Back and Forth

I mentioned yesterday that after a trip to the doctor's I called the Marsden to keep them in the loop.  They wanted to see me so my day was spent going back and forth.  Once for blood tests, back later to see the doctor, back for a prescription.

The blood levels were fine, which was the main reason for the check i.e. so that I don't delay my next tranche of chemotherapy.

The doctor agreed with my GP that my chest is clear, but elected to put me on antibiotics for seven days (as usual the Marsden leave nothing to chance). He described the Ciprofloxacin as having a "Domestos effect" (you know the slogan by now).  The only problem I have is a cough that is keeping me (and Kitten) awake at night.  There's no temperature and no loss of energy but the problem with chemotherapy is that something you would normally shake off easily just hangs around.

So, as usual with the Marsden, they leave nothing to chance.

Before I go to these appointments I draft a letter to the doctor I am seeing describing the issues and the positives that I have experienced since the last visit.  It might seem a bit anal, but it focuses me so that I get the best out of their time. Also, because there is gap between having the blood tests and and meeting the doctor the information allows them to get a clear picture before we start talking.

This where the blog comes in handy for me. All the major issues are there in print and I can quickly build a picture of where I have come from. It is easy to forget what happened when so the blog acts as a good reference point for me as well as being a mechanism to reconcile my thoughts and feelings.

If it is ever assumed that I take my position lightly then perhaps it is clearer that I don't.  I try and keep life as normal as possible and focus hard on the time I have with the professionals. I keep myself informed so that I can talk in their language. During the period of diagnosis I read up on the subject as I went through the process and that knowledge has proved to be very helpful. I have had to add little to that base of knowledge and have been able to relax and just get on with it. 

Today the conversation was very informal.  It was refereshing for me that the doctor made a point of saying thatt he was impressed with my approach and that he thought I was the right material to come through with flying colours.  That sort of thing is confidence boosting because those sort of things are not normally vocalised.

The conversation also produced a little nugget regarding the forthcoming operation.  I expressed my fear that the tumour, being long,  might not shrink lengthwise leaving the operation a tricky one.  His view was different. Whist he agreed that a long tumour means that more of the oesophagus might be taken out he voiced the opinion that short and stubby tumours in the area are more likely to spread across and make it difficult to find  a "clean" approach to the surgery.

Meanwhile back at chez Kitten and Swordfish, Kitten is still unwell and still harbouring a bit of a temperature.  An easy weekend should help sort her out, so will have to make sure that the diary stays light

Dr Swordfish is in the house, but has not been as helpful as he might have been due to the urgent and necessary construction of the surround sound system for front room. Sky HD arrives tomorrow and then, finally, we will be set up for the World Cup finals and my post operative slumber.

Did someone say that there was an election going on?  It will be interesting to see whether the Lib Dems convert good poll showings into seats rather than gallant seconds.  Whoever, gets the nod I have the feeling that they might wish they hadn't.  Europe is collapsing around our ears, Greece, Portugal, Spain.  Italy next?