward than it was. I have to wear an eyepatch to correct my double vision and my fingers don't always hit the right keys. 'rgw' or 'yjr' sometimes appear when I intended 'the'.

 

[KeithD]

Thank you, all.

While I wait, I am trying to finish more stories. I have five ready to be submitted for the Halloween contest and a few dozen more in progress. But my writing is slower and more awkward than it was. I have to wear an eyepatch to correct my double vision and my fingers don't always hit the right keys. 'rgw' or 'yjr' sometimes appear when I intended 'the'.

I've been interchanging "I" (used as one word) and "a" for years.

 

[TxRad]

Hang in there old son. Prayers coming your way.

 

[oggbashan]

I've been interchanging "I" (used as one word) and "a" for years.

Spell check is my friend...

 

[KeithD]

Spell check is my friend...

Spellcheck doesn't catch my nagging transposition issue. "I" and "A" are both legitimate words.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Best wishes and a huge hug, Ogg. We’re all there with you in spirit, even if not in person. And I’m going to pound out my Biggles story just for you so you’ve got something to crack your ribs laughing over and take your mind of the chemo.

 

[oggbashan]

Tomorrow, Thursday, I have a hospital visit for an update with a Speech and Language specialist. Last time (the first referral) that I saw her she concluded that there was nothing physically wrong with my mouth, throat, tongue or vocal chords. Lambert-Eaton was interfering with the messages between my brain and muscles used to produce speech. (as it is for my legs, balance and sight.)

She could not give me any exercises to improve my speech because the Lambert-Eaton symptoms become worse with tiredness. I think she will be surprised how much worse I have got since I last saw her. I am the first ever patient she has seen with Lambert-Eaton (as is virtually very other consultant I have seen). I am an 'interesting case'.

Later in the afternoon I go to another hospital for a pre-assessment including blood tests for my suitability to start chemotherapy on Monday. I don't expect any difficulties. Everything else is 'normal' or 'better than it should be'.

Sometime tomorrow I have to find a chemist who is doing a flu jab. I have to have that before I start chemotherapy on Monday and my doctor's surgery doesn't start their flu-jab sessions until Monday week.

 

[oggbashan]

Spellcheck doesn't catch my nagging transposition issue. "I" and "A" are both legitimate words.

I know. It also doesn't catch my frequent error of changing a character's name during a story, or the stupid typo in my latest. I have written 'air' when I meant 'hair'. I only noticed it after it was posted. I'm not going to do an edit just for that.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I know. It also doesn't catch my frequent error of changing a character's name during a story, or the stupid typo in my latest. I have written 'air' when I meant 'hair'. I only noticed it after it was posted. I'm not going to do an edit just for that.

I catch most of my typos in the feel of my fingers. My big problem is my keyboard: it irregular fails to record keys I've cleanly and clearly struck. It happens mostly with x, z, p, 8, and 9.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm sorry to hear about this. You have my very best wishes for a good response to the new round of treatment. You are a valuable contributor to the Site and this forum and I hope your contributions continue for many years to come.

 

[oggbashan]

I'm sorry to hear about this. You have my very best wishes for a good response to the new round of treatment. You are a valuable contributor to the Site and this forum and I hope your contributions continue for many years to come.

Thank you. 'many years' are very unlikely. I might have a year if I'm lucky.

 

[Polyacrylate]

Best wishes, sir. You've been nothing but a gentleman to all of us emperor penguins on this forum, and even a relative new comer and minor participant like me can see the contributions you've made to this community.

 

[OneAuthor]

I wish you the best, ogg. Thank you for sharing all of this with us.

 

[SimonDoom]

Thank you. 'many years' are very unlikely. I might have a year if I'm lucky.

I understand. But I send my best and most optimistic wishes to you anyway. You never know. I have dealt with cancer in a close friend of mine in recent years. At one point this person's prognosis was about six months. But it's several years later and my friend is doing better than before. Many people here are sending good thoughts.

 

[oggbashan]

I understand. But I send my best and most optimistic wishes to you anyway. You never know. I have dealt with cancer in a close friend of mine in recent years. At one point this person's prognosis was about six months. But it's several years later and my friend is doing better than before. Many people here are sending good thoughts.

There are cancers and cancers. My car mechanic has lived six years with his and might have another six months. My brother survived three years with his and a year after he gave up chemotherapy to try to drink his wine cellar. One of my daughter's fathers-in-law survived six months after he was diagnosed years too late for any treatment. But none of them were small-cell lung cancer which is one of the most aggressive and difficult (if not impossible) to stop. All that is likely is to slow its progress.

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

Thank you. 'many years' are very unlikely. I might have a year if I'm lucky.

Prayers inbound and keep fighting. They told my brother he had weeks. Five years later they were right. Mindset is a lot of this.

 

[oggbashan]

Prayers inbound and keep fighting. They told my brother he had weeks. Five years later they were right. Mindset is a lot of this.

Thank you. I hope but I have to be realistic as well. I am arranging my affairs to minimise work for the wife and children (and the family solicitor) but if I live longer than expected I will post many more stories to Literotica. My short term aim is 350 by the end of 2019 (316 now) and 400 by end of 2020 if I live that long. Beyond then? 500?

 

[8letters]

We all have a limited time on this earth. Enjoy the rest that you have.