h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How are you, Azahar? I remember you were in a bad way a few years ago, undergoing treatment for serious illness. Are you over that?

Hi Gnomon,

Yeah, I have stage IV colon cancer, presently in remission. So at the moment I'm feeling okay and trying not to think too much about having a terminal illness (doctors say they don't expect to cure me). My next PET scan is in January and if that comes back clean I'll have another six-month reprieve until the next one. So that's basically the story.

But I'm busy getting my life back together, which was tough after being off work for over a year and a half. I'm only now getting close to having enough work to live on - not quite there yet.

I haven't been on hootoo for awhile, but a couple of weeks ago hosted a very mini mini-meet here, with Dragonqueen and Toybox coming down. It was great, and DQ and I also went to Granada for a couple of days.

Anyhoo, speaking of The Illness, I have to dash now and get the monthly chemo port cleaning done at the hospital. Seeing the onc again in a couple of weeks. Bleh. So fingers crossed that the next scan is clean. It's been over a year since I've been off chemo.

How are things with you?

az

Things are fine with me. The trivial details of my life seem unimportant compared with the big issues of yours, but I suppose we must all live the lives we've got, and nobody knows how much time they have left. My brother-in-law who is only 49 had a heart attack a few weeks back when we were at a weekend rock festival together, and had to have bypass surgery. It's brought it home to us all that we should enjoy while we can.

Hope your next scan is clear.

Thanks. To be honest, I think I've been mostly living in a more or less happy state of semi-denial since the worst of the chemo side effects subsided. I don't feel sick so it's hard to believe that I still am sick. So maybe I'm not? Guess time will tell.

Anyhow, I plan to have a fabby Christmas and birthday.

az

Yes indeed. You do that. When's your birthday?

January 7th. The PET scan will probably be a week or two after that.

I'll be 54!!!

az

A good age. I'll be that in a few years. I presume when you were small people always gave you a combined Christmas/Birthday present.

My daughter El was born on 22 Dec and she has that problem.

Oh, absolutely! Talk about unfair! Especially when you're ten.

These days it's only slightly unfair because I like to take my birthday off and in Spain it falls the day after a national holiday (epiphany), so there is usually work lost there... but for me it's worth it. Because it's MY day. So there.

az