Hurry up and wait a minute.

2 minute read time.

So here I am with this hideous monsterous lymph node thingy in my neck, which to be fair the NHS discovered for me, and I'm expecting heaven and earth to be moved in getting the damn thing and his mates out of me. Eventually, 12 days after finding it somebody actually calls me, not just any old body but somebody important from the hospital (at least she sounded important).

Am I free next Thursday....no no not the 4th that would be this Thursday....the 11th at 9.10am.

Ummm I guess so - is this for surgery???  No not at this stage it's just so Mr ******* can assess you.

Disappointment.

Now by my reckoning that will be 23 days from discovery of the lump that I get assessed and with the best will in the world I'm not going to be operated on on the 24th day am I?  All of which I find hugely confusing as initially this was a priority case.  Now a priority case flags up 'should be worried' in my world. I'm not a natural worrier but this is serious stuff, so I would like and presumed it would be, sorted like yesterday.  Given the apparent apathy with which the matter is being approached by the NHS, I now begin to think that maybe it isn't that serious after all (but somehow I feel this is wishful thinking and perhaps it's the first time the system is letting me down).

Still what can you do, it's not like you can go to Tesco for a neck dissection......well not just yet anyway.

Now i like to make lemons into lemonade, so think Steve what are the positives. 

No flicking needles for two weeks, yeaaaaaaaa!!!!!

Moving swiftly on.........

In my last blog I touched on things which annoy me, which may well have painted a picture of me verging on 'grumpy old man' - I'm not old I tell you.  So to put the record straight here's a few things, other than my family and friends, which do the opposite to 'annoy me'......umm struggling for the term...how about satisfy me.

John Travolta.  Was brilliant in Saturday Night Fever, lost his way then resurrected his career superbly with Pulp Fiction.  Coolest man on the planet (just ahead of Samuel L Jackson)....he's got his own airliner for goodness sake!!

Blueberries.  I know, I know, they came over from America but they're bloody nice.

Google.  How did I ever do anything, go anywhere, buy anything, find anything out before Google?

Red Wine. Enough said.

Ossie & Teila.   Our two dogs.  They don't care what sort of day I've had, they just love it that I've come home.

Cornwall.  The people are more laid back than Jamacians and the scenery is stunning.  Go for a meal at the Admiral Benbow in Penzance and tell me you'd rather go abroad - I'll know you're lieing.

Green & Blacks Chilli & Lime.  Expensive for a bar of chocolate granted but worth every penny.

Tottenham.  So much joy (and despair) over the years.  You can change your job, your home, your wife, your car, your face but you can never change your football club.  Come on you Spurs.

and finally and probably most surprising......

My job.  I love my work end of.

So as Julie Andrews said (sang you idiot) these are a few of my favourite things.  As with the annoying things there are more to come.....but not just yet.

Fingers crossed and positive thoughts for you all.

Steve

Anonymous
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Morning Steve,

    I feel for you over the lump, I remember what it was like walking round with a palpable lump in my groin knowing that it was melanoma, and getting a date through for the surgeon to have a chat with me!  Me and the guy were already well acquainted and I didn't want to talk about it, I just wanted it out!

    The "chat" was very informative however, and surgery took place the following week. Hope you get a date for yours soon.

    Marsha x

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hello Steve, sorry for you.  Everything needs to be done yesterday when we are told we have cancer.  The specialists who treat us however, see cancer everyday and are kind of switched off.  Good, otherwise they'd lose it with all they have to see.  You may feel like everything is on go slow but, when you have your appointment they will be piecing together a treatment package for just you.  All cancers, people are different so they need to assess you and work out a treatment plan.  Whatever happens, you need to be on the ball and take charge of everything in case things get lost in the melee of treatment.  Difficult, when you are ill, I know, but necessary as if you just wait around you could miss vital treatment.  Good luck, you'll be okay as long as you do as you are told and this will soon be a distant memory for you.  Keep well, Ann x

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hi Steve,

    Firstly, looking at the title of your blog, by my reckoning should you be nearing the big 50 pretty soon????? Are you keeping quiet about it?? I am expecting a status update from you shouting hoorah I'm 50 at least...

    I discovered that their urgent is not what I would call urgent... and we seem to spend most of our time waiting rather than anything else....

    I too started to find it comforting that if they could wait the odd month or two to do something then maybe it wasn't going to kill me overnight! And I'm still here...and still waiting of course...

    Good luck and

    In the meantime, continue to enjoy being satisfied by John Travolta... snigger...

    Little Myx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    I'll see your lymph node, and raise you another!  I've almost stopped caring, though I am worried I'll look like a relief map of the Grampians if this keeps up.  I start chemo on Thursday, so mentioned the new lumps when I saw my GP yesterday and asked about biopsy, but he said that as we already had a clear diagnosis from previous biopsies he didn't see any sense in delaying treatment!  Just to mention them in passing when I'm at the hospital and pretty much ignore them...

    Hope your lumps get a better reception!

    Ann x

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Ok you win Ann (sunny) - just mention them in passing and prety much ignore them gets my vote as the most inane comment of the week.  Hope all goes well on Thursday.

    T'other Ann - thanks for the words of encouragement but me do as I'm told........

    Marsha - I reckon the same will happen to me and I'll be booked in w/c 15th...just the very week I asked not to be in as I've a ton of stuff on....I guess this should probably take priority though!!

    Little My - it's tomorrow, bring on those Saga holidays.