For those of you who follow my blog, you will know it’s been a few weeks since my fingers have danced across the keyboard to bring you our latest adventures. All going to plan it would have been within the next few days that we would have again hit the road as we did at this time last year to start our 2019 adventures.
Sadly this isn’t the case. Back in November, I underwent another CT scan to check for a recurrence of the Lymphoma I was treated for in late 2016. This scan led to the discovery of a new enlarged lymph node in my chest between the heart and lungs, leading to a request from my Hematologist for a biopsy to be performed to rule out lung cancer. With Christmas and the new year out of the way, I got the call from the hospital to present myself at Ward 42 for the procedure.
Since I had to arrive the day before surgery, I was lucky enough to be treated to this gourmet meal of twice-cooked beef accompanied by the most diluted gravy I have ever tasted. Anyway mustn’t grumble at least they fed me. The following day it was nothing to eat or drink from midnight in preparation for the op.
Waiting is always the hardest part with my surgery scheduled as the second of the day, so when they came to get me around, 11am I don’t know if I was relieved or in panic mode, I just wanted to get it over and done with.
I thankfully don’t remember anything about the procedure which is probably just as well since they sliced my chest open between number 2 and 3 ribs. I do, however, remember coming too in the recovery room and how good the hit of morphine felt as I struggled with the pain.
I tried to take a selfie, but there wasn’t really much to show. After a couple of days recovery in the hospital, it was back into the big wide world to await the results. One reasonably major hiccup with this was on discharge when they banned me from driving for 4 weeks. This means that as Sarah is not confident to drive the motorhome, we are at home with Sarah redecorating the inside of the house after having done the outside last year.
This week I visited the Hematologist who gave us the results of the biopsy, sadly showing that the Lymphoma had returned. On the positive side, however, since it’s only a couple of smaller enlarged nodes, they would place me on what they call “watch and wait” until I needed treatment. So no chemo or radiotherapy at this point. Since the disease I have is not going to kill me tomorrow, it’s best to save the treatment till it’s really needed otherwise the effectiveness of the drugs are lessened and the disease becomes immune to them. The “watch and wait” thing can take months or years so at this stage it’s best just to continue living life as though the disease doesn’t exist and deal with it as and when it rears it’s ugly head, requiring treatment.
So now I am really to hit the road again and enjoy all this beautiful weather we are having only to be banned from driving for another 3 weeks making me really miss my motorhome and all the fantastic people you meet when you are on the road. So sorry my blog has sort of dropped off the radar if you have been following things and rest assured that once we are back on the road, I will be back into writing about our adventures.
One advantage of being laid up like this is the chance to live vicariously through other peoples Blogs and travels on their Facebook posts. Makes some really great reading and doing an outstanding job of making me jealous!
To view the places we have visited click here to see them on Google maps. You can click the links to read the blog about that area.
To view the Ratings, we have done for places we have stayed click here
If you liked this post how about buying me a cup of coffee to keep future posts coming ☕
[…] journeys in 2019. These offered some of the highlights as well as a couple of lowlights. The year didn’t start that well for me with a biopsy in my upper chest to confirm that lymphoma had returned. No immediate […]
[…] It seems like a lifetime ago that we last managed to get away in the motorhome when in reality it’s only been a couple of months. We decided that we would leave the camp grounds to the holidaymakers during the height of summer and then I was called in early January for what I thought would be a small surgical procedure to obtain a biopsy only to banned from driving for 4 weeks to give the wounds time to heal. You can read the story of this in my previous post. […]
Hope you are both able to be on the road again soon and can enjoy exploring together. Wishing you a wonderful New year.x
Wishing you a speedy recovery and hearing about your next trip on that side of the planet. It always looks fantastic over there..
Hi John I live vicariously through your blogs as still waiting and planning to head out on the road with my faithful sidekick, Malachi the golden retriever. Thank you for the effort you put into them, to make them both interesting and useful. Best wishes for a speedy return to the highways.
Many thanks for the comments Stephanie, I did exactly the same before we left for the south last year reading other blogs to find places to explore . Enjoy your trip and glad my blog is helping
I truly empathize too. I had a TIA last week and have been grounded too. Thanks to the wonderful Grant and Smillie Henderson my drama was overcome without further worry for me. I write a simple blog too so if you get really bored, here is another one to view.
http://Www.knotperfect.co.uk Note it’s uk at the end. Be well soon.
Thanks Cynthia had a quick look at the blog and will take a more in depth look later but looks interesting and you certainly seen to get out and about. Have a feeling I have seen your can on the road the name is familiar
Van not can
All the best Chris. Glad you’ll be back on the road again soon.
Hi John
Hope you are able to keep this up for many years to come as I want to join you and Sarah on the road from time to time,I had the best time last visit.
You know we would love for you to join us on the road all you need is to come visit and find your own van
You spirit is wonderful. Keep writing and entertaining us.
Many thanks
Hi John, good to get your latest blog, not so good to hear the reasons for the gap between them, our thoughts are with you and Sarah for continued motor homing and good health. Catch you on the road soon. Neale & Kay.
Thanks Neale and Kay will see you again sometime this year
Thank you John for sharing this unfortunate update with us. All the very best to both of you. I am looking forward to searchjng through your excellent blogs for suggestions for West Coast exploring.
Thanks Chris for your thoughts there are some really great places on the coast, make sure you get all the way up to the camp at the start/finish of the Heaphy track one of my favourite places along with Denniston
Thanks for sharing this, John, and all the best for a speedy recovery.
Hi John, I do hope you feel better soon and manage to get away soon. We have a Dethleffs Esprit Globetrotter too and love it! Unfortunately I would definitely not be confident enough to drive it, no matter how many lessons I received. I have signed up to follow your blog and look forward to reading through your previous posts, we are still at work and so have to plan our times away. Best wishes, Jules Lucretia Cox.
Thanks for the comments Jules, I honestly don’t believe that you should be able to drive something of this size on a car licence in NZ and my wife totally relates to your comments
Hi John All the best for a speedy recovery We are off on Sunday to Ohakune to do the old coach road and then into national park Time to get back on the bikes
Very successful fishing at kaiaua on our last trip Fish mesles every day Keen to go back there for a week or two in winter will let you know Look after yourself Dave and Nita
Thanks Dave good to hear
Hi John, All the best for a speedy recovery. Bring on more blogs! My husband and I own a Dethleffs Esprit (realise this is not quite as long as yours) but I do share the driving and it’s a piece of cake. Give Sarah lessons when you’re back on deck as it makes life so much easier and more enjoyable when the two of you can share the driving! Safe travels Vivienne Stacey.
Thanks Vivienne for the thoughts. Let the lessons begin!