'Benign Does not Mean 'Harmless' - Exploding the Myth Behind 'Benign' Brain Tumours by Emma Fixton

'Benign Does not Mean 'Harmless' - Exploding the Myth Behind 'Benign' Brain Tumours by Emma Fixton

This excellent paper is currently featured on the "It's Just Benign" web site at:
http://www.itsjustbenign.org

Return to Running - The Intraining (5Km) Twilight Run

NOTE: Click on photos to enlarge

The final grunt to the finishing line

Working hard on the (Uphill) crossing of the Green Bridge.

Despite an interest in cycling since recovering  from the craniotomy operation resulting from the first recurrence of the tumour in 2006, I have had a passion for running most of my life and I've decided recently that it is time to make a return to this most intense form of exercise. As I turn sixty later this year, the first stop was to a podiatrist to organise a new pair of orthodic inserts for an old bloke like me and then I was off to the local running shop for a new pair of shoes. At the Intraining running shop I heard about the Twilight Series of fun runs and decided that six weeks would be enough time for a slow buildup to the shortest distance of 5 Km. So I entered the event which was run on 23 March.

Another Watch and Sweat (Wait) comes up clear - almost five years tumour-free now

Another follow-up MRI scan came up clear today. May 2014 will be the five-year anniversary of my last surgery.That's heaps better than the paltry two and a half years I got out of the previous operation in 2006. So I'm thinking that the trials of radiation and chemo therapies that I went through in 2009/10 were worthwhile now.

OLIGO SCORE CARD Event Date Tumour-free years First diagnosed after craniotomy #1 1/11/1993 39 First recurrance and Craniotomy #2 1/11/2006 13 MRI showing signs of progression 1-Jan-09 2.2 Second Recurrance and Craniotomy #3 29-May-09 2.2 Completed Radiation Therapy 28-Aug-09 0.2 Started Chemotherapy with Temozolomide 12-Apr-10 0.8 Completed 12 mth chemotherapy 1-Apr-11 1.8 Watch and Sweat(wait) #1 22-Aug-12 3.2 Watch and Sweat(wait) #2 24-Oct-12 3.3 Watch and Sweat(wait) #3 29-Jan-13 3.7 Watch and Sweat(wait) #4 27-May-13 3.9 Watch and Sweat(wait) #5 3-Sep-13 4.3 Watch and Sweat(wait) #6 3-Dec-13 4.5 Watch and Sweat(wait) #7 4-Mar-14 4.8

Final Watch and Sweat(Wait) for 2013 comes up clear - 4.5 years tumour-free

Had my last regular MRI scan for the year yesterday and it came up clear once again making a total of four and a half years tumour-free.

OLIGO SCORE CARD
Event	Date	Tumour-free years
First diagnosed after craniotomy #1	1/11/93	39
First recurrance and Craniotomy #2	1/11/06	13
MRI showing signs of progression	1-Jan-09	2.2
Second Recurrance and Craniotomy #3	29-May-09	2.2
Completed Radiation Therapy	28-Aug-09	0.2
Started Chemotherapy with Temozolomide	12-Apr-10	0.8
Completed 12 mth chemotherapy	1-Apr-11	1.8
Watch and Sweat(wait) #1	22-Aug-12	3.2
Watch and Sweat(wait) #2	24-Oct-12	3.3
Watch and Sweat(wait) #3	29-Jan-13	3.7
Watch and Sweat(wait) #4	27-May-13	3.9
Watch and Sweat(wait) #5	3-Sep-13	4.3
Watch and Sweat(wait) #6	3-Dec-13	4.5

Trekking the Manaslu Circuit, Nepal

 NOTE: Click on  photos to view full-size

Tea break on the second day(LtoR at the table: Kev, Cheryl, Karen, Bhoj(Bozz) our Guide)

Ganesh Himal as seen from Chumling in the Tsum Valley

One of many suspension bridges we crossed. This is a very new-looking steel model.

This part of our trail had been blasted out of a sheer rock cliff-face.  That's our guide(Bozz) up ahead with the blue pack.

We encountered many of these donkey trains on the trail moving goods between villages. Very nice animals, but their Poo didn't smell too good when you were slogging up a steep slope!

Kev on the trail high above the Budi Gandaki river below.

The kids are always cute, we met this little fella at Mache Khola

At the entrance gate to the village of Jagat: Cheryl, Bimod and Bim.

Cheryl on the trail near the village of Deng.

The Girls taking on yet another set of steps

This suspension bridge was a bit on the older side but there was no choice other than to use it really.

 Karen and Kev at a rest stop for the porters on the way to Chumling, first village in the Tsum Valley.

Steep country on the way to Chumling.

We frequently saw these Black Faced Langur monkies in the trees by the trail.

The unseasonal rain made the track very muddy in places and the walking less pleasant.

Nepali Princess at Namrung. (Note the shoes!)

Yak at the village of Lho where we stayed the night in a teahouse to get a reprieve from the rain.

Prayer flags everywhere at the Ghompa just outside the village of Lho.

Interesting power lines up the valley from Lho. Looks like a solid short-circuit to me, nobody is going to get any power from the Hydro station through these wires!

Our first glimpse of the mountains that had been hidden from us during six days of unseasonal rain.

A plethora of Prayer wheels at the entrance to  the Village of Sama Ryo. This is located close to the border of Tibet and the Tibetan Buddhist influence is strong here.

Approaching the high point in Larke La

At the High point in Larke La 5,160m

Larke La 5,160m

Larke La 5,160m

Larke La 5,160m

Larke La 5,160m

Larke La 5,160m

Larke La 5,160m

Our Porters getting stuck into their morning serve of Dal Bhat. Two serves of this power food (one at 10:00am and one at noon) kept them going all day. Incredible!

This is just an unnamed hill in Nepal according to our guide but with a dusting of snow from recent storms it sure looked impressive to me!

Dancing with the Porters at Dharapani

LtoR: Kev, Bhim and Shom dancing at Dharapani

Bimod dancing at Dharapani

Laurie's attempt at dancing with the Porters at Dharapani

Beautiful mountains loomed above us as we descended through the forest.

 For most of October and November Cheryl and I have been in Nepal with our bushwalking friends Kev and Karen McKloskey.
October was spent trekking the Manaslu Circuit (including a side trip to the Tsum Valley). At 28 days/160Km length it was really a little bit too long for me even though Cheryl and I took four rest days while the others went up the Tsum valley. Much as I hate to make excuses, I think I must be getting a bit too old for this trekking caper.

Anyway, at a fairly sedate pace, and with a lot of help from the Porters, I managed to complete the trek with the others and got over the pass at Larke La which at 5,160m was a real test and one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. Cheryl, to her credit, also managed to complete the trek even though she was in pain from a bunion on her left foot.

Another Quarterly Watch and Sweat(Wait) comes up all clear - now 4.3 years tumour-free

Good News yesterday when the latest MRI scan showed no signs of any re-growth. My Oligo score-card is now showing that I am up to 4.3 years tumour-free.

OLIGO SCORE CARD
Birthday:	7/08/54
Event	Date	Tumour-free years
First diagnosed after craniotomy #1	1/11/93	39
First recurrance and Craniotomy #2	1/11/06	13
MRI showing signs of progression	1-Jan-09	2.2
Second Recurrance and Craniotomy #3	29-May-09	2.2
Completed Radiation Therapy	28-Aug-09	0.2
Started Chemotherapy with Temozolomide	12-Apr-10	0.8
Completed 12 mth chemotherapy	1-Apr-11	1.8
Watch and Sweat(wait) #1	22-Aug-12	3.2
Watch and Sweat(wait) #2	24-Oct-12	3.3
Watch and Sweat(wait) #3	29-Jan-13	3.7
Watch and Sweat(wait) #4	27-May-13	3.9
Watch and Sweat(wait) #5	3-Sep-13	4.3

Training to go Trekking in Nepal

L-R:Me, Cheryl, Kev and Karen

Cheryl and I had 10Kg packs on our backs while we trained on the slopes of Mt Gravatt on Sunday in preparation for our trip to Nepal with our good bushwalking friends Karen and Kev McKlosky.

In two and  half weeks time we are flying to Singapore on the first leg of our journey to Kathmandu, Nepal where we will be meeting up with Karen and Kev before setting off on a 25 day trek of the Manaslu Circuit(including a side-trip to the remote Tsum Valley near the border with Tibet) supported by Global Adventure Trekking, Kathmandu.