Pleased to report that so far so good (Sunday or day 6) after the procedure. No pain, nausea or unusual tiredness. Going really well. I have put on 2 kg in weight and my appetite is good. Thanks so much for your kind thoughts and support. Callo
Author: David
A small Brisbane catchup
A lovely, easy catchup with a few Brisbane based classmates and wives as we passed through Brisbane. Possiby we were not well organised – should have firstly given more notice, and secondly arranged to be in the Gold Coast to catch up with others – but that’s what happens when you don’t have an itinerary or a schedule (ie no organisation!). We’ll do better next time.
Callo Update
Wow what a great two days in my treatment. Yesterday at 6.30 am I checked into Pindara Private Hospital here on the Gold Coast. After registration etc I was in a Star Wars like operating theatre with 2 Surgeons, an anaesthetist and 7 technicians plus nurses. My SIRT procedure had begun. This day was day 2 following a full dress rehearsal a fortnight earlier. This dress rehearsal discovered and blocked leaks in my liver and placed stents in the hepatic artery pathway to allow better/easier access. All this to ensure the beads lodged only in the liver tumours. It also mapped out the plan for lodging beads in the tumours via the artery.
Just Google ‘SIRT’ for full details of the procedure. It places millions of radioactive beads directly in the tumours in my liver via a tube inserted in my groin. This is only possible because nearly all tumours grow in the blood flow of the hepatic artery.
4.5 hours later I returned to the ward to lay flat on my back for 4 hours with regular groin inspections and blood pressure checks. After a good night’s sleep and discharge from hospital I was off to a Gamma Ray Camera scan to make sure the beads were in the right place. They were and the Surgeon was very pleased. So was I.
Now for the rough bit. In about 48 hours they advise I will experience extreme tiredness for about 2 weeks. I have had no nausea or pain and the Surgeon says they are now unlikely being 24 hours since treatment. In short I am extremely confident of the future.
Full strength Chemo starts again in a fortnight after effectively a 5 week break for the SIRT procedure. I will have now blood tests fortnightly to monitor progress with a scan at 8 weeks to see the actual shrinkage achieved. The full affects of SIRT will be evident in 2-3 months. I am super confident of a very good outcome.
Regards to you all and many thanks to the many of you who have contacted me over this rollercoaster journey. Your calls and visits are much appreciated I can assure you and give me a huge boost. Mates forever. Callo
Zoom catchup
An email from Peter Martyn is subtended. It is probably mostly directed at Sydney classmates but I’m sure attendees from other areas would be equally welcome!
Hello Classmates,
As you are no doubt aware we have so far this year missed two of our quarterly get togethers. Our third gathering is rapidly approaching with no relief in sight from the COVID restrictions on numbers able to gather.My short msg about a virtual gathering received a resounding positive response.So it will be a virtual gathering next Thursday, 20 August starting at 1630. Take the time now to select your favourite drop and have on hand when we gather.This account on ZOOM is purely social which means that a session times out at 40 mins. Tho overcome that restriction I have set up two 40 min sessions one commencing at 1630 and the the second at 1730. That means you get a 20 minute comfort stop in the middle to empty one container and refresh the other.ZOOM recently made some security changes, which on some occasions you may require the password to enter the session, so before you commence logging in write both session passwords on a scrap of paper.You will be able to log on before the start time, however all will first enter a waiting room where I can admit you to the session. I think this removes the need for the password.Everyone will be on mute so that background ie, wife, partner or mistress as well as extraneous bodily and animal noises, are suppressed. When you wish to speak just press the SPACE bar on your keyboard to speak.Something like the pressel switch on a 25 set. Remember the chook SME, WO2 Anderson’s?, gee wasn’t he an old guy, ratel lessons down in the sig wing.
Press the Pressel / SPACE bar to speak.
Peter Martyn is inviting you to two scheduled Zoom sessions.
Topic: Session 1 – Klink 68-72Time: Aug 20, 2020 16:30 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us04web.zoom.us/j/74433164360?pwd=cFYwSUQ3RXhETC9YZ1NiTnhwT2dYdz09
Meeting ID: 744 3316 4360 Passcode: 6DiUzZ
Topic: Session 2 Klink 68-72Time: Aug 20, 2020 17:30 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us04web.zoom.us/j/74745745229?pwd=UEM0K0Z1elZaVHRjK1NKa29GdXVidz09
Meeting ID: 747 4574 5229
Passcode: ev6ydq
Looking forward to a chat over a glass or two of red,
Peter
Queensland Get-together
On Friday 14 August a class lunch was held at the Grand View Hotel at Cleveland by the Bay in Queensland. Attendees, (mostly with wives), included regulars John Black, Ian Callan, Rick Davies, John Elph, John McNamara and Peter Teys. Earlier classmates John Price and Jon Mander-Jones who love to stay in touch with the class also attended. A pleasant surprise was the attendance of normal Young, NSW residents Chris and Sue Gibson. The Gibbo’s regularly escape to the Sunshine Coast for mid-winter and this time beat the Covid border closure. Apologies from regulars Phil Newman and Maurie who had prior engagements. Kev Loughrey from northern NSW initially accepted, but piked out due the 2 week quarantine requirement. The weather was a typical Qld winter day of 24 degrees and of course a good time was had by all. As the afternoon wore on, the temperature dropped to 23 degrees and a couple of the ladies reached for their cardigans. Gibbo was heard to mutter something about Qlders tolerance of the cold. Good to see Callo who is going through Chemo, and it must be serious because he didn’t have a beer in his hand. Mac pushes these lunches and mumbled something about next time in November. If the borders are open (or you can sneak through) please get in touch. These get-togethers reinforce how important your old mates are.
Peter Teys
Callo Update
Received from Barb yesterday
Last week Ian had a little speed bump in his recovery. He had severe pain in his chest and once admitted to hospital he had a CT scan to determine the problem. It was a blood clot in the lung. The Doctors upped the strength of his his blood thinning medication and blood pressure medication. Unfortunately this resulted in severe bleeding so a partial colonoscopy was given to find the problem area. It was the primary tumour. After settling this down he left hospital after 5 days.
The full medical suite of specialists then discussed the way forward.
What was decided was to miss one round of chemo, replace it with a 5 day regime of intensive radiotherapy on the primary cancer. Radiation treatment will commence on Monday
This will shrink the tumour and hopefully eliminate future bleeding as well as prepare it for removal in 5-6 weeks. In the intermediate time chemo will be continued, medications continued. This will result in the oncologist being able to concentrate on treating the liver.
During discussions with the Radiation Oncologist today he remarked on the remarkable shrinkage of the primary and secondary cancers. So still good news on that front.
Ian and I now feel even more confident that the good results will keep on coming.
Thanks for your continuing support and contact. They mean a lot to Ian and to me.
Barb.
PS our house is now on the market for our move to Vantage apartments in November.
and a follow up from Ian today:
The Vantage apartments are being built and expected completion is late Oct with move in date of mid November. The best place to find the development is to Google Vantage Gold Coast and go to the website. Our apartment is a G type on the 8th floor.
Was it my fault?
This website is completely apolitical and non-political, so this post is simply to share information, not to make a political point.
The photograph below is from a letter box flyer. The local member on the left is Jeremy Hanson, who was the leader of the Liberals in the ACT Legislative Assembly before the last election. Why I ask is it my fault is that he was my Adjutant (briefly) in 1988, when he was a newly-graduated Lieutenant. He wasn’t with me long before moving on to Regimental duty in a squadron, but I think the experience was enough for him to transfer to RAInf, where he had a very good career.
Interestingly, Guilia’s husband was also an Army officer, an Engineer I think.
Nothing else to say, is there?
DFRDB Update – June 2020
The June 2020 Update from theAustralian Defence Force Retirees Association Inc. may be viewed by clicking here.
Callo Update – more good news
Classmates,
Today I received great news from my Oncologist. Cancer markers have now been normal for 4 weeks and going lower. Today was my 10th and final treatment to get the Stage 4 colon rectal cancer under control.
The next chemo treatment regime will be for the maintenance of the cancer at or below current levels. No details of this regime as yet because it will be based on my next blood test in two weeks. All I know is that it will mean a shorter infusion time at the clinic (has been 5 hours every fortnight), possibly a longer cycle and not include Oxaliplatin the only drug giving me some minor side affects. Happy days.
Callo
Jabber’s Selection
Chris Jones has sent through some photos in a Word document which I have quickly extracted without any attempt at improvement (and by that I mean the photography, not the content!). I’ll get to that shortly, but here’s a preview, with captions (edited) from Jabber.
Aged 17, pretending to be happy as a 4th Class Cadet at the RMC Duntroon. 1969.
With Blackie just before a foggy Queen’s Birthday Parade in 1969.
With Roger Simmons (NZ) prior to ‘Camp Training’ 1970.
1st X1 soccer team 1970 prior to Jabber being banned for life for breaking the jaw of an opposing team player in the local competition. (He is in middle row, second from left, between ‘Blue Boy’ and ‘Gibbo’. ‘Chi the Thai’ is bottom row, third from the left. Nik is second from the left. Dave Leyshon is middle back row.))
The ‘Big Day’, Graduation December 1972, receiving the B.A.(mil) degree from the Dean.
RMC Class of 1972 