Thank you, everyone

The main reason for this post is to say a heartfelt thank you from Sheila and myself for all the messages of support we’ve been receiving by commenting on here, replying to my post on the Braidbar Owners’ Group Discussion Forum, by direct email and in person. I know from being on the other end at times that there’s not much you can say, but it still makes a big difference to us.

There’s not a lot to report: I’ve had a repeat Endoscopic Ultrasound to try to get a better sample for biopsy and, thanks to the Bank Holiday and school holidays, I won’t see the consultant again until a week next Tuesday. The histology report won’t be ready before then anyway, probably. The EUS found some pus lurking around, likely the aftermath of the first one, so I’m on antibiotics as well as everything else.

I think the only comment I have to make about that procedure (which at least went a bit more smoothly this time) is that the info leaflets might be a shade  more honest about the aftermath. It’s generally a very safe procedure, with only low risks of a serious adverse event like a gut bleed, but inevitably your tum doesn’t appreciate having tubes shoved through it and being blown up like a football. It takes it a few days to get back to whatever passes for normal. The info sheets used at Derby warn of the danger signs for bleeds and so on but otherwise just say that you can expect around twelve hours of discomfort while the trapped air escapes.

I’ve found it better to take three days off the normal diet in favour of soft foods like tinned rice pudding, fruit and yoghurt – I’m just about back to eating properly again now but plan to stay off the booze until I’ve finished the antibiotics, that is until Tuesday.