All the news (good or bad) from Summerhill Stables

When we saw the specialist in Barrow on Monday he told us that the lumps on Pikey’s skull were clusters of myeloma cells (as we suspected) and that the nasty protein levels had increased at roughly the same time as they had appeared. Therefore it appeared the thalidomide which had kept her in remission for nearly two years was becoming ineffective. And so he would put her on a different chemotherapy, Velcade. She may possibly have radiotherapy as well but that is yet to be decided.

Velcade is a new type of anti-cancer drug recently approved by NICE after a long campaign by Myeloma UK and health professionals. It is given to people who have already been treated with at least one other type of chemotherapy and who have already had a bone marrow transplant, but whose myeloma has continued to develop.

It is given by injection into a vein through a cannula or fine tube and is usually given as four doses over a three-week period. The doses are given on the first and fourth day of the first two weeks, followed by a ten-day rest period - this completes one cycle of treatment. You can have up to eight cycles of treatment over six months. How many Pikey will have is yet to be decided.
Obviously the injections have to be done at a hospital and we are due at Barrow on Tuesday for the first injection but after that the injections will be at Lancaster which is a damn sight nearer.

So about the medical detail but that is the main object of the blog which is to avoid having to repeat gloomy details over the phone. So after that gloomy news you might like to see a wave photo and an animal photo sent to us by Tid - Pikey’s eldest sister on Vancouver Island for those didn’t know; they are the first of two sets of stunning pictures one of which Robert will post each week to keep us all sane in this crazy world.

…and yet another of Robyn’s management tales
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground in a field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the bird lay there under the cow pat, he began to realise how warm he felt. He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

The lessons behind this story are threefold:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

Loads of love ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ from Robert and Pikey.