Hi Noon was the PET scan. I got up at 6am and had breakfast (porrage) then fasted. They pumped radioactive glucose into me and made me lie down for an hour while it got taken up by my system, then put me through a huge scanner, a sort of giant 3D geiger counter.
The idea was to see if anywhere was taking up unusual amounts of glucose. The results will be available for the Friday meeting of all the oncologists when they review all the cases.
All went well, except that I was 15 minutes late for the next appointment with Dr Y, the gastro man. It didn’t matter, he put us to the back of his surgery so he could spend more time with us.
He went through the results of last Monday’s CT scan.
– The cancer has spread down into the top of the stomach. It has also nearly blocked the gullet. It has not spread into the heart, lungs or any lymph nodes.
– They are not sure what it is with the liver, but there is no reason to believe it is a secondary cancer. It needs to be checked, with today’s PET scan and an MRI scan due next Monday.
– What I thought was an appointment with a nurse next Monday is actually an appointment with the surgeon to discuss his recommendations, chemo / radio or surgery or chemo followed by surgery. What ever the choice, treatment will probably start next week, within a few days.
In short, the next few weeks will be painful and hard, very hard. But there will be an end to it. It is not risk free, but I have a reasonable hope of recovery. I am satisfied.
Meanwhile my family have been fantasic. My wife is there when I need her. My son’s have supported me in every way. My daughters-in-law have shown love and care. I love them all very much.
I was reminded tonight that many people do not get the good news I received. I give thanks for myself, but pray for comfort for the others, that could have been my road.
And now I’ve had enough. I’m going to go to bed and hide from the world for a while. The students are cooking their own dinner (well they are nice people as well).
Hi Malcolm, It sounds good news to me. My German freind who I have spoke to you about’s mother in-law had stomach cancer, I forget how long ago but more than ten years ago, she is 93 now and still going strong.
Cheers Steve.