Can this year get any worse

[Silver_Shiney]

Thanks, Jay.

Let's not forget, though, that this is Stephen's thread and we still need to support him too, whilst not forgetting our other cyberfriends who have serious health problems to overcome.

[Stephen]

Don't worry about me Alan.

I heard this morning via my wife that my referral was not reviewed on Tuesday, it will be reviewed next Tuesday. The coordinator obviously feels a tumour, blood clot and large cyst don't constitute any sort of urgency

In fairness I'm not symptomatic...at the moment. Me being a bit disappointed I guess. But you do wonder what ailment you need to have to get seen quickly these days.

[Silver_Shiney]

Stephen, if there was any cause for real concern, you'd have been seen and treated immediately.

When mum had her first cancer, the consultant said she was to come in the next day. She said she was going on holiday the day after. "No you're not, you're coming in tomorrow".

When she had the second cancer, the consultant said she was to come in next week. She said she was going on holiday in a couple of days and asked if two weeks would really make that much difference. He agreed it probably wouldn't, but she was to present herself to the hospital first thing the day after she got back and she would be operated on that day.

With this latest scare, I've just heard that she's still waiting for the CT scan.

When the chips are down, the NHS pull the stops out. She's been in and out of So'ton General so often, even the cleaners know her name!

[Andrea S]

Stephen, Being in good health is something we take for granted. When a blip occurs we all want it to go away as quickly as possible. Working within the NHS for many years I see the dedicated staff and have seen patient lists grow and grow. I know from personal experience that emergencies are dealt with immediately. As nasty and worrying your own symptoms are, like SS I think you are a very urgent case rather than a dangerous case. The waiting isn't nice as it gives you far more time to think about things. A B/H thrown in doesn't help either.

[Stephen]

Oh well, never mind. Not much choice but to play the waiting game.

I feel a Jameson's coming on later this evening

[Not so ancient mariner]

A pessimist says the glass is half empty

An optimist says the glass is half full,

and the realist says it is just twice as big as it needs to be!

[oldbluefox]

More often than not the waiting is as bad, if not worse than the eventual outcome. Whilst the wait is not good, it is perhaps more worrying when they call for you immediately. Fingers crossed for you all.

[Stephen]

More often than not the waiting is as bad, if not worse than the eventual outcome. Whilst the wait is not good, it is perhaps more worrying when they call for you immediately. Fingers crossed for you all.

They have to read the notes first Foxy. Apparently they had over 50 reviews yesterday, and as my referral was late coming in there is a strong possibility all my notes hadn't been collated in time, which is why I won't be reviewed until next week.

But not to worry, I've got the Spike Milligan template ready for the head stone.........'I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL' ...........

[Stephen]

Things are moving on.

My case and many others were reviewed this morning. Had a phone call to arrange an appointment with consultant this Friday morning. A bit nervous already about what he's going to say. All positive hopefully

[Andrea S]

Stephen. Glad things are moving, the waiting is horrible. It isn't easy but keep thinking positive, it will help you through all of this.

[oldbluefox]

Fingers crossed for some positive news.

[Dancing Queen]

I'll second that

[Silver_Shiney]

Thinking of you, mate. Hope it all goes well.

Went to see my mother in So'ton General over the weekend. Definitely not an aneurysm, now looking into the possibility of a leakage from her bowel cancer op, but absolutely no trace of cancer recurring. They also want to get to the bottom of why she keeps getting urine/kidney infections (it's probably because, if not exacerbated by, her not drinking nearly enough), and why she's lost so much weight so quickly (because she won't eat a full meal.

[Kenmo1]

Stephen - pleased to hear that things are moving forward and fingers crossed for Friday. Maureen

[david63]

Friday you say ... just make sure that you get "Mornin' All" sorted before you go - have to get your priorities right

[The Tinker]

Will be thinking of you on Friday - all the best x.

[Stephen]

Friday you say ... just make sure that you get "Mornin' All" sorted before you go - have to get your priorities right

Absolutely David

[Stephen]

And thank you everyone one else for your kind thoughts. As some have said, it's the waiting that gets to you, and I'm not the most patient (there I go again with the puns:) person.

I might take our camp bed with me to the consultation and say 'look guv, if it helps speed things along I've brought me own over night kit with me, so we can start now'

[jay-ell71]

Keep us posted Stephen.

[Stephen]

Update

Back from seeing the consultant. A nice man with a good sense of humour, so he'll do for me

The short of it is I'm booked in for the 15th September for an over night stay, maybe two for investigative surgery / biopsy. Until he gets a look at the 'lesion' as he was calling it he cannot tell what will be involved. If it looks like a simple problem to sort out he will do it there and then. Obviously the biopsy will tell what it is and if further treatment is needed, but that takes two weeks to come back so I'm not going to hear anything until the end of September.

All done from inside. You can guess where they enter from! Thankfully I will be asleep. I said to him, you can do what you like as long as I'm out of it. My eyes might be watering afterwards though .

As for the cyst on the right kidney, that looked the size of a golf ball. He wasn't too concerned about that as the 'Lesion' is taking priority understandably, although it's the cyst that is causing me the discomfort. Anyway that will be another operation at a later time.

So there you have it, basically carry on with life as normal for now.

I'm thinking of putting in for a hospital season ticket.

[Kenmo1]

Stephen, at least things are steadily moving forward although I realise that to you and your family it must feel like a long slow process. Once the next few weeks are out of the way you will have a clearer idea of the situation - it is the uncertainty of everything which is difficult to deal with.

Maureen.

[Andrea S]

I do hope your mind is now a little easier. It is far more reassuring when you actually like and understand the Consultant you are under.

Good luck

[Boris+]

I had my date all set, and it seemed ages away. I received a note in the post about it all, and then I made sure in the nicest possible way that they had all my contact details (emails etc), and then suddenly one morning I got a phone call when I was out and about. Next thing I know I've got a much earlier pre-admission appointment, and then the date was drastically brought forward (maybe a bit because of things getting worse); but I was really lucky and very grateful.

Hopefully you are going to get this all done and dusted as quickly as possible, I most sincerely hope so.

Em

[Stephen]

Thanks all.

Normally I can get things done in our local private hospital as a NHS patient, but because it is a cancer case?.. I have to have to attend the NHS hospital, unless of course I can pay or have insurance. And without soundly snobby, because I am far from it, the waiting area this morning was certainly a far cry from what I have become use to.

Still, never mind, as long as he job gets done that's the main thing. We event went to see where the ward is that I will be going to. I thought about going in a doing a German manoeuvre and picking out the best bed spot and putting my towel down to bag it

[Silver_Shiney]

It would be nice if we could say where in the hospital we would want to be - when mum was in last week, she was just down the corrider from where Dad died