Vermouth and Volante

Monday saw me making my way to New Cross Hospital for the first of this week's appointments. Armed with my appointment letter and a bottle of human pop I waited in the reception queue to be called.

"Michael Gormley" called the health care assistant. I got up and walked over to her and she said: "you're looking well this morning", so I started to limp. I limped down the corridor to Dr. M's clinic and took a seat, holding out my bottle of "Pop". HCA :"I know it says we need it on your letter, but it is a standard letter and we don't actually need it, but thank you for making the effort". Where to put it now..... in my pocket it went with a prayer that the lid might be tight.

Dr. M introduced himself as one of Dr. B's team.....AAAAAAH....NOW I know why I'm here...... the Gastro-intestinal man has asked Dr.M to consult with me. What a pleasant man Dr.M is, explaining why I needed to see him. I had complained that I have a regular urgency that makes me run back home from bus stops, turn the car around and rush back home mid journey and to trek the landing in the middle of most nights, and he was going to take a look at possible causes. I became defensive and proffered that I thought it was to do with the damage done to my insides by the "second world war mustard gas" that they had given me before my SCT at Christmas. Dr.M agrees that it might be the case, but he needs to do a thorough examination to be sure that it is not polyps or even worse.

So out comes the consent form and the Shaffer pen..... well if your gonna sign away your dignity, it may as well be with a Shaffer.

Initial gel,air and camera investigation leads to an appointment I have to ring and request myself the following day, presumably so that they know I'm gonna turn up .

After I finish the consultation, I make my way out of the door limping. To my suprise, the HCA calls down the corridor: "Wrong leg Mr. Gormley". TEE HEE.

Dutifully I made that phonecall yesterday and requested an appointment for my Colonoscopy and they tell me they will be in touch.

Appointment number 2 was yesterday with the wonderful Dr. A. B. which was my usual 6 week check on Myeloma business. My numbers are ok with my HB @ 12.9, WBC @5.6, Neutrophils@ 3.7, Creatinine , (June 20th figure as these take for ever to come from lab )@147 and platelets @ 102.

Paraproteins "less than 2".

I do not need  any treatment still at present so that is good.

Lorna took the opportunity to ask if she could donate Stem Cells to be stored and used for the future by someone in need, but Dr. A B explained that resources don't exist at present to store them and you can only donate fresh if matched. So Lorna is going to take the test and go on the register ASAP. Roll on a Euro Lottery win and maybe we can set up a storage facility.

Well today I was minding my own business when the phone rang.

"Hello....     Mr. Gormley" Yes, you guessed, they have of all things, A CANCELLATION  in the Colonoscopy dept. for tomorrow @3.15 pm. so i'm currently shoving down 1 litre of Klean Prep every hour till i'm nice and ........... empty?    Tastes like a cross between cream soda and iodine, but they say it will do the job so "down the hatch". No solids for me till tomorrow at about 6 pm, so wish me luck xx.

So, you wonder, what about the above title?

" Any time, any place, Anywhere", and SPEED is of the essence just now and I probably will have to FLY xxxx.