Thursday 15th January 2009

Art'noon!

This morning I've been given a preliminary appointment for my MRI scan for Thursday 29th January. My oncologist wants to try and bring it forward, but I'm not sure it will be possible, because although there are a number of scanners in the area, apparently the one at Bradford Royal Infirmary is the best for this type of scan, so they are keen for me to have the scan there which restricts the availability somewhat. We'll have to see. Unfortunately I am at an event the night before which is traditionally a bit of a session, but I don't think that would be a good idea the night before a liver scan (ha ha!), so it'll have to be a sober one this year :(

The good news from my perspective is that my oncologist sees this scan as really just a final checkpoint, and is happy for me to have my PICC line taken out when I go into the Macmillan Unit for my regular appointment on Monday. This is good news from the perspective that I can start having showers and going to the gym again, but it is also a very positive indication that they really believe that this nodule is probably insignificant and that surgery will go ahead, otherwise she would have recommended that I keep the line in in case of the need for further ongoing chemo if the surgery was not possible.

If the news was to be bad of course, I could always have the line put in again, but if there was any real doubt, they would rather it was left in in the first place, so cautionary good news I think.

As usual, thanks for all the messages of support and good will yesterday - unfortunately it will now be another couple of weeks before I know anything for sure (I'm not milking it on purpose by the way, even if it does appear so! :). That actually suits me, because as I don't yet know for definite that I will be having surgery, there's no point in me worrying about it - if they only make their mind up the day before I go in, then that's less time for me to be stressing out! :)

Anyway, thanks again!

See you tomorrow (probably resorting to limericks again, as there is unlikely to be any developments now for a couple of days at least!)