The Christie Day One

So started off by seeing the ever lovely and the ever efficient Debbie (no miscommunication there let me tell you). She had arranged a quick meeting between me and young Sean (you all remember young Sean from way back when on the first cancer? He was the one pulled me through successfully and allowed me to have the last seven years of my life.  Well him and his Team of course and that Team includes the lovely Debbie). Anyway, anyway... we'd set up the meeting to get this bloody annoying little growth on my lip sorted. God Bless Sean for agreeing to do this for me - he's a Head and Neck consultant at MRI who is quite happy to spend time just whipping a little growth off my lip.  I love him for that. 

Turns out though that we can't just do it down a dark alley at the back of The Christie, we have to do it at the MRI with local anaesthetic and all that stuff.  We all whipped out our phones and agreed that this will happen on 07/10. I'll be first on his list for the day.  Fabulous.  

The radiotherapy session went OK although at one point it looked as though I might have to be re-consented.  This is because I asked what treatment I was receiving today and was told, correctly, that it was to the T10 to T12 area of my ribs/spine (the tumour is located, as I'm sure you've guessed from this, on T11).  But the radiographer then said that we would do my chest at the next cycle.  I immediately got all uppity because no-one was talking about treating my chest for anything. All that had been discussed with me were two areas on my back.  Quite correctly the radiographer refused to proceed with any treatments whilst there was any confusion.  Poor Dr Kennedy had to be called again.

I have to say I really like Dr Kennedy. He takes his time, is really thorough and explains things clearly.  Turns out that it is my" posterior chest wall" that is being treated. "Posterior chest wall" is NHS-speak for back. Don't even get me started on how sensible that is!  I'm sure there are plenty of perfectly good medical  reasons why a person's back is referred to as their "posterior chest wall" but that don't help me as a poor patient strapped (not literally this time) to a radiographer s excruciating scanner of pain table (it hurts my back to lie on it - they don't actually torture me). Anyway, Dr Kennedy sat me and my trusty carer down in front of a video screen and showed us exactly what was going to happen.  I was v impressed.  As I say, I like him.  

Then had the treatment. Didn't hurt. Took about 15 minutes all in. Job done.  Home via Sainsburys and then lunch with LL and Sara at San Carlo. Very tasty too.  Feel a little tired now but that is probably because I woke up in the night again to take painkillers.  Now just relaxing this evening in my lovely clean home (Hilda has been today) before back to The Christie for Day Two tomorrow. Sara is the one entrusted with making sure I get there on time.  That's all for now. May blog again later depending on energy levels. J x