Catching up with my PEG Buddy

Had a very pleasant visit to the hospital today. We have taken to parking in the new multi-storey car park now - especially on a hot day like today as it is in the shade! It meant we had a cool car to come back to.

I checked in at the screen in the main atrium, then proceeded down to Reception at ENT. We sat down and I said to Nathan "What a shame we haven't seen Frank for a while." as I surveyed the waiting room. Nathan pointed behind me and said "He is over there!" So we swapped seats to sit opposite them. Frank was the chap who also has CUP and I met him when we were both in hospital at the same time to undergo the torture that is known as PEG Insertion. :-)

He looked SO much better than last time we saw him. He is still using the PEG as he cannot swallow solid food yet. He can drink okay though and has been doing more. He did admit though that if he is busy one day he needs to have a day of rest the day after. The consultant had told him it will be 18 months before he is back to full strength.

He said to me "Oh you've had your hair cut!" He was pretty surprised when I told him that it had all fallen out. His is as thick as ever. His wife told us that their hairdresser had advised him to use Baby Shampoo - so maybe that's what saved it. Mind you he only had one session of chemo - so that could be it. Anyway I've decided I should use Baby Shampoo now too - since I have very soft fuzzy baby hair growing back. :-)

I got called to the Sub-Waiting Room 1 - and we did not have to sit there for long before a nurse popped out and called my name. We'd seen Mr Fong - the smiley one - earlier so I'd presumed that that we would be seeing him. However when I got in there were two consultants I'd never seen before. One at the computer and one in the chair near the examination chair. He shook my hand and asked me how I'd been. He was very charming and smiley. I told him that I had tingly fingers and that my shoulder had been getting more stiff and sore.

He had a feel around my neck and then got out the camera to look inside my mouth. Then he said "Which nostril do you usually have this up?" I told him the right and he went ahead. He was really good though - it on;y brought tears to one eye! He had a good look around and said that everything looked fine especially my vocal chords apparently. That's good to know. He asked about the boobogram and I told him that they had only found a cluster of harmless cysts.

He said that he would organise some physiotherapy for my shoulder. The other consultant at the computer said that as I had tingly fingers in both fingers - not just on my bad side then it was almost certainll due to the chemotherapy. He said it might go - only time would tell. As my treatment was this year then there was still a chance it might go.

That chemo has a lot to answer for :-) Can't complain though as it did the business! My next appointment is in four weeks time on October 1st.