Bob: the bullet that finally got me

[Sparky]

I think that hamster was the last straw.

Only one up the Jap's eye?  Pah, I've had 3.

[pete]

4 minutes ago, Sparky said:

I think that hamster was the last straw.

Only one up the Jap's eye?  Pah, I've had 3.

1 at the hospital and 2 at home 😜

[Chillidoggy]

9 minutes ago, Sparky said:

I think that hamster was the last straw.

Only one up the Jap's eye?  Pah, I've had 3.

 

Yeah, but you paid for the last two.

[Sparky]

Ah, Pat Pong.  What a night that was.

[Chillidoggy]

8 minutes ago, Sparky said:

Ah, Pat Pong.  What a night that was.

Ting Tong Macadangdang.

[shaunw]

You'll be fine Sparky, cancer of a punctuation point doesn't sound that serious to me .........

[Sparky]

Reckon I'll end up with a semicolon...

[Sparky]

Continuing the saga...

Some extra background has emerged since I first posted.  Apparently my kids have been quietly concerned about me for a couple of months.  Even Tracy had minor concerns.  Everyone says I looked quite pale and had no energy, falling asleep progressively earlier over the weeks.  I didn't notice anything myself other than feeling a little more tired than usual.  I do recall a few disparate 'digestive events' that I only considered individually, in isolation.  There's a moral in that story!

I've had my final CT scan.  Turns out it was only thorax, so looking for spread to the lungs.  When I asked them why it wasn't the full contrast CT as discussed, they said they already have the contrast CT scan data from my stay in hospital.  I draw some optimism from that as nothing adverse was found on them at the time.  But maybe they weren't looking close enough?  So hard to second-guess, but even harder not to!

My cancer team meets on Monday, and shortly thereafter will invite me in to discuss my future.  Scary stuff.

I now have a photo of Bob.  Ugly bastid.

Remaining as busy and positive as possible.  I certainly don't feel sick, other than a bit tired, and I'm enjoying plenty of nice relaxing walks.  We've had so many messages from great friends all over the planet, for which we're incredibly grateful.  Most of them have been entirely unsympathetic and frequently bloody funny, and that's the way I want it!

What to look for?  Persistent changes in bowel habit.  Tiredness, which may be as a result of anaemia - apparently a very common indicator of gradual blood loss which may not be visually apparent.  And actual blood, of course.  So, once you're of age, do your bowel cancer screening!

I've had an IOW trip planned for ages with old schoolmates, and it's worked out just right that I can attend it this weekend, with zero medical recommendations!  So I might possibly get just a tiny bit tipsy.  Seize the day...

[Bling]

That is one way to deal with Bob, drown him in alcohol this weekend 😀

Good luck and enjoy the weekend trip.

[Gjk]

Remember, what happens in the IOW stays in the IOW! 😎

have a good one mate 👍

[eeyoreish]

Mermaid Gin. Obviously...

[Sparky]

Ooooh, definitely.

[skiing]

Glorious weather for the IOW - enjoy the gin! and fingers crossed on the next steps plan. 

[Sparky]

After a fantastic IOW weekend, I returned home late Sunday, exhausted, and checked my latest blood results which still show a nasty level of anaemia.  I'm pretty convinced the bleeding has increased.  Monday around 1700 I received the call inviting me in for THE CHAT at 1330 Tuesday.

Tuesday morning was purgatory, but we kept ourselves busy, made it through and got to the hospital to learn my fate.

The news is pretty good!  It's adenocarcinoma, malignant, but currently they can find no evidence of metastasis, so have offered me what they consider to be curative surgery with various follow-ups to look more closely at the staging and potential for spread.

I will have a right hemicolectomy, losing maybe 40-50cm of colon and a bit of small intestine.  As it's already too long, it won't be missed much!  The appendix will disappear too.  This will all be tested and complement the other subsequent tests which will aid in staging, which I fervently hope to be 1 or 2.

Incredibly, the surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday 21 May.  These people don't muck about!  Found 2 May, confirmed 14 May, removal due 21 May.  Stunning response by the NHS.

I may need transfusion.  I will be up and about within 24 hours of surgery, eating semi-solid stuff, maybe home within 3-5 days, and physically recovered in around 3 weeks - if all goes well!  Of course there are risks to that timescale but I'll do everything I can to help mitigate them.  Motility, of course, is another issue.  That'll be a huge learning curve, I suspect.

I'm still keeping this from Facebook to protect the grandkids for the moment.  But among the various people I've told, 3 ardent objectors to the bowel screening programme have seen the light and decided to ask for replacement test kits.  And that cheers me up.

Anyhow, F*ck Bob!  As most will know I'm a grammar Nazi; I'm very much looking forward to a semicolon.

[Bibs]

20 minutes ago, Sparky said:

the surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday 21 May.

Let them know I'm available mate, happy to pop along and recover some of those missing 10mm sockets no doubt lodged up there! 

[Chillidoggy]

Splendid news!

Things are definitely looking up; maybe I won’t have to change my own cam belt after all.

[Gjk]

Hopefully a silver lining on an otherwise dark cloud. Glad the NHS has been so efficient.

[Sparky]

22 minutes ago, Bibs said:

Let them know I'm available mate, happy to pop along and recover some of those missing 10mm sockets no doubt lodged up there! 

Can't find my 36mm either...

[Bibs]

You're on your own with that one!

[Chillidoggy]

22 minutes ago, Bibs said:

You're on your own with that one!

Should be easier to find than the M10 sockets, though.

[Bling]

That sounds pretty positive. That is fast. Takes longer to get my car booked in with Watford Exotics 😀

Good luck with next week.

[Bazza 907]

53 minutes ago, Sparky said:

Can't find my 36mm either...

Bet you used to say that quite a lot in your youth..

Great news

[Barrykearley]

Just seen this thread. Blow it away Sparky you’ve got this.

[Dan E]

6 hours ago, Sparky said:

After a fantastic IOW weekend, I returned home late Sunday, exhausted, and checked my latest blood results which still show a nasty level of anaemia.  I'm pretty convinced the bleeding has increased.  Monday around 1700 I received the call inviting me in for THE CHAT at 1330 Tuesday.

Tuesday morning was purgatory, but we kept ourselves busy, made it through and got to the hospital to learn my fate.

The news is pretty good!  It's adenocarcinoma, malignant, but currently they can find no evidence of metastasis, so have offered me what they consider to be curative surgery with various follow-ups to look more closely at the staging and potential for spread.

I will have a right hemicolectomy, losing maybe 40-50cm of colon and a bit of small intestine.  As it's already too long, it won't be missed much!  The appendix will disappear too.  This will all be tested and complement the other subsequent tests which will aid in staging, which I fervently hope to be 1 or 2.

Incredibly, the surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday 21 May.  These people don't muck about!  Found 2 May, confirmed 14 May, removal due 21 May.  Stunning response by the NHS.

I may need transfusion.  I will be up and about within 24 hours of surgery, eating semi-solid stuff, maybe home within 3-5 days, and physically recovered in around 3 weeks - if all goes well!  Of course there are risks to that timescale but I'll do everything I can to help mitigate them.  Motility, of course, is another issue.  That'll be a huge learning curve, I suspect.

I'm still keeping this from Facebook to protect the grandkids for the moment.  But among the various people I've told, 3 ardent objectors to the bowel screening programme have seen the light and decided to ask for replacement test kits.  And that cheers me up.

Anyhow, F*ck Bob!  As most will know I'm a grammar Nazi; I'm very much looking forward to a semicolon.

well always F%^k bob, i know, as you know Sparkles, that when it all goes wrong there is nothing like the NHS. I reckon ( well i know) that i cost you tax payers at least a million quid. But for all their faults they literally saved my life 13 years ago, the after care was shocking. but i have had 13 years with my family which i wouldn't have had without them and 100% the left side of my head is worth more than a lot of cars 

[MPx]

6 hours ago, Sparky said:

Incredibly, the surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday 21 May.  These people don't muck about!  Found 2 May, confirmed 14 May, removal due 21 May.  Stunning response by the NHS.

 

Yes I'm impressed - but given that I can't ever get a doctor's appointment to get to the starting gate I'm less impressed with how it works in Somerset.  Good, in a way I suppose, that it works if you're really ill - but not if you're just mildly inconvenienced like me.  The downside is that with that sort of service you know you must be really ill...I'll stick with just the minor stuff and lousy service I think!