a difficult post to write

This is a difficult post to write, not least because my husband, family & some of my friends read this blog. However, everyone who needs to know the following in person has been told, so hopefully there will be no surprises.........

Last Wednesday we went for an appointment to get some results on a biopsy that my husband Colin had taken from a lump on his forearm. Unfortunately it wasn't the news we wanted and it was confirmed as a soft tissue sarcoma. We couldn't believe it, and the consultant couldn't believe it as he said that most of these lumps turn out to be nothing but a fatty deposit.

However, Colin went in to hospital on Thursday morning and the offending article was removed that afternoon. We are waiting on the results of what it actually was and whether they managed to completly remove it, although they were very confident that they had. He will still require 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy for "mopping up" any cells that may have been left behind. That doesn't start until the wound has healed though as they don't want the new healthy cells destroyed in the process.

I would like to thank 2 people in particular........firstly Colin's elder brother Niall who flew over from Ireland and arrived at the hospital on Thursday unexpectedly. We had no idea he was coming but it was lovely because I think I would have been a bit lost otherwise. We do not have any family locally and just to have him around and staying at the house with me while Colin was in hospital was a great help. Also as the hospital was 25 miles away, he drove which gave me a break from driving myself.

Secondly I'd like to thank my mum who spent a total of 16 hours on a coach here and back in the space of 56 hours just to support us after Niall left. Thanks Mum, especially for doing ALL my ironing!!

I'd also like to say thanks to all the friends who have sent us best wishes and offers of help, it is all very much appreciated.

The state of play is that we get the results of the pathology next Friday (28th). And possibly the stitches come out then too. In about 6 weeks time the radiotherapy starts at Christie's in Manchester and if all goes well that should be over by Christmas. As far as it goes, there is no chemotherapy involved, but there will be lots of follow up appointments to keep an eye on things for the foreseeable future.

Colin is absolutely fine in himself. He didn't feel ill before and he doesn't feel ill now. He is not even in any pain from the op. And he has a really positive attitude which can only help. But he IS going to slow down a bit. He has cancelled any work he had on (he is a self employed psychologist) and is just going to finish a couple of reports which need writing up over the next month or so. But hopefully all will be back to normal in the new year.

I am doing my best too, but I have the odd "moment"!! I think you have to let these things out now and again, its best not to keep them completely bottled up. But as far as it goes, things are looking good.

It was hard to know whether to blog about this or not, but Colin was fine with it, he hasn't held back from telling everyone the full story, he says its best to just get it all out in the open. I was going to try to write some arty post about dark clouds and light on the horizon, but that's not my style, so this is what you get. I know you will all wish us the best, and I thank you in advance.