Gobby Gang Cont

Hi all… a quick update on whats been happening today. Lynn had the emergency MRI scan and they discovered a new tumour growing beside her T10 vertebra just outside the dural sack. The little blighter is pressing on the sack which is in turn pressing on the spinal cord and causing cord compression and therefore the numbness. I don’t think we could be thanking the stars any more that she made that call to her oncologist who sent her for the emergency scan.

Her options are now neurosurgery or radiotherapy. The neurosurgeons have seen her scans and agreed to look at her case so we have everything crossed that they will actually be able to operate to remove the tumour. She has been admitted to Mount Vernon tonight and they are transferring her to The National Hospital for neurology first thing tomorrow morning… will update Kate by text tomorrow. Kate, if you want to give any of the other girls my number that’s fine, i’m more than happy to keep you all posted.

Thinking about you all … Know some of you are having a rough time at the moment too.

Vikki

Vikki - thanks for updating us. I kept sneaking my mobile on whilst watching a Scout production of Bugsy Malone tonight at the risk of having a custard pie thrown at me if I was caught using my phone!!!
Is the neurology hospital in central london or wimbledon? I used to do agency nursing in both of those but expect it’s somewhere else now.
Hope they can find the best option for Lynn and one which is the least risky and painful and the most effective. I can’t believe how quick that must have grown or did they never examine that part when she had her earlier surgery? Really gutted for her and all her friends and family. Must be so hard on you and her other close friends and family.
I will pass your number on in the morning as too tired to do it now. Not sure if Debs is back yet so will email her and Claire who is having a break from the site at the moment.

I’m having rads to T5 -7 and my shoulder blade in july so hoping that will relieve my pain and also to my oesophagus which I’m dreading but will cross that bridge when I get there. Going to ask the hospice nurse on monday about it as been told it will be very painful for 2 -4 weeks so will lose even more weight and not sure how I will eat and drink to keep hydrated or take tablets to help pain so will investigate fentanyl patches and even if I can be admitted to the hospice if really bad as the children are getting so upset about my pain and my eating/regurgitating and feel it would be fairer to them and I would get more rest if not at home. Will see what she says but very scared at the moment so am concentrating at worrying about Lynn if that makes sense - head in the sand approach at the mo.
Wish I could be so lucky in my cancer treatment as I have been in the last 2 weeks at bingo and in the raffle!!

Send my love to Lynn and if she is in for long, I will try to come to see her and my godfather who lives that way also and is quite ill and I do want to see him so could see both of you at the same time and probably stay at a friend’s house so that I don’t have to travel that far in one day.

Look after yourself, Vikki.
love Kate

Oh blimey girls.

Vikki thank you for letting us know at what must be a scary time for you and lynn, and as you say, thank goodness she had the sense to check.

have unruly toddler so unable to do long post.

kate sorry things are tough, you are such a great mum always thinking of your children. its all a bit heart braking at the moment.

Off to the sea side today but will have my phone.

xxsam

Had text from Lynn as she is now in specialist hospital and waiting for news for what they can offfer her.
I am going to London on wed 18th to see niece but hope to go to see Lynn wherever she is then as long as she is well enough.
Have a good day at the beach Sam. H will really enjoy it I hope altough last weekend there was a toddler the same age that screamed forever as he did not like the feel of sand!!!
Kate

Had a good ish day in that I went out and spent a lot of the voucher money in Primark into customer services but now got to take most of it back as no-one likes my taste and 've lost more weight so the trousers are too big again!!!
Am going to write to M and S as couldn’t get my small mobilyt scooter into customer services as they have built a wall - couldn’t get a double pushchair round either but they really redeemed themselves in the food dept as I got help and she even carried my shopping to the car.
Apart from that miserable day eating wise - will just have to stick to pureed food or yogurt I think. Very depressing and my back hurts so much.
Thinking of Lynn and tomorrow and hope all goes well for her.
Kate

Lynn had op and at moment they think all went well so huge relief to us all.
Just done a long post on secondary post that don’t want to repeat here but please read.
Love Kate

Kate what a sad message. You have fought so bravely and done so much better and survived past dreadful dx time and again. I can only guess the strengh and determination you have had to gather over the last few years. All I can say is what ever happens we are with you and you have so many friends, here and in the ‘real’ world, who are putting there arms around you at this time. Let yourself be sad for a bit, and get the extra help you need and you will feel better. You are not done yet my dear.

Phone me whenever

love sam xxxxx

Thanks Sam - been with friends today which has helped.
Latest from Lynn is that they are hoping to transfer back to her local hospital soon and that it sounds as if her feeling has returned in her feet/legs so hopefully can continue with tax. I hope I’ve got that right - if not hope Vikki corrects me.
will be glad to get thursday over with so know plan and then can hassle hospice as feel I need a rest!!!
Kate

Well girls hope you got my text. Had a chat to kate this morning, and she is glad to be in hozzy as she feels she needs to be there at the mo. Of course they were incapable of giving her tea with her breakfast so it all came up, but has since managed a milkshake and some tea and she is on a drip to rehydrate her. They are having a meeting to decide what to do and the registra has seen K ate and been negative which she dosnt need- but hopefully she will get rads asap and do her recovery in the hospice. It looks like they will have to start her on the taxol sooner than she would like thro. I managed to get upset which wasnt the idea so kate had to comfort me oh dear not what she needed!!

Am poping into the fit brit tomorrow as can skive off ( thats the best thing about being self employed!!) She thinks she will be in for another few days at least before they move her. Has anyone got vikki’s number as dont wantto bother kate? Will have to go first thing so as to get into the studio to get things ready for liverpool next week. Steve is working this weekend but mite leave H with a mate and go and see K as wont get a chance to see her for a while otherwise.

Take care

xxsam

Hey sammy

Yes i got text. Am pleased that she is being looked after for a bit but not pleased she is in hospital - obviously! Am so glad some one is able to visit. As usual am the rubbish one as am working every shift god sends at the moment! Will give her a text, and am in contact with lyn by text. Glad she’ll be out soon. Debs is gonna wonder what on earth we have all been doin, shes only away for 2 weeks and look at the trouble we get in to!!!

Hope u r well . lots of love t. x

hello gobbygang

I saw Kate this afternoon. She really looks well (we kind of joked about how she manages to look so well while being so ill) and is her great talkative self. They’ve got her pain and sickness under control…she’s having a CT scan probably tomorrow and then rads, and the chief onc has agreed taxol after that.

She’ll be in hospital for a few days, and then probably the hospice during rads cause they are the best people to control the expected swelling/pain.

As ever I am just full of admiration and respect for her (and I don’t do admiraton lightly!)…she has been such a great help to me as I know she is with you all.

Love to you all

Jane

Hi Jane

Thanks so much for the update and am glad u had a chance to visit.

Trace.x

Hi gang

Had a text with lyn this morn, she is doing ok and they are looking after her well (although apparantly are obsessed with her wee)!!! At least its in keeping with our fav theme of bodily fluids!!! She should be out in next couple of days all being well.

xx

Hi gang

saw lynn today. She is looking well and very chatty- the hozzy seems a good one, and they will try and get her home very soon. Then off to mount vernon for rads and the next tax, as she thinks the numbness was all to do with the compression from the tumour. all in all she is doing really well and hopeful that she will have some quailty of life back after the last few months which have been really hard. Saw the lovely vikki who is looking after her for us :wink:

Feel so much better after seeing her, hate to have our girls in hoz and not seen.

Had breif chat to kate who confirmed jane’s post (thanks Jane) and she seems glad to have a plan, also they will feed her thro a peg(is that right) which will take the pressure off her to keep the wieght on and be less stressful for her and her family.

Off to see the little H who is so being a terrible 2 at the mo :frowning:

love to all

xxsam

Blimey girls you dont do half measures,

that took some reading, I did get a few texts and a very quick call from Sammy so was expecting a few posts but not 2 screens worth.

Will send texts to Lynn and Kate and will call Sam back, am a bit lagged, on second lot of washing and trying to work through 125 e.mails, we had a good one will tell more tomorow.

Love to you all, Debs XXXXXXX

Hi girls,

am off to liverpool for the design fair so will be very busy but will have my phone.

love to all vsggggggggggggggggggggggggg harvey helpingb to typge

xxsavm vvvvmmmmmmm,l.

Hi all, Vikki again

Another quick update. We ended up calling an ambulance on Saturday night to take lynn to Mount Vernon because she was very very sick and lost all her strength. Since getting out of Hospital on Friday she just couldnt get enough sleep. It seems they took her off the steroids too quickly at Queens Square and she has a water infection on top of that… and she’s so bunged up that she was vomiting feces :frowning:

The care she has received over the weekend has been questionable to say the least; she has still been quite violently sick through the night and her pain relief has been pathetic especially considering she has just had a major operation. Her oncologist has been to see her this morning and went mad at the nurses and the on call doctor for doing nothing about an infection marker which should have been 25 but was at 184? (Presume that means more to those of you who have nursing backgrounds).

They have decided to keep her in Mount Vernon all week to sort out all the problems she has going on. The poor thing is nill by mouth and hasnt eaten since Friday morning so along side everything else, its no surprise she is utterly wiped out. I’ll try to keep you all updated. I txt Sammy yesterday so she should have my number… if anyone wants to get in touch for updates please feel free to ask for my number.

Lynn asked me to pass on a message from Kate also - she is in the hospice at the moment and doesnt have a lot of credit on her phone, but if anyone wants to call her she is answering.

Thanks to Kate and Sammy for helping me keep you all updated on here, it’s sometimes a bit tricky for me to get a chance to post on Lynns behalf.

Vikki x

Oh Vikki

poor love :frowning: what a worry. I was so hopeful when I saw you on thursday that you were going to get a break from illness for a bit

I was going to talk to Kate tonight but fell asleep in harvey’s bed after reading him his stories. Lord knows its not comfy so how did I manage that

Get better our poor girls

xxsam

Big hugs to kate and lyn. Lyn i cant believe u had all that to go thro on top of what u have already had. Hope ur both feeling a bit better and are on the mend from the latest knocks.

Sammy hope liverpool goes well.

Claire, how r things?? Will drop u a text…

Debs, cant wait to hear all about florida am so glad u had a good time.

Am gonna have to keep this short. Myself, am ok, except the ongoing obvious which is still firmly planted in my head driving me slowly crazy! G’s mum had her surgery yest (neuro) and thankfully came out of it. She went into hdu after rather than itu which is fantastic and is talking and has no loss of movement. Dont no yet how sucessful they were at removing it or what her prognosis will now be but am so relieved, it is just so nice to hear him laugh again!
My other close friends mum however isnt so lucky. She has been battling (her words) b. can for 9 years now and over the past few years has got progressively worse(lungs and oesophagus) she now has a stent and is on a minimal diet. She had another scan before the weekend which has shown spread to her stomach and bowels. she also has a bowel obstruction caused by a tumor somewhere. She has lost about 4 stone in weight and now started taxotere in a last ditch attempt at prolonging what time she has left. It was the first time i saw her today for a couple of months as she lives down in walton and i got such a shock. It has left me shaken all day and i just dont seem to be able to pull myself together. I even went and had some reflexology earlier and burst into tears on the poor women!
AND…as if that isnt enough si’s closest friends mum has now been diagnosed with uterine cancer. It feels that no matter where i turn some one some where that i am close to is suffering from this s**t disease. I feel completely exhausted and if im honest over loaded. All i keep thinking of is our poorly girls and then everyone else i no and my heart is breaking for u all.
am finding it hard even coming on here at the moment so if am only posting now and again for the next few weeks its nothing to worry about i just need a bit of a break and some time out from cancer.
xxxx

hi again ladies

wrote big long post night and lost it, well peeved off. so hopefully here goes again.

Hell GG and Vickie

Lynn and Kate hope both of you are taking it easy and resting and getting all medication and care you are so well bloody entitled to. Must admit was getting rather worried being away so far and some of the text I was getting, was glad to speak with Sammy Sunday and hear you were both more comfotable and further treatment plans, poor old Sammy was so worried too, glad to hear she has ben having some days out too. although we were ringing each other at the most inconvenient times.

Well talk about busy week, came back sunday morning - 5 loads ofwashing - and now the ironing - also had football committee meeting, daughters school trip meeting and parents evening at big school, how expensive are blazers and sewed PE kits, she is excited but having problems with some girls in her year, they have been the spiteful mean girls since around yr 3 and now daughter and mates not taking any more sh*t and all of a sudden thay are being hauled into heads office being accused of being bullies, the head has slung it out but the girls are trying to get others involved i.e. just as awful mothers and older kids, luckily bumped into the older girls the other night and I went mad at them and put them straight, threathened police or me the next time they want to act hard, they looked quite shamed face by the end and walked away like little cowards. And the mum of the meanest little madam sat right next to us at the school tonight and made it quite obvious that my daughters name was being put down as child you dont want your child in a class with, to be quite honest I was rather pleased, but personally knew they wouldn’t as mine has always been top group. (now I sound the B**ch)

Right lets get onto good newx, sons football going well, another big tournament coming up next weekend, daughters dance show went really well, teacher wants her to start entering competitions and representing school, also going to check her bones in feet and ankles as because she is high graded for her age the next ballett grade is pointe.

Holiday was superb, there is just too much to tell. hotel was great, even though on int drive you would never have known it, little blocks of 2 rise in u shapes around duckponds or swimming pools, very relaxing in the evenings after busy days, we did universal parks + magic kingdom + sea world + 2 water parks . day out at st. petes beach gulf coast and stopped at delray beach beach atlantic coast to the keys, keys were fantastic, dolphins swimming in the sea right on hotle beach + turtle on live coral snorkelling trip, kids loved orlando we loved the coastal resorts.
Hardly touched the shops as far too many sites instead.

Have sons football presentation tomorrow night, going to watch sex and the city + dinner and drinks with mate on Saturday night, and paris next weekend, was very brave got on the scales monday and only put on 2lb, not bad for 2 weeks holiday in america.

Trace take it easy dont let others drag you down, you have to deal with this at work too, make sure you take time out and have you time.

Love to you all, Debs
XXXXXXX