Not a good start

The one thing that rarely happens in japan has happened. My train is running late. Really late it is going to be a dash at the airport. And part of my dash got surgically removed.

Totally Drained

Wow, talk about drained! I had a fairly good nights sleep but feel that I've been hit by a 10 tonne truck. Sure that is me recovering from the stress of it all. Packed all my luggage for NZ last night and its gone to the airport so all that is left to do is tidy up the apartment (and me), then present to the airport Thursday morning.

And the Winner is?

Last night was awful, hardly slept at all. I could possible convince myself that maybe one of my dinner prawns wasn't quite cooked as well as it could be, but I suspect anxiety over getting the pathlogy results was the real suspect.

It was probably exasperated by my little shopping trip to Odaiba to visit Toys R Us for a certain newphew (and I got what I think is a really cool toy so pain be damned), but I did overreach alittle.

To my wonderful friends in Boston who happily took the call at 2am JST and just talked to me until the painkillers kicked in, thank you! I really needed someone right then are there you were. I've been so lucky with a support network worldwide, and thanks to all of you who offered to talk at any time.

So what about the results? I'm just pussyfooting around here. Answer is that the tumour was cancer. 100% Seminoma. Due to its location (within the teste), sizing, blood markers etc I don't require any further treatment such as chemo or radiation. It was caught so early in the piece that its not had time to send out little soldiers and create havoc else were. I do however have to have blood tests every month for the next year, the every two months after yada yada as there is a chance it will come back. But if it does we'll be waiting for it!

I cannot tell you the relief that I felt. It was like I could feel my body stopping production of the stress hormones and the move to flushing them all out. Drained is a good word. After saying a rathter stumbled good bye to my interpretor I headed home.

On that I was so luckly to have her, she was there all the way through and told me that she was stressing for me as well! She is so lovely I don't doubt it!

Now its head home try and eat something and let people know that things are looking great. I get the all clear for cancer and in a few days I get to go home to my family. Lifes looking pretty good at the moment!

The C? Waiting Game.

Well its almost Tuesday and time for the final diagnosis of what exactly the tumor was. I mean right at the moment I don't even know if I do have cancer of not, hence the C? terminology. Everything is healing well from the surgury and I've been out and about the last couple of days doing the important things in life like sinking a couple of SegaFredo cafe latte's and buying presents for my nephew.

The expedition out to Daiba today left me fairly exhausted by the time I got home and its going to be an early night for me! Its not really pain, but certainly uncomfortable after a couple of hours being active.

This whole C? has become a period of dates and depends. Everything prior to the next date in the little treatment calendar is waiting and wondering and until that date everything after depends. Its incredibly frustrating and at times upsetting, no amount of mind discipline can stop you going of into the realm of wild speculation, its possible to acknowledge it and try and move on, but as the 'date' draws closer this is easier said than done.

I've got the pit of the stomach feeling that I had last Sunday before going into surgury on Monday and while I know that I've already done one of the biggest steps its doesn't make the next steps any easier. I'm wanting to tell myself that its benigh, but the chances of a tumor there being benigh are really low, and blah blah blah all the other questions with no known answers.

I need to keep in mind the bad case scenario (not using worst case here), as that way the news will not be total shock! Anyway time for bed and we'll deal with it all tommorow.

Home Again

Hey, its all over, well stage one anyway. Was discharged midday today and sent home! Less 180,000 YEN and one nut! Oh well! Feeling really good at the moment, walking is getting better and better, but marathons are currently not being considered.

Its now just take it easy and recover, which is progressing really really well. Then Tuesday its back for the stiches out and find out the next steps.

Again to all the people who have been to visit me both physically and virtually, thank you so much for your support and kind words you have no idea how much its meant to me over the last 5 days.
d

Improving rapidly

Up and about now still have drips but they go by the end of the day

To just rollover

Well the first hard night is now over. A good run of pain relief and asleeping something and off to the land of nod. but having to sleep on my back, not so easy

The imagination of thrist.

The bodies natural reaction when it water is to find some. The fun begins when you are not allowed to drink any. dinner and drinks just loses that romantic touch when its served in your arm!

And the pain begins

A nice thing about an anesthetic is that obviously there is no pain. Its the wearing off bit thats not so crash hot as I will now happyily attest to. This is when you the post op drugs to not only zonk the pain but also make you sleepy. Lump is now confirmed as a tumour not a bad infection gone wrong,so its hurry up and wait for the pathology results for the next steps.

All done bar getting my legs b

I am all done. Currently cannot feel a thing from my chest dowm. The team were wonderful and we had fun teaching each other english and japanese. Back in my room being fed via my arm. I even got to see the offending item, the tumour was twice the size of the teste so I guess better out than in.

The endless fascination.

Ok,quick question. How often do you go to the bathroom to pee? Go on have a real good think. Well I not only have to record whenbut also how much. There is even a special shelf in the bathroon for the measuring jug. So the deal is I get my own personal pee jug, but need to provide my own chopsticks, mug, spoon and towel. ahhh Japan

Monday - check in time

Well I am all checked in and had everything explained to me by Rika my fabulous interprutor. The gist of it is that as of nine tonight I nil by mouth. This had me well worried as I thought the op was Tuesday night. That long without water who needs surgury,they would have schriveled dry and fallen off. First bit of good news is that there is no sign of spreading and bloods are normal for tumour markers,but we are not out of the cancer woods yet. Other bit of cool is I have a private room with awesome view.

Hello, Technical Support

I've been searching for this particular video clip for ages and finally found a reference to it.

Jebs Jobs - Episode #1

Enjoy, its an oldy but goody and there is now more stuff!

My lump and Me!

Well all the news is in and its being going so fast that I've barely had a second to write anything down. The ultra-sound on Wednesday did not go well and instead of going home after it I was directed to a doctor who broke the news that they have found a tumor in my teste.

A referral to the Jikei University Hospital has resulted in a confirmation that its a big tumor and probably malignant. Some shift around of doctors and I'm being admitted to hospital on Monday, with the slice and dice being done Tuesday. The hospital was incredible efficient and had me all processed in 3 hours! Blood, heart, CAT scan and x-ray. Well impressed.

Going to be posting updates here for people to catchup with whats going one.

Try Winter Strawberries!

There is something that a year of living here I totally love, and still cannot quite figure out, but put it down to one of those 'Japan - go figure things'.

Where I come from in the 'western' world we have strawberries in summer. It is the quintessential summer fruit that is only available when the weather heats up and you want something refreshing.

Well here in Japan a thing to look forward to as it gets colder is Winter Strawberries, and I have no idea where they are imported from but they are totally scrumps. I guess at about 600 yen, or 6USD per punnet they are terrible expensive but man when it gets cold there is nothing nicer for me that biting into a bit of real summer! (or at least for those of us whom summer is strawberries.).

They are now on sale here and I've just had two of the most amazingly tasty little morsels. I'll probably finish them all of by tomorrow, but hey they are really great for you.

What is so really bizarre is that when summer actually does come along they go off sale and stone fruit like the delicious white flesh peaches appear. Why a traditionally summer fruit is only available here during winter, and yet other summer fruit is here in summer is beyond me, but hey, it one of the things of the growing list that I just love about living here.

Settling in!

I'm posting dating this entry as I did write much over the last week. But I there are so many thing s I want to say about having living here for a year. Basically I'm falling in love with the place.

Its taken quite some time to adapt to this point, and it really has been stages. I think that I adapted fairly quickly in the first two months to actually being here, but then each month after has been a growth from there as well.

I remember when I first go here I didn't go out and see much as it was all quite overwhelming, then I waited until my friends came for Spring and I visited Kyoto with them. As you will know if you have read this blog I have fallen in love with Kyoto. Not because its the first place I really 'saw' but more as I really connected to the place.

During that trip I really had to step out of my little 'world' and it was difficult as then I was not comfortable with my language skills. I'm still not, but much better now.

After that it's been an accelerated process of adapting, and it was not until I left this year for 10 days in Sydney that I really noticed how much I had adapted and grown fond of the Japan and Tokyo. I stil don't know how a city this large with so many people can work as well as it does, but beleive me it really does work. Its clean, safe, the transport system works everyday and I've never had a power outage!!.

Yes, its crowded and that takes some getting used to, being crowded into a train, but its very different from London trains, here there is a ettiquite for boarding a crowded train that does not offend. Its totally silent, but learn that skill and its all easy!

I guess I'll be writing more about it as I've decided to stay for another year, why not, so much more to see and learn!.