Time Out

After a 3 week wait I am happy and relieved to say that I was given the all clear by the QE in Birmingham following my latest abdominal ct scan. Relief is an understatement as for the first time in a couple of years I was starting to have my doubts. Generally throughout my cancer ordeal I've remained pretty optimistic but after a series of investigations into ongoing pain I wasn't my usual confident self.
My unease had been heightened after the ct scan itself was paused while the radiographer approached me and asked if I had something on my side? As you can imagine this made me even more nervous about the results - I never found out what that was although I'm told that sometimes they pick up strange images?  More than anything though I've felt as though I've been reliving cancer just by having to attend related appointments, let alone the wait for results.
Since April this year I've had a mammogram and chest ultrasound, a scan of my womb and overies, renal ultrasound, chest xray and a ct scan. There's not much of me that hasn't been caught on a camera of one description or another and in all those images they've not found any evidence of cancer. If that's not cause to celebrate I don't know what is!
I've crossed the 3 year line and only 2 more to go before I get the definitive all clear.

Catching Some X Rays

This week I went for my annual chest x-ray which has followed closely on from a renal ultrasound and another scan of my bladder area. Just prior to this in April I was sent for a mammogram on some breast lumps which proved to be cysts after they'd also done an ultrasound of my chest area to be sure.
Before this latest x-ray I answered a few brief questions about my medical history and mentioned I have a CT scan in just over a week. This meant the radiographer had to seek advice on whether the x-ray could take place as they don't want to give me too much radiation. I'm already starting to wonder whether I've got any superpowers (apart from glowing in the dark).
The go ahead was given and another couple of inside out pics were taken of my lungs and chest area ready to be fast tracked to my GP before the CT scan date. Once that is done I don't think there'll be any more places on me (or in me) that haven't had an image taken.
Having spent the weekend before last celebrating my eldest daughter's wedding, I'm seeing more and more photo's of me pop up on social media - note to self  'I need to practice my being caught unaware face...' Thank goodness hospital x-ray departments don't have a Facebook page...I don't think my abdomen would attract many likes! I would also worry the radiographer may mention the state of my fast fading spray tan as once I'd got into the hospital gown I realised it looked like I hadn't washed for the past 10 years. Another note to self, 'spray tans look great on wedding photo's but raise some eyebrows when you're in the nip being scanned!'
So now it's just a trip through the ct tunnel for the scan I should have had over 12 months ago if I hadn't been wrongly discharged by the hospital. This will be the 6th x-ray/scan in 2 months, talk about making up for lost time. In fact only this morning I had another call from the hospital asking me to return for a renal ultrasound but when I mentioned I'm due a CT they said that would be ok.
I suppose I should be grateful for this burst of interest in my chest and abdomen, I mean now I'm really back on the radar and being taken care of. However, there's always the fear that they may spy something unpleasant which makes oblivion more appealing. The other concern I have is the CT scan itself, my first encounter with this machine wasn't good as I'd been rushed in as an emergency in great pain. Even sitting outside the scan room watching the warning lights flash off and on fills me with dread, it's like the all seeing eye.
I'll keep this blog updated as results come in, so far so good.