Rachel James Treatment for Cancer

UPDATE: Feel Free to donate as any funds raised will be used well for Rachel or donated, but there are no further treatment options for Rachel so please do not donate for that.

Hi, I am Martin, and those who know me, also know my wife Rachel. You will know her as a kind, sweet and caring soul.

A truly beautiful person. However, you may know that there is also something ugly about her, and that is the 6cm stage 4 malignant glioblastoma found in her brain this January.

Due to NHS ineptitude and being told that it was "migraines" when she had 16 hour long headaches but, what is worse, having it stressed to both of us that there was "definitely nothing serious, no signs of tumour or stroke'. For this reason, they refused a scan. They told us it needed to be 15 migraines in a month which is absurd. Finally, one awake doctor was worried and sent her for a scan. Sadly, at Cheltenham General, a nurse S***h A****** and Dr M*****is decided to overrule the senior GP and consultant. After an 8-hour wait, she sent her home on New Years' Eve in agony and upset. They will be requested to answer for this.

After two more weeks of pain and NHS ignorance, we rummaged for the cash via borrowing to go private. Horrified she had not had a scan, the doctor arranged one. Within twenty minutes, we had the call. Firstly they said a Meningioma which is not so bad. Then after an evening of hell where Rachel sat alone in Gloucester Royal A&E (except when hassled for money by vagrants that the staff allowed to happen), we were told. Glioblastoma, stage four, no cure and a survival rate of approximately 14 months.

No question, the worst moment of my life.

 

 

 

 

SO WHAT IS A GLIOBLASTOMA?

In short, it is a word you never want to hear. Malignant, hard to detect (especially with apathy) and almost always stage 3 or 4. However, a stage 1 will still kill you eventually. It is the most aggressive of all cancers. It is often referred to as the less harsh sounding astrocytoma.

 

It is the worst news you could ever have.

RACHELS PROGRESS

After the mess of diagnosis she went to Mr Neil Barua who is lead Oncologist in Southmead Hospital. It was still only speculation of course without a biopsy but he said it was definite as could be given the size it had been allowed to grow to. After some surprisingly convenient and thankfully mild cases of Covid-19 the three of us endured, she went to surgery  His steady hand and nerves of steel assured the best result possible after the obliterating eight-hour craniotomy' After a day of anxiety I have never known the likes of, he called me at 5:10 pm as he said he would to tell me she was fine and it went well and had 99% removed the glioma. However, 1% is still way more than enough. I was still thrilled. There are people younger and in better health than Rachel not survived the operation. It is no splinter removal.

Neil and his team were a shining light and absolutely excellent in both care and service. They are the true heroes, getting by on a paltry budget but providing wonderful surgery, impeccable after-care and full support throughout. We hope for some of the funds raised to end up there.

She returned home too early due to bed space and had a seizure as soon as she returned. This meant another night in hospital. she returned to her parents home to convalesce. One of the most wonderful sights was seeing her finally able to sleep, laid down and comfy. Since the 27th December she had not laid down and been on a V pillow constantly. Her sleep back then, as it were, would look pained and fitful. Finally she could flop on her side and snuggle. To see that was one of the greatest, yet worst moments of my life. To share a bed and hold her again ass she slept was a prize no one should ever forget the value of. 

She returned home with us a week or so later, we were together again at last all three of us on the sofa, we decided to have a cheeky takeaway of the dirtiest burgers you could imagine. We were so happy (and a tad guilty....except Katie, she just gobbled it up) our Rachel/mummy was home. What was to come was horrible but what we had was amazing and that was where we were.

A week later we had the call from Mr Berua confirming the worst. Star shaped stage four glioblastoma. It was a dotting of an 'i' though. We knew by then. For some it was then that they realised it was as bad as it could be but we had settled to the horror long ago. Ultimately we would find it to be a tumour with an MGMT status of methylated. In English that translates to "bloody awful but better than it would be if it were unmethylated." 

Then began the chemo and radiotherapy. Chemo was tablet form at home (same type as 45 years ago but that's another story for later) and radio was daily trips to the hospital except for weekends and bank holidays (cancer keeps office hours it would seem.) 

Sadly we had to stop the chemo a week early due to falling platelets and white cells but the RT went fine. Contrary to popular belief, including my own up until then, it is actually the radiotherapy that causes the most egregious side-effects such as hair loss and lethargy, not chemo, at least in this treatment type (Temozolomide). 

So as of now she is on a break, having her bloods and counts monitored to hopefully start again on chemo in a few weeks. We had planned to have some time away but she is not yet strong enough.  

 

WHAT ARE WE RAISING FUNDS FOR?

 

Avastin

This is a treatment to stop new blood vessels forming, it will prolong life

The cost is £3000 a time

 

Consultancy with Oncology Professor Pat Price

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/p.price

To ensure complete coverage has been given and to ensure mistakes are not made, and she gets the longest time possible. Feel free to look her up. Knows her onions big time.

 

 

To those who know me, you will all be saying the same: "Why does it always happen to such good ones."

 

Often that is hyperbole and not quite meant. Here you all know it is. Please help my perfect wife and mother of our child, who will lose her mother when she needs her most.

 

Thank you