I had my scan today. A friend came with me and my wife, so she could hold any hands that needed holding. Thank you.
The scan was quick and efficient. Several scans with a ghastly radio-opaque stuff to drink and an injection into my arm, then we came home.
When we got back there was an answerphone message waiting from Dr Y (the man with the camera who found the cancer). I rang him back, and then he rang me back, until we finally established contact and he gave me the results of the biopsy.
I wish more doctors had been like him. Information on what he knew, and honesty about what he didn’t. A very nice man. I am finding it very difficult to cope, and he has made it easier by the way he handled it.
So what is the Enemy? It’s an Intramucosal Adenocarcinoma, the MacMillan website calls it a Submucosal Adenocarcinoma. It’s when contents of the stomach go up into the oesophagus and damage the lining. Sometimes the lining heals as a piece of stomach lining rather than as a piece of oesophagus lining. If this happens there is a risk of cancer. And I got “lucky”.
How bad – it all depends on how far it has spread, and that is what the scan is for. We do know that the stomach is clear. He had a good look in there, and he is satisfied.
How to treat it – usually a combination of chemo, radio and surgery. “You will need to be brave” he said. I wish I felt brave.
What next – The panel of experts meets on Friday to review cases. They will decide the best treatment, depending on the results of the scan and I should expect to hear early next week and be in treatment within two weeks.
In the meantime carry on. Use any means available to get a decent diet down. Gaviscon may help alleviate symptoms.