Bile Duct Diaries VI
8 Feb. 2008
Yesterday I went in for the laproscopy which is a keyhole investigation with a camera under general anaesthetic, so Mr Sharma and I had a dress rehearsal for what is to come and I got to see the op. theatre and meet the anaesthetists which is a big part of the procedure for a long operation. The operating table is surprisingly narrow and you feel like you could easily roll off, but once the anaesthetic kicks in, which it does in seconds, you are’nt rolling anywhere. As I came around Sharma showed me the photographs which were surprisingly bright and clear. He found nothing ‘sinister’ in the peritoneal area, but there were a few small nodules in the area and a spot on the stomach he is sending out for biopsy. This will determine what gets worked on and excised during the operation. And he is still assuming the cancer is deep in the bile duct or pancreas area.
And we now have a date for the operation, Tuesday, 19th Feb. But because the Royal Free is also a liver transplant centre, those operations take precedence if they come in as emergencies. Next week I have one final CT scan (on Monday) for any further diagnostic information and that’s it. I have had a discussion with Sharma about the operation; it’s usually 5-7 hours long, and most patients usually have some form of complications like infection, bleeding, fistulas, etc. following the surgery. The list is pretty long so I won’t depress you with it.
I’ll ask Jesse or Briony to update the weblog after the operation, so you can pick that up on: http://www.davidcampbell340.blogspot.com/ I had previously given out this address with a dot missing, so do try again.
So now Jane and I are facing a really challenging time. How do we best prepare body, mind and soul for this operation? How much to muster my anger and frustration in to fighting mode, or how much to accept my situation; how to manage fears about the future and how much to stay calmly in the present? How much to think about this at all, and how much to rely on delicious denial and go out to the cinema? And the tricky bit is that Jane and I will have different needs at different times. There are times I will want to retreat into myself and she may want more companionship, so we have to keep talking about it.
Now I am just thinking, ‘what’s the best way to prepare myself physically and mentally for the operation’. I’ll do the best I can…….. then on the 19th, I just have to hand myself over to Sharma. Isn’t life fascinating!!
Thanks so much for all your attention and support. It makes a huge difference to know we are not really going through all this alone.
Love,
David (and Jane)
PS. As I gather my thoughts about things, do believe life is precious and serious and…..also a bit absurd, so let’s end this Diary with some relevant humour.
8 Feb. 2008
Yesterday I went in for the laproscopy which is a keyhole investigation with a camera under general anaesthetic, so Mr Sharma and I had a dress rehearsal for what is to come and I got to see the op. theatre and meet the anaesthetists which is a big part of the procedure for a long operation. The operating table is surprisingly narrow and you feel like you could easily roll off, but once the anaesthetic kicks in, which it does in seconds, you are’nt rolling anywhere. As I came around Sharma showed me the photographs which were surprisingly bright and clear. He found nothing ‘sinister’ in the peritoneal area, but there were a few small nodules in the area and a spot on the stomach he is sending out for biopsy. This will determine what gets worked on and excised during the operation. And he is still assuming the cancer is deep in the bile duct or pancreas area.
And we now have a date for the operation, Tuesday, 19th Feb. But because the Royal Free is also a liver transplant centre, those operations take precedence if they come in as emergencies. Next week I have one final CT scan (on Monday) for any further diagnostic information and that’s it. I have had a discussion with Sharma about the operation; it’s usually 5-7 hours long, and most patients usually have some form of complications like infection, bleeding, fistulas, etc. following the surgery. The list is pretty long so I won’t depress you with it.
I’ll ask Jesse or Briony to update the weblog after the operation, so you can pick that up on: http://www.davidcampbell340.blogspot.com/ I had previously given out this address with a dot missing, so do try again.
So now Jane and I are facing a really challenging time. How do we best prepare body, mind and soul for this operation? How much to muster my anger and frustration in to fighting mode, or how much to accept my situation; how to manage fears about the future and how much to stay calmly in the present? How much to think about this at all, and how much to rely on delicious denial and go out to the cinema? And the tricky bit is that Jane and I will have different needs at different times. There are times I will want to retreat into myself and she may want more companionship, so we have to keep talking about it.
Now I am just thinking, ‘what’s the best way to prepare myself physically and mentally for the operation’. I’ll do the best I can…….. then on the 19th, I just have to hand myself over to Sharma. Isn’t life fascinating!!
Thanks so much for all your attention and support. It makes a huge difference to know we are not really going through all this alone.
Love,
David (and Jane)
PS. As I gather my thoughts about things, do believe life is precious and serious and…..also a bit absurd, so let’s end this Diary with some relevant humour.
2 comments:
hello david
just read your last update... the only way seems to be through so good luck for 19th... hope the cure is not worse than the disease, but i know sometimes thats what it feels like now we see take care thinking of you and jane jenny
Dear David,
Thinking of you, Jane and your children. Hope all goes well next tuesday. You will be in my thoughts and prayers! Roberta (and Kevin)
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