Good news, not so good news.

[Bob Williams]

Thought I would put this here in Health, instead of clogging up other forums.

Yesterday I went to Grimsby for the results of my CT and MRI scans. Good news: Prostate is shrinking, no blood in my urine. That consultant does not want to see me again for 6 months. Bad news: He has referred me to another consultant as a result of one of the scans (forgot which) that picked up a lesion on my Pancreas which will need surgery. I am aware of what this might mean, but I am just going to take it as yet another problem which from the Gospel of Matthew, 6:34 is- “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” *

In other words, I wait for further investigation. I have told my son and explained what it might entail, I tell him what he might need to know. We have always been able to share stuff and he has broad shoulders. Whatever comes out of this, I will cope with and his help is invaluable.

*No I’m not getting religion guys. I am no believer in any Deity or organised religion, but I was forced into Methodist Sunday worship as a child by a mother who was a Primitive Methodist. Who married an atheist. Go figure, as the Yanks say. Sometimes you cannot remove this krap from your head.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Good luck with the next investigation.

[Bob Williams]

Thanks, Nolan.?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

I can only add my best wishes to that expressed by Nolan. Hang onto the good news for the moment I wish I could offer more than vague hopes.

Richard

[Alan Wood]

Please keep on looking positive. It is so important. I have had three bouts of cancer over 30 years, a breast tumour, testicular cancer and surgery to remove the prostate due to cancer a few years ago. I am still around so am testament that it can be beaten. Certainly my thoughts are with you and hoping for a good prognosis.

[blacklion1725]

All the best Bob

[dwynnehugh]

Good luck Bob, keep yer chin up!

The more you meet people the more you understand why Noah took animals instead of humans

[Ed P]

Good luck Bob, hopefully it was a bit of fluff on the X-ray plate!

[The Duke]

Good luck, fingers crossed for you.

[JayCeeDee]

All the best, Bob. Here’s hoping the discovery itself is fortuitous, even if the outcome is less so.  

[Bob Williams]

Thanks for the morale boosters guys, much appreciated.

Alan that has been one heck of a trip through the Land of Big ‘C’. Hope you stay clear.

What irritated me slightly about the last consultation, was the letter of instructions to follow before attending. It came about 2 hours before the appointment date and followed a phone call to attend, about an hour before that. I was told to take a urine sample and all my list of prescriptions. I called at my surgery to get a sample bottle, filled it at the hospital 15 minutes before the appointed time. The consultant then told me that there was no need for sample or prescriptions: apparently he had instructed his admin staff that he no longer needed either, “Don’t they understand that I have all your notes onscreen?” Think he was much more peeved than I was.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Bob, every single appointment letter I’ve had over the last 4 odd years for both Llandough and UHW have had on the bottom ‘Please bring a specimen of urine’. First time I took one with me and nobody asked for it so it was disposed off. Never bothered since and never been asked.  The letters are pumped out automatically and no-one can be arsed to change the wording.

[Bob Williams]

Nolan, that is similar to the consultant’s first comment, but more basic: “Bloody form letters!”

I love it when a professional from the Sub Continent uses Anglo-Saxon!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Drezha]

Sorry to hear the bad news, but as stated already, good news as well!

So I guess chin up and best of luck!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[johnbarry]

Good luck

I keep putting off (due to medical reasons) my bowel screening test.

My concern at the moment, my partner has breast cancer, had an op just before xmas. She has a meeting tomorrow to see what happens next.

It’s in order of chemotherapy – Radiotherapy – Chemo Tablets.

Good news is the op went well and she has a plan.

Bad news people keep talking about the bad things of the above and this upsets her. I say everybody is different and react in different ways.

Edit:

I was going to mention this last year as I didn’t have anyone I could talk to. In the end I thought it possibly wasn’t the right think to use the forum for.

Cheers
John

[Richard]

John,  you will get a sympathetic ear here. Neither my wife nor I have suffered from that issue though she has had other cancer. A friend did have it a while back and judging from the fact that she is still alive and kicking, in spite of other very different marital and family issues, (including a son with a brain injury from playing football) her survival supports the idea that it is worth going on. As I remember she had the more or less full works, but the hospital were very good with lots of support of which she did avail herself. She thought beforehand that it all sounded a bit suspect and new age, but after a couple of visits she found it really helped her state of mind. I hope your wife can get something like that to aid her progress. I cannot comment in depth about the treatments, only to say there were inevitable ups and downs but the available help was of great benefit and the result was worth the effort.

[The Duke]

I hope all is well, and will become well, for all the peeps here and their loved ones.

It’s amazing how common these things are. I never mentioned the wife’s ills for about 2 years. Sometimes its just good to vent to semi strangers. (No disrespect meant).

One of my wife’s issues with being ill are that everyone still avoids the issue, like walking on eggshells. Now given how common this is its a strange occurrence. I think it may be a British thing. As a nation, we are emotionally retarded. Stiff upper lip and all that.

Though if the nation is emotionally retarded, i could be its king. I’ll listen and talk back if i must, but i don’t ever let things show. I think this normal, its what i know, my wife thinks me strange.

I don’t do mourning either, which freaks her out completely. Not that I don’t miss people, i just find it a waste of time, the same a worrying, it achieves nothing.

Rather further along the evolution road, or broken. My wife thinks the latter.

[Bob Williams]

JB: ” I keep putting off (due to medical reasons) my bowel screening test. ”

John I will give you two big reasons why you should have the test ASAP:

1 – To detect, diagnose and treat anything that is detected, before it can get worse.

2 – How will you help your missus cope, if you leave it too late and something that could have been detected, is too far along?

Chances are that you will be fine – because of my bowel disease and the Colostomy op which gave me a Stoma, I have a Bowel Screening every year. It comes as a pack in the mail, a simple procedure. I put 2 samples of my ‘exhaust’ in a special packet and send it back. They are very quick to test and respond with results. You either get a letter to say everything is fine, or an invitation to see your GP. Even the GP appointment may mean nothing: I had a scare 2 years ago which was simply my then new GP being careful, after he received the “all clear” letter from Bowel Screening. Since 2009, every one of my annual Screenings has been clear.

Taking your partner’s problems into account is realistic, but without a healthy JB able to look after her, things could be worse. And a JB preoccupied about what might happen to him, without true knowledge and facts, is just compounding the problem.

I have posted my own problem and am awaiting results, but whichever way it goes I still have to look after my SWMBO as she recovers from a replacement hip at almost 72 years of age. Today I took her to Physio and will do that every week until she is recovered. If I have a more serious problem, we will deal with it together, knowing the facts about each of our medical problems. It helps her to know the truth, and future possibilities about my health. It helps me to know the same about her. You can do nothing about what anyone else says: it’s usually this kind of krap – “I know someone who knows a guy whose second cousin had this happen…” The only action you can take is to ask friends and (usually nosy) acqaintances) not to talk about it to your missus.

Steve: no disrespect taken, we know what you mean. We all feel like mates here, although very few amongst us has met most others. I think that actually helps to talk more openly. I hope the Duchess is OK? Our Gert is defo getting better, the complaints and instructions are getting louder.??

Stay as well as possible, everyone.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Lol, yes, Dorris is the same, you know when she is having a good day as she searches the house to moan about my mediocre cleaning.

[Richard]

Stave and Bob, plus (others) a whole lot of truth there. I think most of us now get the two year summons to provide a sample, two or three of my family would have seriously benefited from the bowel test that is now routine.

I’m one with Steve, life can get lonely and the urge to vent can build dangerously. It is best done before things go to far.

On a brighter note I took other half for another appointment on Tuesday, possibly the best one in a long time. Full explanations of all that was apparent on the day, a good verbal report with written recommendations there and then. Today the formal report arrived – two days is pretty darned good. Meanwhile I sneaked into the minors where I had some thorns dug out of my hand, So all in all a very good visit.

John, please take on board Bob’s advice, the enemy might need dead heroes, but its better if our heroes survive. Your wife is certainly going to be all the better for having your support.

[Author]

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