how did this all start?

Jan 13 - visited GP for a regular check and a few niggles. after a poke around and thorough check, expressed dismay and booked me in for an urgent appt with Oncology specialist. Well, that was a load of laughs - not! He then confrimed what the GP has suspected, mainly an aggressive cancer in the rectal area and lymph nodes in the groin, all very persoanl! From there, things moved quickly. susequent appts at Mercy and diagnostic clinics, enough blood tests to make my arm feel like a pin cushion (this on a guy who just loathes needles)  and more scans than a supermarker checkout. CT scans, where they pump you full of iodine to highlight the affected areas, a PET scan where they inject you with radiation so you 'glow in the dark' to highlight and confirm said areas, and another pre-radiotherpy scan where any shred of human dighity you may have retained goes out the window. On this one you have to have the bladder full, but not so full that you want to pee in the middle of the process - very tricky for a 63 year old bladder that has seen better days.
But wait, theres more! An ECG to make sure your heart is up for the treament they're going to be dishing out, and another MRI scan this Tuesday. Subsequent meetings withe the head of the gastroenterology dept at Mercy to discuss the 5-6 month course of chemotherapy, and the radiotherapy dept where they have timetabled a 6 week course of radiation beginning Feb 14 - it'll be some St Valentines day for Muzza! We'd love HEAVY prayer support prior to this ominous procedure! Naturally, we're looking at huge diet changes to help the healing process - had some great advice on this front from some wonderful friends. Watch this space!