Dysfunctional Planner

Hi all

Bad news but not the worst news.

My husband has stage 2/3 cancer. He has a large tumour growing in his rectum and will soon be going in for surgery to have it removed.

The good news is it hasn’t spread and the fear of becoming a widow sooner than nature intended is at bay. Obviously there can be complications but Gav will be fine. The tumour is also sitting on a fatty bit of his rectum so far away from his prostate, which again is the best of the bad news.

We found on a Wednesday with the sun shining and a fairly pleasant morning of travelling to Southend University Hospital. We were scared but prepared. We were so calm in the office, because we were so pessimistic it came as a huge relief, even though it’s still cancer.

We were just about to sit down when the surgeon told us. We were shocked but eerily calm.

We are impressed by our surgeon, she was very confident and wants it sorted as soon as possible.

Because we were expecting the worst, we took this as good news.

It hasn’t spread.

It’s in one place.

If the surgery goes well he may not even need chemo.

He will be in pain, bed bound, in the hospital for 7-8 days and then we will wait to hear more result.

When he is healed he will have another surgery to reattach his colon, which means he won’t be able to sit down for months. The NHS has been amazing. From GPs to Drs, nurses, support staff and surgeons.

It’s still scary. There are days where we cry and hold each other and then their are days we are fine. Gavin has been very practical getting his affairs in order to make things easier.

Gavin only had two symptoms and is only 42! So please please if you think it’s not right, go get checked! this has all happened very quickly. We need to look after each other.

The photo at the top is us on the way to the hospital.

This week we will pack his bag and get prepared.

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions but we love each and will get through this.