The public memorial celebration for Mary will be held at the Ernespie House Hotel, Castle Douglas on January 14th 2022 at 1.30pm, following a short private cremation.
Kindly email us at maryscelebration@stewartry.co.uk as soon as possible if you are able attend to help us ensure a safe event. On Mary’s request, there is no formal dress code.
We hope you will be able join us for a celebration of Marys life, in person or watch the live stream online at: https://www.stewartry.co.uk/mmc.html
The post that no one wanted to read. I have to tell you that Mary died at the back of 7am on Christmas Day.
She started her next journey peacefully, without pain or breathlessness and being lovingly cared for.
Despite Mary preparing us we are still in shock as I expect you will be. The support and love she received from you all was as amazing as her care for everyone she reached.
The DH
Notification of the time of the memorial celebration will be posted here along with a link to stream it when it is arranged.
Well, I’m on the home stretch now; the finishing line very much in sight.
Nothing is quite as expected, though. From early on I had made my wish to die at home be known but here I am in a bed in the Alexandra Unit, which provides palliative care and is the nearest thing we have in Dumfries & Galloway region to hospice provision.
Anyway, the change of plans was my choice. At home, although they would take every possible care to have the drugs I would need when the pain became more severe, I wasn’t going to have someone 24/7 with the key to the locked cabinet. I didn’t want to behave all undignified if I couldn’t get my drugs!
I was mentally preparing some funny stories to share with you (like the woman who wanted a cleaning job but not when she was a bit busy near Christmas) but it’s late and I need to take my ‘breakthrough’ morphine dose (learning the lingo!) which I’ve delayed to get this wee post out there. I’ll try to remember them – not that I’ll be seeing my house again, dirty or otherwise.
My son is home. He came down after my weekend flight and decorated the Christmas tree and made such a lovely job I realised I should have had him doing it every year! I think I issued a challenge to him and his partner to a game of Rummy. And my sister’s dog is wondering why she’s never been invited on hospital visits before now. Patients have treats hidden all over the place!
Wishing each and every one of you a happy festival time and many thanks for all your support and love.
After my last post recording my decision not to go for further cancer treatment I really did intend to post an update a bit sooner than this. I should have remembered the unpredictability of cancer and not made assumptions things would tick over just the same.
The couple of weeks before my last post were busy seeing friends, doctors and the dentist (another emergency – broken filling)! I had an online consultation with the palliative consultant and she changed some of my medication. I’d been on a combination of codeine and paracetamol to try to suppress the constant cough and it was making me feel nauseous most of the time which rather put me off eating.
The consultant prescribed morphine instead, both a tablet and a liquid form. The tablet creates a slow release background dose to provide pain relief, help the breathlessness and suppress the cough and I could take the liquid stuff when required. The pain is something fairly new; a difficult to describe sharp pain along my right shoulder.
Then, the weekend after friends we met in Pakistan thirty years ago came to visit. Usually, they would stay with us and we would never go to bed the same day we got up. This time they booked into a hotel which, although not how I wanted it to be, was incredibly thoughtful. I could come home in the afternoon to have a nap before meeting again in the evening – but my goodness did it not make me feel horribly old to be the person who needed to nap!
Other friends had, unbeknownst to me, had been plotting to arrange a flight for me in a two-seater Piper Pup plane – something I didn’t know was on my bucket list.
Wow! Despite the less than elegant scramble getting in and out of the aircraft, it was absolutely amazing. The sun shone, the flight was stunning and, at the risk of upsetting my friend Beetley Pete, I think it really was awesome. I am so, so glad I went and it happened when it did. I seriously doubt if I’d manage to get in the plane now.
Things went downhill after the weekend. I thought at first it was a result of doing too much and a few days of rest would put me right again. Deciding to have a bit of quiet time, I cancelled engagements, apart from my appointment with the palliative consultant – this time, a face to face consultation. We also cancelled our planned trip to Aberdeen to visit our son at the weekend. That was a good call as it was the weekend of Storm Arwen so travelling would have been a mistake.
Concerned about how breathless I’d become in case there were blood clots in my lungs the consultant organised a CT scan for the next day (the next day!) and upped my morphine.
No blood clots to be seen, which was a relief but nothing else pointed to a cause of the breathlessness. In case it was a return of the pneumonitis, I was put on steroids. Remembering how fast they took effect before I was looking forward to feeling much better after the first couple of doses over the weekend. Unfortunately, I wasn’t.
The GP called me on Monday evening after seeing the scan results and suggested an antibiotic as there was a suggestion there could be an infection. I’m over half way through the course now without any improvement.
I had my first home visit from a Macmillan nurse this week. She further increased the morphine medication, assuring me I am still on a very low dose. We discussed the difficult topics of putting in place DNR (do not resuscitate), which actually isn’t so difficult when you understand your heart stopped because we’re all done here and breaking ribs to re-start it – possibly very briefly – isn’t a great idea.
I have an appointment with the consultant at the beginning of the coming week. I have to say I am very impressed and very glad of the support network which has, seemingly seamlessly, appeared in place.
I’m tired in a way I’ve never been tired before. Chemotherapy made me tired, radiotherapy wearied me deep in my bones but this – this is something else again. In the morning I make and eat my breakfast then go back to bed with a cup of tea. It’s stone cold when I wake up. Talking makes me cough. A short chat on the phone leaves me breathless, coughing and exhausted. I’m a talker – this is hard. I’m hoping further tweaking of the meds will help to relieve some of these symptoms, at least for a while.
I would like to do some writing – there’s still the Goldfish blog to convert into a book and there are poems to be written and edited – but it will depend on my energy levels and focus. I apologise for not reading and commenting on as many of your blog posts as usual. That takes stamina. I will try to respond to as many comments on my blog as possible – it’s always been a cardinal blogging rule for me to engage – but if I don’t please don’t be offended. I’m just a wee bit knackered right now.
The last couple of weeks haven’t been easy, not least getting my head round the fact the increasing amount of medication I’m taking is not going to make me better, but there have been some wonderful highlights which I’ll enjoy remembering.
I’m still dithering over what to decide about the chemotherapy treatment option.
I have had a meeting with the palliative care consultant which was helpful and reassuring in that chemotherapy and palliative care are not an either or scenario and if I decide to go ahead with the chemo, I can still be seen in palliative care for help managing any symptoms from either the disease or from the treatment. Knowing support is available in managing symptoms caused by the treatment is reassuring.
Other topics discussed with the consultant included resuscitation and whether or not I should have a DNR in place and also whether or not I would want to treatment interventions such as ventilation (I think that’s a no).
I started on the SafeFit trial established by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support and other medical bodies to enable people with a cancer diagnosis retain or regain physical fitness levels. After a very lengthy process or questionnaires both online and over the telephone – plus a bit of a hiatus in my application because of the unexpected appearance of cancer cells in my lymph nodes after my treatment ended – I was accepted and assigned an instructor. For the first four weeks I have one-to-one online exercise sessions, tailored to my fitness levels and needs. It’s very much a holistic approach so my instructor always checks on my stress levels – not sure she expected me to burst into tears on our first meeting but she coped very well.
I also re-started Pilates classes after a break and that felt good, too. Over the period of lockdown, which more or less coincided with my cancer diagnosis and treatment, the class has been so important – the exercise but also seeing people, even if only on screen.
All in all, I’ve been feeling fairly well – and although I can see the lymph nodes in my neck expanding they aren’t bothering me too much yet – though I do worry about winter when I usually wear polo neck jumpers, which I suspect will be an irritation. But then, as always seems to be the case, whenever I’m doing the things I’m supposed to be doing to improve my health, to stay as physically strong as possible, something knocks me back. This time, I put my back out. I was putting the cat’s breakfast down on the floor – forgot to engage my core and bend my knees. Mea culpa.
I reached for the frozen peas followed by the heat pad. Dug out the lumbar brace and took paracetamol, expecting it to ease off after a few days. It didn’t and I had to give in and make an appointment with my GP. Before cancer, I was rarely at the doctor. I was brought up by parents who believed the NHS was a wonderful privilege never to be abused – so you had to be seriously ill before the doctor was consulted – and so I still hate to feel I’m making a fuss about nothing.
Oh, my goodness, what a difference strong painkillers and a muscle relaxant made! When I woke up three days later (I’m kidding) I couldn’t believe how much the pain had receded. Before the pills, I couldn’t have sat for long enough to type this far. I should apologise here to the many people waiting for a reply to their emails, letters and cards – now you know why I’ve not been able to keep up.
The llama who has firmly turned her back on me is the llama I was going to take for a walk!
The one thing which did help my back when it was bad was walking, which really eased it. I was delighted to be invited by a friend to take one of her llamas for a walk. It was a lovely.
Annie the llama did grumble a bit at first about being made to go for a walk but she soon stopped complaining and seemed to enjoy looking about her. Occasionally, she turned to stare at me as if to say: “I don’t know who the hell you are but I think we can manage this together.”
Me and my new bestie
I’m so looking forward to my trip to Islay with Wee-sis, which is still a couple of weeks away. Isn’t it odd how time moves slowly at times? Before Islay, though, I have another exciting event – a wedding. I can’t remember when I was last at a wedding. I can’t remember when I last wore heels!
The week I come back from Islay (16-24), I’ll meet the oncologist, try to get answers to my questions and make my decision.
It’s been almost a month since my last blog post – and what a month of highs and lows and bits in between it has been. Get the drinks and snack ready for a long post!
Soon after the meeting with my oncologist, while waiting for the requested PET scan, I was on the beautiful island of Arran where I’d been invited on a writers’ retreat. I’ve visited Arran, with the DH, several times and on most visits we’d climbed Goatfell so I was concerned I’d be depressed knowing I can no longer do such climbs, nor many of the other walks I’ve previously enjoyed. Rather than be depressed, the combination of being in such a magical place with glorious sunshine, talking writing with three wonderful women, I felt exhilarated and by the end of the week had convinced myself I could climb Goatfell. I’d have to start early as it would take me all day with the number of rests I’d have to take but I was sure I could do it. I was also sure I was getting my writing mojo back.
It’s not often I’m up on time to see a sunrise – this from my window on Arran.
We were there to write but we did have a day out around the island and visited the standing stones on Machrie Moor. I’ve put photos of them on a past blog post. Sue Vincent and I hoped we would make it there together, possibly after she came to visit Cairn Holy last April. Sadly, that was not to be. It was a warm sunny day (first time I’ve seen the Stones in sunshine) and we saw two buzzards and a red kite so we knew for sure Sue was around.
Standing Stones on Machrie Moor, Arran
My lovely GP had posted the oncologist’s report from the meeting to me. Unlike seemingly everyone on the oncology team my GP believes the patient should have access to reports and letters. And is happy to explain things I don’t understand. The report made clear if the cancer is confined to the lymph nodes in my neck the oncologist is suggesting an aggressive radical course of therapy – ensuring “the overlap (from previous treatment) was minimal and the doses to the normal structures such as the spinal cord and the brachial plexus are within acceptable limits.” I think that makes it clear why a) it’s important for the patient to be able to read the report and b) have things explained before the next meeting.
If the cancer has spread radiotherapy isn’t an option and neither are targeted treatments, nor immunotherapy, which can cause pneumonitis. Remember the trouble I had with that! Chemotherapy “potentially with Docetaxel and Nintedanib,” the side-effucks of which sound even more horrendous than my previous chemo drugs.
My PET scan was booked for the Monday after my return but an appointment letter was waiting for me saying I’d to be there on Tuesday, not Monday. I phoned to check and was told the date had been changed because it was a Bank Holiday in England and the fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) they inject into the vein wouldn’t arrive on time. The DH had to change the hotel booking we’d made for the Sunday night to the Monday. Luckily, the hotel wasn’t fully booked. We checked in, booked a table in the restaurant and had a pleasant evening. In the morning I’d just come out of the shower when they phoned to say the scan had been cancelled. We drove straight home – at least I was able to have coffee and breakfast – not in the mood to linger in Edinburgh.
The next two scans were booked and postponed. Finally, it happened on September 06. We didn’t go up the night before so it wasn’t the pleasantest of mornings on what is a pretty horrible drive anyway and worse when not being able to have a coffee. I could drink water though wasn’t able to have any cough syrup or pastilles, though.
I only found out by chance about not taking cough medicine. Every pre-scan discussion which stresses the need to fast also says it’s all right to take medication as usual. I don’t know what prompted me to say I use codeine linctus but when I did I was startled by the vehemence of the response. “Oh, no, you mustn’t. Because of the sugars it contains it can cause false positives in the scan.” Well, wasn’t it good I asked! If it had been discovered I’d been swigging cough syrup the scan would have been cancelled.
Top Tip for anyone having a PET scan – when they say you can take medication as usual during the pre-scan fasting period – do check if it really is OK to take the medicine you have.
Of the various ups and downs over the month the biggest down of all with Taliban back in power in Afghanistan. A few, a very few, of my friends have got out. Most have not. Having people I love and care about begging for help I can’t provide is heart breaking and soul destroying for us all.
And, so to the last down in this post – the PET scan result. My appointment was today, though not with my oncologist who has Covid, but with one of her colleagues and it was a video conference. Not an ideal situation.
Unfortunately, it shows the cancer has not been contained in the lymph nodes in my neck but has affected lymph nodes in several places. This means radiotherapy is not an option. I was dreading making a decision about whether or not to have radiotherapy, especially when described as aggressive, knowing how much it f****d up my lungs last time. And this time it would have been risky because of the proximity to the spinal cord and the brachial plexus. Anyway, I don’t have to decide on that as it’s not going to happen.
The only possibility is a course of chemotherapy – a much more brutal combination of drugs than last time, and which might give me a few extra months to ‘live’. I include the inverted commas because spending several months feeling ill, fatigued and unable to do much does not sound like living to me – existing maybe but not living. The difference between having treatment and not having treatment in terms of ‘overall survival’ is about two and a half months. It appears the main benefits of the chemo may be that it would relieve symptoms. I don’t yet have any and don’t know what they might be. I will ask. I will have other questions, too.
I have requested to speak to a palliative treatment consultant before making any decision. Guided by my wonderful mentor at Maggie’s Centre in Edinburgh, I actually asked about this a week ago but the message was missed because my specialist nurse has been working from home and until this week had been unable to pick up messages on his work phone. I didn’t like the implication at the last meeting I had with the oncologist that if I decided to go for palliative treatment I’d be discharged by her and referred to a palliative doctor.
When today I asked for the PET scan report, which of course hadn’t been sent to me, this is what I was given! I had my eyes tested last week and the optician said they hadn’t change since the last test but I couldn’t read this report without a magnifying glass – or scanning it and zooming in.
Anyway, that’s where I’m at – the cancer is back, is not going to go away. I have decisions to make – should I plant more spring bulbs? – but for now I’m mostly looking forward to a holiday with Wee-sis on Islay next month.
A surprise gift of sunshine from a friend continues to brighten my days
Monday, 16 August: Just a quick update to let everyone know how my meeting with the oncologist went today.
A biopsy of the lump in my neck, formed by three small lymph nodes, had shown metastatic adenocarcinoma; the CT scan was to find out where else the cancer may have spread.
The good news is that it seems not to have spread anywhere else and is, so far, confined to those lymph nodes.
Chemotherapy isn’t really an option. I can probably explain why not after I listen again to the recording of our meeting but as the recording is over an hour I’ll have to search for relevant bits to pass on. The oncologist does seem to think, however, that a four week course of targeted aggressive radiotherapy could be a useful treatment, even if not curable.
I need to replay our discussion, in particular listen to the probably side-effucks. Even if the memory of the really painful throat, the burnt skin and the extreme tiredness has dimmed a bit (like after childbirth) it is still there. And I remember clearly the pneumonitis, the inflammation in my lung, in particular I’ll never forget the horrendous stay in the assessment unit where they misdiagnosed and mistreated the condition. The radiation-induced fibrosis has never left me causing the breathlessness and the cough, which have so adversely impacted my life. I need to listen and think and research and ask further questions.
If I do nothing then the oncologist thinks perhaps I’d have about six months (she gave me seven last time!) but with treatment that could be extended to a year or more. What I don’t know is how well I would actually be for those extra months. If how I am now – breathless on the slightest exertion, coughing when I’m talking, tired and lacking energy – is as good as it gets then I worry about how I would feel if I ended up still breathing but feeling even more wretched. Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to decide what I should do! This is my decision – but I may ponder aloud.
The next step is to have a PET (Positron emission tomography) scan to check if there are any ‘hot spots’ the CT scan missed. I’ve agreed the oncologist should go ahead and book this while I’m making my decision. It will be about a fortnight before the appointment is through – then however long for the scan result – then more waiting to see the oncologist again.
The one thing I have learned about this world of cancer is that the only certainty for any of us is that it will involve a lot of waiting.
A wee while ago I posted some photos of Belted Galloways in a field near Threave Castle. One of them has just had a calf. If we’re looking for signs and portents I’m taking new life coming into the world as a good sign.
Saturday 07, August: The biopsy result on the lymph nodes shows the cancer is now metastatic. To quote from the report: “The morphological features and immunoprofile are consistent with metastatic adenocarcinoma from the lung.”
I had a CT scan on Friday including neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis to identify where the cancer has spread. And, so, I wait again for the next result.
This must be the shortest update I’ve written because I haven’t yet processed what I’m feeling/thinking – and probably won’t until the scan result comes through and the wait to see the oncologist and find out what, if anything, can be done.
Thursday, May 13: Well, the ‘blip’ proved to be a bit more ‘blippier’ than anticipated. I did all the things everyone advised me to do and rested completely over the Bank Holiday weekend. The weather was pretty awful so it wasn’t too hard to stay inside with a well-stocked kindle. Unfortunately, it didn’t make any difference to the cough.
On May 05, I spoke to the Specialist Nurse (SN) who sounded disappointed about the downturn. We talked about the possible reasons for the breathlessness and the cough. It came back to what I suspected: either scar tissue in my throat from the radiotherapy targeting the lymph nodes above my collarbone or too big a reduction in the steroids. Specialist Nurse said it wouldn’t be problem to increase the dose.
Might not be a problem for SN who isn’t the one with swollen ankles, fluid-filled lumps which can be squished from front to back of my shoulders (when Sue told me her swollen bits moved around her body I wasn’t sure what she meant – now I know), a neck so swollen it would look good on a Galloway bull and puffy eyelids. On Friday when SN called to check on me I said things were much the same so there would be a discussion on Monday between SN and oncologist and SN would call me either on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning.
See the neck on this very lovely Belted Galloway!
I did briefly think about making the radical suggestion the oncologist could phone me directly.
I reduced my steroids from 15mg a day to 10mg on Friday and felt OK when speaking to the SN. Friends came round later, bringing lunch for us to eat in the sunshine (real proper warm sunshine which had us taking off jackets) in the garden and I still felt fine and so happy to see them.
Saturday, however, was a rubbish day. It’s hard to describe how different everything felt. I spent most of it asleep, occasionally waking up to read for 20 minutes before dozing off again. The DH cooked our evening meal. The DH has done quite a lot of cooking over the last 10 months. It hasn’t improved and after coming home from my last spell in hospital I’ve cooked. I like cooking but on Saturday I couldn’t have boiled an egg.
On Sunday I had a lazy morning, going back to bed after breakfast, dozing rather than falling soundly asleep and in the afternoon the DH and I went to a garden centre. I felt a bit more like myself. I cooked. The next day was a better day and I spent a bit of time in the garden.
Then on Tuesday, SN called to say the oncologist had agreed that I should increase the steroids and review the situation in another week.
We had a brief negotiation session during which I admitted I’d had a really rubbish day on Saturday, the day after my steroid dose reduction, but had rallied on Sunday. I suggested, as I was now over half way through the 10mg week, instead of increasing the dose, I stayed on the same dose for the remainder of the week and for following week. This was deemed acceptable. I suspect I might have gone ahead with this strategy regardless because I really, really don’t want to increase my steroid dose and be on them the drug for any longer than absolutely necessary – wonder drug that it is.
I was starting to feel well enough to spend some time in the garden (pottering rather than full on gardening) and start walking again. Short walks.
Mrs Duck really did not want to be in the same picture as Mr Duck!
The other thing which happened on Tuesday was a telephone consultation with the pulmonary rehab team leader about my breathlessness and coughing issues. This is partly why I didn’t suggest the oncologist phoned me herself because the SN was instrumental in this consultation taking place – though only because I asked.
Top Tip – ask! If there’s anything you need to know or something you feel might be available to help, then ask. I asked so many times over several months about exercises to help my breathing. To start with, I got nowhere. This was partly my fault for not making clear what I was asking for. People heard ‘exercises’ and thought I meant running or cycling or other kinds of physical exercise when I meant breathing exercises and partly the fault of everyone involved in my lung cancer care who didn’t think about the benefit of breathing exercises. I didn’t even know a pulmonary rehabilitation person existed.
Finally, my new SN appeared on the scene, understood what I was asking and talked to the lung physio about it. I was sent an initial handout with some exercises and one, simple, brilliant method to control short of breath breathing. That alone endeared me to both of them! By the end of the phone consultation with the pulmonary rehab person on Tuesday I was convinced I could learn how to control this cough (it might even have become a habitual cough and there are strategies to deal with it) and what is described as ‘dysfunctional breathing’.
Today, I received in the post from my lung physio more handouts with exercises and strategies, a relaxation CD and a follow-up appointment and I’m wondering what happens to lung cancer patients who don’t ask for this kind of help because they don’t know it exists. Why the lack of communication? The lack of joined up thinking?
Also, today I received the appointment letter for my CT scan. This is the one which will tell how effective the cancer treatment has been. It’s at 10.30 on May 27 and I’m practically counting the hours, which is daft because the day of the scan tells me nothing (it does let me don scrubs and feel as though I have a walk on part in Holby City, which is the most fun part of it all) and I won’t know the result until Monday, May 31 when I meet the oncologist.
I’m in a strange space at the moment. There’s no point in crossing fingers and toes because the work of the treatment, both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, is done, so whatever it has achieved (or not) has happened. It’s still hard, though, not to cross fingers and hope.
Until then, I’m not going to post an update. You’re probably as fed up as I am about the wait for concrete news – though do let me know if you want more information on how to correct a habitual cough (it includes sharp sniffs and effortful swallowing) and dysfunctional breathing.
Our walk this evening – all calm and quiet at the castleLooking in the other direction and wondering if we’d make it back before those clouds dumped the rain on us. We didn’t! But, hey ho! it has been good to be out and about again.
Well, it’s been a couple of weeks since I posted a cancer diary update. I was feeling a lot better thanks to the steroids and the weather was good (bright and sunny, if still cold) so I was able to go out most days for walks.
The walks became longer until I was managing two to three miles on the level and my step count, adding in time working in the garden, was reaching 10,000 a day. I even managed a couple of walks round Doach Woods which is a bit steeper. Yes, I was out of breath on anything steeper than flat but my pulse rate soon dropped down again, I was hardly coughing and really thought the pneumonitis was on its way out.
On Monday, with Covid-19 restrictions finally beginning to lift a friend came to visit from Glasgow and we had a lovely time walking and talking. On Tuesday, my son and his partner arrived and again we walked and talked and talked and talked. I did feel I was becoming slightly more breathless but dismissed it as I really did talk an awful lot more than usual over the two days. When the DH and I go walking together we don’t talk to each other much – we can do that round the kitchen table.
By Wednesday evening I was feeling pretty flat – my visitors gone and although we hope to meet again soon who knows these days what might happen. There could be another lockdown just around the corner. I’ve been becoming more breathless and coughing more and feeling tired in a way I haven’t for weeks.
The DH thinks it’s probably just a blip after doing a bit too much walking and talking and a couple of days rest will put things right again. Or, it could be my body decided the last weekly drop in my steroid dose was too much? I really don’t want to start taking a higher dose again.
Of course, it’s a Bank Holiday weekend so no specialist nurse or GP to ask. I really have rested today – step count under 2,000! – and I’ll do the same tomorrow and Monday (the weather forecast is pretty rubbish, anyway) and see how things are on Tuesday.
In the meantime I’ll try to keep thinking it is just a “too-much-talking” blip and not start imaging worst case scenarios – is the tumour starting to grow again now the radiation has finished working? This I can’t know until the last week (possibly the last day) of this month and I don’t want to cope with almost a month of scanxiety.
Positive thinking – altogether now: ‘It’s just a blip – don’t talk so much!’
Mary Smith's Place 