1) Diagnosis of cancer is not an
immediate death sentence. The developments in treatment in the last few decades
have been phenomenal.
2) Chemotherapy is unpleasant but
manageable. Perhaps I was lucky in that my side effects were limited.
3) Making yourself stay active during
chemo and after surgery is an essential part of recovery. Get back to doing
normal activities as soon as you can. It helps recovery.
4) The NHS is an incredible service.
Almost without exception, the nurses and surgeons who looked after me were
totally dedicated, skilled, and went beyond the call of duty. There are still
many selfless and caring people in the community. Despite the brilliance of the
NHS and the people who work in it, it is clear to me from my experience of the
last year, that it is grossly underfunded. Staff are overworked, waiting times
are longer than in most developed countries, and the state of the
infrastructure and buildings is being neglected.
5) Having a stoma is not as bad I had thought.
It can be inconvenient having to empty it 4 or 5 times a day, but it really
doesn’t impair normal living. After a few weeks you forget that you have it,
and so far, nobody has noticed the bulge. I had one accident when it came loose, but
luckily I was in the garden at the time. I find it easiest to kneel down to
empty it. Something that no one else has suggested.
6) Because of underfunding, conditions
in hospital wards leave much to be desired. On both occasions during my stays,
I shared a ward with people who were in desperate need of greater privacy. They
put excessive pressure on already overworked staff, causing stress to other
patients.
7) There is waste in the NHS. Over
prescription of drugs and refusal to take back unused ones is just one example.
I could catalogue many more.
8) There is an insistence by some folks
today that people should pursue their own self-interest and question every
decision. “Ask to see a second consultant” is advice you often hear. My
experience had been that the staff invariably seek the best outcomes for you.
They are the experts and are best suited to weigh up the odds of different
treatments. In many cases, a second opinion will waste time and resources
unnecessarily.
9) Use the internet with care. I found
many of the legitimate chat rooms are really helpful, especially soon after
diagnosis. To share experiences with people in a similar situation, is both
educational and reassuring. That said, there is a lot of misinformation and
commercial rubbish out there too. I found that sticking to NHS, Bowel cancer
UK, and similar known websites was the answer.
10 The importance of family and friends
became more apparent to me as the year went on.
Regular walks with our local friends, and the phone calls and reunions
with my Uni and schoolfriends were a real mood lifter throughout the year. My
two children, four grandkids and my sister and her family have all been
fantastic support. My youngest, 7 year old
grandson would greet me with comments like “Has your cancer gone yet, Grandad?”
or “Do you still have to wear you bag, grandad?” Just great to hear.
Mostly though, it has been the support of Masha, my wife,
that has kept me going. She has been there for me at every occasion: from
accompanying me to my endless appointments, looking after me at home through
all my moods, irrationalities and grumpiness, to even changing my stoma bag. Nobody
could have done more, and I cannot thank her enough. I only hope that had our
situations been reversed, I would have been as supportive. I’m not sure.
And so on to
2018. I have 2 scans booked for late January, and have to see the oncologist in
February. The main thing is that I am still here, and I hope to still be around
to update the blog for 2018 at the end of the year.
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