Surgery follow-up

I had my follow-up appointment with the surgeon yesterday.  He’s very happy with the surgery results and the biopsy results.  Apparently, I’ve healed extremely quickly and well – if that’s what this is I’d hate to be someone who doesn’t.  Of course, my healing abilities are about to be knocked out of the park by chemo.  He also believes, as did the oncologist, that the cancer is to all intents and purposes, gone.  Which is great news.  However, since there’s no way of telling if I have any microscopic traces floating around my body waiting to land somewhere and metastasise, there is no choice but to hit me with the wrecking balls of follow-up treatment.  Hopefully one day, there will be a cheap, simple and accurate blood test that can determine if those cells still lurk.  Would I trust it completely?  I don’t know…but maybe we’d be able to opt for a sledgehammer instead of said wrecking ball.

Tomorrow morning I go back into St Andrews for day surgery so a port can be inserted on my chest under the skin.  It will go into a major vein (can’t remember which one) so that the chemo drugs can be administered easily.  This means less trauma as I won’t need a cannula inserted each time and will prevent spillage of the drugs which can lead to ulceration, and will also mean that I won’t be looking at most of the veins in my arm shutting down.  Oh, the joys…