The Story So Far.............

In September of 2004 Michaela (aka "Kayla") my "foxy minx" of a wife, was diagnosed with cervical cancer. At the moment the news was broken to us our lives changed forever.

Initially, your safe, normal and even at times boring, little world just comes crashing in on you and is snatched away. Helplessness, numbness, shock, horror, denial, anger, confusion, panic, more panic, regret and terror are but a few emotions that explode and rip through your mind and body with uncontrollable intensity, and I am just speaking as the husband! Here is a brief time line from then until now.

Sit down ......Strap in....... This is a roller-coaster ride to hell and back .......And back to hell and back............ And so on.....................

Stu

• Sep 2004 - Received Diagnosis.
• Oct 2004 - Referred to women's Center John Radcliffe Oxford.
• Oct 2004 - Staging MRI - Bulky Tumour 5cm Stage 1B2.
• Nov 2004 - Radical Hysterectomy (Operation failed due to Bladder/Uterus adhesion. Ovaries and 11 Lymph Nodes removed)
• Nov 2004 - 2 Lymph Nodes found positive.
• Dec 2004 - Chemotherapy begins (Planned for 8 weekly sessions)
• Jan 2005 - Combined Chemo/Radiotherapy begins (Kayla soon starts to feel side-effects of daily radiotherapy)
• Feb 2005 - Combined therapy ends (Kayla is very ill has 2 blood transfusions and is unable to receive last 2 Chemo sessions)
• Feb 2005 - Selectron Treatment 36 hours (The final insult!!!)
• Mar 2005 - Treatment over.........let the recovery begin!
• May 2005 - Follow up MRI - Great response to treatment anomaly now only 1cm2 reduced from 26cm2.
• August 2005 - Follow up MRI - No evidence of disease!!!!!
• Oct 2005 - Some pain and some bleeding, concerned appointment made EUA planned.
• Nov 2005 - Stu leaves for the Falkland Islands (4 Months detachment with the RAF)
• Nov 2005 - EUA, biopsy taken of suspicious area of necrotic tissue not at original tumour site.
• Nov 2005 - Biopsy confirms recurrence of cancer.
• Dec 2005 - Stu returns from Falkland Islands.
• Dec 2005 - Investigative MRI - confirms new tumour.
• Dec 2005 - Increasing acute pain requires daily morphine medication.
• Dec 2005 - Kayla develops aggressive infection at the site of the biopsy.
• Jan 2005 - PET Scan - reveals 2cm tumour within the "Pouch of Douglas" no other bodily spread disease still confined to pelvic region.
• Jan 2006 - Emergency admission to hospital - infection controlled.
• Jan 2006 - Treatment plan is extensive and radical pelvic surgery (providing there is no evidence of spread beyond the pelvic area) Kayla referred from Oxford to the Royal Marsden Hospital London.
• Jan 2006 - Case transferred to Royal Marsden - initial visit 19/01/06.

Kayla was only discharged from hospital on the 18th of January, the very day before her initial meeting with her new Onc team. So tired, still in pain and as nauseous as "pukey" the very sick Parrot, she headed off to London, to the cancer flagship of Europe the Royal Marsden Hospital (The one on Fulham Road.......yea.... thats right....... the one with no parking!!!)