The confirmation of my tumour regrowth came the day we left the UK for this trip. My last days in Chile had been hampered by a slower walk and the subsequent scan eventually confirmed the bad news that my treatment was no longer strong enough to benefit me long term. A blow.
That said, I landed in USA without significant pain. Alas, over the last few days the tumour appears to have been applying pressure that has changed that.
The problem is, I can’t guage when it’s going to hurt the most. There’s a constant ache that I can treat with basic naproxen and paracetamol. The real problem comes with the pulsating sciatic agony shooting down to my knee and ankle.
Forty eight hours ago this was real. I was counting tramadol and amytriptoline to ensure I had enough to last me until I get home. It’s tight. These two drugs are the key to stopping the sciatic effect and helping me sleep. Alas, they also generate zombie Dave. A disoriented individual who struggles to know what’s going on around him.
Great for a driving holiday! Fortunately Rachel has taken on even more of the driving and is the organised one for ensuring we are out and about in good time, with all our bags.
What I’m finding odd is that the nature of the pain changes. My assumption, as the worst started, was that the tumour had grown and would continue to grow. This was no doubt causing a sciatic shock in time with my heartbeat.
But after two days of immense discomfort I’m back to just soreness with pins and needles. The former being relatively easy to treat without my knockout drugs. Although my stomach lining might not be keen on the amount of naproxen I use.
The worst pain always comes at night. It did before I was diagnosed too. It’s all very familiar to how I felt last year. But the last two nights I’ve not really suffered. Not to the same intensity. And nil amytriptoline and nil tramadol got me through the night without severe problems.
Today sees another long drive to Sequoia National Park. Fingers crossed it’ll be comfortable and hopefully I can make a more useful contribution to the driving. Maybe the afatinib is still winning small battles after all, even though it seems it has no chance of winning its war.
Seeing the World 
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