Hi, Its Sam here. Sorry about the delay with this update,have just found out how to use the website. Steve is doing so well, the surgery was Friday and lasted 6-7 hours. We were so nervous before hand not knowing what to expect, how long it would last and what they might find. The day before Steve met with one of the surgeons and he told him this is one of the biggest surgeries known to man, (that info would have gone down better the day after the surgery thanks).  I went to the hospital this morning at half 6 so I could speak to Prof Morris as he does his rounds at 7 every day. He said he was pleased with how the surgery went. They found 3 tumors, 1 was at the site of the last surgery and was definitely cancer, they removed all of this, the other 2 they removed and sent to pathology to determine if they were cancer or not, they couldn't be sure. They also took a section of bowel where the tumor was and some scar tissue. Then they did the heated chemotherapy for a few hours after that. He was in ICU until yesterday and was doing so well he skipped HDU and went straight to the ward. (just not quite well enough to make the crusaders game though!) The nurse tonight said most peritonectomy patients don't get to the ward til day 7-8 minimum. When I saw him in ICU he had about 10 tubes and drains in him, one taking the chemo out of his abdomin, one going to his stomach taking all the acid and toxic waste, a feeding tube in his neck, mophine tube, oxygen tube and I dont know what the others were doing, but the tubes are slowly coming out, he is down to about 4 now. It was such a relief to see him awake and talking him on Saturday morning as he was still under the anisthetic with a breathing tube when I first saw him on Friday. Each day he has looked better and been able to stay awake a little longer. He is still on morphine for the pain so is quite sleepy alot of the time but the pain is under control so that is the main thing. Today they have tried him on water and he has tolerated it ok, tomorrow maybe other clear fluids. The staff at the hospital have all been amazing, and so are everyone of you, the support we have received is truly astounding and humbling. Thankyou so much. I will update again in a few days.

Sam

 

Hi everyone,

Well, well time is flying by one part of my journey is over and another is just starting. I finished my chemo 3 weeks ago it has been brilliant feeling good again, while I still feel tired having no nausea has been amazing. It is incredible how the body adapts to constantly feeling sick after a while it starts to feel normal it is only once it goes away you fully realise what it is like to not be sick.

Now that the chemo is over it is time to go under the knife again we are heading off to Sydney on Monday with the kids to have surgery done on Friday. While it is daunting to go through the whole surgery process again especially giving this one is a pretty full on it is exciting as it is just another step in the right direction to getting back some normality. Even though it is me that is going through the surgery I think I am getting off lightly and it is Sam that has the short end of the stick as she is going to be stuck with our four wonderful children in a small apartment for 4 weeks!

All of the scans I have had look promising and this treatment is hopefully going to help me towards curing this thing. The surgeon and his team are amazing and I feel so comfortable with what they are going to do. It is a process whereby they first cut out any spread that is visible to the eye then go through a process of heating chemotherapy to 40 degrees then filling my abdomen with it and swishing it around this process is repeated several times. Once I come too they then fill me up again with chemo for periods of 23 hours then drain it out of tubes that are left inside from the surgery they do this for 5 days. The recovery is normally slow and I am probably going to have a three week stay in hospital followed by a few weeks in Sydney until I am ok to fly home.

I am in such a fantastic position whereby I am in charge of my own destiny in choosing the direction I want to go with my treatment and I am choosing to be very aggressive with the treatment. I am only able to do this because of all the fantastic people that have contributed to my fund it has been an amazing experience I feel so supported. This is the main reason I have been able to get this surgery so quickly. I am a very lucky man to have experienced the best in human spirit there are so many wonderful caring people out there that have supported us it is incredible.

Next time you hear from us it will Sam reporting from Australia as I said earlier I will be thinking of you all while kicking back in my hospital bed I really have the easy part of the deal.

As they say I will catch up with you all on the other side!!

Until next time

Take care

Steve

Hi everyone,

Another two weeks have flown by I have now had chemo treatment number 16 only 9 to go! I am starting to feel the pinch now feeling very tired and having to have quite a few nana naps. The mental battle of realising that I have to slow down and put myself first has been a tough concept for me to deal with lately. The letting go of “normal” life has been a harder battle than I realised I guess daily routines, work, playing with kids, jobs round home etc is what makes us who we are and to struggle with the basic daily routine has been a huge mental obstacle. But the good news is I have got there. With the support of an amazing workplace I have pulled back a huge amount at work, Sam the amazing women that she is keeps me in check at home and the way I am now has become normal for the kids they have figured out in a way only kids can that I it is ok for “Dad to feel tired because when he wakes up he feels better” they have such amazing minds young people.

We got the amazing news that I have been given a tentative date for my surgery in Sydney on the 27^th of April, great news if not a bit daunting. I am totally surprised that I have been able to get in so quickly. I am just so thankful for all of the support we have received over the last 6 months it is the main reason in fact the only reason I am able to head over and have this amazing surgery to hopefully cure my cancer.

I was very spoilt in the weekend when I had some real keen people come and clean up our yard for us it was amazing to see so many people mucking in giving up there Sunday I am so Thank full for everyone’s help on Sunday.

The last few days have been so tough for many people I know that are in mourning over the loss of their loved ones it seems that life is just so unfair at times there seems to be no way to fully understand why these wonderful people are taken from us especially young children. I guess the easiest thing is try not to understand the why but try to be thankful for the days we have and celebrate the days these wonderful people who have been taken from us have had.

I have to share a conversation with two of my boys Thomas and Jack, on the way home from school yesterday. Jack says “Dad did you go to work today?” me “no not today” Tom pipes up from the back seat “Jack you know dad has the medicine put into his arm and sometimes some blood goes out and this makes him tired so he needs to rest to feel better” Jack replies “It is OK anyway cause Dad is the step principal!” They are amazing! It did worry me that my 6 year old managed to figure out that my school actually works better when I am not there!

I hope you are out enjoying this great weekend spending time with the people that matter most in your lives.

Until next time

Take care

Steve

Hi Everyone,

Time flies when you are having fun!! The last few weeks have flown by which is brilliant chemo number 13 has come and gone I am over half way now, I am starting to feel the pinch but still tracking ok and I do believe the power of the mind is the most important battle to conquer as trying to be normal has been so beneficial for me during this part of my life.

Our trip to Sydney was great over three days we were priveleged to meet a team of people that have devoted their professional life to Appendix cancer. I was impressed by the passion and belief that the team we met had for the surgery they are recommending for me. Professor Morris was compassionate, realistic and optimistic about the future for me, he highlighted three bad things (the high grade nature of my cancer, the prescence of signet ring cells and scar tissue I have accumulated from previous surgeries) and also three positive things (so far no further spread, my age, and in his words that I am ridicoulsily healthy!). His recommendation was to go ahead with the surgery as soon as possible he mentioned within the next month ideally which shocked me but filled me with excitement that we are getting to that point where i feel we have done all that we can. He also has recommened 6 more months of chemotherapy which i was less excited about!! It was also great to meet three other families that were staying in the hospital units we were that had the same cancer as me, hearing their stories and experiences was great for both of us. We were pleasantly surprised by the recoveries that the people we met have had and some of the war stories we have heard perhaps painted a worse case scenario rather than the norm. It is however a long and taxing surgery depending on the nature of the visible tumour that may or may not be present in the lining of the gut. As Prof Morris said to me the best case scenario is he opens me up and finds no visible tumour then uses the heated chemotherapy to zap the invisible cells to enable me to head towards curing this thing, rather than waiting for visible spread and then to have the surgery which will mean just trying extend my life by a few years.

The only loop hole was trying to convince the hospital board to allow the public hospital to take a private patient, hopefully i will hear from the team this week whether or not the hospital hierachy has agreed to allow me to enter their doors. Fingers crossed.

After all of the appointments and scans we were left a day and a half in Sydney and we had a magical time we spent the time taking in the beautiful scenes, shopping, eating out and we were lucky enough to grab a show at the opera house it was a real treat. We also a afternoon and evening with my good mate Terps and his partner Maz we really enjoyed spending the day with them and we had a great dinner in Surrey Hills together which was truly magical. Thanks guys.

It has been such a busy time since we got back, one of the real pleasures in life is when you get to spend some time together with the person you love it has been such a long time since me and Sam have had a week together away it was great, the best thing about being away is coming home to our beautiful children, boy were we all excited the look on their faces was priceless.

The on-going fundraising that has been happening is the reason why we are able to seek out treatment from experts and I thank everyone sincerely for their help, all of the support is really helping me fight for my life it is so reassuring that we are not limited due to financial means. The treatment I have recieved in NZ has been awesome and the people I have dealt with are truly amazing people but as i learnt in Sydney by a family member of someone who has exactly what I do the odds of getting what I have at 35 is 1 in 1.2 million (he was a mathematical whiz!)

The fundraising continued on Thursday night with the wonderful staff and parents of St Josephs (the school our boys attend) under the leadership of Ann Kofoed put together an amazing quiz night the generosity and fun that was had was truly incredible what a night! The monies raised exceeded $10 000 which is seriousily mind blowing and helps us to pay for the treatment in Sydney. The most powerful benefit however is that feeling we have had all the way through this journey that we are not alone and we have the support of a whole community, when you are going through potentially life threatening illness the feeling that your family is part of such a caring and giving community is the most re-assuring feeling you can have.

I will sign off now because as usual I have written more than I should have, but as you can probably sense from the above I am feeling really optismitc at the moment.

Enjoy your week and take care

Steve and Sam .... and the rest of the gang!

Hi Everyone,

It has been a few weeks since i last posted, I had chemo number 11 on Wednesday soon I will be half way through exciting stuff. Alot has happened over the last few weeks, CT scans, blood tests, and appointments in Sydney booked. I made the decision following a chance meeting from a lovely lady who contacted me after reading about the cricket game, she had HIPEC surgery in 2010 from Professor Morris in Sydeney. It was fantastic listening to her story and how she is living life to the full, it strengthened my resolve to go and talk to Professor Morris, which me and Sam are going to do on Tuesday so pretty exciting stuff! I am also greatful for the support of my oncologist here in Christchurch, Bridget is wonderful and she has been so helpful in trying to understand my particular type of cancer and then decide on the right treatment. I feel a lot of comfort going to seek opinion from someone who has made appendix cancer research his passion, I feel that when we get back to Christchurch a lot of the mystery will hopefully be resolved.

The ongoing generosity continues to blow us away the support we are recieving is unbelieveable the freedom to choose the right pathway is the outcome of all the friends and family that have contributed to helping my cause it is quite a incredible feeling.

The side effects from the chemo continue I am very lucky I have such an understanding workplace my colleagues have been so understanding and it is brillant to have the freedom to be able to go home when I am struggling and also be able to spend time away from work due to the large number of medical appointments and tests.

I am also so lucky to have such an amazing wife, it is really hard when i blow out due to the chemo the large load that is bringing up 4 children falls on Sam I just hope one day I can be there for her the way she has for me.

I will finish with the amazing strength I am getting from little kids at the moment watching my children with their friends is giving me so much joy, I just love the way kids have no apprehension in expressing how they are feeling they laugh when happy, cry when sad, yell when angry I think us adults can learn alot from our little ones they have it spot on!

Next time I post hopefully I will have a few more answers to my questions!

Take care

Steve

Hi Everyone

What a weekend! It is so difficult to write words that describe the way me and Sam and my wee clan feel right now. I feel I am so lucky that I have been able to feel so much love and support from so many people during the weekends amazing events. The best way i can describe this is normally you have to wait till you die and have a funeral before all your friends and family come toget...her to celebrate your life and say you are a good bloke, I feel I have dodged the death part and been able to be at my own funeral!!!

On a more serious note I would like to thank some individuals for the organisation and time they put into the events over the weekend. Firstly Milsy, Tam and Ness thank you so much you guys have your own very busy lives bringing up your beautiful children thank you for organising the 24 hour fun run it was so amazing. And thanks to all the runners that put there bodies through the hard grind right through the night it was unbelieveable. Thanks to my best mate Hamish who created a great day on Sunday it was awesome thanks mate you are a legend! Thanks to Mike and Chris for putting together a star studded team list I know my kids loved getting up close to the players and getting autographs! The players were amazing standing out in the rain to finish the game thank you so much. There are so many people that helped man the stalls,created the playing kit, donated items and money it is out of this world.

I read so often in the media that there is a breakdown in modern society with the way communities look after each other. Both events over the weekend truly show that strong community connections and the best of human spirit are well and truly alive and kicking. The huge amounts of money raised has been mind blowing and really help give us some great options for treatment but the real value from the weekend was the togetherness, the hugs, the smiles, the tears, the laughs, the people. I feel like I am on a wave and i know i talk on behalf of Sam that we both feel on top of the world.

Bring on chemo number 9 on Wednesday!!

Until next time.....
Steve

 

Hi everyone

Today I had chemo round number 8 they are flying by it is great I am handling the side effects and my mind is strong, it is going well. I had some good news that my blood tests came back all good which was exciting, it is nice to think my body is doing a good job at the moment. I was blown away to see my name in the sports pages in Monday advertising the Steve Hart cricket test i feel famous!! It has been so overwhelming and mind boggling the level of support we have recieved from cards wishing us well, e-mails, FB comments, people donating into my fund, home made cooking, firewood, food parcels, our families on call 24-7 to look after the kids and of course the huge amount of work that has gone into the organisation of two big events this weekend the cricket test, and a 24 hour run in the Ilam fields. When I reflect on the support we have recieved it is no wonder we are feeling good and fighting back against this cancer. I just hope that I will be able to return the favour in some way in the future.

I have started back at work this week it has been great seeing all of my work colleagues and concentrating on many of the mundane tasks that need to be done to get a school ready to be opened for students. I never thought i would look forward to these tasks so much! Monday morning in the Hart house was brillant, kids wild, Sam trying to get everyone fed and clothed me wandering around aimlessly trying to remember how to get ready for work... I think you get the picture, it was great to see the chaos of normal family life it is something I have missed for a long time. It is great to get into the grind and start worrying about minor insignificant things and not be concerned with the scary stuff that we were bombarded with.

It is going to be a massive weekend I still can't believe all the work evryone has gone to in organising everything I really feel that I am not worthy of all of this special treatment, but I hope that both events are going to be a great excuse for our community to come together and enjoy each others company. It is that amazing feeling you get when you are around caring people that always lifts your spirits and reminds you what life is all about, it is time to forget about health, forget about earthquakes, forget about all those minor details that are constantly on our minds and just enjoy being in the presence of each other enjoying the time we are able to spend together.

Untill next time......

Steve

Hi everyone,

Happy new year! it has been two weeks since my last post time flies when you are having fun! I hope everyone has had a chance to relax and enjoy the holiday period with your friends and family. I would like to start today's post with a big thank you, it is a word i use a lot lately as i am just continually overwhelmed with the amount of support we are receiving it really lifts our spirits and helps us move forward as we work to beat this cancer.

I have had two rounds of chemo since i last posted and it has been a mixed bag, it seems so far that there is no clear pattern as to when and if the side effects are going to impact me. It seems to me the best way to work through this is simply to carry on as if I am not having chemo, even though there are days where i struggle to get off the couch or out of bed it actually helps to just carry on and when you do it actually feels better. The worst side effect that has eventuated as i have got into the weekly grind of chemo treatments is that i become a real grumpy bugger, some of you might be thinking yeah right you can't blame that one on the chemo!! I am just so fortunate to have a very understanding wife who ignores the grumpiness and is just always there for me, to pick me up when I am feeling down, to tell me to pull my finger out and get off the couch when I am feeling lethargic, and there to be the wonderful mother she is to our four beautiful children when I am struggling to be the Dad that they need.

I have been watching a bit of the Australia vs India test cricket that is on at the moment, I was really taken by the response Glenn McGrath got on Day 3 of the Sydeney test. It is traditionally named the Jane McGrath day after his wife who lost her battle with breast cancer. They raise awreness and much needed funds for those dealing with breast cancer it is truly an amazing foundation he has set up in honour of his wife. He was being interviewed during the day and made a comment when talking about his wife and the way she lived her life "life is about quality not quantity" I have thought alot about that comment lately. What does this mean? I have interpreted the quality part to be about not what you have but more about what you have given and the impact you have had on the lives of others, and when I put that into the context of the statement life is about quality not quantity it makes alot of sense. I know that when I get on the otherside of this cancer the whole experince certainly has changed the way I visualise the future to be. 

When I think about what this future is going to be it has to be about the people being there for our friends and family, at the moment I am on the receiving end of so much support and love I only hope that I can one day be there for you in much different circumstances.

I always get a bit carried away writing these updates!!

Take care

until next time.........

 

 

Hi everyone,

I trust you all had a restful day on the 25th and enjoyed the company of family. It was great watching our kids wake up all excited and unwrapping their presents it was absolutely priceless. The older generations often remind me how exciting it is to be in a house of youngsters on christmas day and to enjoy it because when they are all grown up you really miss it, I can fully understand what they mean.

If last week was a mint choc, then this weeks was the scummy chocolate that is left in the box that no-one else wants to eat!! It was a tough week this week I was wiped out on Friday I had to go back to bed at 10.00am and only woke at 1.58pm when the house started rocking! I think Tui lager ad people should come up with a new billboard... The earthquakes in Christchurch have finsihed.....yeah right! The only positive for me was the adrenlin rush from the big shakes took my mind off the nausea! On a more serious note it was scary to have all of those emotions and thoughts bought back into our minds from the devastating Feb earthquake, still you have to love the resilience of Christchurch young and old it is so inspiring the sense of community tough dark times bring.

I have really enjoyed my good days this week I started to feel good agin on Monday and I have decided to try and be as energetic as possible on these days as it helps with the positive mind set. It helps when my boys get scooters and surfboards for christmas! I have had three magnificent days this week with my family, my eldest son Thomas at 7 years old decided he is going to be the next Kelly Slater so we have been surfing three times it has been an amazing time with the two of us in the ocean spending such special time I have really cherished these moments this week. Today my 6 year old wanted to take me on a mystery scooter ride so he packed his bag with lunch and a few other supplies and off we went to the local park to have some lunch, it was once again magical and very funny when on the way home we cut through the local primary school and Jack told me we were gangsters because we took the short cut through the school!! it is great that he thinks the worst thing ganagsters do is take short cuts through primary schools! Once we got home my 3 year old Charlie also wanted to take me on a mystery scooter trip but we only got half way down or street when he told me we had to go back cause he needed to go to the toilet!! My wee princess Isla continues to bring us so much joy I was saying to Sam today that someone knew we needed a wee sparkle in our lives this year she is just too cute.

I am back into the Chemo suite tomorrow for number 4 dose only 21 to go! Bring it on I will knuckle out a couple of tough days following that then get back into the good days enjoying my lovely family. And Sam my best friend will be there to pick up the pieces and then be part of enjoying the good days again!

I wish you all a happy new year go on over indulge I think you all deserve it especially Christchurch people. Next time I write we will be in 2012, who knows what this year will bring, but I think we can all agree it HAS to be better than 2011 ( except the All Blacks winning the world cup that is hard to beat!!)

until next time........

Take care

Hi everone,

I guess chemo treatment is going to be a bit like a box of chocolates............ If it is this week has been like getting chocolate mint! I have had very little side effects this week it has been great to enjoy the first week of the holidays with very little nausea and tiredness i was only wiped out for one afternoon. It must be all that love and prayer that is being fired at me at the moment!

I had a great feeling that my body felt invincible again this week. I went to play some golf with two very good friends I thought i would try 9 holes and my mates were going to carry on and do 18, after 9 i dug my toes in and went the 18, it felt so good to achieve something physical again it really lifted my spirits. It was such a good feeling to wake up the next day with some muscular soreness from exercise and not sickness or stomach pain. I felt as strong as i did prior to all of this starting.

It has been tough reading in the media this week the stories of two strong people with young families losing their battle to cancer. What amazing people Jason Richards the racing car driver with two beaultiful young girls and Natalie Murphy the strong mother with her beautiful son such sad news reading of their journey. What inspirational people the way they lived their final moments with such positivity and zest for life. They both will be so sadly missed but their legacy will live on I personally have gained a lot of strength from reading about them both. It really hits home how important it is to live each moment in life to fullest to enjoy each of the little moments that make up our days for the treasures that they are.

It has had me thinking about all of the massive support i have received over the last three months it is so unbelieveable I really feel fortunate to have had to go through this ugly experience. I have been thinking about all of the people that have gone through cancer already in their lives and those that will go through this in the future especially those with young families. I would love to some how help support and share the experience I have had. The fundraising and donations that have come my way are truly mind boggling, they create a sense of freedom in seeking alternative treatments. When I beat this cancer remaining funds will be used to assist young families in their battle, I am not sure how yet but it is a exciting project to think about.

The events of this week have really hit home a key point that I listened to earlier in the year at a DP's conference in Wellington. Nigel Latta was speaking on the last afternoon of the conference most people were bleary eyed and tired from working so hard! His key message was stop trying to seek happiness because it doesn't exist!! Instead enjoy living in the now enjoy all of the good times and recognise the sad times really be present during all of the small moments stop your mind from drifting back to work or the next big plan and just enjoy living in the moment. This message has been something I have thought alot about lately maybe i will become a Buddhist!!

I had a real treat last night my Brother took on my three boys for the night i hope Mike and Bec survived! I am off to pick the wolf pack up now then off to get my third dose of chemo I hope i get another mint choc!

Take care enjoy Christmas day and being around those that you love

for now.......see you next time

Steve

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update the trip up to Auckland to get another opinion from the private sector proved to be a very good move as I started a chemotherapy treatment the next day! The medical oncologist I met with was able to assure the oncologists I am working with here that it was the right way to go. It is a great feeling to have started the battle, I had my chemotherapy on Thursday it takes about an hour to administer the nurses are fantastic very caring and knowledable. The side effects kicked in Thursday night through to about Saturday afternoon, I have never felt so happy about feeling nauseous and fatigued to me it now feels I am fighting back! I am back in again on Thursday and then every week for 6 months bring it on i say!!!At this stage I have put plans for HIPEC treatment on hold until I get through this 6 month cycle of chemotherapy.

I have been so totally overwhelmed by the support we have recieved it is the most amazing feeling to have so many people wishing me good luck along the way. It is also unbelieveable to imagine the level of geneoristy we have recieved via the fund which my good friend Hamish set up it really allows me the freedom to investigate various approaches to dealing with my cancer treatment.

As we see all the christmas trees go up it is getting a lot closer to the time the big man tries to find some chimneys in Christchurch to slide down! I know the excitement is building in our house with christmas lists getting a little out of control! I hope you all get the opportunity over the holiday period to spend lots of time with your loved ones. It is certainly something that has been in the forefront of my mind throughout this journey that we often get caught up in day to day life and forget the big picture which is enjoying the company of our friends and family. Forget about the christmas shopping and the christmas lunch and try to make some time to enjoy each others company over the festive period.

till next time take care

Steve

 

 

Hi everyone,

I would like to start this post with a huge heartfelt thank-you, I have been overwhelmed by the many supportive e-mails and messages. It is incredibly uplifting to know I have so much support behind me in taking on this battle. Thank you to all of those who have donated to my fund I am blown away and extremely appreciative of your help, I know how financially demanding christmas time is, your help gives me the freedom to explore all possible alternatives in this fight.

Yesterday I flew up to Auckland to meet a medical oncologist who deals predominately in the private sector he is also on a number of boards in the medical sector. The great thing about meeting this guy is his knowledge of whats available in the private sector.  He agreed with previous advice I have recieved that my tumour is unusual ( a bit like me really!) and that it is difficult to know exactly whether it will behave like an appendiceal tumour or a Bowel cancer. The main issue is the possible direction it might spread an appendiceal cancer is more likely to spread to the abdominal cavity and a bowel cancer more likely through your internal system i.e liver, lungs etc. I got a lot of very good information from him with regards to different chemotherapy treatment and also his point of view on HIPEC surgery. His suggestion with regards to HIPEC surgery was that it comes with a very high risk, and perhaps it is better to try and see how I respond to chemotherapy treatment first before having further surgery. It is another piece of information to add to the confusion, which has been quite stressful.

The good news was he was quite optimistic about my chances and said my age and fitness ( I had better work on this one!) are all key contributors to beat this thing so that was very encouraging indeed.

Both Sam and me have been blown away by the level of support we have recieved it is so comforting to feel so supported it is very humbling. I hope you are all well and looking forward to christmas I hope you all have a fantastic christmas with your families and loved ones and chance to slow down and really enjoy the spirit of christmas.

Until next time.......

Steve