April 27th, 2008 - More of the same

What a lovely day...Cam was so happy to be home for Owen’s 6th birthday on Saturday. Owen had decided he just wanted to spend his day with his family and it was a real joy to be able to do this as only a few weeks ago we did not know where we would be. It just so happened that our friends, the Darley family from Western Australia were visiting, so we had a lovely weekend. It was also the first weekend that Bill hadn’t worked for some time as he has been struggling to recover from the devastating impact that the past few months have had on his productivity and schedule, so all in all it was a very special and lovely weekend.   
 
On Monday we returned to Brisbane for the day and Cameron counted down as the chemotherapy drug that we are told will be his very last, ran through his system and he was so pleased when that was over.  Of course the nurses were very happy for Cameron too. After a very long, tiring and once again emotional day spent in the world of oncology, bouncing from one medical event to another and visiting with all of our dear friends there, we drove back home to the Sunny Coast so excited about the next phase of this journey but also feeling a little guilty about leaving all our friends behind.  

Once again though, thankfully, this time the bone and muscle pain he usually experiences with this particular drug was not as severe as before. We now have a good break at home with only one trip to Brisbane for tests and final radiation planning on the 30th April until 12th May and Cameron has started returning to school. He went for a few days last week, staying until lunch time. He has also been determined to manage without his wheelchair. Thursday Mr Independence even insisted on carrying his own bag, on his back, and not wanting me to walk him in, which brought a whole flood of mixed feelings for me. 

I thank the Lord that Cameron is on his way and doing so well, but it is also difficult to avoid feeling concerned that someone might come running into him, or that he might over-stretch himself.  Of course, none of these things happened and when I collected him at lunchtime the massive grin on his face told the whole story as he had a real sense of accomplishment.  As usual however, off we dashed to be somewhere for something medical related. This time it was the pathology lab for blood tests and Nambour Hospital for a new insuflon in his leg where I still have to give him twice daily injections for his blood clot. 

Nevertheless, slowly but surely Cameron is getting his life back and what a joy it is to watch as so many things we take for granted are treasured by all of us now. One of the changes we have all recently begin to really notice in Cameron is the incredible sense of humour that he has developed during this time.  He seems to take so much in his stride now and matured well beyond his years.  And when Owen and Carlton talk about things that have happened in the past they now routinely use Cameron’s cancer as a timeline reference… “…before Cam got cancer…” and “…since Cam got cancer…”  For them it has also been a weird period where everything is not quite the same as it should be or was. They too get so excited when they see Cameron passing each milestone.
 
Cameron has really wanted to go fishing. Particularly since the boys’ brief attempt to undertake a fishing excursion with Bill last weekend got washed out. So, on Friday morning he was once again asking as it was the annual ANZAC public holiday here. Out of the blue our friends Lil and Mel called to ask if we would like to join them for a pontoon river boat ride along the Maroochy River that afternoon.  Of course the boys were all delighted. It was a glorious, in fact perfect Sunshine Coast day made even more so relaxing and enjoying a barbeque on the boat while the boys got their fishing fix.  What a fabulous afternoon we spent with Lil, Mel and their 3 lovely children Lameel, Melfred (hopefully spellings are correct) and of course Elicia, who has become such a special person to Cameron and I, spending a lot of time with us at the hospital in Brisbane.
 
So… for the time being and as long as Cameron remains well, our next couple of weeks will be more of the same… without the boat ride of course… half days of school, hopefully building to some full ones; visits to the pathology lab for blood monitoring, as well as to our local hospital at Nambour for routine line care and insuflon changes.  For the moment that will do just nicely, thank you Lord.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 27th, 2008 at 8:32 am and is filed under Week 11. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Responses to “More of the same”

  1. billsr Says:
    April 27th, 2008 at 7:56 pm

    Hi Cam,
    Well it is all over as far as the chemo is concerned and almost over once the ‘other’treatment is complete. I’m sure you must be very pleased as I’m also sure Mom and Dad are. Also glad to hear you have begun school again, but please to me a favor, don’t overdo it, as I know that must have been said to you MANY times by Mom and Dad, but they are right!!! Take it easy, day by day, everything will get back to normal soon, and you will be able to enjoy ALL the things you used to, but first you must allow the treatment to take its course OK? That’s about all I can say for now except to say I am so pleased you are on the road to good health. Love you lots my boy. Love and best wishes from the whole family in SA. from Grandad Bill Cape Town SA

  2. Deidre Wadl Says:
    April 27th, 2008 at 11:20 pm

    Hey Cam
    So proud and happy to hear that chemo is over!! And now to the next stage, but take it all in a low gear tempo, dont rush it and then before you know it will be over. Never forget God stands behind you as well as all the prayers. You guys in Aus have the most wonderful names for places and rivers, like the Maroochy river, its like music runs over the tongue, it must have been wonderful to have a day on the river and a barbecue. Its getting warmer here now too, soon we will also be enjoying barbecues. Take care and lots of love to your mom dad gran and your brothers. God bless and sweet dreams. love as always Dee Martin Manuella and Kenneth xxxx

  3. The Robinsons Says:
    April 30th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

    Hi Cam,
    So happy to see you looking so well!!! Ross, Jonty and I have been reading your website all of the time to follow your progress. We are so pleased to see you looking and feeling much better. You have been so strong and have such courage during this journey. We look forward to seeing a picture of you on your surfboard or maybe a fish on the end of your rod!!!! You will be sad to hear that we lost Sheeba last month, but the good news is we have yet another puppy called “Snowy” who looks a little like Sheeba. Our other dog Tomby is currently having an operation on her broken leg and will be fine. So you could say our dogs have been keeping us busy! Meg is still going strong. Great to hear that Radar is enjoying the beach life. Our new baby Lucas is growing by the day and Jonty loves him ( but can be a bit rough) – think he wants a wrestling partner!!! Keep strong Cam and say hi to the rest of the family. We think about you often and look forward to your updates on the website.
    Love the Robinsons
    PS Sorry it has taken me so long to post a message!

AWSOM Powered