Cancer Scare

Two weeks ago I talked to my sister Ngaire about the surgery she was having this week. This was follow up to surgery she had last year to remove some bowel cancer. My paternal grandmother also had bowel cancer so there was a family history.

I realised that one of the minor health issues I had and was putting down to an oversupply of takeaways could also be a symptom of bowel cancer. So I made a doctors appointment for later in the week. My GP agreed this could be a symptom of cancer. Fortunately I have health insurance paid for by my employer (thank you ANZ) so by the end of the day I had an appointment for colonoscopy.

To make for a really bad day I also learned I didn't get a job at work that everyone reckoned had been created for me. I had persuaded Kavita to apply because I figured in the unlikely event I didn't agree to take the job I would rather have her in it than anyone else. Other than as a bad dream it didn't really occur to me that they would give the job to Kavita and not me. Hoist by own petard!

Anyway today was colonoscopy day. I spent the weekend on a really boring diet - white toast and vegemite for breakfast and dinner. White bread and chicken sandwiches for lunch. Wine biscuits and dry crackers for snacks to keep me going at agility. It was also obvious my head wasn't in the right place as I got only one clear round with Rapid each day - way down on our usual 60% rate. Then yesterday evening and again this morning I had to drink a litre of laxatives, which actually tasted only of salt and ascorbic acid.

This afternoon I went off to Wakefield Hospital for the colonoscopy. After about an hour of sitting around during which all that happened was having my blood pressure taken (137/96 so I wee bit high) and a needle stuck in my arm.

I was then wheeled off to the theatre. The anesthetic was put in my arm. The surgeon noticed my very brown arms and asked what I did that had me outdoors all the time. That let to a chat about dog agility until it was time to go. I was rolled onto my side. I have vague memories of feeling like a hundred fingers were poking me from the inside and then I woke up back in the cubicle i started from. A snack of noodles and sandwiches (very well presented as you would expect at a private hospital) and a cup of tea it was off to see the surgeon. He presented me with a photo of my colon and my rectum from the inside and the good news that everything was noraml.