Good and not so good news

Firstly the good news: although my bone scan showed degenerative changes there was, according to the report, no evidence of bone metastases!

The not-so-good news is that I will indeed have to have another CT biopsy as apparently no results were obtained from the last one. I now await a letter from the hospital giving me the details. Perhaps my GP will prescribe something to calm me down before the procedure so I don't make so much fuss this time.

I just want the diagnosis, so that I can get started on treatment.

21st April: Diagnosis

On Tuesday 21st April I sailed blithely along to an appointment with the gastroenterology consultant at Medway hospital expecting to be told that the pains in my side and shoulder for the past four months originated in my gall-bladder.

Instead he had to tell me that it was metastatic cancer.

Now, I've had two cancer diagnoses in the past, both breast cancer (nicely balanced, one each side, 21 and 8 years ago.) Despite that, I was stunned with shock, not expecting this twist of events.

When the pains began in late December 2008 my first thought was of course, liver metastases from my breast cancer. But I had an ultrasound within two days which showed no abnormalities in my liver, and so my mind was set at rest, though the pains continued. The ultrasound did, however, raise some questions so over the following months I had a series of diagnostic tests to the kidney area, and I did wonder what was going on.

But I still didn't expect to find out it was metastatic cancer, with a lesion on my liver and possible bone cancer in my shoulder.

Now I await a bone scan and a CT needle-biopsy of the mass in my pelvis. Whether it's the old breast cancer that's spread or a new ovarian cancer that's spread, I'll have to have chemotherapy, but the type of chemo depends on which cancer.

I've decided to make a treatment bracelet of trollbeads - one for each stage in my journey. Here is the first bead - of many, I sadly expect.