Cancer strikes again

My day has already been disrupted. And saddened.

 

Just after 9am, just as I was about to go & start scraping the potatoes for dinner, the phone rang. It was my cousin Pat.

 

She now knows she definitely has pancreatic cancer. She’s had a scan which shows the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the immediate tumour. In theory an op would be possible. However, it sounds like a huge op involving cutting into her stomach, pancreas, bowels & liver. As someone in her early 80s the thought of such a massive op is daunting.

 

She’s now had tests to check if she is fit enough for the op. The conclusion is no. She should be able to cope with the op but is unlikely to cope with the after-effects. Instead she’s been put on some enzymes to enable her to digest food better. She’s back at the hospital tomorrow to see if there is anything else they can do to help. I can only hope, and pray, all goes well but I’m not holding out too much hope. Both  my mother & her mother, my Aunt Janet, died of pancreatic cancer.

 

This is Pat’s second battle with cancer. Only about 5 years ago she had to have a breast removed due to breast cancer. She, like me, seems destined to have multiple episodes of cancer in differing parts of her anatomy. You can see why I say cancer is rampant in my family.