Scar Wars X - The Red (or Pink) Dwarf

A long, long time ago,
In a Galaxy far, far away
Our hero Dave-Sky-Nando, Jedi Master, Cancer Survivor and all around good guy
Re-visits Darth Urologist and her evil henchmen as they attempt to discover what devilry is at work
An Empire Probe discovered, on the planet Bl'dar, that a hitherto unknown raised red spot has appeared.
Now - with an eye watering sized probe, Darth Urologist attempts re-insertion to ascertain the secret of the raised red spot.

I'd prepared for the long haul this time. I had no less than 3 MP3 players, loaded with music, batteries charged at my disposal and my trusty Kindle, loaded with books both audio and ordinary as well as some more MP3 tracks. I wasn't going to get caught out this time.

I had my early morning breakfast, now a habit of Flax Seed Oil, Cottage Cheese, ground Flax Seeds and poured that over some Weet-A-Bix and Cheerios. That together with a coffee was the last I'd have until after the Operation. I was allowed water which I continued to drink up until 11 just before I left.

I did 30 minutes of exercise on my orbital trainer and then did 5 minutes with the dumbbells which is pretty much my usual work out but this time I did this to some music by Camel which meant I didn't freak out and over do it - lesson learnt is not to exercise to AC/DC or other band of that style :-) I measured my Blood Pressure and it was OK - it was certainly the highest it's been for a while - not surprising I suppose. Next a shower and after that I continued to make sure I was hydrated. I sat around playing Solitaire and Mah Jong and made a note or two on the blog and by and large that was all I did. At 11:05 I left the house and with Camel still playing in my ears had a stroll up to the Hospital arriving at about 11:30.

Having arrived at what used to be Surgical Admissions I then spent 5 minutes looking for it's new location. It didn't matter, when I got there they said everything was on schedule for 1:30 start and that they'd let us know if different. Whatever pencil pusher decided to locate the new Surgical Admissions in a corridor and a small room in the old Private Hospital area should work out that we aren't allowed anything to eat or drink and so situating us outside of the kitchen where food was being prepared and served was cruel indeed. We have to sit together on a bunch of chairs waiting for our anaesthetist and Consultant (or Registrar). I decided that the seats in the corridor area were better as there was a slight breeze there. I had to move shortly after as a man in a wheelchair and his son turned up and it was easier for me to move than try and rearrange things. I turned on my MP3 player and was only disturbed three times - anaesthetist, Consultant and the Nurse to get me ready. Why on earth you should have to be there 2 hours early for the 2 small meetings is beyond me - I could understand the old way as it got you ready, in the zone etc. This way was like the old way and isn't great for your nerves. Each of you waiting to be called for your operation just before it happens! Mmm, I don't like it at all.

I was called in 2nd to get ready and this also corresponds with where my name is on the list - good that makes sense to me - they always say that where you are on the list doesn't count but there you go. Actually that more or less always happens I'm normally first or second to go.

I was taken to a room that I'd been in to twice before and got changed into Operating Gown and sexy DVT Stockings (I've quite a collection of these now - ideal for flying BTW). I heard a lot going on about lack of beds due to high A&E activity at the weekend.

It wasn't long, say 30 minutes, and they came and took me to theatre. They forgot my notes so had to go back and get them. I met the anaethetist and other prep person who got me ready and stuck the cannula in - this time on a different vein to the usual one towards the index finger side of my wrist.

That's all I remember - I could feel myself go out like a light and then I woke with a real start - quite a shock or jolt to see the same two guys - who told me it was all over and that I was fine. They wheeled me out to recovery - just across the way and I had some of the most wonderful tasting water yo can get. The stuff is ice cold and tastes brilliant after not having had a drink for some time. As they stuck an Oxygen Mask on me I did the first set of checks. Was there a saline drip in my hand - No. Was there a Cathether? No. Anything else - nope - all looked good and the Oxygen brought me out of my drowsiness in minutes.

Perhaps 10 minutes into the Oxygen, they came and asked whether I'd like a sandwich? Well yes please and I didn't mind what it was - I eat anything and would be grateful for whatever they had. So in pretty quick order they came with some orange juice, a cheese and tomato sandwich and some strawberry yoghurt which I carefully ate remembering from past experience trying to eat too quickly post operative isn't clever.

I then got transferred to the less serious end of the Recovery room - this was unusual but I had had this before - I'd actually been prepared in this room once before but generally they get you out to ward but again I heard the nurse stating that there were few beds and to be honest, I was the only one there who wasn't particularly groggy or connected to various pipeworks. Not nice seeing all the pipe works connected to these guys as I had that myself last time and on a couple of other occasions. The Nurse who came to attend to me was my own Princess Leah, in fact she looked more like Tilda Swinton than Carrie Fisher but with the most piercing blue eyes. Anyway enough of that already :-) She told me that as soon as I had managed to "have a pee" - that's pass water to some of you :-) I could go home. So she plied me with more of their fabulous cold water and after about 15 minutes I suggested that I could give it a go. With a little initial pain (it's stinging rather than anything else) managed to almost fill the bed bottle they gave me. Well it isn't a bottle anymore it is some sort of moulded cardboard and amazingly they drop some powder into it that solidifies the urine and just throw it away - amazing.

At this point my Consultant came and saw me. She is brilliant, I trust her and I like her straight talking a lot. She told me that once "I'd passed urine I could go home". I told her I had so she was pleased with that. Then she told me that she'd been "Unable to find anything in the bladder and all was clear". As all was indeed clear she "Wouldn't have known where to start taking biopsies and therefore decided that it wasn't necessary". So that meant that I was clear and that she wouldn't need to see me for 6 months. When they saw me in 6 months it would be for a check flexible cystoscopy. She did say to me before the Operation that these things fade and can be transitory and if so she would still cut it out to test it and take some biopsies locally. Obviously that didn't happen. She felt that there was a possibility that as the flexible scope was inserted last time it may have hit the bladder wall and that may have made the red raised area they saw.

That done, another nurse took Mrs. F's telephone number whilst I texted her mobile to come and get me. She was given unusual instructions and her work allowed her to come straight over and pick me up. She asked reception to ring recovery (which is very rarely done) and then a porter came and picked me up (they won't allow me to walk in the Hospital) and he deposited me with Mrs. F. at the reception. She had been allowed to park right outside the doors and she took me home.

So what does all this mean? I suppose we need to rationalise what we know.

• A visual inspection about 4 or 5 weeks ago showed a red/pink tiny raised area. This was sufficiently different to raise some concerns and that it needed to be operated on and biopsied

• This red raised area could be caused by:

• The instrument hitting the bladder wall on entry during that inspection
• Some sort of anomaly or growth
• The potential result of treatment

• I commenced FOCC about a week after this result
• There is nothing in the bladder now - it's clear

Without the additional note offered by my Consultant about the possibility of the instrument hitting the bladder wall which provides a possible explanation and the fact that it is possible for these areas to fade, I guess it would be difficult not to discount that FOCC played some part in this? It's wonderful news for me. I was most upset that they'd found even a small area that could be a recurrence but of course now I'm really pleased that it isn't.

I now progress from 4 monthly check ups to 6 monthly also adds to the pleasure. I'm very, very pleased, it's what I'd dared to dream the result would be. Again, I'm surprisingly flat about the results in another way, perhaps because I'd prepared myself for them to find something and that they might cut me about a bit like the last time so this great news didn't make me leap up and down but it did bring a stupid smile to my face which I continue to wear when discussing my good fortune.

Here endeth Scar Wars X. I sincerely hope that there will be no Scar Wars XI - we live in hope. I am particularly pleased that it will shortly be 5 years since onset (2nd July 2006) and 4 years and 11 Months since Diagnosis (21st July 2006). 5 years is the "magic" number in terms of Cancer survival statistics - how am I going to celebrate it? I have no idea but it's good to still be here and it's good to have come through this. The Bladder Cancer Journey continues - Live Long and Prosper - as someone stuck on my Facebook Page. I'll try very hard to live up to that mantra.