The Day After The Day Before

So where do we go from here?

Well, following a night with not much sleep, the day started off just like all the rest. Rubbish breakfast, blood test and shower. Hey ho - life goes on!

Dr. Shand (GI/Ulcertive Colitis top man) was an early visitor. He had checked on the CT scan result and was very sorry to hear the news. However, he had a theory and more than a glimmer of hope.

Way back in 1990 when I first got UC, I was in hospital for 8 weeks under the expert eye of Professor Anne Ferguson, one of the top bowel and colon experts in the world. Dr Shand ws part of her team. Anyway, after about 6 weeks, although she knew what was wrong with me, I wasn't getting any better. It was time for Plan B. A new drug - Azathioprine - was showing some positive results and she wanted me to try it. So I did, and within two weeks, I started to get better - hooray!

Over the years at the GI Clinic, Dr Shand and I have discussed the long term use of azathioprine and possible side effects (eg bone problems etc.) but for various reasons like me starting a new job a few years ago and not wanting to be ill, I remained on it.

But now he explained his theory. There were basically two possibilities.

1. Cancer. ie. Bad cancer. If I had this, there was little or nothing he could do for me. (His words - clear, concise and to the point again.)

or

2. Lymphoma. There's no such thing as good cancer but if you get a choice, take this one. He explained that this is a possible side effect of the long term use of azathioprine.

He was pretty confident that this is what I would have, so much so that he cancelled a colonoscopy that had been scheduled for me for tomorrow and replaced it with a liver biopsy.

Now, I've had one or two colon biopsies before but I have also had several colonoscopies. For the uninformed, look away now - it basically consists of a camera on a cable which gets shoved up your jacksy!! Four and a half feet (that's 54 inches) up your jacksy!!! AND - as a bonus - you get to watch it all LIVE on the telly. Nice.
I suppose it's just like watching the old Raquel Welch movie 'Fantastic Voyage' except less entertaining because you know it's your own body.
Similarly, 'The Numbskulls' from The Beezer do the same sort of job, as do the wee firemen in the Gaviscon advert - except they go down the safe end rather than up the dangerous end!!

I felt much better following Dr Shand's visit and was grateful for his honesty and confidence.

So then I was whisked off for the biopsy. Now everyone who knows me will know that I'm a bit of a woossy, scaredy cat when it comes to any kind of procedure but actually this one was ok. A bit uncomfortable and the worst bit was when you know that the doc is about to nip off the wee sample. It's a bit like watching Eric Bristow with Dartitis or Bernhard Langer with the Yips! You know it's coming but the final release seems to take forever.

Back on the ward, I had to lie absolutely flat for three hours under the constant watch of the nursing staff. What could possibly happen? I've no idea but I seemed to get through it ok.

After explaining Dr Shand's theory to everyone, all we had to do was wait in hope for the result of the biopsy, which unfortunately would take until Monday to come back.
It was to be the longest four days of my life!
The good thing was that there was a bit of light at the end of what had been a very long and dark tunnel yesterday and the deep gloom had lifted just a bit.