In The Meantime

Life in what passes for my mind has returned to normal and most of the time I don't even think of what is happening or what is to come. There is so much 'nothing' to get on with.

For the most part it's been quite a quiet week and CJ and I just pottered around like an old married couple doing the shopping and take photographs, going for coffee and the crossword and take photographs, deciding to go for a car ride and take photographs or a walk to take photographs. In fact we take a lot of photographs. I did a some gardening and outside work and lots of cooking (so that's what it's like being a housewife) but not, I have to say, much housework. We had friends for dinner on last Sunday and Monday (Sue Marshall stayed) and callers who 'just happened to be passing' (as if you can just pass this house - well actually you can if you are walking down to the shore). We spent hours on the computers sorting photos, writing blogs and I've started sorting and scanning in my old photos. I shall have to live to 100 just to do that! Actually it was a very busy week - we just didn't do very much - if you see what I mean.

Faith Restored

I decided last Thursday afternoon to email Mr Hollins and tell him that Mr Bramwell had referred me and that he wouldn't be getting the letter for a while. Within hours he'd emailed the radiologist and oncologist and sorted everything. On Friday afternoon I got an email from the oncologist saying that if I hadn't heard with a scan appointment by Tuesday I was to get in touch with him directly. It's restored my faith. Well in the NHS anyway!

I'll probably have my appointment before Mr Hollins knows officially that I've been referred to him.

For Want of a Nail

I started off the last posting by saying that my praise for the NHS continues. What a shame that I can't say the same 8 days later.

I rang Mr Bramwell's secretary in Raigmore yesterday afternoon to ask for a copy of the letter to Mr Hollins as promised by Mr Bramwell so that I could see my GP with it. Apparantly letters from the Western Isles Clinic are typed in the Western Isles to expedite matters. To quote one of my favourite lines from a film "Big mistake!". The letters from that clinic haven't been typed yet because there's been no one to type them.

A Friendly Face

My praise for the NHS continues: it took half a day on Monday for the NHS to arrange for me to visit the Urology Clinic which I did this afternoon. I saw Mr Bramwell (who visits once every blue moon - how lucky was I?), who was Mr Hollins' fellow Consultant in Raigmore when I had my op in 1998 and who is still there as the senior consultant. It was very re-assuring to be greeted by someone who was not only a friendly face but who remembered me - I have seen him since 1998 I should add.

After an introduction to Mr Sharath a Consultant at the Hospital and a specialist nurse we had a long chat (and a brief examination which I shall gloss over) the upshot of which is that he thinks I should continue all my treatment and scans etc through Mr Hollins and his team. He is writing to Mr Hollins and copying it to me so that I can 'persuade' my GP that this is what is going to happen. 'Cos it is! Mr Hollins is in Ayr which in itself is not so easy to get to but everything else is done in Glasgow which is much more visitor friendly for me because of the people I know there and the fact that Gaz's flat is there if I need accommodation. Inverness may be nearer but I have no real friends or contacts there any more so a stay for treatment would be a very lonely couple of weeks.