Eyes and a small favour

So I went to see a new eye consultant for a second opinion at a specialist eye hospital. I was called in by a very nice, Greek optometrist who took all the vision tests, scans etc. She put in eye drops which was a mission in itself as I couldn't stop blinking. She even said, "oooh, we have a blinker here!" which didn't help much. She eventually got them in and I went back to the waiting room to await the doctor.

He eventually called us in and I think "posh twat" would be quite an accurate description. He didn't bring much to the table, he looked through the scans and had a check of my eyes through another machine. He said that I do have keratoconus in my left eye, but was a number 1 on the seriousness scale. He said to come back in 6 months for a re-scan. And that was it. Quite different from the last doctor, who said it was quite urgent and wanted to start a procedure almost instantly! So I will go back to him then, if I haven't noticed any obvious differences in my vision.

Now a small favour.

My future brother-in-law will be running the London Marathon next year and is raising money for an incredible charity. Chai Cancer Care. They work with not only cancer patients, but their families, to help them cope with a cancer diagnosis. They were, and still are amazing to both me and my family. If you could sponsor him to raise money for this cause, it would be very much appreciated!

Here is the link:

http://www.forchai.org/rafisaltman

And here is the video again of the speech I made, high lighting why Chai is such a worthwhile cause:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk4oaRZvpv8

An update and good news

Hello everyone! Sorry I have not written for a while, but here is the latest update!

Today I went to see my haematologist as a routine quarterly appointment. After waiting an hour and a half to see him (this isn't the longest I've had to wait for an appointment), I was called in to see him. I'd been sent for a blood test upon arrival, and luckily the phlebotomist got the needle in first time, so things started off well! He asked how I'd been, back at university etc. He looked at the results from my blood test and was really happy, saying things weren't only normal, but good! WOOOO!!

We started talking about the medication that I was still taking post shingles. These were anti-viral and he said I could stop taking them from now. This is the first time in 18 months where I've been on no pills or medication, so this felt like a great relief! After all the talking, he took me into a side room, to have a feel around for any potential raised lumps or lymph nodes. Always awkward in these sorts of situations, I started laughing when he was prodding under my arms. I'm not even ticklish. At least, I didn't think I was! After the awkward prodding and feeling around my neck, under arms and stomach, he said everything seemed fine! He wants to see me again in 3 months time!

That was the best I could have asked for to be honest! Tomorrow I am going for a second opinion to a specialist eye hospital about the blurred vision in my left eye. I will update my blog again later on in the week with the news from this.

Video

This is a video of the speech I made in May, speaking about my experiences of cancer and Chai Cancer Care.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk4oaRZvpv8

Exactly one year to the day since diagnosis (and an update)

It didn't occur to me until around 11am, that this day, exactly one year ago, I heard the dreaded words that no-one ever wants to, or should hear. When I realised, I came over all funny and didn't really know what to think or say. I remember being on the train back from Leeds to London this day last year and just thinking, what could it be? I had been through so much investigative work to that point, that I thought things could only get worse. And noch, they did.

And one year on, on a more positive note, I lived to tell the tale and again want to thank everyone who was there for me and my family throughout this very difficult year. I am now back to almost full health. I have a full head of hair (even had a haircut!) and have returned to university to complete my studies. My sister also just got engaged this week, so I am naturally delighted and ecstatic!

I saw my haematologist last week before returning and he was happy with my progress. He said that the shingles blip was most likely due to being a little bit immuno suppressed, but was happy with my recovery and said my bloods were normal :)

Erev Rosh Hashanah- One year on from diagnosis

Erev Rosh Hashanah 2011, the world as I knew it changed. Being diagnosed with cancer last year was one of the most challenging things I have ever experienced. So one year on post diagnosis, I just wanted to share a few thoughts and feelings.

This year has taught me so many things, that I don't think I'd of known had I not gone through everything that I went through this year. The main thing it has taught me is positivity. In times of trouble and sorrow, I believe that positivity is vital and I know that staying positive has helped make my cancer experience easier to cope with. I have also really learnt to appreciate everything I have as it can so easily be taken away from you. Live life to the full.

To all my family and friends who have been there for me over the last 12 months, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. To all those who visited me in hospital either for chemotherapy, my transplant or shingles, those who stood by me when my hair fell out and when I lost my eye-brows and eye-lashes, everyone who wished me well, everyone who mentioned me in their prayers (I appologise for my Hebrew name...), those who messaged, sent cards and those who just had me in their thoughts. Thank you. May this new year bring you all you ever wanted and more.

On a less cheesey note, I have two appointments next week. One with my haematologist and another with the eye specialist, I will update again in due course.

When I thought things were improving...

This week I have had two appointments with different opthamologists. The first one was seriously delayed and by the time I got home, had taken nearly 3 hours, of only which 10 minutes I was with the doctor. Fab. Although it wasn't the doctor I saw last time, she said from my notes and after a good examination of my eye, she said it looked better, but to carry on with the steroid eye drops and come back in a couple of weeks. Bound to if I have to wait 3 hours each time.

After this consultation, it was decided that my next appointment with an opthamologist would be private, merely for the continuity, that you see the same specialist each time, which with eyes is important. We managed to get an appointment a couple of days later with a new opthamologist, although he was also running late, it wasn't as late...

Before I saw the consultant, I had to see optomotrist (optician), he checked my vision and the pressure in my eyes. He noticed that the sight in my right eye was far better than in my left eye, and that when my right eye was covered, the vision in my left eye was quite blurry. He took some very specialised photographs using a really cool machine and he passed on all his findings and the photographs to the consultant for analysis.

I was shortly called into the consultant who was very friendly and calm. He'd read my long, complicated back-log of medical history and immediately started to examine my eyes thoroughly using all sorts of machines and lights. He said he had good news, that in regards to the shingles, my eyes were completely clear. He then said the dreaded word. But. At which point I knew something bad was going to follow...

In my left eye (the one not affected by the shingles) I had something called Keratoconus. This basically means that my cornea has changed shape, therefore affecting the vision and explaining the blurred vision in my left eye. Here is a website to explain it more clearly...http://www.eyesite.org/cornea-and-eye-surface/keratoconus-2/ We asked if it was anything to do with the cancer and shingles and he said that this was completely unrelated. I could have been born with it or it could have developed later on.

He didn't want to do anything yet until I had finished all the steroid eye drops that I am currently taking. I am due to see him again in a couple of weeks where I'm sure he will discuss further what's going to happen.

In the mean-time, today I'm going to the optician for a further eye test for further eye analysis, I will keep you posted.

Postherpetic neuralgia

I went back to the dermatologist last week and her diagnosis was confirmed. The first thing she said to me upon entering the consultation room was "have you got good news for me?" the answer was unfortunately, no. My skin was still really itchy and sore despite the steroids. This then confirmed her original thought, that I had nerve damage, due to the shingles. This is called Postherpetic Neuralgia.

We asked about the injection that she mentioned last time, but she said she'd had no luck getting hold of it as it is normally used as a last resort. Instead she gave me an extra dose of steroids and increased the amount of nerve pain killers that I was already taking. She also suggested a cream that I could use. She did warn me, that it may make my face feel like it was on fire. It did. The instructions were really strict on the cream, that you had to apply it really sparingly and make sure to wash your hands after application. That night I couldn't sleep as it felt like someone had set my face alight. I was sat on the floor in my bedroom with the electric fan blowing on my face and then a freezing cold flannel. I assume I eventually got to sleep and decided that I couldn't handle the cream and preferred the itching...

When I asked how long she expected the symptoms to last for, she said, because I'm young 3-6 months. That wasn't the answer I was expecting or wanted, but there's nothing I can do! I will therefore continue to scratch and hope for the best!