Thursday, January 1, 2009

Summary of recent events ...

(Posted by Mireille)

So as almost everyone around us now knows, the reason for Paul's limping off and on for the past few months (he was still playing tennis a few weeks before the diagnosis) was of all things an osteosarcoma which is a very rare form of cancer. This allows Paul to boast that he is one in a million. In Paul's case it is a tumor on the left tibia which was hopefully caught in its early stages. The therapy is planned over the better part of 2009 with a limb-sparing surgery around March.

On his fifth day at home following the first three days of chemo at University College Hospital in London (great doctors, great friendly, professional staff ... if you really absolutely have to have a cancer), Paul is finally back to normal with no nausea.

Yesterday, with a miminal nausea, Paul took us to his favourite Nepalese restaurant whose heating was off while outside temperatures hovered below the zero mark (Suzy and I kept our coats on). We brought along his school friend Yvan who first introduced him to this great place. Then they had a good time playing at home all afternoon.

In the evening, respectful of traditions, he insisted to stay awake until past midnight and that we open a bottle of champagne. I lost my fight against sleep at 10 p.m but he, Suzy and Philippe managed to catch some of London's fireworks from the balcony and on TV (-5 Celsius outside).

So to recap the medical stuff, Paul's treatment started on Christmas eve and will consist of 10 weeks of chemo at University College Hospital, then surgery at Royal National Orthopaedics Hospital in Stanmore to remove the tumor and replace the bone lesion by an extensible prosthesis, then 17 weeks of further chemo. End of treatment is expected around August, 2009.


3 comments:

  1. My daughter was diagnosed with osteosarcoma April 1st, 2007 at age 14. She is now 16, driving and back in school. Reading this loving positive blog was refreshing and to view the wonderful pictures of your son a pure joy. I love "bliss".

    Sue
    www.caringbridge.com/visit/kellyandresen

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  2. Our thoughts and wishes are with You and Your Family....
    Jack + Julie + Luke + Brooke, + Liam,...Sunter
    Melbourne Australia.
    johnsunter13@hotmail.com

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  3. Coucou Paul.
    Je sais que tu ne me connais pas mais j'entends tout le temps beaucoup parler de toi (in a good way!! bien sur :) ). de qui? de Juanito (Jean-Paul- d'ailleurs il adore que je l'appelle comme ca donc tu peux le faire aussi hihi) et de Philippe et Stéphane. En fait je suis une cousine à eux et j'habite Paris.
    voili voilou je voulais te faire de gros bisous et te dire que ton blog était topissime. Bravo. Bisous. Zeina

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