A different challenge - part IV

Hopefully this will be final update on this topic for a good long time, as I should now be into a regular routine of tests and scans which will only change if things aren’t going well. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, here are my previous posts on the subject of my cancer diagnosis and treatment:

A Different Challenge Part I

A Different Challenge Part II

A Different Challenge - Part III

So I have had my first set of scans (MRI for head, CT scan for body) post going on to targeted therapy and got really good news – basically the targeted therapy drug I am taking is doing its job really well. I have no sign of any new secondary metastasis tumours in my head, and the existing tumours and signs of cancer in my lungs and lymph nodes have effectively shrunk away to mostly scar tissue and just small traces.

Before we break open the bubbly, just to be clear, this doesn’t mean I am cured – it means the cancer is in check and could stay in check for a good long time. Eventually though what usually happens is it mutates and starts to spread again. At that point I have to either hope that a new targeted therapy drug with additional capabilities has made it onto the market and been approved by NICE, or I go onto a more typical cancer therapy pathway (chemotherapy and radiotherapy being the most likely treatments in that case.)

In the meantime I am now back at work full time, albeit travelling less than I did, and I am hoping that if things go well through to next September I will be able to apply to get my driving license back.

So life returns to normal (or as normal as possible!) – I’d just like to say thank you for all the kind words people have sent my way on here – I might have come across as 100% positive, but you don’t get to face off to “the emperor of all maladies” and spend your entire time with a smile on your face, so some of the response I’ve read on here have really helped.

The bad news for all of you is I’ll be back to talking about HPE compute technology and/or any other technology subject that takes my fancy (I currently have a bee in my bonnet about autonomous vehicles and public transport – I wonder why!)

Love to all,

Duncan