We had to drive to Oxford today because Carol had an appointment at the Churchill Hospital this morning (Friday.) We'd done our research because we've used the park and ride system when we've been there and we decided it was going to be far easier to park in one and then take the bus to the hospital, because there was the real possibility of not being able to park in any of the hospital's own carparks.
When we eventually arrived at the Thornhill park-and-ride carpark we walked towards the building where the buses dropped off and picked up passengers. We had to pay using a machine and a very helpful staff member came to show us how to use the machine. It cost £2 to park the car and then Carol had to pay on the bus, but because I have a local authority free bus pass (one advantage of being 'of a certain age.') I didn't have to pay. We boarded the bus and the lady driver was so helpful and told us exactly what we needed as regards where the bus would stop at the hospital. Other passengers on the bus were really chatty and friendly. Nobody using a smartphone, which might explain the friendliness of everyone.
We got to the hospital far too early. That's us. We're almost always too early for appointments. But that's far better than being late. As a result we invariably get seen before the time we're given. Which, of course, has it's advantages. We went in the main entrance and then had to ask as reception where the appointment was to be. As we had more than enough time to spare we browsed in several of the shops, a W.H. Smith, for example, where Carol bought a magazine.
We eventually found the department where the appointment was to be. A large area with seats in with many people waiting and a reception desk where Carol registered her arrival. I went off to the toilet and when I came out Carol was being escorted to a room by a nurse. Carol said it might have been to move her away from other people who might have been infectious, which was not a good idea, as she is undergoing chemotherapy. We were left in the empty room and waited.
A nurse came in. She said something about Carol having an operation. We were somewhat stunned. In all honesty we really had no idea what the appointment was going to be about. We were led to believe that we were there to discuss Carol having radiotherapy on her liver. Apparently not. The nurse went away and after about five minutes a whole gang of nurses and a consultant came in. It was quite overwhelming, being in a fairly small room with so many people. Almost intimidating. The lead consultant discussed the operation that Carol was to have, not just on her bowel, but on her liver. These people were specialists on liver cancer and Churchill Hospital specialised not only in cancer but liver cancer and operating to have it removed.The consultant said that it would require two operations, done separately, to remove any cancer, not done at the same time as the liver operation would take around five hours. No doubt the second operation would be done in Milton Keynes, as we had been told a week or so ago. It would mean that I would need to stay in a bed and breakfast nearby so as to be with Carol when she was convalescing after the operation.
What is somewhat disturbing is that we had been told one thing, when we'd met with the Milton Keynes consultant, but now we were being given a completely different story as to how treatment was to continue. Carol would have to stop the chemotherapy a good three weeks before any operation could be done. The whole thing has left us somewhat stunned and feeling negative. Mostly, because Carol was led to believe that she would be able to return to work in September. She has a telephone appointment arranged for Tuesday morning with an occupational health adviser, to discuss her eventual return to work. The consultant's appointment on Friday and it's outcome will definitely change things.
We left the hospital, feeling somewhat negative, as you might imagine. We went to the bus stop and when one came we were taken into the centre of Oxford. We had intended making a day of it, possibly visiting the Ashmolean Museum. We went into Marks and Spencer and Carol had something to eat, but the aftermath of the earlier hospital appointment put me off eating anything. I just had a cold drink. As we'd walked quite a way, and it was a hot day, by then I was quite thirsty. On leaving Marks and Spencer, we began to walk toward the Ashmolean, but Carol wasn't in the mood and we were both tired, so we decided we just wanted to return home, so went to the park and ride bus stop near Sainsbury's and boarded the next bus back to the Thornhill carpark to return home. Not a particularly pleasant journey, well, at least the first couple of miles, due to very heavy traffic, but once we got well clear of Oxford the traffic eased up and we got home at about 3.25.
When we eventually arrived at the Thornhill park-and-ride carpark we walked towards the building where the buses dropped off and picked up passengers. We had to pay using a machine and a very helpful staff member came to show us how to use the machine. It cost £2 to park the car and then Carol had to pay on the bus, but because I have a local authority free bus pass (one advantage of being 'of a certain age.') I didn't have to pay. We boarded the bus and the lady driver was so helpful and told us exactly what we needed as regards where the bus would stop at the hospital. Other passengers on the bus were really chatty and friendly. Nobody using a smartphone, which might explain the friendliness of everyone.
We got to the hospital far too early. That's us. We're almost always too early for appointments. But that's far better than being late. As a result we invariably get seen before the time we're given. Which, of course, has it's advantages. We went in the main entrance and then had to ask as reception where the appointment was to be. As we had more than enough time to spare we browsed in several of the shops, a W.H. Smith, for example, where Carol bought a magazine.
We eventually found the department where the appointment was to be. A large area with seats in with many people waiting and a reception desk where Carol registered her arrival. I went off to the toilet and when I came out Carol was being escorted to a room by a nurse. Carol said it might have been to move her away from other people who might have been infectious, which was not a good idea, as she is undergoing chemotherapy. We were left in the empty room and waited.
A nurse came in. She said something about Carol having an operation. We were somewhat stunned. In all honesty we really had no idea what the appointment was going to be about. We were led to believe that we were there to discuss Carol having radiotherapy on her liver. Apparently not. The nurse went away and after about five minutes a whole gang of nurses and a consultant came in. It was quite overwhelming, being in a fairly small room with so many people. Almost intimidating. The lead consultant discussed the operation that Carol was to have, not just on her bowel, but on her liver. These people were specialists on liver cancer and Churchill Hospital specialised not only in cancer but liver cancer and operating to have it removed.The consultant said that it would require two operations, done separately, to remove any cancer, not done at the same time as the liver operation would take around five hours. No doubt the second operation would be done in Milton Keynes, as we had been told a week or so ago. It would mean that I would need to stay in a bed and breakfast nearby so as to be with Carol when she was convalescing after the operation.
What is somewhat disturbing is that we had been told one thing, when we'd met with the Milton Keynes consultant, but now we were being given a completely different story as to how treatment was to continue. Carol would have to stop the chemotherapy a good three weeks before any operation could be done. The whole thing has left us somewhat stunned and feeling negative. Mostly, because Carol was led to believe that she would be able to return to work in September. She has a telephone appointment arranged for Tuesday morning with an occupational health adviser, to discuss her eventual return to work. The consultant's appointment on Friday and it's outcome will definitely change things.
We left the hospital, feeling somewhat negative, as you might imagine. We went to the bus stop and when one came we were taken into the centre of Oxford. We had intended making a day of it, possibly visiting the Ashmolean Museum. We went into Marks and Spencer and Carol had something to eat, but the aftermath of the earlier hospital appointment put me off eating anything. I just had a cold drink. As we'd walked quite a way, and it was a hot day, by then I was quite thirsty. On leaving Marks and Spencer, we began to walk toward the Ashmolean, but Carol wasn't in the mood and we were both tired, so we decided we just wanted to return home, so went to the park and ride bus stop near Sainsbury's and boarded the next bus back to the Thornhill carpark to return home. Not a particularly pleasant journey, well, at least the first couple of miles, due to very heavy traffic, but once we got well clear of Oxford the traffic eased up and we got home at about 3.25.
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