Well here I am, still here that is...
As you all know by now (not like I've been tweeting or anything) I've been through a rough few months. Now though, it's getting to the end of my treatment. (nothing to do with sanity I may add)
I have come through the worst of the chemo and not had any of the really major problems, the ones that would have landed me back in hospital that is.
The main problems I've had are Nausea, fatigue and certain problems in the toilet department, of which I'll not go into :-) (big sigh of relief I hear there).
I also seem to have lost some appetite, but not to the extent that I've lost weight.
I'm still in bed at this moment, I know it's 10:15am on a Monday but I feel crap right now, though I should get up and have breakfast.
What is the next step for me now? Well I'm going to take part in a Study with the McMillan Trust to do with rehabilitation after testicular cancer, it will hopefully help me with losing weight as well as any financial things that may be a problem due to this. Other benefits will be meeting others who have gone thought the same thing, and being ably to come to grips with it all.
Anyway, I'm off, hope you never have to go through any of this, I've been lucky in my bad luck, it's not that great for most out there.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 20 August 2012
Friday, 17 August 2012
KeePass
Well, I have to say, I love KeePass
It's a password manager, a very good one, and what's more its free.
Now you may think that yes, it's free but is it good enough to trust with your critical and personal account information etc... The databases are encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish). So I would say a resounding YES!
Not only is it a linux program, but, it runs on windows too, there are Mac OSX and IOS versions as well as Android etc. in short you can use it cross platform from PC to Mobile to tablet.
Yes amazing eh? It's open source honest...
Heres how I use it.
I use it in conjunction with DropBox, another greatly useful thing to sign up for, sign up Here.
I created a new Database using a password and a key file.
I then dropped the database into my DropBox so that I could synchronise across all my computers and devices (yes DropBox is also cross platform)
Now you may think "wait a minute, it's out there in the big bad interweb, isn't that a bit unsecured?" No, it's not, because the file is encrypted for one with your password, but this is not enough as you would be aware, so remember that key file? Well copy this file to all your devices, you need this to open the database file, without it you will not be able to access the file.
For your desktop computer, just copy the key file to a USB stick, install the software on your PC and point it to the file when you use your password database, then remove the USB Stick for double security as its not permanently on your system.
Et viola! You have a free cross platform, cross device password manager you can trust in.
Never get get caught short when you access a website you can't remember the password for.
KeePass also has features that you can use when it's running on the desktop where you can get it to open the URL you've included in your password entry in the database, also you can configure it to automatically log you into the site without actually having to type in your details.
Great stuff!
Oh! Just a reminder, put the key file manually on the devices you want KeePass on, do not make it available anywhere, no key file means no access, therefore even if someone knows your password they will not be able to access your database.
Hope you enjoyed this article, it's been a while I know...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
It's a password manager, a very good one, and what's more its free.
Now you may think that yes, it's free but is it good enough to trust with your critical and personal account information etc... The databases are encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish). So I would say a resounding YES!
Not only is it a linux program, but, it runs on windows too, there are Mac OSX and IOS versions as well as Android etc. in short you can use it cross platform from PC to Mobile to tablet.
Yes amazing eh? It's open source honest...
Heres how I use it.
I use it in conjunction with DropBox, another greatly useful thing to sign up for, sign up Here.
I created a new Database using a password and a key file.
I then dropped the database into my DropBox so that I could synchronise across all my computers and devices (yes DropBox is also cross platform)
Now you may think "wait a minute, it's out there in the big bad interweb, isn't that a bit unsecured?" No, it's not, because the file is encrypted for one with your password, but this is not enough as you would be aware, so remember that key file? Well copy this file to all your devices, you need this to open the database file, without it you will not be able to access the file.
For your desktop computer, just copy the key file to a USB stick, install the software on your PC and point it to the file when you use your password database, then remove the USB Stick for double security as its not permanently on your system.
Et viola! You have a free cross platform, cross device password manager you can trust in.
Never get get caught short when you access a website you can't remember the password for.
KeePass also has features that you can use when it's running on the desktop where you can get it to open the URL you've included in your password entry in the database, also you can configure it to automatically log you into the site without actually having to type in your details.
Great stuff!
Oh! Just a reminder, put the key file manually on the devices you want KeePass on, do not make it available anywhere, no key file means no access, therefore even if someone knows your password they will not be able to access your database.
Hope you enjoyed this article, it's been a while I know...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, 5 August 2012
Feeling like a pin cushion
Well, here we are again.
Monday
On Monday last week as most of you will have noticed by my tweets, I had a Kidney function test to determine how much Carboplatin (Chemo drug) I was to be administered. This went rather unsmoothly, my veins are very shy things it seems.
They never managed to get a cannula in till I had been there two hours (I arrived at 8:30am) appointment was 9:30an, it had gone 11:30am before they started.
They managed to get one in on my right hand in the end. Though this later failed. They injected me with an isotope and the idea was to take bloods at these time intervals
Unfortunately the cannula failed, so they had to do the last three bloods the old fashioned way, stab me for each of them :-)
All in all I had roughly 13 to 14 punctures over both arms by the time I got out.
While I was there for this they sprung on my that I was coming back in on the Friday for the actual chemo.
Friday
So, here I am, quick appointment in the morning for a consultant appointment, then back at 2:30pm for the actual chemo.
These guys really are good, no problems at all getting a cannula in, not that surprising really. The whole process took around 2 hours, they said that because I'm only getting one session and on the results of my test earlier in the week I was getting quite a heavy dose.
I shall blog a little more later. Sorry if I'm not really too consistent with this blogging lark, I'm not the best at this stuff.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday
On Monday last week as most of you will have noticed by my tweets, I had a Kidney function test to determine how much Carboplatin (Chemo drug) I was to be administered. This went rather unsmoothly, my veins are very shy things it seems.
They never managed to get a cannula in till I had been there two hours (I arrived at 8:30am) appointment was 9:30an, it had gone 11:30am before they started.
They managed to get one in on my right hand in the end. Though this later failed. They injected me with an isotope and the idea was to take bloods at these time intervals
2 hrs
2.5 hrs
3 hrs
4 hrs
Unfortunately the cannula failed, so they had to do the last three bloods the old fashioned way, stab me for each of them :-)
All in all I had roughly 13 to 14 punctures over both arms by the time I got out.
While I was there for this they sprung on my that I was coming back in on the Friday for the actual chemo.
Friday
So, here I am, quick appointment in the morning for a consultant appointment, then back at 2:30pm for the actual chemo.
These guys really are good, no problems at all getting a cannula in, not that surprising really. The whole process took around 2 hours, they said that because I'm only getting one session and on the results of my test earlier in the week I was getting quite a heavy dose.
I shall blog a little more later. Sorry if I'm not really too consistent with this blogging lark, I'm not the best at this stuff.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Relief is in he air
Just to bring everyone up to date, the CT Scan results and the blood test results all came back clear.
I'm very relived at this as you may guess, I now have a course of Carboplatin (chemo) to go through.
No longer am I back from a break to Dublin than I have an appointment for the Monday coming to go into a day ward to have the precursory tests done to determine the dosage of Carboplatin I'll be given. This involves being injected with some radioactive solution and bloods taken every hour or so over four to five hours.
I'll be glowing in the dark after that :-)
But seriously, I'll be given only one course of chemo to make sure that my chances of reoccurrence is minimised.
The reason for this is that due to the other various past surgeries I've had I'n my life is have a 20% chance of reoccurrence over and above the normal amount.
So the chemo will be done in the next couple of weeks.
Signing off.... But not bailing out....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I'm very relived at this as you may guess, I now have a course of Carboplatin (chemo) to go through.
No longer am I back from a break to Dublin than I have an appointment for the Monday coming to go into a day ward to have the precursory tests done to determine the dosage of Carboplatin I'll be given. This involves being injected with some radioactive solution and bloods taken every hour or so over four to five hours.
I'll be glowing in the dark after that :-)
But seriously, I'll be given only one course of chemo to make sure that my chances of reoccurrence is minimised.
The reason for this is that due to the other various past surgeries I've had I'n my life is have a 20% chance of reoccurrence over and above the normal amount.
So the chemo will be done in the next couple of weeks.
Signing off.... But not bailing out....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Spring one on me why don't ya!
Jeez, it's bad enough waiting for an appointment for results in four weeks time, but when a different department of the hospital phones you direct to ask you to come in for an appointment in two dats time it just freaks you out
I was told that I might be referred to the Beatson Cancer Unit after my op for further treatment, hopefully this is all that it is, a consultation to talk about the possibility further of treatment, or the results of the CT and biopsy.
Still it threw me for six a bit. Hope this doesn't mean I need to cancel any holidays I've got booked and planed, to be honest I need the time away from things to get my head sorted.
So, that's it, apart from the tenderness I'm still recovering well so far and feel a lot better.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I was told that I might be referred to the Beatson Cancer Unit after my op for further treatment, hopefully this is all that it is, a consultation to talk about the possibility further of treatment, or the results of the CT and biopsy.
Still it threw me for six a bit. Hope this doesn't mean I need to cancel any holidays I've got booked and planed, to be honest I need the time away from things to get my head sorted.
So, that's it, apart from the tenderness I'm still recovering well so far and feel a lot better.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Clyde View
This was the view back down towards the centre of Glasgow on the clydeside.
Looking back from the place where the new Transport Museum has been built.
Looking back from the place where the new Transport Museum has been built.
SECC Zombie attraction.
It was creepy walking through the SECC earlier today, not a soul to be seen only the doors at either end open. I was waiting for the Zombie hordes to come rushing down the mall like length of it.
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