Now some of my friends here and elsewhere know that I was diagnosed with Cancer in October 2009. This is to give people a low down and also a message to those in other places who think Cancer can be cured by diet. A very simplistic and quite ridiculous opinion.
Please folks I am not looking for tea and sympathy and hugs. This is just some facts, that’s all. A catalogue of errors.
What has Cancer got to do with Diabetes you may ask ?
Well, I thought that up till October 2009. then a routine blood test started a path which has led to me finding out it can have many effects.
First of all I was contacted within a few days of the blood test and asked to come into the hospital for more tests. That was on a Monday, the results were through by Wednesday and the following Monday I was having a biopsy. A fairly painless but slightly uncomfortable procedure. That was sent for analysis. Friday of the same week, sitting at home at 8.30am I get a phone call, "Could I come into the Hospital and see a Consultant ?" Now that set the alarm bells ringing, but part of me just thought that they were going to give me the all clear. However those bells began to get louder when I was asked to come in at 2.30pm that same day !
Now I should mention here that my Diabetes was extremely well controlled, Bg numbers were 98% on target. I use a low fat, reduced carbs, low GI, Low GL, low salt diet, lifestyle. It worked very well for me and had allowed me to lose over 5 stone in 12 months with little or no real effort. I felt good, was full of life and vitality. Life was great, full of fun, laughter and great times with great people, my wonderful friends and my then girlfriend.
So, I turned up at the Hospital that afternoon and spoke with a Clinical Nurse Specialist. So, I sat down and my heart sank when her opening words after a few pleasantries were, “I’m sorry to have to tell you.............” It was all a blur then. I heard what she was saying, but somehow I couldn’t believe what was happening. This was a dream, it wasn’t me, what have I done to deserve this.....questions, questions. I was sort of numb. I listened to what she said, I had Cancer.
It was early stage but it was aggressive, it was treatable. My options were limited. I couldn’t have an operation, it was Drugs, and Radiotherapy. I could ignore it and possibly live till I was 100, or I could possibly live only a short time, I could have all the treatment and still die. I needed time to think and discuss this with my partner, my girlfriend. We had only recently met and she was as stunned as I.
So, I slept on it. I talked it over till my head was spinning. I only had one option, go with the treatment. At least I had a chance that way.
So, that same day I was put on some powerful Cytotoxic Drugs, one lot of tablets first. I started on them that same day and my Bg levels were fine. All as normal. The next day I noticed a slight rise in the levels and this started a pattern over the next few days where they slowly increased a little up towards 10 mmol/l. As I never normally went above 6-7 throughout a day this was disconcerting to me. As the days went on I was able to tweak my diet and managed to keep the numbers under reasonable control. Then after a week of this I started to get high numbers, 13.3/13.4/15.5/16.7. not good but manageable. Oh, yes. In amongst all this lot were several Hypos’ in the 2’s. Mood swings, sickness, nausea, headaches, visual disturbances....watched my Christmas Cards moving, holes in my view of things.....weird !! I could cope with that.
Then they put me on a slow acting Drug, an injection that I would have each month for 4 months. No problem. Little did I know what was about to hit me ! The day I had that injection my Bg hit 19 ! The highest I have hit so far is 20.1 mmol/l. A record for me I could have done without. Then slowly more side effects came on, Bg levels rose fast, then sank even faster....I went from 19 to 6 in the space of an hour or so, then back up again in another hour to 15.1, down to 3.2. Beats any Alton Towers ride I can tell you ! I looked and felt like sh*t. I could hardly function as I felt ill from the side effects and ill from the hypo and hyper effects. I was not good. Well those numbers continued to just have a mind of their own, there was absolutely nothing that I could do to control all of this. Could it get any worse ? You bet !
I was put on a second monthly injection very similar to the first. Now my Doc queried this, said it was not normally done that way. Well we got confirmation from the Consultant that that is what I should have, so the second jab took place. Two days later I was in an awful state, I fell asleep on the phone to people, the side effects I had before were all magnified tenfold. I could hardly go out the house without breaking down, one time in a store, which was very embarrassing but they knew me and looked after me till I felt a little better. I could hardly string sentences together, I was like a Zombie !
Then the pains started in my right hand rib cage, my shoulder and collar bone. Pain so excruciating I was in tears, I had to lie down and just existed on a diet of strong painkillers. I couldn’t stand for more than ten minutes before the pain would come on........sheer agony. I am a big lad and fairly tough and a bit of pain over the years went with the job I did......but this was something else !
Now throughout all this I was relaying the horrendous side effects I was having to the CNS and my Doc. They were all of a mind that I shouldn’t be getting such things as bad as I made out. They thought I was making it up, I was a wimp ! They didn’t say that but you could tell that is what they thought ! So, I made the best of it, even though there were days I just couldn’t function......I had to stay indoors for days at a time.
Well, on the 10th January this year after almost 2 ½ months of this treatment I had a short letter from my Consultant informing me I had been given more drugs than I should have been. Basically for all that time I had been overdosed with two ant-Cancer drugs. No wonder my side effects were so bad !! Needless to say I was furious. How had this happened ? What had it done to me ? What was going to happen to me now ? Who was responsible ? Not content with giving me the stress of knowing I had a Cancer and could die, they had managed to give me even more stress in now not knowing if there were going to be other problems to add to the list.
When I contacted the Hospital that same day the system went into overdrive........they were worried I was going to sue ! I had a battery of blood tests, CT scans, MRI bone scans everything you can think of. Most came back Ok, a Potassium deficiency was highlighted, rectified with a daily Banana for lunch. Plenty of Coffee too. Then a B12 deficiency so now having that supplemented as well. The excruciating pains I had which began with the second injection have subsided since the overdosing was stopped. Coincidence.......the Consultant isn’t sure and I have to have more tests again ! I seem to spend my whole time at either the Hospital or the Gp’s at the moment.
The initial drug I was on was stopped immediately this all came to light, you are supposed to take seven weeks to come off it...... it also remains in your system for two weeks as well. So, the result was I first of all was still having the side effects, then I also got withdrawal symptoms....NICE !
My Bg levels have gone from the initial 98% on target and at present are down to 34% on target.My HbA1c has risen to 7. This is all down to the drugs and cannot be rectified by diet changes, believe me I have tried. I also have to eat a special diet because of the Radiotherapy.....so nothing is simple. Diabetes is having to take second place at the moment which is causing me a lot of angst......at least I am still around. I may have to go on Insulin temporarily if my numbers stay so high.
The reason all this happened and the reason I was overdosed is all down to a human error.......the Consultant recorded his notes and dictated a letter to my GP. That letter clearly stated prescribe X drug AND Y drug. That is what my GP queried. It was confirmed as being correct by the Consultant’s Secretary as he was on Holiday. It was only when he was reviewing his notes some two months later that it came to light it should have read........prescribe X drug OR Y drug. Some difference eh ! I have accepted a personal apology from the Consultant, I am not out to cause anybody to lose their job or be demoted.
I am now having daily Radiotherapy which involves me in a 23 mile round trip to the Hospital in Birmingham, the World renowned QE Medical Centre. It takes up around 2 - 3 hours of my day.
I will know in early April if my treatment and my endeavours, my trials and tribulations will have been worth it.
As I once said elsewhere I am in God’s hands now. The help and support of my many good friends here and elsewhere has been something I shall not forget. I thank them all for their unstinting support. They know who they are and I wish them all good health. Thank you all.
Ken.
Please folks I am not looking for tea and sympathy and hugs. This is just some facts, that’s all. A catalogue of errors.
What has Cancer got to do with Diabetes you may ask ?
Well, I thought that up till October 2009. then a routine blood test started a path which has led to me finding out it can have many effects.
First of all I was contacted within a few days of the blood test and asked to come into the hospital for more tests. That was on a Monday, the results were through by Wednesday and the following Monday I was having a biopsy. A fairly painless but slightly uncomfortable procedure. That was sent for analysis. Friday of the same week, sitting at home at 8.30am I get a phone call, "Could I come into the Hospital and see a Consultant ?" Now that set the alarm bells ringing, but part of me just thought that they were going to give me the all clear. However those bells began to get louder when I was asked to come in at 2.30pm that same day !
Now I should mention here that my Diabetes was extremely well controlled, Bg numbers were 98% on target. I use a low fat, reduced carbs, low GI, Low GL, low salt diet, lifestyle. It worked very well for me and had allowed me to lose over 5 stone in 12 months with little or no real effort. I felt good, was full of life and vitality. Life was great, full of fun, laughter and great times with great people, my wonderful friends and my then girlfriend.
So, I turned up at the Hospital that afternoon and spoke with a Clinical Nurse Specialist. So, I sat down and my heart sank when her opening words after a few pleasantries were, “I’m sorry to have to tell you.............” It was all a blur then. I heard what she was saying, but somehow I couldn’t believe what was happening. This was a dream, it wasn’t me, what have I done to deserve this.....questions, questions. I was sort of numb. I listened to what she said, I had Cancer.
It was early stage but it was aggressive, it was treatable. My options were limited. I couldn’t have an operation, it was Drugs, and Radiotherapy. I could ignore it and possibly live till I was 100, or I could possibly live only a short time, I could have all the treatment and still die. I needed time to think and discuss this with my partner, my girlfriend. We had only recently met and she was as stunned as I.
So, I slept on it. I talked it over till my head was spinning. I only had one option, go with the treatment. At least I had a chance that way.
So, that same day I was put on some powerful Cytotoxic Drugs, one lot of tablets first. I started on them that same day and my Bg levels were fine. All as normal. The next day I noticed a slight rise in the levels and this started a pattern over the next few days where they slowly increased a little up towards 10 mmol/l. As I never normally went above 6-7 throughout a day this was disconcerting to me. As the days went on I was able to tweak my diet and managed to keep the numbers under reasonable control. Then after a week of this I started to get high numbers, 13.3/13.4/15.5/16.7. not good but manageable. Oh, yes. In amongst all this lot were several Hypos’ in the 2’s. Mood swings, sickness, nausea, headaches, visual disturbances....watched my Christmas Cards moving, holes in my view of things.....weird !! I could cope with that.
Then they put me on a slow acting Drug, an injection that I would have each month for 4 months. No problem. Little did I know what was about to hit me ! The day I had that injection my Bg hit 19 ! The highest I have hit so far is 20.1 mmol/l. A record for me I could have done without. Then slowly more side effects came on, Bg levels rose fast, then sank even faster....I went from 19 to 6 in the space of an hour or so, then back up again in another hour to 15.1, down to 3.2. Beats any Alton Towers ride I can tell you ! I looked and felt like sh*t. I could hardly function as I felt ill from the side effects and ill from the hypo and hyper effects. I was not good. Well those numbers continued to just have a mind of their own, there was absolutely nothing that I could do to control all of this. Could it get any worse ? You bet !
I was put on a second monthly injection very similar to the first. Now my Doc queried this, said it was not normally done that way. Well we got confirmation from the Consultant that that is what I should have, so the second jab took place. Two days later I was in an awful state, I fell asleep on the phone to people, the side effects I had before were all magnified tenfold. I could hardly go out the house without breaking down, one time in a store, which was very embarrassing but they knew me and looked after me till I felt a little better. I could hardly string sentences together, I was like a Zombie !
Then the pains started in my right hand rib cage, my shoulder and collar bone. Pain so excruciating I was in tears, I had to lie down and just existed on a diet of strong painkillers. I couldn’t stand for more than ten minutes before the pain would come on........sheer agony. I am a big lad and fairly tough and a bit of pain over the years went with the job I did......but this was something else !
Now throughout all this I was relaying the horrendous side effects I was having to the CNS and my Doc. They were all of a mind that I shouldn’t be getting such things as bad as I made out. They thought I was making it up, I was a wimp ! They didn’t say that but you could tell that is what they thought ! So, I made the best of it, even though there were days I just couldn’t function......I had to stay indoors for days at a time.
Well, on the 10th January this year after almost 2 ½ months of this treatment I had a short letter from my Consultant informing me I had been given more drugs than I should have been. Basically for all that time I had been overdosed with two ant-Cancer drugs. No wonder my side effects were so bad !! Needless to say I was furious. How had this happened ? What had it done to me ? What was going to happen to me now ? Who was responsible ? Not content with giving me the stress of knowing I had a Cancer and could die, they had managed to give me even more stress in now not knowing if there were going to be other problems to add to the list.
When I contacted the Hospital that same day the system went into overdrive........they were worried I was going to sue ! I had a battery of blood tests, CT scans, MRI bone scans everything you can think of. Most came back Ok, a Potassium deficiency was highlighted, rectified with a daily Banana for lunch. Plenty of Coffee too. Then a B12 deficiency so now having that supplemented as well. The excruciating pains I had which began with the second injection have subsided since the overdosing was stopped. Coincidence.......the Consultant isn’t sure and I have to have more tests again ! I seem to spend my whole time at either the Hospital or the Gp’s at the moment.
The initial drug I was on was stopped immediately this all came to light, you are supposed to take seven weeks to come off it...... it also remains in your system for two weeks as well. So, the result was I first of all was still having the side effects, then I also got withdrawal symptoms....NICE !
My Bg levels have gone from the initial 98% on target and at present are down to 34% on target.My HbA1c has risen to 7. This is all down to the drugs and cannot be rectified by diet changes, believe me I have tried. I also have to eat a special diet because of the Radiotherapy.....so nothing is simple. Diabetes is having to take second place at the moment which is causing me a lot of angst......at least I am still around. I may have to go on Insulin temporarily if my numbers stay so high.
The reason all this happened and the reason I was overdosed is all down to a human error.......the Consultant recorded his notes and dictated a letter to my GP. That letter clearly stated prescribe X drug AND Y drug. That is what my GP queried. It was confirmed as being correct by the Consultant’s Secretary as he was on Holiday. It was only when he was reviewing his notes some two months later that it came to light it should have read........prescribe X drug OR Y drug. Some difference eh ! I have accepted a personal apology from the Consultant, I am not out to cause anybody to lose their job or be demoted.
I am now having daily Radiotherapy which involves me in a 23 mile round trip to the Hospital in Birmingham, the World renowned QE Medical Centre. It takes up around 2 - 3 hours of my day.
I will know in early April if my treatment and my endeavours, my trials and tribulations will have been worth it.
As I once said elsewhere I am in God’s hands now. The help and support of my many good friends here and elsewhere has been something I shall not forget. I thank them all for their unstinting support. They know who they are and I wish them all good health. Thank you all.
Ken.
