25th August

Pete's Points
Went to see the doctor yesterday and had one of those days that you really want to forget about after you had it.

Let's start at the beginning.

First there is the wonderful opportunity to enjoy circling one or more of the parking areas waiting for a spot on a rainy day and cursing as the time passes and the opportunity to find something close to the Radiation Oncology Unit so you can walk there in the pouring rain and NOT be late for your appointment becomes almost like a search for the holy grail.

Then when you get a spot eventually the "pay and display" opportunities mean that as you start to feed in your coins you discover that by the time you have paid for the time which you assume your appointment will take AND added a safety margin, you have in your hand what amounts to an all day parking ticket!

That is annoying enough!

Then when you get in to see the doctor, the poor thing is almost run off her feet and running late. Patients like me sit in the waiting room feeling comfortable knowing they have secured their parking spots while others seem to squirm in their seats as each minute passes knowing that they have not.

Finally when I got to see my doctor she asked how I was faring. I described my circumstances as best I could indicating that the treatment for the radiation burns that had been suggested - namely some zinc and castor oil cream had actually produced a negative reaction in my case and seemed responsible for causing an open wound rather than solve the problem. I was advised that at least one other patient had enjoyed a similar experience. My solution - namely cleaning the area and then applying an antiseptic powder with the result that the wound is healing in the normal manner brought a smile to her lips. Following an examination I was told that the area looked to be recovering well. I then advised about the issue with the nasal bleeding and was afforded the opportunity to have a scope shoved up my nostrils and eventually down into the throat and past the larynx. Even with a local anaesthetic spray that numbs the various areas and tastes bloody awful I can assure you that having that little tube shoved into those spaces is less than comfortable!

Suffice it say that she noted that I was red raw and that I needed to use something to start a healing process inside the are. A pseudo ephedrine spray as a vaso constrictor was suggested, or if that was unavailable a pill but taken at half dose. She also noted that my larynx was apparently pushed to one side as a result of the operation perhaps. I asked that this be reported to the speech pathologist so that she would have more work than expected.

Having finished with this examination and suggestions for treatment I let and only afterwards remembered that I really did want to find out the results of the blood test. Ah well a phone call will do today!

Meanwhile I went back to the parking lot and found more people circling still looking for spaces - so I gave my spot and my parking ticket with plenty of time left on it to the next poor sod who was tearing his hair out as he was late for his appointment.

Then off to the pharmacy where I was able to obtain the pills only and finally a real saline nasal spray.

Together these should resolve the sinus problem.

The lack of voice remains - next week will start to solve that mystery.

I hope the blood tests were OK - will find out and advise when I get the news.