Days 1-67
Nov - Dec 2019 - Experienced what I can only describe as a heavy pressure sensation in my chest and after being unable to get a GP appointment my nurse practitioner prescribed me with couple of different inhalers which we tried over 6 wk period but they made no difference so she sent me for a chest X-ray and an ECG. Had those done on 23rd Dec and had call from GP within an hour to say chest X-ray showed lump on left side and he was doing urgent referral. Shock is an understatement, not at all what I had expected to hear. Mind was swirling. Christmas passed in a bit of a blur, put brave face on and didn’t tell anyone other than my partner as no point stressing kids and other family out when I didn’t know what this was yet. The holiday season did have a slight affect on getting appointments through but I must take my hat off to them for getting me seen as swiftly as possible. Had first CT scan in between Christmas and New Year then the wait to see the chest consultant in first week of January.
Jan - Feb 2020 First appointment with consultant as soon as holiday period was over, told 50% chance it was cancerous lump in lung and would need more tests to confirm but they would treat as if cancer until they knew otherwise so it was all systems go. By end Jan I felt like a pin cushion, everyone seems to want to take more blood from me. I had PetCT, breathing tests and a CT guided needle biopsy which ended with me being admitted to high dependency due to complications. The following week I got the results from my cancer specialist nurse that the biopsy had only given them normal lung tissue and they had missed the tumor, in fairness it’s a tiny target at only 1 & 1/2 cm, however the PetCT had shown that the lump does contain cancer cells so the multi disciplinary team agreed best course of action was to refer me for surgery. Met surgeon following week and scheduled for surgery which I should have been having today 27th Feb however this was postponed due to an emergency so now due for surgery on Monday 2nd March
