My Son Andrew and his battle with Cancer

[TPC]

I thought I would give you an update on my son Andrew and his battle with cancer. After his months of chemo and minor operation in Adelaide he went to Sydney for specialist surgery not available in Adelaide. He first had an operation to remove tumors in his lymph nodes in the abdomen before Christmas which went very well. He had a break over Christmas back in Adelaide and went back to Sydney early January for surgery on both lungs. After the first operation on the 5th Jan all seamed to be going well. He had his second lung surgery a week later and after he started to have some serious complications and he became worse after each day, he was in a small private hospital and the staff were at a loss to what was causing the problems. On the 21st Jan he went into respiratory distress and required assistance with his breathing, we were told about this on the 22nd and decided we should head up to Sydney to be with him and his partner, we would have gone earlier but we were taking care of his daughters and were not sure if they should be up there. While we were organizing to go there his condition worsened rapidly and it was decided he would need to be put on life support under an induced coma, he was first ventilated but this was not working and he came close to cardiac arrest so he had to be transferred to RPA and placed on an ECMO machine (blood oxygenation machine). We got to Sydney on the 23rd and met with the doctors and told there was slim chance of his survival but as he was only 32 and has a young family that they would try everything to save him. After 3 weeks on the ECMO the doctors had decided that his condition had not shown enough improvement to possibly survive and made the decision to remove the ECMO machine on Monday and it was expected he would pass away shortly after. We have been staying by his bedside for the past two days. He kept fighting after it was removed but with high CO2 levels and they then advised they would remove the ventilation this morning. Just before this was due to happen the senior Dr's had another meeting with us and advised they had seen a very slight improvement in his condition and would keep trying to save him. They did a tracheotomy to improve his chances in the afternoon. His chances of survival are still extremely slim and if he does survive he will be very compromised health wise for life but we will do anything to have him still in our lives and to be there for partner and two little girls who are 5 and 6, the younger Liliana only turned 5 last week. He had previously advised his desire to survive no matter his condition as long as he could have a positive roll in his kids lives and as long as his mind is sound he will certainly do that. I have had phone calls and messages form people on the forum but l have been physically and emotionally exhausted and have found it difficult to make phone calls or answer messages to keep everyone updated. Today's reprieve has helped give me a bit more hope and energy and I thought an update was due.

This is Andrew with his beautiful family.

64948
64947

[Bigcol]

my God, TPC
I truly hope your son Andrew pulls through

I will ad him to my prayers tonight

thank you for sharing

[jay see]

You go Andrew. Fight the fight.

[Clunk]

Thoughts are with you and your family mate, hope he pulls through

[Wine_maker]

I hope he will find internal power to stand against cancer and pulls through it.

[growler2058]

Positive thoughts and best wishes for you all mate,

[MEGOMONSTER]

I couldn't imagine the heartache, you, your son, your whole family are going through and wish for the best possible outcome.
Prays and best wishes to you all.
Keep on fighting.
Keep on loving.
Keep on caring.
Most of all.
Keep the faith.

[Bloodyaussie]

I want to cry.......... god i hope he pulls through.

At 32 he is only just now becoming a man and deserves to see his beautiful kids grow...

I wish you and your family all the best Tony i really do.

[Winnie]

Sending all our love and best wishes to Andrew, yourself, and all your family, Tony.

[jack]

Not really sure what to say Tony, our thoughts are with you and your extended family at this time. Especially with Andrew, wishing you all the best for a positive outcome.

[Hodge]

I'm at that age now and after reading this Tony I gave my son a big cuddle before leaving for work and not ashamed to admitted I did shed a tear after leaving for work.
Utmost best wishes to you and the family and Andrew you fight that thing and show it who's boss.

Tapatalked from S6

[pearcey]

My thoughts, prays and tears are for Andrew, his wonderful family, you, your family and friends Tony.
Any thing you need just ask
Pearcey

[mudski]

Lets hope he pulls through this battle. Best wishes to you and your family.

[threedogs]

Only good thoughts and prayers going your way.
cancer is such an awful word, fight the fight
beat this insipid disease.

[happygu]

Tony,

It truly is an awful situation that you have found yourself in, and all we can do is pray for the best outcome possible, and that Andrew continues to improve and he pulls through.

I hope that you are feeling the love and support from all of us, and even from the ones that have not met you and your family.

Keeping strong and staying positive is so important during these battles, even though it will come at a cost emotionally either now or later on.

Mic

[MudRunnerTD]

Tony I'm shattered for you, what a terrible journey. We will take that flicker of hope and hold it close mate. Our thoughts are with you and your family at this time.

Andrew is a fighter and he is fighting the fight. Looking at his photos he clearly has a lot to fight for. What a beautiful family.

All the very best my friend. If you need anything just yell out mate.

[Sir Roofy]

Thinking of you and your family mate

[AB]

Sending out all our love Tony, fight fight fight!!!!

[Cuppa]

Everyone is doing all they can, but it’s just not bloody fair. Best wishes to all.

[threedogs]

I heard on the morning show how they can remove you T cells and replace them supercharged
back into the body to search out and kill the nasties. They are so close to knocking this cancer
on the head. lets hope so anyway, never give up hope, never ever, fight the fight

[mudnut]

To read that Andrew is still fighting hard is heartening, and for the doctors to say they see an improvement is a testament of his toughness. You and yours haven't been far from our thoughts, Tony.

[lucus30]

Oh mate that sucks. Sorry to hear I am sending all the best wishes your way.
Best of luck to Andrew

The sooner they wipe this terrible disease from the face of the planet the better.

[Maxhead]

Im sitting here with my moonshine wondering how good my life is to realise the struggles and unfortunate situations others go through. I often wonder why some get spared and others go through hell.
Tony, my thoughts are with you buddy, we can only wish for the best outcome possible.

The whole forum is with you buddy

[Roosim]

Sorry, have no worthwhile words.

Thoughts are with you and your family

[Stropp]

hey mate sorry to hear about the sons battle but it seems he is fighting hard to stay so good luck to you all and know that my positive thoughts are with you at this time.

[TPC]

We had another long and anxious day today. He had been having fluid buildup alongside his lung that was causing some problems so they decided to fit a drain today. This turned out to be a major procedure that took 3hrs with a few problems like rising CO2 and elevated heart rate but he came through it. They had give him drugs to paralyze him for the procedure. He is now back in his room and hooked up to his bank of monitors and ventilator, when we left the hospital his figures looked better and stable. I have spent so much time in the hospital I am begining to understand a lot of what they are looking at and what is and is not acceptable so each time I go in I always check it all out first. The doctors keep saying there is still little chance but they do not know how determined my son is to survive.

[jack180]

Been through a similar experience and it had a positive ending so stay positive because people can and do come back from such challenges - be strong, your family needs to you be.

[dom14]

He is a strong fella, as he's been fighting this far. I wish him all the best and strength.

I'm also grateful for the health system we have in our country.
We are still living in a lucky country as we don't usually end up with hundreds of thousands of medical bills after a life threatening situation like this. I hope I'm right about that.

[TPC]

He is a strong fella, as he's been fighting this far. I wish him all the best and strength.

I'm also grateful for the health system we have in our country.
We are still living in a lucky country as we don't usually end up with hundreds of thousands of medical bills after a life threatening situation like this. I hope I'm right about that.

The public health system in Australia is fantastic, unfortunately there were only two surgeons in Australia that were willing to perform the complicated surgery required and both only operated in private hospitals so there were considerable costs accumulated. He is now in the RPA which is a public hospital. The staff in RPA ICU are incredibly skilled and very caring. The little girls have become very popular with the nurse's, when they visit the nurse's are always coming over to talk to them. On a few ocasions I have seen the nurses tear up when they see the girls cuddling their daddy. We had one nurse that put together a load of toys and dvd's for the girls to use and dropped them off to the motel we were staying in.

[mudnut]

Now I'm crying, too. These are the people we should count as celebrities and super stars.

[AB]

For what it's worth Tony...

My parents went through exactly what you are going through with myself.

Without waffling on too much, I had cancer in the bowel and spent my first 2 years in hospital mate and had many of nights the doctors told my parents, pray tonight as we believe he won't make it through the night, say goodbye, etc.

From the stories I've read about him being a strong fella and seeing his old man in person as a stubborn head strong individual, he'll get through it old mate ;)

[jay see]

We had another long and anxious day today. He had been having fluid buildup alongside his lung that was causing some problems so they decided to fit a drain today. This turned out to be a major procedure that took 3hrs with a few problems like rising CO2 and elevated heart rate but he came through it. They had give him drugs to paralyze him for the procedure. He is now back in his room and hooked up to his bank of monitors and ventilator, when we left the hospital his figures looked better and stable. I have spent so much time in the hospital I am begining to understand a lot of what they are looking at and what is and is not acceptable so each time I go in I always check it all out first. The doctors keep saying there is still little chance but they do not know how determined my son is to survive.

OH mate.
I really do wish all the best for your son.
Please let him know that all of us (strangers) are thinking of him.

[dom14]

Now I'm crying, too. These are the people we should count as celebrities and super stars.

Our nurses are the best in the world. They are underpaid and overworked.
Many of them are leaving as the profession become more and more difficult to carry on as a long term career.
So, we are bringing in overseas qualified nurses, but they are not nearly as good.
I witnessed it firsthand when I was in hospital few times, recently.
We don't realize how emotionally draining it for the nurses to work with patients who struggle to live.

[TPC]

They have been reducing my son Andrews drugs over the last couple of days and he is now conscious part of the time. They have also been trying to very slowly reduce his ventilation. There has been a few problems with elevated heart rate and blood pressure so they sometimes have to dial the meds and ventilation back up again. He has been a bit frustrated that he cannot talk due to the tracheotomy , we have tried to find out what he is trying to say but it is not easy. His wife, Ana said he was giving her dagger eyes for being so crappy at charades. Every so often he gets agitated and needs a bit more sedative, it would be very confusing for him as he has been out of it for about 1 month and will have short term memory loss. They have said it will take a while for the drugs to get out of his system. He could have a long battle ahead just to get out of ICU and there is a lot that can go wrong. The head of ICU is still saying hope for the best but expect the worse but I told him that he does not know how determined Andrew is to survive. The best thing is I saw him smile today when we were joking around and said we needed to get Stephen hawking around with his communication machine, I never thought I would see him smile again.

[Avo]

mate hang in there....last april we as a family sat in ICU for over 7 months..my FIL is still in hospital...not for the same thing......it is a struggle...it is hard as hell.....we didn't hear him speak for 7 months.....and it is amazing how they can still smile,and let us know they still love us....send him our love from the williams tribe,

[mudnut]

It is wonderful that he has come back to you, Tony. He will get there, bit by bit mate.

[Bloodyaussie]

Onwards and Upwards Tony !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sir Roofy]

Hope this is the turning point to coming home after a long journey
away all the best Tony for you and your family and thank you mate

[MudRunnerTD]

Wow! Just Wow! Warrior!

[BigRAWesty]

Tony that is awesome news.
By geeze he's a fighter..
That smile must have been a world changer..
Fingers crossed the worst is behind yas mate..

[pearcey]

Tears of sorrow, slowly turning to tears of joy here mate.
Prayers and best wishes to everybody involved.

[threedogs]

WOW is your son a fighter, more strength to you and to his wife and kids
All that good energy and vibes going your way is working, Karma at its best
fight the good fight not long to go now
Would a pad and pencil help out

[Rossco]

Good to hear some positives Tony really hope things keep turning upwards from here. Really really wishing you guys all the very best mate must be so tough but sounds like everyone is doing an amazing job.

[4bye4]

I have refrained from saying much on this thread as I don't know what to say. Anyway I have helped a little on the fundraiser and am so glad to see an improvement, albeit small at this stage. I am not big on relegion, but have a friend who is and she has I think the entire Irish Catholic community of Perth or maybe even WA praying for your son.

[PMC]

Hi Terry,

I am so sorry to read about your sons battle with cancer.

From the McTernan family, wishing your son Andrew a speedy recovery, it is a amazing feeling getting a second chance at life, i live every day for my wife, children family and friends. Wishing both you and wife the best too Terry!

Kind regards,

Paul

[TPC]

Hi Terry,

I am so sorry to read about your sons battle with cancer.

From the McTernan family, wishing your son Andrew a speedy recovery, it is a amazing feeling getting a second chance at life, i live every day for my wife, children family and friends. Wishing both you and wife the best too Terry!

Kind regards,

Paul

Not sure who Terry is,
Cheers, Tony.

[TPC]

Today was a great day for my son as he got to spend some time outside the hospital for the first time in over 5 weeks, the smile on his face was incredible.
Over the past week Andrew has been amazing the staff at the RPA with his recovery, he has gone from having no chance of survival to being able to sit up and have his ventilation turned off for periods of time. He has slowly been weened of the heavy sedatives and pain killers and has been able to communicate with us by writing and typing on a tablet or phone.
All the ICU staff at the RPA keep coming into his room and saying how impressed and happy they are with his progress. The head ICU nurse said they have a policy of patients leaving ICU in a wheelchair but with Andrew they want him to walk out as that is fitting for him and the strength he has shown.
He has been frustrated and impatient as he wants the tracheotomy and feed tube gone so I have keep telling him to be patient, he desperately wants to talk and eat and drink.
To think 2 weeks ago the doctors were telling us we should choose a funeral company, should never give up hope.

65134

[mudnut]

That is bloody great news, Tony. Give Andrew my best wishes.

[jack]

Great news Tony, must be such a relief to the whole family.

[MudRunnerTD]

Holy Shit mate!! 2 weeks ago they told you to say goodbye! you were going in to turn the machines off! Extraordinary mate. Fantastic! you must be beside yourself with happiness and wonder!! you breed em tough bud!! Must be all that Red Wine!!

[Bigcol]

that is fantastic news mate -
well done that boy of yours

keep up the good fight

[Clunk]

Absolutely amazing news mate, really great to hear

[PMC]

G'day TPC,

Give Andrew a big hug from the McTernan family!

PS, god speed to both you and your family!

Regards,

PMC

[morton2478]

Great news i have been following from day dot have shed a tear or two for you but not knowing what to say but found that my thoughts thinking of you daily wondering and hopeing that the next time i opened up the thread that there would be good news and not bad he is a fair dinkum fighter just goes to show you should never give up hope all the best for the future .Dave.

[pearcey]

Great news Tony.
You and Andrews wife must emotionally exhausted by now.
Again prayers and best wishes to all involved.

[Winnie]

Tony, that is incredible. Well done Andrew!

[growler2058]

How excellent!!


Sent from my iPhone using My thumbs

[Maxhead]

Cool news Tony, He must be one tough cookie your Andrew!





….................... On the move

[lucus30]

Mate that is awesome. What an amazing recovery. All the best and like you said what a fighter he is.

[threedogs]

Hip Hip Horay WoW theres a movie right there.
So happy for all involved keep the fight going,,
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer
Kick this cancer to the curb I say , awesome Tony awesome
You can start my mornings like this every day lol
I feel there are a few smiles now to replace tears

[Sir Roofy]

Great news Tony no going back now

[BigRAWesty]

By geeze mate that is a awesome turn around.
Holy shit I can't belive.
That is amazing

[Cuppa]

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2016/03/1.jpg
Courtesy of Michael Leunig.

[threedogs]

This is great news my boys are following your journey
and send their wishes to you as well, who said that
prayer and good wishes never works. All I see is good

[threedogs]

Hi Tony after going to hospital and seeing the great work nurses do,
I thought about your son, I was thinking it is progressing slowly and all is good
As always nothing but good thoughts going your way

[BigRAWesty]

Hey tony.
Not sure why I haven't still got your number.. I was also wondering how your son and the family are traveling..
Are things still on the up?

[TPC]

Andrew is still recovering but has a big battle ahead.
They have been putting a special adapter in line with his ventilator to allow him to talk which has made things much easier. They took his feeding tube out a few days ago and he is now eating or drinking high energy food to sustain himself and hopefully put on a bit of weight as he has lost so much. His has lost most of his muscle mass so everything is very difficult to do, he has been working with the physio's to try and improve his strength but it is a really slow process and is getting him down. To make things worse he is having withdrawal from being taken off the drugs causing him to be depressed, emotional, tired and affecting his sleep. He is also very scared about how long his recovery will take and what fitness he will end up having, he may always require oxygen to survive. I am sure he will be a lot better after he is over his drug withdrawal.
I am still really happy that he has survived after being told he would die but it has been a really long and draining couple of months. I spend about 4hrs in the hospital every day and this is very hard as he is so unhappy and that stresses me, I do everything I can to cheer him up. We have a roster for visiting him as he wants someone with him for all visiting hours.
The doctors are now talking about sending him to Adelaide as soon as he can get off the ventilator and can walk, he would probably have to spend some time in an Adelaide hospital but that would be much better as he would get different visitors, would be better for us too as the accommodation costs up here are killing us.
I remain positive that he will come out of this and live a long and fulfilling life, and most importantly be there for his partner and kids.

[MudRunnerTD]

Holy Shit!!! Andrew is so so lucky to have LIFE. These next challenges are small steps in his journey back from the grave mate! Just Awesome! Seriously! Awesome!

[TPC]

Holy Shit!!! Andrew is so so lucky to have LIFE. These next challenges are small steps in his journey back from the grave mate! Just Awesome! Seriously! Awesome!

We only told him a few days ago how close he came and he said how happy he was to be alive and will do anything to keep it that way.

[pearcey]

I can`t do any thing physically to help mate, but my thoughts and prayers are on going to Andrew, his partner and children, and also to you and your family.
Again if you or any of your family need any thing you have my phone number, day or night.

[mudnut]

Getting him to Adelaide would be a boost to him and everyone, but as you said, it will be a slow process and you don't want to rush things. Andrew has shown he has an incredible will to live and the love and support you all have given him has sustained him greatly. Please let him know I admire him very much for fighting so hard and that patience is the key to allow himself to heal.

[threedogs]

Good stuff Tony you have your son back and that must be the best feeling in the world,
As MR pointed out all the big hurdles have been jumped, now get Andrew to Adelaide so
some his mates and other family friends can see him and give some more encouragement
Again only good thoughts going your way. Even my wife is following Andrews journey as
wishes only the best for Andrew

[dom14]

Great story of human endurance. Your son's story and this thread has given me lot of inspiration.
Prior to reading this, I was thinking of no return visit to Belgium if I'm to be in a challenging situation like that.
Now I'm thinking all different.
I wish I can know the medical details of your son's condition.
I hope somebody in Sydney can help you with accommodation.
I wish all the best to your son Andrew and the rest of the family.
Take care mate.

[TPC]

Hi All,
Have had a few PM's asking how things are going so thought it would be best to update on here.
Andrew has made some good progress in the last few weeks, he has been taken off the ventilator and had the tracheotomy removed. The hole left behind only took 2 days to close over. He was moved out of ICU last Thursday into a ward with the intention of being released from RPA on the 11th and continue his rehab in Adelaide as an outpatient. I flew to Adelaide on Saturday to get a car and drove back to Sydney and the plan is to drive him home over 3 or 4 days, we have to drive him because he has been told he may never be able to fly again as his lungs cannot take the pressurized air.
Last Friday everything changed, he had a CT scan and it showed that a fibrotic section of his lung that all doctors said cannot heal has started to heal, they are at a loss as how this has happened as they have never seen it before. They have now decided to keep him in a bit longer and have attached a drain to reduce the pneumothorax (air pocket) next to his lung with the hope his lung will expand into the space.
He has already had two articles about his case written for the medical journals and there will now probably be a third.
We were all looking forward to getting back to Adelaide and this is also delaying his physical rehabilitation but we are happy to be stuck here a little longer if it means his long term lung capacity will be improved. He will probably still require oxygen, a wheel chair and walking frame when he is released but hopefully after about 6 months of rehab he should be able to walk around normally and may only need oxygen with excursion or possibly not at all.

Thanks everybody for all your well wishes and PM's, really appreciate it. Also thanks for the donations to Andrew's Mycause page.

[growler2058]

Far out! Talk about going from tears of despair to tears of joy!!
Best news I've heard this week


Sent from my iPhone using My thumbs

[Cuppa]

Give him a hug from a stranger (me) Tony.

[Touses]

It's nice to know that miracles can happen.

[Firetrol]

Positive thoughts to you & your family, i hope the good news continues.

[Sir Roofy]

Well done Andrew with every day you get stronger wont be long now mate

[BigRAWesty]

Tony that is absolutely sensational news..
What a come back..
Big smiles here mate..
Hopefully he's in town when we come threw mate. He deserves a few beers...
Same as always mate if ya need anything sorted just give us a yell..

[threedogs]

Now I know who the real superman is, wow great news, may it only get better
No big deal about flying, buy a patrol and see the real world , Australia!!

[Stropp]

wow mate that is fantastic news, well done to your son who obviously is very strong, my best wishes for his continued path to health.

[jack]

That's made my day Tony, what great news for Andrew and the whole family. So pleased for you all.

[mudnut]

Andrew, I salute you! It is all great news, Tony. The medical staff have been fantastic throughout the whole ordeal.

[threedogs]

Please pass on the Forums best wishes to all the Doctors and nursing staff
during your ordeal, they are heroes as well and they do it day in day out with
out a second thought.
I hope I speak on behalf of the entire forum

[Clunk]

Brilliant news mate, here's to continued progress and good news from all of us over this way

[Woof]

Don't usually comment on things like as it is very close to my heart Tony, but this news has been so uplifting, well done Andrew give it heaps mate

[Hodge]

Marvelous news Tony. Well done Andrew onwards and upwards mate!

[jay see]

Thanks for the update.
Good to hear that he's smashing his way back.

[pearcey]

Great news there Tony, All my prayers and wishes are with Andrew and his family.
I admire Andrew for his strength and character, but also yours Tony as I know how draining on you and your family this experience has been.

[katwoman]

It's great to hear some good news from somewhere. The stress relief must be fantastic.

[TPC]

Today was the best day this year so far, we got Andrew to come out of hospital for a few hours to join us for a bbq dinner.
It was so good to enjoy his company while cooking a bbq, something that I would have never thought was anything special before.
We were meant to be driving back to Adelaide from this Friday but the Dr's were to concerned about the distance between hospitals if something went wrong so the new plan is he is going to fly back on an air-ambulance. Unfortunately this means that he will have to have a drain surgically fitted to relieve the pressure build up in his lungs then have it removed in Adelaide.
His recovery continues to amaze the medical staff, we had been hoping that after about 5 years if he was still in remission from the cancer he would be put on the lung transplant list but his surgeon today said that it would not be necessary as his lung function would be sufficient without a transplant.
It is so weird to think that when he was in the coma and the dr's were telling us he was going to die I would wake up from dreams where he was walking and talking and doing normal things and I would wake up and think this will never happen but it is happening now.
Life is good.

6642166422

[jack]

Great news Tony, absolutely brilliant.

[Clunk]

Truly truly amazing mate, its so good hearing about his recovery

[BigRAWesty]

I was only just talking to b the wife about Andrews last update from his mate..
And that I thought you guys were making the trek this week..
A shame but probably best to go via air. If anything happens they are equipped to deal with it..

Still an absolute amazing chapter to this story mate..
May maybe a touch early for a beer but mate he is a trooper..

Send him best wishes for the flight mate..

[MudRunnerTD]

Can't believe it!! Touched by an Angel! So so happy for you all. Enjoy this time guys.

[Hodge]

What a fighter and a champion Andrew is.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[threedogs]

I can see the movie now "The Miracle man" mate your son is made of the toughest stuff known to man
Others would have thrown their cards in by now, still good will to Andrew and his support team,
This is truely a miracle I have no other words, keep fighting the fight, say hi from me as well please

[jay see]

Dreams do come true.

[pearcey]

Great news Tony.
So much of your lives have been put on hold,but to see the light at the end of the tunnel getting larger must be a great relief.
Prayers and best wishes to all concerned.

[TPC]

Andrew went home today, it was fantastic to go around and see him sitting in his lounge room enjoying being with his family.
We are having a big family gathering at my place tomorrow to properly welcome him back.

66653

[AB]

Andrew went home today, it was fantastic to go around and see him sitting in his lounge room enjoying being with his family. We are having a big family gathering at my place tomorrow to properly welcome him back. <img src="http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=66653"/> That's great news Tony!!!!!!!

Proud father and tough son!

[Rossco]

Awsome news Tony, great to hear. What an absolute battler and inspiration, bet the family is over the moon.

[Sir Roofy]

Andrew went home today, it was fantastic to go around and see him sitting in his lounge room enjoying being with his family.
We are having a big family gathering at my place tomorrow to properly welcome him back.

66653

Look at that man and his happy
family congrats on a hard fought battle
Andrew its all good from now on

[Winnie]

Tony that is nothing short of a miracle. Amazing news mate I am so happy for everyone!

[BigRAWesty]

It is a miracle. I'm still gob smacked with the story..

[mudnut]

That is bloody fantastic, Tony. Being home must be a big relief for everyone.

[MudRunnerTD]

Crazy Good!!!! So bloody happy for you all!!

[lucus30]

So happy for you mate. Great news and hopefully things will only get better


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pearcey]

Wonderful news Tony, especially for your family to welcome him home on mother`s day.
Have a great day and from me and my family all our best wishes and prayers for the future.

[DX grunt]

Fantastic news. I'm so happy for all of you.

One day at a time.

Take care out there.

Rossco

[jay see]

And the story continues to get better. Excellent stuff.

Sent from my XT1033

[growler2058]

Feelgood story of the year mate!

[threedogs]

Well done to Andrew,,,, am I wrong or has Andrew put on some weight
always a good a sign.
Im thinking Johnny Depp to play Andrew in the Movie lol Yes / no
You must be besides yourself Tony , well done

[TPC]

Hey Tony, how's Andrew going? Have been thinking of him the last few days. Hope he's getting better as time goes on.

Andrew has been going really good.
It has been 6 months now that he has been out of hospital and he has made amazing progress over that time.
When he was first released he was reliant on oxygen and wheelchair, he has been off the oxygen for about 5 months and over time he was using the wheelchair less and less.
In the past month he has not used the wheelchair at all and 2 weeks ago he even helped me load up a ute full of firewood, he can stand and walk around without any problem but still has issues walking up any incline.
He has been back at work for a while part time, he started going in to work 1 day a week and doing another day from home on the computer and has gradually increased his work hours and did 4 days at work last week.
He had a lung function test 2 weeks ago and they say he has 30% lung capacity so he will always do it tough but they are saying he should still be able to live a long and functional life which is fantastic.

[jack]

That's brilliant Tony, so good to hear/read some good news at the moment.

[Cuppa]

You clearly breed’em tough Tony. Like father like son. You’ve all been through the mill big time & have not only survived, but are going from strength to strength. There is no doubt that every family member will have lost some bark along the way, but those losses can only have served to bring out the strengths of both individuals & the family. More power to your collective elbows.

[Plasnart]

Andrew has been going really good.
It has been 6 months now that he has been out of hospital and he has made amazing progress over that time.
When he was first released he was reliant on oxygen and wheelchair, he has been off the oxygen for about 5 months and over time he was using the wheelchair less and less.
In the past month he has not used the wheelchair at all and 2 weeks ago he even helped me load up a ute full of firewood, he can stand and walk around without any problem but still has issues walking up any incline.
He has been back at work for a while part time, he started going in to work 1 day a week and doing another day from home on the computer and has gradually increased his work hours and did 4 days at work last week.
He had a lung function test 2 weeks ago and they say he has 30% lung capacity so he will always do it tough but they are saying he should still be able to live a long and functional life which is fantastic.

Ah mate that is brilliant! OK he's got limited lung function but he seems to be managing back to a normal life. Wow. How tough can you get? So happy for him, you and your family mate and I think he's truly inspirational.

[mudnut]

Whew! I saw the thread pop up and my heart sank, but it hit sky high as I read your post. Pass on my best to Andrew, mate. To read that he is working is excellent.

[MudRunnerTD]

That's awesome Tomy. May hie have to put up with 30% lung function for at least another 60 years!

[Stropp]

fantastic news mate, may things get better and better for him.

[Sir Roofy]

Wow that's amazing Tony so glad to hear that he is doing so well
Wishing you and your family a better year coming

[AB]

Fantastic news Tony what progress!!!

[Hodge]

Marvelous news Tony ! What a fighter !

[pearcey]

Great news there Tony, not only for you, but the whole family. Didn`t have, (you know) to ask how he was going as I know that things can turn bad really quick, and this can be upsetting for every one.So glad he`s achieved so much. You must be so proud of such a fighter.

[macca]

So happy to read this, I dread opening this thread but I did and saw good news.
Best wishes and thought to all of you.

[TPC]

Hey Tony how's Andrew going? Hope your family had a fantastic Christmas and New Year with him mate. How's his progress?

Andrew is doing really well thanks.
We did have a really good christmas and spent some time at a caravan park in Meningie with a big group of family and friends and Andrew and his family joined us, he even stayed up drinking with me until 2am one night, something we had not done together for over a year.
In December he had a load of tests and scans and they all showed no new problems and no cancer, this gave him the confidence to re-book the trip to Bali we were all going to do before he was first diagnosed and we head over on 20th Feb for 10 nights. He will not be able to do the white water rafting, snorkeling, hiking etc. that we had planned previously but will have a good time lazing around by the pool and drinking.

[Plasnart]

Andrew is doing really well thanks.
We did have a really good christmas and spent some time at a caravan park in Meningie with a big group of family and friends and Andrew and his family joined us, he even stayed up drinking with me until 2am one night, something we had not done together for over a year.
In December he had a load of tests and scans and they all showed no new problems and no cancer, this gave him the confidence to re-book the trip to Bali we were all going to do before he was first diagnosed and we head over on 20th Feb for 10 nights. He will not be able to do the white water rafting, snorkeling, hiking etc. that we had planned previously but will have a good time lazing around by the pool and drinking.

That is so fantastic Tony. Absolutely awesome! Bloody good on him for his fight (christ what a fighter) and all the best to you and all your family for an amazing, amazing win!! Enjoy Bali mate! So pleased to hear his progress.

[threedogs]

lazing around a pool and drinking is an Olympic sport isn't it lol
Great news Tony great news

[Hodge]

Fantastic Tony. So good to hear positive news ! He is a soldier that bloke ....

Sent from S5

[Stropp]

thats fantastic news mate, onward and upward :)

[mudnut]

Bloody marvellous, that!

[DX grunt]

Andrew is doing really well thanks.
We did have a really good christmas and spent some time at a caravan park in Meningie with a big group of family and friends and Andrew and his family joined us, he even stayed up drinking with me until 2am one night, something we had not done together for over a year.
In December he had a load of tests and scans and they all showed no new problems and no cancer, this gave him the confidence to re-book the trip to Bali we were all going to do before he was first diagnosed and we head over on 20th Feb for 10 nights. He will not be able to do the white water rafting, snorkeling, hiking etc. that we had planned previously but will have a good time lazing around by the pool and drinking.

Amen!

Best wishes to all.

Take care out there.

Rossco

[mudski]

Such great news Tony! Lets hope this beast has gone for good.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Tapatalk

[89gqpatrol4x4]

What a great outcome, so happy for your family. I know what you went through . We have been out two weeks after 5 months straight in hospital with our two year old who had aml Lukeimia . Cancer is not nice and the Trestment pretty rubbish aswel! I won't hijack this thread with our journey but just to encourage everyone who is able to donate blood. It is vital for cancer patients along with platlets. Also for everyone who donated blood to put your name on the bone marrow register. If you were ever called apon to donate and save s life, it is simple day surgery with a couple of needles inserted into your hip to extract the marrow , maybe sore for a day or two. While we were there many kids lost there battle and some may have been saved if s suitable bone marrow donar was found. So take the time to donate please!

[pearcey]

Great news Tony, had been wondering how things were going but was very reluctant to ask.
It`s so good to hear some good news.

[macca]

Great to read Tony, best wishes to all of you.

[TPC]

What a great outcome, so happy for your family. I know what you went through . We have been out two weeks after 5 months straight in hospital with our two year old who had aml Lukeimia . Cancer is not nice and the Trestment pretty rubbish aswel! I won't hijack this thread with our journey but just to encourage everyone who is able to donate blood. It is vital for cancer patients along with platlets. Also for everyone who donated blood to put your name on the bone marrow register. If you were ever called apon to donate and save s life, it is simple day surgery with a couple of needles inserted into your hip to extract the marrow , maybe sore for a day or two. While we were there many kids lost there battle and some may have been saved if s suitable bone marrow donar was found. So take the time to donate please!

It must have been heartbreaking to see a two year old going through that, I hope it has been beaten.

Very good point about giving blood, everybody that can should donate. I have not put my name on the bone marrow register but now that you have made me think about it I will.

[89gqpatrol4x4]

If you can mate that would be awesome!!!!! You will probably never get called up but it not until you've been through it that you realise the importance of blood donation.
Yeah mate she has beaten it! Unfortunately during our stay 5 kids with the same type of leukaemia weren't so lucky. Knocked my wife around a bit.

[4bye4]

Thats great news Tony. I don't usually comment on personal issues, but your original post got to me as I could not help but imagine what it would be like if it was my own son. I helped in the donation a little but also put it out to some of my friends. Now my heritage is Irish and even worse Irish Catholic. I am no longer religous myself, but some of my friends are and the result was that when your son was going through the worst part of treatment, there were hundreds of Irish Catholics praying fior him in WA. One of my friends had organised a prayer chain almost before I had got off the phone. Whatever helps I guess. I have kept them posted on the progress.