Cricket and Chemo

Chemo and Cricket-10th December,2013
I had an appointment to see Oncologist Gavin Marx at the San on 26th November. I proposed to him that before commencing chemo I should go to Adelaide for the Test Match. He helpfully calculated that the ideal time to begin chemo was six weeks after surgery and that was the 10th December, the day after the Test was scheduled to finish!

I was discharged from Lady Davidson on Thursday 28th November. After consultation with the GP at LD and Gavin Marx, Fiona Robinson my GP prescribed the antibiotics to knock out the helicobacter in my stomach,discovered by the endoscopy at the San on the 9th October. I commenced taking these twice daily on Friday 29th October with the last dose being in Adelaide on Day 1 of the Test Match on 5th December. 
I returned home after the Test finished in a great Australian victory in the first session yesterday.
I rang Gavin Marks this morning after noting that my chemo instructions were that if diarrhoea began, chemo should stop. He checked the results of the blood tests taken this morning and cleared me to begin the chemo (tablets) this evening, which I have jut done.So here we go!


The week after coming out of Lady Davidson  was interspersed with two most enjoyable events both hosted by my friend, John Keniry. The first on the day I was discharged, was a dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Australian Wool Exchange. I was the Inaugural Interim Chairman twenty years ago. Lots of old wool industry friends and acquaintances. Former Dalgety colleague Ted Harnett kindly drove me both ways and daughter Susie drew on her Intercon connections and organised parking on the driveway. The second was an Agriminds Christmas lunch at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science of which John Keniry is the Chairman. This was held at SIMS great facilities at Chowder Bay with their harbour frontage. Fellow Agriminds member, Bruce Standen did the driving honours.


In Adelaide, Ian McLachlan was wonderfully supportive with invitations to the Committee Room on Days 3,4 and 5 and reserved seats on Days 1 and 2. These privileges were also extended to my friend from Lord's,Dr John Russell. So I didn't have to get to the ground early and had the support of "a personal physician". The new developments at the Adelaide Oval are extremely well done and the ground has lost none of its previous ambience.

On the social front Ian also invited me to a MCC Dinner at the Adelaide Club (where I was staying) on the night of Day 1 and to his usual drinks event at his home on Saturday night. This consideration along with a wonderful Australian dominated match that we won handsomely, made for a great visit and I was so glad that I didn't "squib" it.

-13th December,2013

I am now 60 hours into the chemo regime. Early days and I shouldn't be too cocky, but it seems to agree with me. I feel great!