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{ 25 03 2010 }

Cycle 4 postponed

I was due to go into hospital today to start cycle 4, but when I phoned in this morning I was told that they didn’t have a bed for me, and that I should try again tomorrow. I think I have to accept that going in on the planned day is an increasingly unlikely occurrence. Of four cycles, only the second started on the scheduled day. This uncertainty is one of the downsides of a public healthcare system like ours in the UK. The emergency care is second to none, but sometimes planned non-urgent procedures have to take a back seat when the numbers of emergency cases spike unusually high.

This is a factual statement, not a complaint. I have been the beneficiary of emergency care more times than I should like, starting when I was seven years old. I have never been disappointed with the treatment I have received when I needed it urgently. Nor have I been disappointed with the treatment I have received as a cancer patient, even when it was unavoidably delayed. The team at Cheltenham is superb, as I have written before.

However, this time has been a little more complicated than usual, as Gillian is away on business. She was only able to go  because Richard and Fabienne stepped in to babysit me overnight, and to take me to the hospital. The delay means that they have to babysit me for a second night, which is extremely kind of them. It is such a help to have such good friends. Thank you, both. I don’t know what we’d do without you, I really don’t.

Posted by icyjumbo on Thursday, March 25, 2010, at 4:13 pm. Filed under cancer. Follow any responses to this post with its comments RSS feed. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

{ 4 } Comments

  1. frosty | 25 March 2010 at 7:45 pm | Permalink

    That’s so frustrating! Really hope you’re able to go in for the treatment tomorrow Chris.

  2. icyjumbo | 25 March 2010 at 9:09 pm | Permalink

    Oh, so do I. We’ll see…

  3. Matt Alcock | 26 March 2010 at 8:02 am | Permalink

    You both seem to be coping so well with all that is thrown at you. Well done !!!! It is really good to see you getting on with more and more trips, photography and other “projects” as the month progresses, by April you will be busier than me with the 4 children……!!!! Love to you both, from the NZ connection.

  4. icyjumbo | 26 March 2010 at 10:41 am | Permalink

    Hello, Matt, and welcome to our little community. I’m really enjoying being able to do all the things I’ve been getting up to. And Gillian and I are determined that we will do at least one nice trip away each cycle. I don’t think I’ll ever be busier than someone who has four children, though 🙂 Thanks for the good wishes.