There's a Panda in my Bellybutton

18 Month Post Relapse Treatment Review In November 2016 Ryan was given 2 days to live when the feeding tube he had ruptured his stomach and caused Peritonitis . In September 2017 Ryan was given a 3 months prognosis when his lymphoma relapsed . The doctors said his kidneys were not strong enough to cope with chemotherapy a second time. Then we were given the opportunity to try a new immunotherapy treatment . The doctors could not give us any stats. Either it would work or it would not. What did we have to lose? The Drs just hoped it may give Ryan a few extra months. On Wednesday 6 March 2019, Ryan and I met with his Oncology Consultant for his 18 months , post-relapse, treatment review. Dr C is more than impressed at how well Ryan has been able to tolerate the immunotherapy treatment with little to no side effects. Immunotherapy Treatment Ryan is not cancer-free , the Epstein Barr viral load continues to spike in his blood plasma but at the moment the immunotherapy drug is keeping th...

Experimental Treatment Pembrolizumab is one of a number of immunotherapy treatments that are revolutionising the fight against cancer around the world. The future of medicine may eventually see these treatments used as the first line of defence against Cancer, which does not affect neutrophil counts or cause hair loss which are two of the biggest disadvantages of chemotherapy treatment. Immunotherapy targets only certain cells, meaning you don’t kill all the good cells off as happens with chemotherapy, making it more tolerable.  It has been found to be effective in treating some types of cancer where other treatments have failed to work.  Immune System Your immune system is how your body protects itself against infections and diseases. It recognises if you pick up a virus or bacteria germs that shouldn't be there. Your immune system also helps to destroy any old cells or damaged or broken cells, cancer is clever and it can trick your immune system into thinking that the ...

World Cancer Day To coincide with World Cancer Day JTV Cancer Support invited Ryan and I to take part in a very special filming project! World Cancer Day is a truly global event that takes place every year on 4 February. World Cancer Day unites the world’s population in the fight against cancer. It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action. Their tagline is #ActOfUnity and people were encouraged to buy Unity Bands as a show of support and to raise vital funds for cancer charities. JTV Cancer Support JTV Cancer Support wanted patients to film bits every day for a week to show everyone what one week living with cancer is like for them. ...maybe they're back in education/work or have a week full of hospital appointments, JTV wanted us to share a snapshot of life with/after cancer. I thought hey, Ry might be up for this. Another way to raise...

A communication passport is a way of supporting a vulnerable person, such as someone with Autism, with communication difficulties when they have to transition through different events, such as changing schools, or their first job. In Ryan’s case, we made a new specific communication passport for his medical file so that all the medical professionals could learn a little about Ryan before they met him and therefore be better prepared and able to interact with him. A communication passport draws together complex information (including the person's own views, as much as possible) and formalises the information into a clear, positive and accessible format. Every passport is individual and every layout must be utilised for the specific person and audience for which it is intended. When Ryan moved from Primary to secondary school, his primary school made a really detailed tri-fold, double-sided leaflet. This was invaluable to all the teachers that would get to know Ryan in their v...