What's a few days?

A few days could and probably should be construed as three or four but alas, I have not been here for probably over 14.

What did I say I would write about? Illness - ah yes, here is the abbreviated version as I feel good again and don't wish to dwell.

May 2007

1. I suffer discomfort
2. Discomfort becomes pain
3. Pain is bad so I visit doctor
4. Doctor detects 'mass' in lower colon and wants to take biopsy
5. Pain is too bad for doctor to take biobsy so prescribes antibiotics
6. Antibiotics work - pain improves and doctor can take biopsy of bad bit causing pain
7. Biopsy comes back - bad news - 'well differentiated' adenocarcinoma is detected
8. Doctor sends me for further tests including CT scan to check problem hasn't spread to other parts of body
9. I wait for results while pondering life and what or how much might be left of it
10. Test results are good - except for the original problem, that is.
11.Doctor recommends operation for removal of mass, or else!
12.I take doctor's advice though seek second and third opinions
13.Second opinion from top colorectal surgeon at Bamrungrad Hospital confers with doctor
14.Third opinion confers with others
June 2007
15.I decide to have operation at Bangrumrad - top surgeon, private en-suite room with cable TV
16.June 09 1800 2007 - I start counting to 20, get to 2 then wake up in recovery room
17.June 10-12 - morphine is my friend and makes pain and cable TV programmes bearable
18.June 13 - after 5 days of nil by mouth, rice water actually tastes good
19.June 14 - soft foods again
20.June 17 - I am discharged from hospital - I have a foot-long scar down my lower abdomen but the stitches are out
20.Doctor informs me that operation went well - mass removed with good 'margins' but was in quite an advanced stage, having spread to local lymph nodes. Will need six-months of intensive drug treatment to lower chances of recurrence elsewhere.

June 25 - I return to work. Normally I wouldn't have done this and I will no doubt talk about why later. However, I felt recovered and fit enough to work and really enjoy it, so why not?

It all happened very quickly and I have not really had time to suffer to many emotions or perhaprs it is that I remain extremely positive. I could have been (and still could be!) knocked down by a bus. I could have been blown up on the Tube. I could have not had medical insurance - the total cost of the stay in hospital and operation came to just over 4K. I could have not suffered any pain, as is generally the case in things that are this serious, and my disease could have remained undetected until too late.

All of these things allow me to have a positive attitude and outlook on life, despite the gravity of the situation I found myself in.

Time to move on to the next blog entry!