Contributors

7 July - Losing weight

I think this blog is reaching the point at which no news should be assumed to mean good news. The treatment to hold back my incurable brain tumour has been completed and we are now in "wait and see" mode. I think we would all get bored of daily or weekly updates just to say "hello, I'm still here."

My weight, which has caused me some consternation as it topped 100kg, is now down to 94.4kg and decreasing at a rate of a couple of hundred grams a day (sorry, I gave up pounds and stones several years ago.) To what extent this is due to the diuretic tablets proscribed by our GP, or giving up cakes and desserts I don't know. but while it continues to work I'm sticking at it. Moving around is now a lot more comfortable and I can once again see the bones in my feet.

I still have to overcome one problem which has plagued me ever since the treatment started and that is my loss of balance and the vertiginous feeling when I have to descend stairs. Our GP warned that there may not be anything that can be done about that. I hope it will just wear off. Until it does I won't feel confident enough to leave behind my walking stick or go out without Olga's reassuring presence.

Olga and I have been discussing what improvements we can make to our home to make things easier for me when my mobility becomes limited (as it almost certainly will judging by the experiences of other brain tumour victims.) We had a meeting with a lady from Social Services who told us they can fit a rail on the opposite side of the stairs of the stairs so I can descend hanging on with both hands, which will help with my vertigo. They also offer such things as raised toilet seats to make it easier to get off the pot, and can loan us a lift to help getting in and out of the bath. That would prevent potentially embarrassing incidents such as occurred a month ago when I couldn't get out of the bath.

That's all for now and hopefully for a while or at least until I experience major improvements in my fitness.