NEXT STEPS

I came home from Germany feeling much better, both physically and mentally, and spent a lovely few days with my sister Belinda, nephews, and family friends at Bwthyn Bach, our cottage in mid-Wales. 


Back in London I met my specialist nurse at the Marsden, and updated her about my treatment in the clinic. She confirmed that the medical team there are OK with me continuing to have treatment under Dr Herzog, and that they are happy to do my weekly blood tests as well as deal with any problems in between visits to Germany. Communication with doctors at the Marsden has been a bit frustrating at times, as I'm under the care of a big team and tend to see a different doctor each time.That was part of the reason I looked to the German clinic for a more personalised approach, but I've in no way cut my ties with the NHS: I pass on all correspondence and scans in both directions, and I'll have a review here, probably in October. Although the overall consultant is somewhat sceptical about therapies which don't yet have a gold-standard evidence base, I'm hoping that the UK medical team might become more interested in the German approach over time. 


In the meantime, I go back to Dr Herzog's clinic for 10 days in mid-September, for another chemoembolisation in conjunction with all the other therapies, and a review of their effectiveness, in order to plan the next phase of treatment. In any case, whether it involves more chemo or just maximising the functioning of my immune system and general health, I anticipate further visits to the clinic, and I'm very happy to transfer the active part of my care to Dr Herzog for the time being.