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Showing posts with the label Teenage Cancer Trust

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day To coincide with World Cancer Day JTV Cancer Support invited Ryan and I to take part in a very special filming project! World Cancer Day is a truly global event that takes place every year on 4 February. World Cancer Day unites the world’s population in the fight against cancer. It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action. Their tagline is #ActOfUnity and people were encouraged to buy Unity Bands as a show of support and to raise vital funds for cancer charities. JTV Cancer Support JTV Cancer Support wanted patients to film bits every day for a week to show everyone what one week living with cancer is like for them. ...maybe they're back in education/work or have a week full of hospital appointments, JTV wanted us to share a snapshot of life with/after cancer. I thought hey, Ry might be up for this. Another way to raise

Adrenal Insufficiency

Lymphoma Treatment - Side Effects As a result of the steroid chemotherapy that Ryan has been on for his Lymphoma treatment, he has developed Adrenal Insufficiency. This is hopefully a temporary condition that will improve once chemotherapy treatment has finished, however, only time will tell. There are two types of Adrenal Insufficiency. Primary and Secondary. Ryan’s type is secondary and can be traced to a lack of ACTH, a hormone which causes a drop in the adrenal glands production of cortisol but not aldosterone. This form of secondary adrenal insufficiency has occurred after receiving a glucocorticoid hormone, in Ryan's case, Dexamethasone steroid as part of his cancer treatment. Cortisol is normally produced by the adrenal glands, which are located just above the kidneys. Cortisol has many functions, but its most important job is to help the body respond to stress. The high dosage use of Dexamethasone to treat Ryan's lymphoma has caused a hormonal imbalance which hopefully

Chemotherapy Cycle 1

SMILE Chemotherapy We were originally given a tentative date of Monday 21 November to begin his first of six SMILE chemotherapy cycles, but the delay to Radiotherapy due to the peritonitis episode pushed that date back once again. One thing you have to accept with cancer is nothing going to plan, or to date. Not easy if you are a control freak like me. Each Chemo cycle will last 28 days. Day 1-4 will be in the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit (TCT), Cardiff. Days 5-28 will be either at home recovering or in Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen for blood monitoring and chemo injections. I will put a full breakdown of the 5 drugs that SMILE stands for, how they are given and on which days onto a separate post here for anyone who is interested in that much detail.  Before chemotherapy could commence Ryan needed to have a Hickman Line fitted which meant operation number 7 on 1st December 2016. Most teenage and adult patients have a PICC line, but due to Ryan's malnutrition, the veins in his arms a

Sepsis and Cancer

Epstein Barr Virus EBV positive extra-nodal NK/T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma nasal type, Stage 1E . It's a bit of a mouth full but this is Ryan's official diagnosis. It is a rare lymphoma, but extremely rare in children. It is extra-nodal in his tonsillar area at the back of his mouth in the oropharynx or Waldeyer's ring. Caused by the Epstein Barr Virus that is usually responsible for Glandular Fever.  I have shared my full story on several chat forums in the hope that there is someone with the same that I can connect with for support. Of course, I do not wish this on anyone, however, if there is someone else going through, or has been through the same I would like to connect with them. Thank you to everyone that has shared messages with me so far. I really appreciate the help and advice you have given me. I wish each and every one of you all the best with your own battles. Sepsis   Ryan had a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy ( PEG ) tube fitted on Monday 3rd October 201