Tag Archives: health

here we go again…

22 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by in health & happiness, home, hospitals

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Actually, this will be the first time (I think) that I’ve had the Opaque Enema procedure, using a barium contrast. But apparently the prep is the same as for a colonoscopy. Oh joy. So have spent the past couple of days on a low-fibre diet and today it’s clear liquids only, until I start taking the SOLUCIÓN EVACUANTE around 6 pm. Bleh.

The worst part of liquid diet day is how boring it is. Sure I’m a bit hungry, but it’s more that I’m not preparing a snack or going out to meet someone for a tapa. Just feels weird. At first I thought that, today being a cold rainy day, it would be easier as I’d have an excuse to just stay in and be cosy. But now I’m thinking that doing my 10,000 steps in the sunshine would’ve been a better diversion. Oh well. It’ll all be over by this time tomorrow and this evening I plan to binge watch The New Pope.

UPDATE: Went to start the “Evacuation Process” this evening only to discover that there were only 9 envelopes in the box I picked up at the hospital yesterday. There should be 16. So I am taking the 9 and hope that does the trick. Sure don’t want to have to go through all this again!

honestly, what are the odds??

21 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by in friends, health & happiness, hospitals, sevilla

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People always say that things happen for a reason, but I don’t actually believe that. I think that things just happen, but that sometimes they happen with such incredible serendipity that it’s hard not to wonder if there is some “reason” out there. My favourite Spanish word for this is “azar” (“happenstance” in English). Anyhow, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE what happened today.

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my second endoscopy

19 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by in cancer, hospitals, sevilla

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My first endoscopy was in March 2018 and this past Monday my oncologist decided to do another one to compare with the results from almost two years ago. I was shocked when I got a call yesterday saying that my endoscopy would be today! Was it so fast because someone had cancelled or because my situation was deemed so serious that a test was required ASAP? Anyhow, they’ve also taken samples for a biopsy, so now it’s wait and see again.

The last one seemed to go more smoothly than today’s. For some reason I was really gaggy and it was very unpleasant – I don’t remember this happening last time. The nurse said that next time I should ask for a stronger anaesthetic.

My friends Claudia and Paul met me at the hospital because it was recommended that I have someone with me in case I was groggy after the procedure. Mostly I was thirsty because I wasn’t allowed to have even a drop of water for six hours before the procedure. I also hadn’t eaten since about 8 pm yesterday, so after finishing up at the hospital at 5.00 pm, we ended up finding a tapas bar with an open-all-day kitchen. And now I am home again, planning on an early night.

Apparently nothing now will happen until mid-to-late January, which is when they expect the biopsy results back. So as long as nothing was perforated and I don’t die of sepsis in my sleep things should be fine… for now.

ct scan results

12 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by in cancer, hope, hospitals, sevilla

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Picked up my CT scan results today. I’m so glad my GP will print out a copy for me once the report has been uploaded onto the hospital database. Then I type it out in Spanish and put it through google translate (with medical terminology it’s pretty accurate). And then I read it. Because I know it will be weeks before I get another appointment with my oncologist and it’s good not to feel in the dark all that time.

Anyhow, remember last year after my November 2018 CT scan when my oncologist told me I was fine now, cancer free for ten years, so I didn’t need any more scans, but you know, I should come back if I’m ever in pain? And I thought, fuck that shit, by the time you are in pain with cancer you are practically dead (as I found out back in 2008).

So I convinced her to at least let me have an ultrasound, which happened late last summer. And guess what? They saw something on my liver that they felt warranted an MRI. Meanwhile, my mystery pain came back (again!), so then my oncologist agreed to another CT scan, instead of an MRI, which she said was a more “complete” test.

All I can say is… damn good thing I am still getting tested! The report from last week’s scan is a mixed bag of inconclusiveness, but there is concern about “this and that”, so it looks like more testing is on the horizon. Not going to go into details now since nothing has been confirmed, but they could not entirely rule out more cancer, along with a few other new “issues” which have kind of left me reeling. On the other hand, it may all be nothing but inflammation from previous operations and illnesses. Me? I’ve gone numb. And am keeping on with my daily walks. There’s nothing else I can do for the moment.