The day finally arrived for me to see the consultant. I arrived early at the hospital to avoid the morning rush hour and after a Costa coffee I went to sit in the waiting room. I had my Kindle with me as I would prefer to read rather than interact with the other patients. The clinic was on a cancer ward and I was trying to block out the horror stories that were being exchanged. Unfortunately I had forgotten my headphones so could not block out everything.
When I was called in to the consulting room I was beginning to feel like a fraud. Those other people in the waiting room, from the snatches of conversation I could not ignore, clearly were sick. I, however, was feeling better than I had in years. I have seldom felt so out of place.
The consultant was not quite so sure of my wellbeing. Although he told me that my kidneys were ok, except for a tiny kidney stone, he pointed out that I had some indicators for prostate cancer. I was given the option of watching and waiting, which meant having regular tests. Or, the option which he favoured, which was to have an MRI scan followed by a biopsy. I chose to go with his recommendation.
I was asked to wait to see a support worker so I returned to where I was seated previously and straight back to my Kindle. Before I could even begin to read, a familiar voice asked, ” are you from Warsash? It’s Pete Cable isn’t it?” The voice belonged to Viv. Someone I had known since we were at school, although we had not seen each other for twenty years or more. A cancer ward was a strange place for a reunion but I hope we get together for a cup of tea and a chat real soon.
Living With Prostate Cancer 