Tumour Diary, Day 1 - Feb 8th 2011

Messages from the consultant on my answerphone when I got home from work. I'd had MRI scans 10 days ago on head and neck. They just got the results and summoned me in immediately. Tumour with cyst down where the head joins the neck. All they will say is - "not in a very good place".
7:10pm Start 'phoning family. Just get on with it as quickly as possible. Nightmare is not a strong enough word. Start packing a bag. Rang boss at work.
7:35pm Ring my good friends Katharine and Daniel. Immediately they insist on driving me to the hospital. (when Katharine insists, you don't refuse). God bless them!
9:10pm Arrive at King's College Hospital. As instructed, go to A&E because beds are in short supply. And this is the NHS BEFORE George Osborne takes an axe to it...
9:30pm Registered. Lots of kind messages coming in. Starting to sink in; get a tiny bit emotional for a second or two, but then get a grip.Waiting for my fantastic friend whom I shall call "Bill the Brain" to arrive. Bill's a Neurosurgeon at King's and has driven in from home specially to see me. Complete hero. Sees me safely into a treatment room and offers reassuring feedback about the problem and potential treatment.
10:30pm They've been pulling and prodding me, hitting me with hammers, even poking me in the eyes! Taken a load of blood (nearly an armful). Nurse sprayed some on the couch and my trousers for good measure. At least now I look like a proper A&E patient, covered in blood
11:00pm The long wait for a bed continues. Daniel still here keeping me company. Trooper!
12:45 Daniel off home. Observations taken again (3rd time). Blood Pressure, which was a bit high before, has gone down a bit.
1:00am Wheeled to one of the Neurosurgery wards where a bed has come free. Room to myself with ensuite. Luxury!
1:45am More observations. BP a bit better. MRSA swabs - fun. Not. Nice nurse brings most welcome tea and biscuits.
2:00am Now sporting ill-fitting fetching pale green NHS pyjamas. Different nurse asks me lots of questions from a form. His English pronunciation is slightly foreign to me so we have fun while I try and figure out what the hell he is on about, e.g.
"How many pills do you have?"
"Pills? None"
"No, pills when you sleep" (points at bed)
"Oh, pillows! 2 is fine, thank you" etc.
2:30am Typing up this diary while waiting for yet more blood to be taken - good job I still have quite a bit left. Some sleep would be nice.
2:45am It appears I misunderstood my English-strangling friend. No more blood-letting until the morning. To bed!