Decision time - part two

For the first part of this post go here...

For the discussion with the Consultant, we had been moved to a small side room in the Ward One. We were left to discuss the options and and make our decision. We prayed about this, asking God for peace about the correct way forward, but really it was a very easy decision.

When the consultant returned we told him that we wanted to go straight for the operation. My strong feeling was that we would go through four/six weeks of radiotherapy and all the recovery period and end up back in the same position, without the options. I felt an immense sense of peace over this decision. Seven months ago in November, we were faced with the same decision and I tried everything to get out of it. This time I was ready.

We were immediately sent to see the surgeon and accepted on to his list. It was likely that the operation would be about four weeks later, to allow the residual chemo to get out of my system. We went home and started the waiting period.

Nothing particularly exciting happened in this four week period. Gradually I recovered from the chemo getting ready for the operation. It would be longer because the surgeon needed to sort out the hernia which had developed in my stomach after the last operation.

The time of the operation approached. The Stoma Nurse visited me the day before I was admitted, to mark out the position of the stoma with an indelable ink pen - a large black spot on my stomach around two inches to the (my) right of my tummy button.

Brief aside to describe the actual procedure planned. The bladder is removed and a small piece fo the large bowel is also removed. This is connected to the kidneys and extruded out of the skin of the stomach - this is the Stoma. It is (currently) just over one inch in diameter and sticks out about three quarters of an inch. It does shrink in size after several months. 'Wee' continuously drips out of this and in to a bag stuck on to the skin of my stomach - a urostomy bag, my new best friend.

The next day (Wednesday 11th May) I was admitted to the Western General in preparation for this operation.

If you are still interested, thedetails of my stay in hospital are here....