Referred to The Christie

We had a phone call at 09:00 saying come in  for 10:30 to get the results of the scans and discuss treatment. We cancelled all plans, got someone else to run our Anglo-Saxon learners group (thanks Liz) and legged it to the hospital.

We got there for 10:20. Unfortunately the doctor got called away for an emergency so we saw her at 12:15.  So we could gone to Anglo-Saxon and still got there. Nobody’s fault. These things just happen.

The results were better than I’d hoped.

There is no cancer in the stomach. There is 2 cm clear at the bottom of the gullet.  The feeling of being full is probably just that I found it so difficult to swallow that my stomach has shrunk.  Clearly once I can eat normally I will have to go on a diet:  Fish and Chips, Egg Dripping Butties, All The Pies You Can Eat, and my favourite Chinese Buffet in Reddish with the sesame bread.  I must pause a minute, my legs feel all weak at the knees.

That’s better, where was I?

I am being referred to The Christie today, so expect a letter / phone call from them.

The plan is for chemo (ASAP) / surgery (in August) / chemo (autumn). There is of course risk attached to each phase, and nothing is guaranteed. However if I do not take the treatment, then there is no risk at all. The outcome is certain, dead certain.

There is a significant chance that my eating will improve if the chemo shrinks the cancer as hoped.  The blockage is apparently very bad, which is why we found it.

I went home and promptly had an attack of nervous exhaustion. It’s the news I’ve been waiting so long for. I’ve been sitting around bad-tempered and miserable, but I’m now over that now.

I can now be bad-tempered and miserable that The Christie haven’t rung me yet. Why not? They must had had my papers with them for several minutes at least. It’s not good enough.  (exits stage left, grimbling to himself).

Oh and if you want the answer to yesterday’a riddle, go to the post and scroll down to the Comments.