Monday 8th August, 2011

Prologue
 

This evening, I was admitted to hospital as an emergency, with badly swollen legs and fee. By the time I got hospital, I was no longer able to walk. Sue pushed me to the ward in a wheelchair.

Looking back, everything probably started with a fall several year. I fell on my back at the join between my spine and pelvis and suffered pain on and off from that point onwards. Although it can't be positively confirmed it seems that my lymphoma started around there.

At various times, I was prescribed muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory medication and it seemed to be under control. In February 2011, I was able to ski with little problem.

However it then started to get worse. On 8th March 2011, I had my first session with a chiropractor. At The Open Group meeting in April 2011, people commented that I looked to be in pain and my GP started me on stronger opiate pain killers.

On the 4th May 2011, my GP referred me to a muscular/skeletal consultant. His examination on 3rd June was rushed and superficial. He decided that there was no problem and no point in a X-Ray or a scan and referred me for a programme of physiotherapy.

When I eventually saw the physiotherapist on 8th August, she was very worried and immediately referred me to a different consultant as a priority case. He realised that there was something seriously wrong and made arrangements for an MRI scan. However that was overtaken by events.

The first indication of any problems with my bowels came in September 2010. On a visit to China, I suffered from serious constipation and retained wind.

On various visits to my GP, I was given laxatives and eventually on 4th May 2011, I had a test for bowel cancer which proved negative. The constipation got worse and more painful and initially was blamed on the effect of the opiates.

On 6th June 2011, I was referred to a surgical consultant who arranged for a colonoscopy. After two failed attempts to perform a colonoscopy, I was referred for a CT scan. That too was overtaken by events.

On 1st August I want to Center Parcs, Elvedon Forest, with my family. I was in a lot of pain, which almost all of my family notice. One of my daughters who is a doctor apparently told my other daughter that she wouldn't be surprised if I had cancer.

Over the first half of 2011, I lost almost 3 stone of weight.

Strangely, it was neither the problems with my back nor my bowel problems that resulted in hospital admission. The third growth, on my liver had been largely silent in terms of obvious symptoms. Today it started to press on the vein that carries blood back from my legs resulting in the swelling.

Looking back, there was only one opportunity missed to pick up the fact that I had cancer and that was the examination by the muscular/skeletal consultant on 3rd June. Happily that delay of diagnosis of almost 3 months seems to have had no impact on the outcome of treatment.