132 – March Miracle Cure, Part 1: 30 December 2024

Because I loved Port Lincoln, we started driving to Port Lincoln on Friday 12 February 2021.  I did all the driving.  Margaret was too weak to drive.  We stayed the Friday night in Port Augusta.  It is only 310 kilometres from Adelaide to Port Augusta, but I was exhausted when we got there.

Margaret discovered a local hotel made a chocolate pizza, so she nibbled at a chocolate pizza.  I can’t remember what I ate, but I do remember I spent that night in terrible pain from my bloated stomach.  I tried hard pretending that it didn’t hurt even a tiny bit while Margaret pretended not to notice my agony. 

I did not sleep at all that Friday night and it was very hard driving the 343 kilometres from Port Augusta to Port Lincoln.

Our stay in Port Lincoln was depressing.  I was in terrible physical shape and Margaret was dying.  We stayed there from Saturday 13 February to the morning of Wednesday 17 February 2021.  We both thought it would be the last time we would ever have a holiday together – in Port Lincoln or anywhere else.

I took this photo of Margaret on Thursday 18 February 2021 in Port Wakefield on our way home from Port Lincoln.

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I took this photo of the Port Lincoln waterfront on Tuesday 16 February 2021.  Apart from being in great physical pain, I only wanted to weep.  In a few short weeks I was going to lose the company of the finest human being I had ever known.

I did not enjoy our Port Lincoln holiday at all, but a big surprise was in store for us when we got home.

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On 10 March, the surgeon did another operation on Margaret to look at the cancer again.  His written report says this.

Findings On endoscopy, the previous ampullary lesion in D 2 was not seen.  The biliary orifice, however, was not well seen with the echoendoscope. On EUS, the previous 1.8 x 1.2 cm oval lesion at the ampullary region has reduced in size to 8 mm the max.  There was no obvious extension of tumour into the distal CBD, which was no longer dilated (7 mm).  Overall, the appearance could be a normal ampula. The PD was not affected and was normal in calibre (1-2 mm) The previous 2 cystic lesion within the pancreas neck: neck (23 mm) and tail (8 mm) were both seen.  Both has no high risk or worrisome features. There were a few enlarged node[s] seen, with the largest in the celiac axis, measuring up to 15 mm.  This was biopsied using EUS FNA technique.  Material was collected for histology. There was no obvious lesion in the visualised portion of the liver.

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The surgeon took a tissue sample when he operated on Margaret on 10 March 2021.  The pathology report on the tissue sample confirmed what the surgeon saw during the 10 March operation.

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The oncologist gave us the astonishing news on 16 March.  For all practical purposes, Margaret’s cancer had “vanished”.  We had not foreseen this possibility and neither had the doctors.  We had hoped the chemotherapy and radiotherapy would grant us a short extension of Margaret’s life.  The oncologist had no explanation for what had happened. 

I was so thrilled I kept asking Margaret what she had done with her “Dead Woman Walking” badge. 

I know Margaret was not fooled even for a moment by her apparent “cure”.  As a cancer nurse, she had seen this type of "cure" many times.  She told me it was not a cure but a remission. 

Margaret continued to attend Lift Cancer Care Services and I kept working on the Postcard Book.

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Margaret sent a text to her wonderful friend Anne Ryan on 10 March telling her the news of the miracle cure.

Margaret got a reply at 9.40 pm saying “Fantastic news. Celebrate. Ax”.  Anne sent a second text at 21:43:17 saying “Have a good rest”.

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I sent Anne this text at 7:09 pm on Wednesday 10 March 2021.

What Marg didn’t say in her text.  Not enough cancer left for surgeon to do biopsy.  Did biopsy on lymph node but surgeon says he expects negative result.  Surgeon does not want to look again until 6 months had gone.  We used up a treasure chest of miracles.  Marg can’t believe this has happened.  Nor me.

I got a reply from Anne at 7.12 pm on Wednesday 12 March 2021 in response to my excited text telling her about Margaret’s miracle cure.  The text from Anne said this.

Wonderful news

My wife – supposedly Anne’s closest friend – had just been given news of a miracle cure and all Anne Ryan had to say was “Wonderful news” – 2 days after I had told her the news.

Our cancellation was in full swing.

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We received more good news on Tuesday 16 March.  I sent this text to Anne Ryan at 2.34 pm on that day.

Just got result of tissue sample taken at endoscopy last week.  Cancer is gone.  Live happily ever after.  WOW.

To my astonishment, I got a reply at 2.41 pm on the same day.  This was the reply.

Wonderful news

Unfortunately for me, I had not yet realised that both of us had been cancelled.  Anne Ryan had no interest in whether Margaret lived or died.  Margaret was married to someone who had been cancelled by Anne Ryan.  That meant Margaret was cancelled too.

Margaret’s life or death was of no interest to the woman who she still thought was her very best friend.