24 th July

Tomorrow is the BIG day. I finally get to see a speech pathologist. I would love to be able to shout HOORAY or something similar, but alas until she works out a treatment plan I am afraid I will just have to SHOUT in writing instead.

Let's hope that this meeting will prove to be the start of something that can really help to change my voice back to something resembling its former self.

I had a call yesterday and when I responded I was greeted as though I was my partner! I then had to suggest to the caller, as gently as I could, that while my voice was several octaves higher at present I was still a male person.

HOW embarrassing!

It was raining today and when I got into the hospital I was told (along with all of the other patients waiting for their turn to get a dose of gamma rays) that BOTH the machines had spat the dummy and gone off line. Apparently it was something to do with their cooling systems.

A suggestion from me that they take the machine outside and let it sit in the freezing cold rain did not go down well I am afraid!

So acknowledging that it would be at least an hour before things could resume I thought about what to do next.

I first had a brief meeting with my doctor, who acknowledged that I was explaining that it was becoming more difficult to swallow and handed me a new "joy" a bottle of stuff called Mucaine which has a wonderful bit of information on the side of the bottle "If the pain does persist we suggest you see your doctor!" BOOM BOOM! Full circle I guess?

I wandered off to the hospital cafeteria (a VERY dangerous act - I mean imagine actually PAYING for hospital food) and managed to get a croissant and a couple of books in the op shop and then wandered back to the waiting room. I had only managed to pour myself a nice cup of tea and have a bite of the croissant when I was called. (Yeah I know Tea and Croissant - an unlikely combination and the French will probably turn up their noses the next time I am over there - I mean who in their right mind drinks tea with croissants?)

By the way do people know the story of the croissant? Apparently a Hungarian baker in Austria (Vienna to be specific) baked the very first ever croissant as a way of commemorating the defeat of the Turks who tried to conquer Vienna. The crescent shape was designed to emulate the crescent on the Turkish flag and by eating the croissant people could symbolically eat the Turks.

I suspect that the French took over the symbol (mainly because it tastes nice) when they successfully invaded Vienna during the time of Napoleon. Ever since then it seems to be associated with France and breakfast.

So much for that little aside!

It's hard enough speaking with my voice at present much less through a mouthful of tea and croissant!

Anyway I was led off to be strapped down and given my daily dose and then off home again.

On the way to the cafeteria I was stopped by some of the staff at the hospital who shall remain nameless and asked if I was aware that when pay parking was finally introduced to the hospital that all cancer patients who did not hold pensioner concession cards would have to pay the parking fee.

Actually I was NOT aware of this and when I was asked what I would do about it, my ancestral memories of once having been trained in and worked in the field of Community Development imposed themselves into my consciousness.

I immediately contacted the person who runs THE CANBERRA ONE-STOP CANCER WEB-SHOP
and suggested to him that perhaps we could mention this on his web site. He indicated that he had already written to the major daily paper in this town and that his letter had been published.

His letter is very nice and restrained in my view.

Amomg other things he calls upon "the Minister Katy Gallagher to ease the burden on repeat visitor cancer sufferers in the ACT requiring treatment programs. These people should be provided with free parking while undergoing treatment."

What most people want to forget I suspect is that the current Minister used to be a senior officer for the trade union representing the biggest work force in the ACT namely public servants. In this role she was all for supporting the needs of her constituents especially in the area of health and safety.

Oh how time and circumstances can change view points!

Now the Minister is responsible for a great revenue raising venture for the government she works for and the needs of the constituents - well they can be left until the next election can't they?

Don't you worry Katy we will remember your kindness and your efforts to support us in your current portfolio when it comes time to vote again. All we have to do is to survive long enough and to encourage all of the people who are supporting us to continue to live at least that long to remember right along with us!

Of course if people want to see more about this Minister why not visit her web site at http://www.katygallagher.net/
or better yet write directly to her to express your point of view from her web site!