Introduction
Why?
Why us? Why Val? Why me?
Why do I feel this way? Why are tears never far away? Why do certain song lyrics trigger a tearful reaction? Why is it difficult to turn the television on and not be confronted with seemingly endless programmes dealing with our or similar issues? Why is it so difficult to cope? Why has our life and future become less certain? Our lives have suddenly been subject to a malignant set of characters - Despair, Fear, Uncertainty, and Anger. I am sure these will be familiar feelings for many of the people who may read this attempt at a blog.
I have decided not to identify the hospitals involved, the GP practice or individual staff but suffice it to say that we live in leafy Warwickshire and have been married for fifteen years. We have both been married before and as a result we have a combined family of two sons and three daughters. We also have seven grandchildren ranging in ages from 18 months to 22 years. Val therefore has a lot to live for.
Now let me introduce you to the principal characters of this story.
First up is Beauty, Val, my beautiful wife of fifteen years. Val is 68 years of age and a matriarch to a combined family of five with seven grandchildren ranging in ages from 18 months to 22 years of age. Val has bravely faced up to and dealt with a range of serious health issues – Type 1 Diabetes, Autonomic Neuropathy, Ileostomy, self- catheterisation, and Gastrointestinal motility disorder – so surely she had already had more than her share?
The second character, the Beast, was first introduced to us as a small lump in Val’s bladder on Friday March 10th 2017, discovered in the course of what we, and the Consultant, had hoped would be a routine cystoscopy. Biopsies were taken and we were then informed on March 22nd that Beast was in fact an aggressive bladder cancer requiring at best the removal of Val’s bladder which would cure the problem or at worst, if the cancer had spread, chemotherapy.
But let’s start at the beginning.
