My personal cancer journey started this summer shortly before my sixtieth birthday well away from the horrors of this disease with some very unpleasant and debilitating chest pains one morning when i woke up. To cut to the chase I ended up in A&E for the day having various tests which revealed nothing of significance thankfully. A few days later a call from my GP's surgery invited me to an appointment to discuss the results of my recent hospital admission at which i was told I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and marginal type 2 diabetes all of which were to be managed with medication and so my life as a diabetic started.
In early November at a follow up meeting with my GP I was told that all was well and my BP was back to normal but as i was getting ready to leave I was asked if there was anything else which was troubling me. I had noticed over the last couple of months an occasional problem with swallowing certain foods particularly bread and some drier meats so decided to mention it. I was told that there was probably nothing to worry about but to be on the safe side I was going to be referred for a gastroscopic examination; nothing to worry about merely a precaution. Precisely one week later, I was laid on my side with a camera down my throat trying to retch it back up along with what felt like my entire digestive tract while the poor doctor tried to take pictures of my insides and grab a few biopsy samples.
I assume he saw something which caused him concern because an hour later I am flat on my back having a CT scan. By now I was starting to put two and two together especially after I saw the referral note that indicated the reason for the test was potential cancer. A week later the call came from the doctor who had performed the gastroscopy to tell me that there was indeed a tumour in my oesophagus.
Sixteen days after the referral from my GP, I am sat with my wife in a meeting with the surgeon who would be leading the MDT that was to be responsible for my treatment to be informed that i had a T3N0M0 tumour in my lower gullet which would require surgery and chemotherapy to sort out. Further tests were to be called for. Two days later i am being injected with a radioactive trace for a PET scan and by the 28th of November I am back lying on my left hand side having an EUS this time with the benefit of sedation. The result of the further tests have upgraded my condition to T3N2M0 which I don't think is too bad on the scale of things.
A week later, I am perched on an exercise bike hooked up to an ECG and a breathing analysis set up pedaling for all I am worth up an imaginary hill puffing and panting and sweating while a huddle of medics cluster around a computer watching my suffering displayed across the screen. The result of this torture test is that I am fit and more than able to resist the rigours of the surgery they have planned.
Fast forward another week to yesterday and I finally meet my oncologist who after a conversation and further perusal of my notes informs me that I will be enjoying the benefits of their ministration for three cycles of ECX chemotherapy starting ASAP.
My next appointment is with an anaesthetist in a couple of hours, so better dash and get ready for that.
