pusspins

Well, now it's my turn to blog. I just have to get rid of these feelings somewhere!! Markus went for a check up today, as they told us he should a couple of months ago. The first contact should have warned us - in fact, it did. The good woman at reception was expecting us, but wanted the transfer slip saying what examinations Markus should have. Well, we hadn't been given one. She didn't believe me and said so. Blood tests and gastroscopic ultrasound, I told her. Blood test and ultrasound, she corrected me. M was not registered for a gastroscopy. So, we waited, as you do, and the nurse took some blood. And we waited again. Then the oncologist we saw last trotted by, to be waylaid by the receptionist. 'We have 3 different versions of the tests Mr H (Markus) should have' she said. 'We've got one on paper, one in the computer and now his wife tells me something else'. Big Onc paused in his flight to say that a gastroscopic ultrasound would be good and this was arranged for next Monday at 7.45. Good, that at least. The Onc mentioned a CT, but I only understood that it wasn't possible today. X rays we had with us already, fresh this week. So now an ultrasound. And Mr Big Onc whisked away in a flurry of white coat So we waited again. Then Miss Little Onc ushered Markus into the ultrasound room and said 'Why are you here?' For our breakfasts, of course. If she doesn't know.... 'I haven't read your file' she tells Markus merrily. Then she ultrasounds his stomach area. 'Didn't find anything' she says, gaily. Nobody, but nobody, looks at his chest. He has cancer of the oesophagus, and an enlarged lymph node which has paralysed his vocal chord. He still has no voice. Markus asks about having his PEG feeding tube removed. 'Oh, we like to leave them in' says Little Miss Onc. 'When your oesophagus is completely blocked we can't put it in again!'So she has registerd there's a tumour there. Not a tremendously sensitive way to deal with the situation. 'That's it' says Little Miss Onc and ushers us out. 'Here's your transfer for next Monday for the gastroscopy' says Receptionist 'Don't forget to come' We start to walk out. What about the scan? Is that all? I go back and say I don't feel very happy, I'm not sure that all the tests have been done. 'It's all perfectly clear'says the receptionist. 'Blood tests, ultrasound and lung x rays. Those are our tests here'. I search out Little Miss Onc then, who says we can have a ct within a week if they think it's necessary. We leave, thoughtfully and with a great feeling of insecurity again. Standard tests, maybe. But if your cancer is somewhere else? Next Monday we'll see. I have to say that this is not the UK, not the NHS.