Delay in Blog

January, 2008

  1. Delay in Blog

    January 2, 2008 by Christopher Buxton

    (Annie writes)

    Delay in the Blog

    All our friends would know that after opting for early retirement, we spent 2.5 months in Bulgaria battling with a variety of the family property problems. The stay had to be cut short, due to the worrying reports we were receiving about Chris’s parents – his mother’s situation was deteriorating.
    So we loaded our car and drove back to the UK – enjoying the trip across Europe, which we had not done for the last probably 15 years.
    Shortly before we started on the trip I had accidentally discovered a little lump in my right breast while drying after a shower. I did not share this with anyone, as I thought it was insignificant and part of the normal process of aging – getting more lumpy!
    We left on the 5th of October and arrived back home on the 8th/9th of October. When we came back home, I thought that the little lump had grown a bit, so I shared my fears with Chris. I had an appointment with our Doctor on the 11th of October and she referred me to the Breast clinic in Colchester. I received an invitation to see one of their specialists and on the 20th of November I was called for tests and a conversation with the specialist. After the scan, the mammography and the biopsy, I was told that I had Lobular cancer (of the lobe of the breast), which was unusual, but treatable. An operation was necessary, but before that they wanted me to go to Bury St.Edmunds and have a rendezvous with their MRI scanner as Colchester did not have one as yet – one was expected after the new year. This was supposed to provide vital information for the operation.
    Chris says that I remained calm generally – I have some confidence in my health as I eat well and walk as much as I can and also exercise every morning.
    The appointment for Bury was for November the 28th.on Thursday, the 6th of December the specialist called me to tell me he had kept a “slot” for my operation in the morning of Wednesday the 12th of December.
    I went in the day before, had various tests done and was operated on that day. I was released to go home at lunch time on the 13th of December – it is so much more comfortable to be ill at home!
    I was quite pleased that I had the Christmas festivities to distract me, the children coming, my parents-in-law – Mummy’s situation was variable, she was twice in and out of the hospital when this was going on. And of course you – our friends, who all rang, wrote from every country, day and night, with so much love and care. And I felt better for it!
    I am now expecting “the delights” of radio-therapy, which will start at the beginning of February.
    Keep fingers crossed!