Hello Everyone, once again i've had to blag a computer to borrow to post this, so sorry if I haven't replied to any emails recently.

Bradley is doing absolutely brilliantly, I bought him home from hospital on Monday afternoon after having his PICC line removed and getting the all clear from the physio's. He almost gave me and his dad a heart attack trying to show off at the hospital by rolling down a hill in his wheelchair and then not being able to stop as he approached the road - he really scared himself too, so hopefully he won't do that again!!!!

He's been given loads of mobility aids by the physio's to help him get around the house, but he's a determined guy and he's doin most things just with the crutches and managing to bear some weight through his better leg. His wound on his left leg has healed very well, and he has an awesome scar to show off. His other leg is now in a cast that goes from toe to thigh but has a hinge in the middle so that he can bend it which is a lot easier, this will probably be on for approx another 6 weeks when he will go back to see Mr Briggs at RNOH.

We are waiting to see how Bradley does with this last round of chemo, it is a lower dose and a different package of chemo, so we don't yet know whether it will affect him the same as before regarding neutropenia, hopefully it won't and he'll have an easier 8 cycles than the last 6.

Between Rich and I we have some photo's which we need to load onto the computer then we can put some of them onto the blog - they're not too bad to look at - no blood or yuk!!!

Must go now, will update again sometime, hopefully get internet running soon at home.

Bye Mikki and Brad and gang.

Hello, it's been a while since i've been able to access the blog. We have no internet connection running at our new house yet and also my computer has gone a bit wonky so i need to get someone to have a look at that too. I'm currently using the computer at the hospital.

This post may get a bit long winded but i'll try and update you all with what has been happening.

Bradley went into RNOH as planned on the 1st April and was settled in and we had an early night in anticipation for a long day ahead on the Monday. Brad was starved all day Monday, and at the last minute his op was cancelled due to a low WCC. Mr Briggs had come in special as we knew to do this op for Brad and he said he was happy to come back asap whenever they could find a suitable theatre slot and Brad's counts had come back up.

Surgery was rescheduled for Wednesday morning, Brad went down at 9.15 and we heard back just before 1pm that he was in recovery. Surgical team came round and informed us that all went absolutely fine, everything was as they were expecting and there were no problems during surgery.
They took 6 inches/15cm of his tibia and all of the tumour away and replaced it with his fibula from his left leg, his right leg is in a below knee cast at the moment and he will go into a full leg cast on tuesday, then he'll be encouraged to get up and start to try and get around.

Brad was transferred to ITU for 24 hours and returned to the ward Thursday lunchtime. He was very very funny while in ITU, because of the morphine pump he was using, he was still listening to everything that was going on around him, and making the funniest of comments, and saying really strange things, we'll remind him of this one day and no doubt he will deny all knowledge - ha ha ha.

He's been given excercises to do by the physio and he seems to be coping with these ok, he has been having some problems with his PICC line being blocked, so on Sunday afternoon he was transferred by ambulance to UCLH to see if they could unblock it or possibly replace it.

They have managed to unblock it, and are checking the line for possible infections etc, if all is ok, he will be transferred back to RNOH tomorrow to have the full cast fitted and then hopefully home towards the end of next weekend.

I'll try and keep this blog posted, but this depends on finding computer that says ''yes''.

Bye for now - Michaela XXXXX

Hello, Bradley is back home again, had 4 units of blood to boost his Hb levels and is feeling much much better now. Surgery is rescheduled for Monday 2nd April, so we'll be taking him in on Sunday afternoon to RNOH.

It's a bit hectic here at the moment to say the least, our house is all packed up and ready to move, and we should receive the keys to the new house on Friday, so moving as much as we can over Friday and Saturday before we leave for RNOH on Sunday.

Also on Friday, Rhiannon is leaving to go to her National Twirling Competitions for a week, so everyone fingers crossed please that she does well and brings home some silverware to show for all her hard work and practise - GOOD LUCK RHIANNON !!!!! It's the first time she has gone without me, she has lots of people to look after her so she should be ok, probably get on better without me fussin !!!!!!!

Brad says Hi to everyone, he's going to spend the next couple of days chilling with some mates and trying to keep out of the way of the moving boxes - if he sits still for long enough he'll probably get packed into one - haha !!!!

Bye for now, keep you posted. XXXX

Hello, Bradley is back home again, had 4 units of blood to boost his Hb levels and is feeling much much better now. Surgery is rescheduled for Monday 2nd April, so we'll be taking him in on Sunday afternoon to RNOH.

It's a bit hectic here at the moment to say the least, our house is all packed up and ready to move, and we should receive the keys to the new house on Friday, so moving as much as we can over Friday and Saturday before we leave for RNOH on Sunday.

Also on Friday, Rhiannon is leaving to go to her National Twirling Competitions for a week, so everyone fingers crossed please that she does well and brings home some silverware to show for all her hard work and practise - GOOD LUCK RHIANNON !!!!! It's the first time she has gone without me, she has lots of people to look after her so she should be ok, probably get on better without me fussin !!!!!!!

Brad says Hi to everyone, he's going to spend the next couple of days chilling with some mates and trying to keep out of the way of the moving boxes - if he sits still for long enough he'll probably get packed into one - haha !!!!

Bye for now, keep you posted. XXXX

Hello All, Mum here, not good news I'm afraid, surgery is cancelled until Brad's temperature has come down and he has had a course of I.V. Antibiotics. After the end of this week Brad's surgeon is also away for two weeks, so at the moment, the earliest surgery can take place is now the 11th April, but it will depend on finding a slot after that - in the meantime he may have to pop back into UCH for another course of chemo to keep on top of the tumour while he waits for a surgery slot.

I'll let you all know if there is any change to this as soon as I hear anything.

Good Evening everyone - slight hiccup to the proceedings, Brad has been taken back into Add's with a high temperature. Not quite sure what has happened, he has been absolutely fine recently, thanks Sam and Jake for all your help today, you all seemed to have a good laugh but shortly after you left Brad went up to bed cos he was a bit tired and within a couple of hours his temperature had started to rise - don't panic, it wasn't anything you did!!! Thanks for comin to see him, you really cheered him up and made him laugh.

His temperature was 39.6 by the time i got him onto the ward, they were very good there though, got him onto antibi's straight away, and tomorrow will be having chest xrays and trying to find out what has caused the rise in temperature.

I'm really hoping that this won't delay the surgery, but I do know that they like to have the temperature stable for 72 hours before they let him out and that means that it's unlikely that we'll get there for the Tuesday admission.

I'll keep this blog updated with what is happening, hopefully if there is a delay it won't be for too long. Bye for now, Mikki. XXXXXX

Quick update, and to let you know of change of plans.

Brad's ok, feeling fine, had his blood test today to see whether or not he is neutropenic, but he seems to be doing ok so far - fingers crossed.

Chris Henry rang today, surgery has been put back until the 28th March, but they still hope to have him home again by Easter Weekend.

Good news today, Chris Henry rang (Orthopaedic Nurse Specialist to Mr Briggs), she has been liaising with us all the way through regarding the surgery options.

She has had the meeting with the surgical team and they have decided that surgery will take place in the form of a bone graft - the middle section of the left fibula will be removed and be used to replace the damaged portion of the right tibia, remaining tibia and the new piece of bone will then be fixed into place with screws and plates. Brad will be in a below knee plaster for a period of between 8-10 weeks and then following some very intense physiotherapy he should get a good range of movement back to his ankle, but this will depend on how hard Bradley is willing to work as to how well it works afterwards. But at least he can be assured now that he will not be facing amputation!!

Bradley will be going into RNOH, Stanmore on the 25th March and surgery will be the following day. All his blood counts must be high enough before surgery so going in a day early gives time to run all the tests they need to do and order blood etc for the surgery.