The Alien Within – A MacMillan Guest Blog…
The Alien Within…
(A personal experience of Cancer…)
In The Beginning
It started with a cough…
(Or did it?)
My story began, or so we thought, after another annual bout of Man Flu around March 2015.
However, thinking back, an earlier indicator may have been my eyes.
The Eyes Have It…
In January, I attended my opticians, as I was experiencing increasingly blurred vision. The optician enquired had I fallen, banged my head, suffered some other trauma, or a serious illness and, answering no to all questions, referred me to an ophthalmologist.
I was suffering from vertical double vision. I don’t recall hearing the medical term (vertical diplopia perhaps?), but was informed it may correct itself in six months to a year, or be permanent. No more contact lenses, back to my old varifocals, to which the ophthalmologist fitted a prism, to realign my eyes from their vertically challenged state.
Man-Flu…
I had man-flu in March, 2015, then bronchitis, turning to a tickly, annoying, persistent cough. I eventually went to my GP, in June, to have it sorted!
Doctors & X-Rays…
After checking my chest, the GP arranged bloods and referred me to the local(ish) Walk-In Centre, in Peterborough, for chest X-Ray, as she suspected fluid on my right lung. I attended the Walk-In Centre the following Thursday. Friday evening my GP called asking could she see me Monday! Apparently, I had fluid on my right lung. More worryingly, there was a shadow between my lungs.
During Monday’s consultation with my GP, including another practice GP, I was informed the shadow was likely a Cancer.
This was the week before we headed to Norfolk, for our annual break in Blakeney, happy holidays!
Holidays & CTs…
My GP referred me to Peterborough City Hospital, Haematology and Oncology Unit for X-Ray and CT Scan. The Hospital confirmed my CT scan for Tuesday, 23rd June – two weeks later, after our holiday was, apparently, not an option.
Friday, 19th June 2015, we headed to Blakeney knowing we’d be back Tuesday for the CT Scan. Meanwhile the cough persisted. We returned home for the CT and a clinic appointment the following day, Wednesday 24th June, a date to be remembered.
The Alien Within – Uncovered…
During Wednesday’s consultation at the clinic, we were informed I had a Cancer – The Alien Within – Uncovered…
Although it was a Cancer, the doctor was unable to provide any other details about it. It was a significant tumour and warranted further, very swift investigations. I had been nurturing the beast for months, possibly a year.
After consultation, to the ACU (Ambulatory Care Unit), next door, was next to have the lung fluid drained. After hours in the ACU, another chest X-Ray, we were moved to a consultation room for the draining procedure. Loads of local anaesthetic, huge long needles, tubes and an hour or so later, nearly 2 litres of fluid had been drained from my right side. (The Alien Within crushing my lung from the top, thus both were significantly constricting air intake to the right lung).
Instant relief from breathlessness and a feeling of well-being returned – all was right with the World. Except for Mr sinister – The Alien Within…
Referrals, Needles & Procedures…
Peterborough referred me to Papworth, for a biopsy, who confirmed an appointment for Tuesday, 30th June (we were still on holiday) for the procedure, under local anaesthetic, returning home the same day – A CT Guided Needle Biopsy, a needle inserted into my chest, guided by a CT Scanner, into the tumour, to extract samples for pathology.
The first attempt failed, the needle hit something extremely hurty deep inside, well about 3.5cm deep, which was so painful the procedure was abandoned.
After four hours of recovery, I was wheeled to the CT Scanner in the p.m, where the radiologist performed the procedure, through my back this time and, aside from the anticipated discomfort, the procedure went well and four samples were finally extracted.
After waiting a week for the results, we returned the following Thursday for another consultation. Wednesday afternoon Papworth confirmed the appointment, oh and bring an overnight bag – the Needle Biopsy results were inconclusive and a different procedure was required.
Mediastinoscopy…
Thursday, 09th July – Papworth for another procedure – Mediastinoscopy. A camera, with a light and grabby tool inserted through a small incision in my throat, behind my breast bone, deep into the tumour, under General Anaesthetic. The consultant works with a pathologist to confirm the biopsy samples are viable to determine what is The Alien Within. 0830hrs, Friday, July 10th three hours and 75 samples later, I was in recovery feeling rather nauseous.
They finally found viable material after 70 or so attempts. I was released from Papworth the following day, with results expected in four or five days.
The Alien Within – Identified…
We returned to Papworth, for the Mediastinoscopy results, Thursday, 16th July.
The Alien Within: A High Grade, B Cell, non Hodgkins Lymphoma
Actually good news!
This Lymphoma is aggressive, but treatable with a reasonable prognosis.
The not so good news; Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy! Starting Monday, 27th July 2015, with Steroids prescribed for immediate use!
From uncovering The Alien Within, to discovering precisely what it was, knowing the prognosis and starting treatment, was just a month…
NEXT = Preparing for Treatment and the rest of my story – The Alien Within linky > The Alien Within – Start