Hi everyone,
Sorry I have been so quiet recently. Actually I have been far from quiet, but I also have been at times far from my computer or far from time to edit anything. It really has been months since I posted. In the meantime, Leonie and I have travelled to Turkey, Italy and Singapore on a mixed business and pleasure trip, did a major gift fair/show in Melbourne in August and Lee has just come back from a large fair/show in Sydney (I stayed home for that one, too much to do here!!),
I guess one could surmise that life has been a bit frantic for us since mid-May. At last we think things will start calming for a bit, at least for the next few weeks. Of course, that is just as we start coming into our busiest retail season. Lee has some tentative plans for a return trip to Turkey in December, back to Sydney in February and now she is talking about attending some shows in Guandong Province, China in April. I don’t really know how I keep up with her, it is a real challenge sometimes. Fortunately for me, the Carcinoid is not an issue right now.
Everything has been great for many months now, I feel great, I do not really suffer from any of the normal symptoms, although we know there are still several small tumors in the liver. I am scheduled for my definitive MRI next month at Fremantle Hospital to determine the overall efffectiveness of the study treatment. I will be very interested in the results of that scan (if I can fit it in my schedule…hahahah like I wouldn’t miss it!!).
Anyway I just wanted to let everyone know I am feeling very good, I am very busy and life is good, exciting and still fun!!. I still run the junior staff into the ground any given day and I really do need at least 27 hours days, if any are available, to fit it all in.
Take care, God speed, and good health to all. I promise not to be so sporadic in keeping my blog up to date in the future (God willing and the clock slows down a little!)
Love and blessings to all…
Eric
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I’m very happy that you are doing so well. I emailed you many moths ago as my husband has carcinoid, Leonie emailed me back several times. It is because of you that we got on to the right treatment track. thank you. My whole family has been following your progress for a year now.
All the best
Hi Eric
My husband John has carcinoid syndrome and is awaiting an appointment from the MacCallum Centre in Melbourne for his treatment. It is yet to be decided which type of treatment - Indium or Lutetium Octretide. Our journey has been very challenging. Your blog has given us an insightful, realistic guide and inspiration. Thankyou for sharing your journey with us it has given us a positive outlook.
Much gratitude
John and Denise (New Zealand)
Did you have surgery before you started on your LU-177 treatments?
Hi John, sorry for the delayed response. I had a motorbike accident in Bali a few weeks ago and things have been a bit scrambled while I was healing. The short answer to you question is yes, the long answer if you want to bother is in June 2004 I had an 9-1/2 hour surgery during which they accoumplished a small bowel resection (50 cm) (the primary was found in the middle of the jejunum), removal of lymph nodes from the mesentary as well as removal of a huge tumour (4+ kg)from the liver … which of course required an extended right lobectomy of the liver (including removal of the pesky gall bladder and the 3 cm stone!) and 50% of the left. The surgeons also had to remove (and repair) a portion of the diaphragm as the liver tumours had begun to invade the pulmonary space.
As you can see fairly substantial, but the tumours were highly advanced when they were discovered. The Carcinoids were discovered in late April and the surgery was in June.