Last week it was decided that whether or not my chemotherapy continues would depend on the results of a third CT scan, which the consultant said he would organize. I still hadn’t heard about a date for it so when I spoke late last week on the phone to the Macmillan nurse (who has been helping immensely with palliative care) she said she would do some poking around and try to make sure it happens.
Yesterday afternoon she phoned back to say that she had finally managed to persuade the radiology department to give me a cancelled appointment so that I could have the results before seeing the consultant next week. It sounded as though she had been led all round the houses to make it happen, so she must have had to have been very persistent. She had also rearranged my scheduled MRI scan so that it would take place on the same day as the appointment with the consultant, saving me an unnecessary trip to Worcester. She really is extremely kind and conscientious, and I’ve been enormously impressed with her attitude and effectiveness. The only downside was that the appointment was for today, at 08:30 in the morning, a time at which I am normally just finishing breakfast. Getting to Worcester for that time would mean leaving the house at 07:30 and getting up considerably earlier than I am used to. Not a prospect to relish, especially these days. Still, it was important to have the scan done in time for next week’s consultation.
We did get there on time — slightly early actually, so Gillian was able to have a cup of tea and a pastry as her breakfast. My breakfast was delayed so that my stomach would be empty when scanned to make seeing the tumour easier. But arriving early has its benefits too: parking was simple as the car park was nearly empty; and we were seen on time as I was first on the list. I was in and out within half-an-hour.
It was interesting to see that the chemotherapy/haematology suite is not the only one that is undergoing changes. We arrived at the CT department to find the door locked and a sign directing us to follow the arrows to the temporary reception. We walked along several corridors making at least three turns until we finally found ourselves entering at the back door. I was signed in, and taken through to the inner waiting room, where the nurse explained that they were having some remodelling done so that they could fit a second CT scanner in. So not all change in Worcester Royal Hospital is bad for patients, I thought.
{ 4 } Comments
Chris,
Good to hear the early start was worth it – as I read it I wondered if you were going to go to that trouble to find it wasn’t available – sounds a plan that went to plan! Hope the results are good. Also seem to have a very good mMcmillan nurse – my only knowledge of them is third hand but also good reports.
All the best – to both of you,
Q
Q, actually, we did have a bad moment when the receptionist spent ages looking for my card, at one point wandering off. She did eventually return with it, however, so it all ended well. I would have been very upset to have been turned away after that much effort, I can tell you.
Still here, and still reading, Chris. A little restricted at the moment owing to a quite different back condition, but I am glad they have found you more effective pain relief. It is not a pain you can ignore, whatever position you are in. And how great to be able to shift position in bed. Until you can’t, you don’t realise what a luxury it is. 😉
Hi, Ruth, glad you’re still reading, but sorry you have any inkling at all about my back pain. It’s a b*gg*r, isn’t it? But the good thing about remaining positive is that one approaches these things with a problem-solving attitude rather than a complaining one, so it doesn’t usually take too long to find a way around the problem. Especially if one is strongly motivated…. 🙂