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Wednesday 11 November 2020

Waiting for news

At 10.00am this morning I was supposed to be having a telephone conversation with a doctor from University Hospital Lewisham about the results of my recent CT scan and blood test. This was arranged so that I didn’t have to go to the hospital and to help them maintain their COVID-19 prevention regime.

It is now just after 10.30am ... and I’m still waiting for the telephone call.

I’m sure that there is a good reason for the delay, but it is not helping Sue and I to remain cool, calm, and collected whilst we sit here waiting. Perhaps no news is good news ... but some news would be better still!


It is now 11.45am ... and I have just had my telephone consultation with the surgeon who is dealing with my case. It seems that as a precaution, I will have to undergo keyhole surgery at some point before Christmas. I'll explain more once I have had achance to absorb and process all the information I have been given.

20 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Jim Duncan (Jim),

      I’ve just had a conversation with the surgeon who is overseeing my case, and I will be having keyhole surgery to remove part of the bowels at some point before Christmas.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  2. No news is no news. The absence of news is bad news if you're wanting news!
    Hoping for the best -
    Ion

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Archduke Piccolo (Ion),

      I’ve now had the news ... and I will be undergoing precautionary surgery by Christmas.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Maudlin Jack Tar,

      Cheers! I’ve just update my blog post with the latest news.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  4. "Keyhole" yes I know what it means but in the particular instance one mind wanders to other words.

    May it go smoothly and do the trick.
    Ross

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ross Mac,

      I must admit that whilst the surgeon was talking about keyhole surgery, a scene from the Goon Show came to mind:

      Bluebottle to Eccles, who is on the other side of a door: ‘Why don’t you turn the nob on your side?’

      Eccles, in reply: ‘I don’t have a nob on my side!’

      (It was a better joke on the radio!)

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  5. Bob,
    I hope the keyhole surgery all goes well and you will be able to enjoy Christmas afterwards.
    Best wishes,
    Artrhur

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arthur1815 (Arthur),

      I’m now mentally geared up to going in and having the operation ASAP. That way I can put it behind me, and enjoy Christmas.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  6. I hope all goes well Bob. Ah..the Goons. Ha ha.
    Best wishes
    Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim Walkley (Jim),

      Cheers! Thanks for you kind words of support.

      The Goon Show (or as one BBC executive mistakenly referred to, the Go On Show) still makes me laugh.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  7. Hope your surgery goes well. Wishing you prayers and all the luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mark Nichipor,

      Thank you for your best wishes. They are much appreciated.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  8. I know it might sound weird, but now the waiting is over you know what you have to face, which I found easier to cope with. Fingers crossed for the keyhole surgery and hope you are able to return home a day or so after the op to recuperate and enjoy Xmas. All the best for you and your family and keep us posted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve J.,

      You are absolutely right! Now I know what is happening, I can mentally prepare for it.

      They are predicting that I will be in hospital for about seven days, so with luck I should be home well before Christmas.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  9. Bob - hope everything goes well and will be keeping my fingers crossed for you. As I had keyhold surgery myself a few years ago (to remove my gall bladder) I can say that the procedure itself and the level of discomfort afterwards wasn;t that bad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ian Dury,

      Many thanks for your best wishes and very helpful comment. Your experience of keyhole surgery bears out what I have heard from other people who have had it ... which is very encouraging,

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  10. Bob,
    I had the same sort of surgery about 4 years ago: a colonoscopy found a polyp in the wall of my secum (the connection between the large and the small intestine), which looked cancerous, but they could not tell for certain. So, they removed that entire length. Once my lower plumbing got over it--about 3 days--they sent me home, where I stayed pretty immobile for another week or two.

    The only really memorable event occurred as I lay on the gurney, waiting to be wheeled into surgery. My wife bent down for what I expected to be a good luck kiss. Instead she said, "Boy, you are really getting grey." And that loving observation is what I took with me to face the surgeon's knife.

    Hoping your experience is more romantic than that, my very best regards as always,

    Chris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chris,

      I am amazed at the number of people I know who seems to have had this problem and its associated operation. Luckily my polyp was found quite low down the colon, and will require a four-hour-long, keyhole surgical procedure to remove a short section of the colon and the nearby lymph glands.

      They estimate that I will be hospital for about a week after the operation, but I suspect that they will try to get me home sooner as they will want to keep as many beds clear as they can during the current pandemic. By doing so, they can maintain as near normal a programme of elective surgery as they can.

      Unfortunately, I won't be allowed any visits from my wife during my stay in hospital as it is maintaining as high a standard of COVID security as it can. I'm sure that if she were allowed to talk to me before I go into the operating theatre, it would be to ask if all the household bills were paid up to date!

      Thanks for you great message of support. It was much appreciated.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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