SSDD

Monday's trip to Addenbrookes to see the consultant. He's a nice man and looks a bit like an Iranian Dom Jolly but doesn't have a large telephone with him (fortunately). Spent hours reading 6 month old women's own consuming multiple packs of Walkers french fries.

Other than 6 month old women's own the waiting room is full of so many people going backwards and forwards to blood tests, x ray etc. Some look tired, grumpy, happy, sad, confused and scared. Some are on their own some with relatives some have hair some don't some look perfectly normal some look really sick, some have missing limbs some have full colostomies (I must start thinking before I ask Susan if she's farted at the top of my voice)! The only common ground is we all have cancer or are with someone who has cancer.

I met up with two of my cronies from ward D9. Nick who has cancer in his foot. He's 20 and had a football scholarship in America. it took 11 doctors to diagnose him. He was quite upbeat as usual. He was in the bed next to me when I was admitted. We spent a few nights talking about cancer and chemo. He has had his lifetime allowance of Chemo. He was about to re admitted as his chemo takes 20 hours to go through. He was happy that he ONLY has 7 weeks left.

Then there was Patrick, who shared the ward with me and Nick. He only has one arm. I don't know his story but he's a nice man. This poor man had to endure me and my big mouth on the ward. Just as he passed my bed one day I asked Susan where my arms were? No not under the influence of drugs just wondering why my arms were so thin. My brother Rod later asked him if he needed a hand when trying to open the toilet door!! It must run in the family.

Back in the waiting room the main excitement was when the till roll at the WRVS coffee bar packed up and I had to wait for 3 incredibly old ladies with permed hair to work out how to change it. I spent a full 2 or 3 minutes marvelling at the array of different coloured hair dyes the elderly get their hands on. They had to resort to mental arithmetic occasionally adding separate items of unknown cost just to add to the excitement. Fortunately a Hyacinth Bucket lookalike came to the rescue with a new till roll. I felt proud to be British that this ancient voluntary organisation has kept the NHS going so long.

Typically as I went to consume my large hand full of crisps and sweets the Dr summoned me. The hours of waiting was followed by 2.7 minutes of consultation time to say it was too early to say if the chemo was working and as my cancer is very unusual he will schedule a scan in a couple of weeks. Oh joy how I love to lay in that iron lung just the thing for a claustrophobic who is short on lung capacity (I can feel some Valium coming on). Just as I was leaving, the consultant came through to reception to offer me a blood transfusion, I though that as I hadn't had one of those yet, why not! I feel kind of guilty I only donated 2 pints in the past and will now have it all back in one hit!

An exhausting day, Susan and I made our way home, I finished my day watching my life line, the African Nations, while my other life line (Susan) snored her head off on the settee feeling just as exhausted as me.

I feel tired but content at the moment. Chemo starts again on Wednesday as the Tuesday clinic was full.