Some questions answered

Thank goodness today is almost over. By the time I got to the hospital, I was very stressed indeed!

The appointment itself lasted for 10 minutes. I answered a few questions about my internal workings - had I seen any blood? No, no and no. I was then outraged and snapped, "Certainly not!" in response to some very impertinent questions!

Then we did the physical examination. Now, nobody had told me exactly what this would entail, so, if any reader has to undergo something similar, I'm afraid that it does involve internal examination as well as prodding at the abdomen in an over-familiar manner. It was suggested that a rectal examination might also be included, though it might not be necessary. I put my foot down at that and refused; after some discussion, we agreed that the other examinations would go ahead and if - and only if - the nurse felt it really was necessary, would a rectal investigation occur. Luckily, she didn't think it was necessary and made a note on my huge sheaf of notes to say that I had declined this "opportunity".

I did ask several questions and now understand much better why you get three monthly checks after radiotherapy but nothing at all if you only have surgery (other than the routine 6-weeks-after-operation consultation). It's not necessarily to check whether there's been a recurrence (though it could be); rather, it's to check whether the radiotherapy has caused any side-effects - they can occur up to two years after treatment.

The next thing I learned is that hair that is lost as a result of radiotherapy is unlikely to grow back. If you have abdominal radiotherapy, therefore, you'll save a fortune in waxing!

Finally, I now know what the nurse meant when she told me that the three-monthly check-ups would be open to negotiation "if you're sensible". As long as I let them know if I have any unexpected bleeding, pain, etc. - it seems some people don't! - then after my August check-up, we'll be able to negotiate the distance between appointments; the next one after August may not happen until December or January.

The outcome of the consultation? Did I forget to mention it? I'm clear of cancer - at least for now. The nurse told me, "You've had cancer. You haven't got it any more."

Watch this space...