Cancer - Investigations in UK
Well when we did get back the investigations into Susans condition started in earnest. The first batch of tests was inconclusive, as the Doctors could not see what was happening in Susans large intestine. Susan was accused of not following the regime the doctors set for the tests. In fact She had followed the instructions to the letter.

The reason for this misunderstanding became clear when the Doctor finally used a camera and found she had over a hundred polyps in her bowel and one had turned to Cancer.

At this stage there are some important points that should be noted. The doctors involved all had a different approach to us. Some were arrogant and knew everything and thought they knew best. Others were sensitive, caring and listened. The arrogant did not "listen" to Susan and took a lot longer to come to a sensible conclusion re her tests. To this day they have not managed too diagnose, to Susans satisfaction, her original complaint about her stomach being uncomfortable. (The latest theory is reflux.)

All of Susans other conditions were forgotten once the cancer was discovered, even the ones that were causing problems

I found it easier if I was told all the details and doctors conclusions first hand. Susan prefers us both to be there when the Doctors announce they findings, however she usually prefers not to know the gory details. We find that what's said by the doctor does not always; completely register with the "patient" so the partner can recall what really happened.

When they told me that Susan had Cancer. It was decided that I would tell her the news. I told her four times and it still did not register this was because of the anaesthetic used during this test.

The doctor had cut twenty polyps away before he decided to give in and take a look around the corner in the intestine; there he saw what her described as the nasty polyp. At this point he could not say it was cancer because he had to wait for the biopsy. It was odds on it were cancer. It was decided to make an appointment with the Surgeon a Mr. Stebbings.

I cannot remember exactly the order of events and the exact conversations from this point on. I have done my best to be as accurate as possible. We saw Mr. Stebbings and he said the bowel was covered in polyps and he suspected it was Familial Adenomatous polypopous Familial means that it runs in families (EACH CHILD OF AN AFFECTED PARENT HAS A 50% RISK OF INHERITING OR NOT INHERITING THE DISEASE GENE). Adenomatous is a type of mushroom-shaped growth or polyp which may be pre-cancerous. Polyposis is a condition where 100 or more polyps can form in the large intestine. The rectum was clear of polyps but Mr Stebbings recommended that the rectum be removed as well.

At this point for the first time Susan took control and said no way Hosea. "If there is nothing wrong with it, I will keep it. I will keep as much as possible for as long as possible". Mr. Stebbings said the he believed that the rectum would grow polyps much as the rest of the bowel had and he would be back to operate again. His opinion was that it would be better and make more sense to do everything in one go. Susan said no I will keep the rectum.

Then followed a whole series of tests. The object of most of the tests were to establish that Susan had polypopous and that her rectum would be able to take the strain as it were of no large bowel. The large bowel recirculates the liquid products so less liquid leaves the body through the rectum, to put it politely. Well the test called the Gardiners test looks at the eye to see if a certain gene is out of place or extra cannot quite remember what. The eye showed no such thing and so polypopous was not proved. However the Doctors still insisted it was an initial case.

The rectum tests, carried out by a scientist, were very undignified. They discovered there were some nerve damage but not enough to justify the removal of the rectum. We were told that Susan would have had her operation and be home by Christmas which was six weeks away.

Susan waited and no word came from the Norfolk and Norwich hospital and we realized that the operation was not going to happen before Christmas. In fact it was only by good fortune or bad planning that Susan's operation happened in January 1999, almost exactly one year after our trip to Australia and New Zealand. There was a Flu epidemic and all minor operations were cancelled this meant there were gaps for Major ops and Susan was asked to attend on the 22nd January 1999 to prepare for the operation on the 25th January 1999. Susan gave up smoking three days before her operation after a talk with the anaesthetist who told her that it would help her greatly if she could give up three days before her operation.
The Operation (Cancer 3)