Well that's me all sorted for my operation on 7th November. The nurse at the hospital this morning reckons my infection won't be a problem and it's all systems go. Can hardly believe that it's happening in seven days time. Six months more or less since my diagnosis. Everyone I've met at the hospital is full of praise for Mr Speake, my surgeon, or if not they tell me he would not be operating in Western General Hospital as only la creme de la creme are acceptable, so to speak. I feel nervously confident. Apparently the operation will last four hours minimum and then two or three days in High Dependency Unit.
I hope I'm not boring you with my op details, but just needed to get it off my chest and let you all know how things are progressing. I've been given a thick wad of stuff to read before I go in, so will have to get down to that tonight. There's so much I have to do before next Thursday it's going to be hard to fit it all in. I'm hopeful my shower will be up and running by Monday, which should get that off my mind. Everything becomes more complicated when one is not too well.
I've been recruited onto a research study, Scottish Colorectal Cancer Genetics Study, that Professor Dunlop is doing along with Edinburgh University and funded by Cancer Research UK. I met one of his Senior Research Nurses today and she invited me to take part, and I agreed. There will be no benefit for me but it could make a difference for folk in the future, so glad to help and you never know that could be you benefiting. I gave a sample of blood today and they will obtain my DNA from it though I won't be told anything unless they discover something that has relevance to my condition or to my family members. They say they may detect genes in my sample with a major effect on cancer risk. If this happens they will contact me and advise me on next steps.
I've also agreed to let them have a sample of my tumour once the pathologists have finished with it and it will be kept in cold storage for them to study in their own time. Apparently Professor Dunlop likes nothing more than looking at my cancer through his microscope. Easy life some folk have. Anyway I was really pleased to be asked and very happy to participate. All too exciting.
Donna, the research nurse asked me what size my feet are and also the size of my hands. There may be a correlation between foot and/or hand size and cancer risk. Bet you never knew that. They work in collaboration with other teams in UK and abroad to test theories etc and my data could be used by them too. They won't tell me my DNA sequence unfortunately.
Must go for a coffee. It's wet and windy now here in Edinburgh but we expect that now, don't we?
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2 comments:
Don, I am so glad they are going ahead with the op. you must be very relieved. Thinking of you often. xxx
Thanks Anne, can't say I'm looking forward to the whole business but has to be done so very pleased that it's going ahead next week. Then the worlds my oyster. Thanks for your support and will see you sometime after op.
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