So yesterday we arrive at the Chemotherapy clinic at 10.30 for out 11.00 appointment and take a seat in a very hot, over crowded waiting room................. notice near Nurses Station announces that our Consultant is running an hour late.................. so We sit and wait........... one poorly man didn't cope very well so he was carted off by the nurses to somewhere more suitable for his condition at that time and so we waited............ people were greeting each other like old friends asking how things were going.................... the crowd began to thin out and people began to chat amongst themselves more ............... the notice at the front changes to our Consultant now running 1.5 hours late............... so we sit. Two couples close by begin to talk and here, in the midst of people's silent worries and battles came two stories of hope...............................
The wives were the instigators..................... how long has your husband had cancer? First lady says oh well in November he had a huge lump come up on his head. We went to A&E and they said oh it might be cancer. Rushed an appointment with Oncology and they said we will remove it. Had an op day after and they thought they had got it all and nothing to worry about. So we went home and thought that was a close shave. He got a temperature and we ended up in A&E. Tested things and then said he did have cancer and in 3 days we went from we thing we have it all to sorry its cancer stage 4 and terminal, you have three months roughly. She said we came out of the hospital and we were in complete shock, like what just happened???? We went home and we talked about what had been said and we said No no no
The husband starts then and says well I decided I hadn't lived enough so I was damned if they were going to tell me three months left so I said I wanted treatment, the put me on a trial and they cannot believe whats happening. I was told three months tops in December and here I am, no ill effects, feeling really well, enjoying life and coming in here for treatments which takes a whole day up.
Well lets hope the drugs keep on working the other couple say. Then the question raises its head as to whats wrong with the guy from the other couple.
Oh says the wife, a month ago he went for a routine check up and they discovered he has a tumor in his chest. So they are feeling lucky because its been caught early, is being treated and they were optimistic about the future. She said we just reeled. One minute we are going in for routine check up and we come out after being told he has a cancer in his chest, our whole world upside down but we are getting ion with it and hopefully he will be ok but we are so pleased that he had the routine check up otherwise we would not have known it was there.
Both men are responding to their treatments and I suppose I just wanted to share that things are not all doom and gloom, people do survive cancer but their attitudes were of determination, optimism and resolve not defeat or gloom. We felt uplifted too and then finally, after almost 2.5 hours of sitting, we had a good consultation with good PSA results so came out feeling very positive about the future. We know Dad will not be cured but he remains stable so the drugs are controlling whats happening.
I wanted to share the hopes and the actual events that brought these two couples not only together to chat but with good, happy, hopeful stories and both were really upbeat about their journey's.
If you can, Smile and defy cancer!!
