Classycanopies

Norman enjoying being with the ladies - Sian, Jane, Sandra and Fi - at Wolverhampton Steam Show 2009

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Norman and I have received some very sad news just recently.   On 10th December 2009 he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and doesn't have very long left.    This came as a tremendous shock as there was no warning, it just came out of the blue.    Norman has always helped and supported me with my pram hobby and restoration work and we have met some wonderful people during our years of collecting and working with the prams.   We would just like to take this opportunity to say thank you to you all for your good wishes and support during this dreadful period.

13th January 2010

Update on Norman's condition

Norman is still fairly upbeat about the situation.  He has had lots of lovely messages and his friends and colleagues have visited him regularly to keep him informed of all the gossip from work.

He was dreadfully sick over Christmas and on 30th December he suffered a fractured rib - which is not uncommon when the cancer enters the bones - which meant he was in a great deal of pain.   It was an awful night, I had to contact Shropdoc twice during the night and the doctor came out to give Norman a painkilling injection.  Our own GP visited in the morning and gave him another injection plus some morphine patches to make sure he had cover over New Year.    The patches have been a boon but the sickness continued, even with the medication prescribed for nausea, and even when he just took sips of water.   Because of all the painkillers, Norman was in a bit of a state in the "waste" department as the medication tends to stun the bowel.     Luckily the Macmillans liaised with our doctor and they prescribed some steroids and stomach medication and this has lifted Norman considerably, he is now eating and drinking normally - and all his other bodily functions are working normally.   It's amazing just how much we take for granted when we are well, even down to the very basic functions, they make such a difference to maintaining our normality when they are working properly and we don't realise just how much until they stop working.

However, he has lost quite a bit more body fat, and is very weak but is managing to get upstairs at night and downstairs in the morning.   He was bedridden for a couple of weeks after the rib fracture but is now walking around with the aid of a walking stick and has frequent naps in his well-padded chair with Daisy, also well-padded, and keeping him company by his side!

We have an appointment with the Oncologist at Shrewsbury on Monday 18th, so hopefully he will be fit enough to travel by car - a distance of about 12 miles - to see what the doctor has to say.

2nd February 2010

We saw the Oncologist, Dr Chattajee,  today.     He outlined the pros and cons of chemotherapy, most of which were cons!    Norman had already decided not to have this treatment after seeing the effects on other members of our family over the years.    He would much rather have quality of the life which is left to him, rather than extending a miserable existence by four to six weeks.  He is very much at peace with himself at the moment, mainly because things have settled down and he isn't troubled too much by discomfort or sickness.     He is eating well so Dr Chattajee is keeping Norman on steroids for the time being, as they are suiting him,  and wants him to go for a bone scan in case radiotherapy is needed and then he will know exactly where to apply the treatment.

He also examined Norman and felt around his left rib where we thought it had broken.    Dr Chattajee said it wasn't broken, but that it was the cancer travelling along his other side from the spine and, as long as the morphine patches are covering the pain, there was no need to worry unduly.    He also said there was evidence of the tumour in his upper spinal region, and there are infected lymph nodes in his chest.      I'm really surprised Norman is so well in spite of all this news, even though his mobility is limited he is not deteriorating physically apart from losing a little weight each week.

We go out in the car most days, even if it is sleeting/raining/blowing a gale, he just likes to go to places he was in the habit of going to during his working life, so he can sit and remember.   I'm wishing the sunshine would come out and brighten up his days, and help the snowdrops and crocus to bloom which is what he is really waiting for - he was so afraid he wouldn't live to see them after his diagnosis and awful sickness period just after Christmas.

He has an appointment at the Hospice to be approved for therapy there, one day a week, which should make a pleasant change for him.  He should feel a little more confident when he starts to meet other people with similar problems and swap notes!

Thankfully, this progress means that I can do a little more work than of late, so I have tidied up my workroom which had become a dumping ground, and will get on with some prammie stuff.    Norman loved to help me to dismantle the prams ready for respraying and rechroming and is still able to de-spoke the wheels, so he feels as though he is still useful.  This is very important for him otherwise he will feel as though he won't be missed if I show him I can do it all.  It's a two-edged sword in a way, because he needs to see I won't get into difficulties otherwise he will worry that I can't cope, and yet by taking away this need for his help makes him feel useless.   But I still need his advice and help on lots of things and he certainly gives me lots of that!