Medical update: still standing strong!

I haven’t got a lot of time to blog because I am too busy enjoying my life. But I know more than 100 people are following me on my blog so I have this duty to write something. Anyway, that's what mum says!

I went to the hospital yesterday and here’s the verdict:

The tumour in my ass had not come back yet: good!

There is no metastasis in my spleen and liver yet: good!

The calcium levels in my blood were OK: good!

My white blood cells were a bit below average. That is due to the chemo so were gonna stop the chemo for a while: don’t mind!

The ultrasound of my tummy was mildly positive. A small lymph node was found again near a blood vessel. It is smaller than the one they removed in June. The surgeon (a lady again!) thinks she can remove it even though these operations are never without any risk. Removing it is always the best option, she said. I'm going in in October.

The oncolodomist was a bit worried about “it” coming back so soon after the previous operation. Mum and dad, however, think I am doing great, given that 10 months ago they said I was only gonna live for another 12 months! And look at me now: still standing strong!

The loncomonist doesn’t really know whether the chemo still works or not. There are other more aggressive therapies out there but they might make me sick. Mum and dad feel strongly about this. Stretching my life with less quality is not an option! Do you agree? I certainly do!

That’s it for now!

Charlie

I am going on holiday and I am taking...

I went to the Ardennes again this weekend and that reminded me that I hadn’t given you the full report of my holiday in June yet, or any pictures.

Next week I have to go back to the hospital for a check-up so, before I have to report whatever news I’ll have, here’s my holiday report! 



Dad promised me we’d go to the Ardennes for my birthday and he kept his promise. 













It was superb, even though it was only “Belgium”. Usually holiday means mum and dad drop me at the kennels and pick me back up when they’re done. 

Not this time. I was coming along!

When we arrived, I felt like I had just arrived in seventh heaven: there was a river, there was a hut with a wood burner, there were chews, there was mum and there was dad and there was my bed and there was piggy.

I even got a second piggy for my birthday and a tin of biscuits. I don’t know what that other black thing in the middle is but mum insisted on taking it. She said it was absolutely necessary for her stress management.

First we had to drive very very far. Like almost 2 hours! That is if we don’t get lost. Otherwise, it is 3.5 hours! 

When we arrived, I saw this.


Mum said I had to calm down and she kept repeating it for 24 hours!! 

Tell me: how can I calm down with this right in front of me? She doesn't seem to know me very well...




Mum allowed me to swim in the river in front of the cabin for a while but the current was so strong she thought she was gonna have to collect my nose on one side of the river and my bum on the other. She said: “hey matey, we’ve been fighting this cancer together for 6 months, I shall not have you drown in the river!” 

I was very restless that night. I couldn’t stop thinking about that river. I had to swim. Mum and dad blocked the stairs down to the water so I couldn't escape. Pity! 


Anyway, I swam a lot. I mean A LOT! 

Jumped in the water at every opportunity.

Sometimes there are other people in the water. I always go to say hello to them.

The next day, we went on a walk. Well, walk is the understatement of the century! 

Mum and dad can’t read maps together ‘cos they’ll end up arguing, so only one of them reads the map. Obviously we got lost. I won’t tell you who was reading the map. 

The bottom line is: we walked A LOT. Mum and dad think I ran about 50 km.

The next day, I was absolutely knackerooned. Dad said: “come on, mate, let’s go for a walk.” And I thought: “Really? Again?” Anyway, we did go on a slightly more moderate walk and swim. I also cleared the water of some wood. 





I do that because it is in my jeans, apparently. Don’t know what that means. I haven't got any jeans but mum told me that that's what it is. She knows these things, you know.





Sometimes the twigs are quite large… But when my jeans tell me to do it, I have to do it.









































On the third day, after a good night’s sleep (without hyperventilating), I was ready for more. We went to this big lake where I had been before. It is called the basin of Nisramont. Check it out! 

It was raining, but that didn’t bother us because I was swimming anyway. It was beautiful.

I did about 35 km that day. We had a picnic on the way. 




I also love jumping in the high grass.

I like to play hide and seek but mum and dad always find me... I don't know how they do it.

The last day Mum and Dad put a BBQ on the floor. Now normally I would steal whatever they put on it. Not tonight. I was knackered! Mum and dad were able to BBQ comfortably!

That was my holiday in a nutshell. I enjoyed it. I hope to go again soon.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures.

That's it for now! 

Charlie