We got the scan results on Wednesday as planned. The consultant was brilliant. So re-assuring and actually quite positive. The scan showed the cancer has spread slightly and that there were also signs on her cervix which showed up from the smear test. (read and compare below).
He asked if we could stay for a couple of hours and if so, he would remove the infected area around the cervix after his morning surgery- to which Mrs DC9 obviously agreed to. We get the results of that next week.
Overall, the consultant was very upbeat on the basis of what he has seen so far; Mrs DC9's age; the fact it has been spotted early on etc. She goes into hospital on 3rd April to have an operation to remove the cancer around the vulvar, plus a safety margin area, maybe some radiography too.
She's not out of the woods yet, far from it, but after the visit on Wednesday we all feel more positive - not least of all Mrs DC9. The initial visit last week was just total doom and gloom. The consultant that day sat us down, she said quite openly and frankly "you have cancer - the smear test we did was fine though". She then handed Me a leaflet and her assistant led us out of the room. From there on it was more doom and gloom. The consultant was even dressed in black. I appreciate she was just doing her job, but I have to question the way she told us and the things she told us. How does that help patients !!
During the last week after that initial visit where we got the news, the most awful thoughts have been inside our heads. Mrs DC9 has not sobbed so much in the 4 years I've known here. On the back end of that visit, she had effectively written off her life and became destined with death. I've never seen someone so scared in all my life.
One week on, when we actually got the results of the MRI scan, a different consultant - who I might add has a brilliant reputation from the research I've done - has told Mrs DC9 that she has a rare type of skin cancer in an odd area. With the correct treatment, he has every faith that a normal life or as normal as can be expected, can be had. His assistant even said that Mrs DC9 is not dying from this cancer and what she has is treatable.
Strange how one consultant can write off a person based on what effectively is very little information, i.e. results of a biopsy, and yet the next consultant painted a very very different picture.
I just wanted to share this with you. I apologise if my comments have veered off the main topic in question, i.e. MRI and claustrophobia but there is a connection.
Thank you to everyone who has passed on their best wishes to Mrs DC9.