FESTIVE FAIR in Burchetts Farm Barn

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NEWSLETTER Issue 3 FESTIVE FAIR in Burchetts Farm Barn In November in a beautiful Georgian Barn with its original beams and brick- patterned walls, we held our second festive fair. So many gift ideas, exquisite gold Christmas decorations and handmade cards. The Sheer Indulgence range included aromatherapy candles, body and bath products, oil lamps and perfume bottles.

Gift packs of fine Indian cuisine were very popular. The stalls offered a wide choice of hand painted pottery and decoupage items, also clothes, books for children and pretty jewellery delighted the 8shopper 9. Some tucked into homemade soup and fruit for lunch whilst others bought raffle tickets.

Thank you to all those who supported us, it made the fair a great success and raised funds for the Appeal. A PATIENT 9S TALE cIf you must know, I thought I had piles d. For some weeks there had been small traces of blood that took me first to the GP and then to a specialist His examination was inconclusive.

It could be piles but he was unconvinced. cI 9d like you to come in as a day case and let me do some tests d. What he described didn 9t sound too much fun so I ... more. less.

rejected the offer. cOf course it 9s piles. My father had piles; my sister had piles; there is a hereditary element to piles - it must be piles d. The bleeding continued - persistent but not dramatic - so after about 6 months I went back and said cO.K. I 9ll have your test if you stop the bleeding for me! d And the result, of course, showed it wasn 9t piles at all - it was a tumour. Somehow, although I knew it was cancer, the seriousness of the condition didn 9t at first sink in. It was just before Christmas and we were planning to go away in the New Year. cIf you must go, I 9d rather you went for a fortnight than a month d said the specialist, and the penny dropped. This was to be major surgery. The question was had we caught it in time. And if we hadn 9t I had nobody to blame but myself. I was in hospital for about a fortnight and came out minus a large piece of bowel but plus a stoma bag that would stay there until I was healed inside - probably about 6 weeks. Now, only a month before the thought of such a thing would have horrified me, but not for the first time and certainly not for the last, there was somebody to pull you through the rough patches. In this instance it was a stoma nurse who was as caring as she was glamorous. No white coat for her, her uniform was an elegant trouser suit and cashmere jumper! By now it was April and the chemotherapy had started. A day in the Royal Marsden every fortnight for the infusion of one drug and out in the evening with my little pump over my shoulder for the second. Ziiiiiiiip it went every 20 seconds for 48 hours. The cancer had spread away from the colon but fortunately not outside the ring of protective lymph glands continued overleaf - good. It had, though spread to a couple of patches on the liver - not so good. cI think they could possibly be removed d said the oncologist. cThere 9s a man in Guildford I would like you to see ------ d And so began Phase Two. Liver resection means cutting away the diseased section of the organ. Sucking it away might be more like it. From the surgeon 9s description, a cunning gadget called a CUSA is able to remove the liver tissue stopping short at the blood vessels enabling them to be tied off one by one as necessary - a long and painstaking process. The operation took seven and a half hours. Liver surgeons need stamina. They also need great skill, nimble fingers and endless patience. July came and went and in August it was back to the chemotherapy which had been suspended after 5 sessions for the liver resection. There were now to be 7 more, again a fortnight apart. Ziiiiiiiip every 20 seconds for 48 hours times 7. (Question. Where is the best place to put your pump when you are in bed? Answers on a postcard, please.) 4 months of side-effects, perhaps the worst of which was the havoc to eating habits. Favourite dishes now became repulsive either through taste or texture, or both. Potatoes turned to polystyrene and even a slice of blameless chicken was like chewing a piece of old carpet. But eventually the day came. The last infusion, the last blood-test, the last visit to hospital. cWhat a wonderful day that must have been! d they said. And of course we agreed. But secretly inside there was a feeling of something approaching anti-climax - or perhaps fear. For a whole year there had been somebody leading the way and telling us what to do. cBe here at such and such a time, swallow this, do that d. Now, suddenly, the guiding hand had gone and we were left on our own to pick up the threads of normal life again. Notice I say 8we 9, cancer is a full time job - I saw it as a project - and a full-time job for 2 if possible. I have nothing but sympathy and admiration for those who go through it on their own but you need to talk, you need to grumble and to laugh. You need somebody to share the fears and ask the questions you forgot to ask. You need a chauffeur and a nurse. And you need somebody who can make something palatable out of a diet that has been reduced to boiled rice, pasta and cornflakes. Thank Heavens for my wife! This would have been a very different story without her. The doctors said it would be a busy year and it was. A full year, almost to the day. But despite what you might think, it was not a bad year. Cancer is rather like the second World War - people divide into those who experienced it and those who did not. Similarly, the majority of people know nothing - and wish to know even less - about cancer. But should you have the misfortune to have to go through it, you will find you have joined an ever expanding (alas!) club with its own rules, language and folklore. The experience would be truly fascinating if you were not so intimately involved. We learnt a lot, made several friends and met many wonderful, dedicated people. But perhaps most rewardingly, my wife and I got to know each other and ourselves better than ever. PERSONAL MESSAGE Thank you. A simple phrase but for me the surgical and diagnostic equipment bought by the Appeal enables me to give hope to patients with liver cancer and the chance of long term cure. I have now performed over one hundred and twenty liver resections using the CUSA on each occasion and just recently the Appeal has needed to replace the original one. The latest purchase is a portable ultrasound unit and like the RITA it has been imported from America, New England on this occasion. I feel sure this will become invaluable to me. To everyone who has supported us by sending donations, or coming to the Festive Fair, Bridge Lunch and buying raffle tickets or helping behind the scenes, I do appreciate the enormous contribution and commitment on your part. I would also like to pay tribute to the sponsors of the CUSA CUP Pro-Am Golf Day, Man Group plc who have unstintingly supported this Day which is held at the Clandon Regis Golf Club and organised by its President. As with every donation to the Appeal, I am tremendously grateful to you all. Nariman Karanjia MS FRCS (Gen) Appeal Director BRIDGE LUNCH Sixty bridge players arrived at the High School in Guildford equipped with table, cards and pencils for an afternoon of bridge. A lunch of chicken in tarragon cream with green and rice salads was served followed by a dessert of nectarines and French biscuits. Everyone seemed to relax enjoying a glass of wine or elderflower cordial before playing two more rounds. Hush descended over the dining hall apart from the odd shriek when a player jumped up to claim the chocolates tied to a balloon or a grand slam bid was called out. At the end all the scores were added up and the prizes awarded. The raffle prizes were stunning, champagne, silk cushions, cookery book, glasses and wine to name a few and all the players were tempted to generously contribute raising over £250 for the Appeal which was added to the grand total. We are delighted and wish to thank everyone at the bridge lunch for making it such a success. " THE FUTURE Research continues throughout the world on the causes, treatment and prevention of liver cancer. Improvements made in surgical techniques are resulting in successful liver resection and new techniques such as radiofrequency ablation for inoperable tumours deeply embedded in the liver show good results. There are many promising advances in chemotherapy and new drugs are undergoing evaluation. Also there has been dramatic progress in reducing the side-effects caused by existing cytotoxic drugs. Another rapidly developing area is gene therapy which involves modifying a patient 9s own genes to encourage their immune system to fight cancer cells. " GIFT AID Please will you help us Just a reminder ............ If any UK taxpayer donates to our Appeal , as a registered charity we can reclaim the tax. Assuming the basic rate of income tax, for every £1 donated we can reclaim 28p from the Inland Revenue. For example, for every £100 donated, the Liver Cancer Surgery Appeal will receive an extra £28 at no extra cost to the donor. The Appeal has its own printed form and if you would like one please write to The Old Farm House, Epsom Road, Merrow, Surrey GU4 7AB or ring 01483 546321 " LEGACIES - the hidden millions In 1998 a total of 275,000 estates were granted probate. Their value was £25 billion. The total legacy income derived by charities from these wills is believed to be around £900 million. We now have our own legacy programme with all the relevant forms which have been approved by a solicitor. If you are interested in leaving a legacy to the Liver Cancer Surgery Appeal , please write to The Old Farm House, Epsom Road, Merrow, Surrey, GU4 7AB. UPDATE The Patient Guide written by Nariman Karanjia in collaboration with his oncology colleagues and outlining the treatment options for secondary liver cancer has been sent to over 200 GP surgeries and hospital clinics including 134 in Surrey. Our Newsletter, it is hoped, will keep you in touch with the work of the Liver Cancer Surgery Appeal which is a registered char ity No 1061703. Please write to me, the Appeal Organiser at The Old Farm House, Epsom Road, Merrow, Surrey, GU4 7AB if you would like more information or wish to send a donation. Nariman Karanjia MS FRCS (Gen) Consultant Hepatobiliary and Gastrointestinal Surgeon - Appeal Director Margaret Taylor - Appeal Organiser With Man Group plc 9s sponsorship over £50,000 has been raised for the Appeal. For three years, this company, a leading global provider of alternative asset investment funds and one of the world 9s largest futures brokers, has put up a prize fund for the professional golfers and, on the last occasion, donated the cost of the buffet breakfast and dinner for all players. Colin Brumpton, a Director of the Company together with Ian Mitchell, President of the Golf Club have organised auction and raffle prizes and found teams to compete, many of whom are known to Man Group plc. For all those who have participated, it has been a most enjoyable event and has boosted the Appeal funds magnificently. For us, to be part of the CUSA CUP Pro-Am Golf Day, it is quite a special occasion and very much appreciated. Nariman Karanjia Margaret Taylor Appeal Director Appeal Organiser CUSA CUP PRO-AM GOLF DAY A Hole in One For the third successive year, Man Group plc sponsored a Pro-Am Golf Day at Clandon Regis Golf Club, the Southern Region 9s headquarters of the PGA who helped organise the event. The President of the Club who is dedicated to hosting the day each year for personal reasons was thrilled as £20,000 was raised on this occasion. The delightful parkland course played host to the 19 teams who entered the competition. Corporate teams came from as far as Switzerland to join local ones. The teams assembled for a shotgun start and play began, only interrupted by a glass of Bucks Fizz offered between the 9th and 10th holes. The tournament was a resounding success and the winning teams received prizes donated by generous sponsors. The winning Pro said 8This is much more than just another Pro-Am for me as both my parents died of cancer 9. The Royal Bank of Scotland (Markets) team were the winning amateurs. During dinner an auction was held amidst great conviviality, an exciting end to a highly successful event.

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