Biopsy done !

Another scar to add to my collection. Well, it won’t show much, is not a big one but I’d rather be collecting trophies, certificates or simply pebbles on a beach!!

I went in to The London Clinic at 1pm for this biopsy and lymph node removal and returned just before 10pm. I really wanted to take pics of the reception but couldn’t be doing with getting my phone out so just sat and watched all the goings on and made up stories in my head of what everyone had come in for!

There was a big art murial behind the posh reception desk. Big vases with dried or fresh flowers dotted around. Designer leather type arm chairs in calming greys and big windows letting in plenty of light. All staff dressed in suits. You could mistake it for a 5 star hotel!

There was a juicery and ice-cream menu!! Obviously I was fasting…. it has become my favourite pass time at the moment!!

I was taken to my room! 310! It was very large, very comfortable, massive bathroom with a bath, plush towels and Molten Brown soaps etc!!

I went down to theatre just before 4pm so we had to amuse ourselves for a bit!

Played with this chair for a bit!! Provided lots of giggles as it was the mother of all hospital chairs!!! Turned into a full horizontal bed for anyone who needed to stay! Entertained us for a good 20 mins!!!

I got into the bed and made myself comfy!! Folk kept coming in:

• Vitals
• Wrist bands
• Aneshtatitits (Im not gonna bother with spelling this each time!)
• Wee sample
• Canula in arm
• Surgeon…. oh what a lovely, caring guy he was, so patient and kind. It really makes a difference. All the nurses were lovely but this doc just made me feel confident and I really felt like I was in safe hands

I still managed to have a little sleep and then watched countdown and a place in the sun….. I wanted to be in the frikkin sun, in a place!!!

The nurse asked me if I smoke or drink, I replied with No, No and I barely eat either at the moment….. either she didn’t hear me or didn’t get my humour but nearly sent me into proper giggles over it!!! Gurveer trying not to laugh in the corner at the way it had come out!!!

My nurse that took me down was from Ghana. I know the accent and she also had 2 boys so we had a proper natter about it all and a few laughs over kid stories!! When I got down, I said to the anestrhatist to just knock me out….. before even taking yesterdays plaster off my neck cos that was going to be more painful than anything!!! She laughed, agreed and followed instruction!!!

Then a male nurse came in and did the normal checks again, blah blah! He then said…..

You know we are the same age, there is about a month in it….. I see your notes and I feel very fortunate!

I was like…… yayy, good, bully for you, so happy for your fortunateness, thank you for sharing that with me at this exact perfect time…. then I looked at him and thought, I feel so grateful that I have a deeper understanding of life and so curteous of other people’s feelings …. go me!!!

Anyway, had my op, came round at about 6.10pm. Came up to my room at 6.30pm. Was very in and out, felt quite groggy and wasnt sure if they were going to let me out in a hurry.

My surgeon came up to see me. Very straight up! Didn’t seem too excited about what he saw. Said it didnt look too bad and was very close to my port. It seemed there is something in my lymph glands but they are not sure what yet. Not in right side …. just left…. where Port Grimsby is ???

My cancer is hard to treat. It is caused my mutations of a normal cell to turn it into a cancer cell. (Much to the disappointment of one of my “mates” who thinks you bring it on yourself and your diet!!)

Every 6 months or so, cancer cells can change or evolve and show different mutations. It is important to get a new biopsy every 6 months if you are to have targeted treatment or immunotherapy which will attack just those cancer cells rather than chemo which attacks every cell in the body.

So whilst, I’d rather not have suspicious cells in my lymph glands, my other place for biopsy is bile duct and that is a bigger, longer, more complex procedure with longer recovery. So I dunno…… fingers crossed and fingers crossed!!!

I had oxygen therapy day before and some further healing in the morning before my procedure…… I will tell you about it soon. I also have morphine by my bed!! So apart from not sleeping very much, I think I am ok!!

This is yesterday, before and after….. I was really not impressed!!

I’ve been up since 2am. Will try and get some sleep now as need to get my little comedians back today for some squeezies !! They don’t know anything of what has happened over the last two days so I need to make myself look amazing and then fill them in!

P.S. My blog has reached Luxemborg and Palestinian Territories!!!