Recent diagnosis for husband

On tenterhooks today - today is the day the MDT team meet to discuss husband's case.  Apparently we will then get a call from the scheduler to arrange a meeting with the consultant to get results and proposed treatment plan.  We can get results over the phone but have been advised not too.  Nurse at CR dept said we should consider still going on our holiday (husband wants to as wants kids to be unaffected and also wants a week of headspace to mentally prep for what's next) if we can - but i guess it depends on today.  So very anxious today (even though we wont actually find out anything today).  I guess we will gauge from the schedulers reaction to deferring things for a week or so how serious this is.  Thanks for checking in.  How are you? x 

Oh I'm fine thank you.  The MDT discussed my case around 27th/28th Dec and the meeting with the surgeon was 4th Jan, surgery 3 weeks later.  I probably already said take a pencil (they ALWAYS work) & paper.  Leave your husband to do the talking as much as possible, note down key points especially any letters/numbers used.  The situation will improve after that meeting believe me.

If you can go away, go.  Just ensure your holiday insurer knows and if they refuse insurance on him look at an alternative provider.  

Keep in touch

YNWA

Mike

so we have just had the call - they want to do another MRI on his liver.  Now im petrifed.

I've had to go for repeated CT scans on my chest because of something on my lungs, discovered on MRI.  My surgeon has a neat acronym for it

Victim 

Of

Modern

Imaging 

Technology

The tools are almost too good

YNWA

Mike

Good morning,

Another week goes by, how are you two?

YNWA 

Mike

Mike

Firstly thank you so much for checking in - it really means a lot.  When we are out the other side of this I will pay this forward.

So hubby had his liver MRI today and will be discussed at next Thursdays MDT.  Hospital know we are on holiday next week (decided to go ahead and with it and forget everything else) so have suggested they call us the following monday when we are back rather than Thursday/Friday.

We have taken this to believe that anything they have seen so far on the bowel CT/MRi/biopsy cant be too urgent.  Whether or not this is true, I don't know but we are assuming this so that we can get enjoy our holiday.

I got a fair bit of reassurance from a lady on here (Karen?) about the commonality of follow up liver MRIs and the common occurrence of cysts in livers that people live with all their lives with no issues  - are only found when scanning for something else - similar to the VOMIT acronym you sent!

Hubby seems to be OK at the moment - I am having a few anxiety attacks and stresses (but have a very close friend to offload too so hubby not aware).

So we are trying to stay positive - not thinking about anything and will have a damn good holiday.  We will deal with part 2 on our return.

Thanks again for checking Mike - hope you are enjoying the sunshine x 

Hey Goldilocks. 
These stages are the worse, all the waiting but it does get easier. 
Once you get the full picture and treatment plan things start to get easier. 
Hope you have a lovely holiday x

Morning G/L

Still enjoying the sunshine, although events in Southport have cast a huge shadow up here.  Hope you're either in Cyprus or currently packing.  Holidays are a great distraction & you need it.

YNWA (Nice 'friendly' win last night)

Mike

Mike

thanks - the Southport tragedy is just horrific. My heart really does go out to all those affected. It’s simply devastating. 

we’re in the last day of our holiday today and have tried not to think about what’s waiting for us on our return. Husband got an email yesterday confirming an appointment with a CR consultant next Wednesday so I guess that means he was discussed at MDT on Thursday. The meeting invite was entitled CR surgery so I am assuming that that will be the proposed treatment. It is with a consultant who specialises in early rectal cancer and there is no mention of any liver consultants at the meeting. So we are taking this all as a positive sign ( maybe falsely but it’s helping!) and I guess we will know what the future looks like on Wednesday. So I’m glad we’ll be moving forward on Wednesday but I imagine the time between landing tonight and 3 pm on Wednesday will feel like an eternity. 

so pleased we have had our holiday though. Lovely time with the kids and relaxing to the extent we could. 

mike - thank you so much for asking. You’re a very kind man. Talking to you and getting my thoughts written down is tremendously helpful to me  

tracy

tracy

Morning Tracy

Hope all goes as well as possible today.

Have a list of the questions you want to ask worked out, you WILL forget them 'in the moment.'  Take a pen/paper with you, not your husband, let him listen and you note down key points, especially any letters/numbers used.  Ask to have any tumour tested for hereditary markers, useful for your children.

Today you should get some relevant information & a possible treatment plan, and most importantly the feeling that something is being done.  Will be thinking of you today.

YNWA

Mike