It’s pretty much accepted that Manchester’s Christie Hospital is fantastic.  While for some it’s been a place to have your hand held as cancer leads you off life’s mortal coil, for others it’s been a life saving beacon of hope that has turned into the reality of full and ongoing remission from the evil that is cancer.

As well as treating patients it’s also a research institute.  It became relevant to me recently when they successfully treated a lung cancer patient whose disease had spread to the lymph nodes with a new trial drug.  While my spread is more severe than that it’s something I’m hoping becomes more widely available as and when my afatinib drug fails me.

When the Christie caught fire the other day my logical human instinct should have been “I hope the patients and staff are safe”.  My actual instinct was “I hope the research is safe”.  A bit wrong really, but hopefully you understand why!

I have no idea whether cute furry lab rats occupy the institute.  Sat there in their cages with coughs and crumbling bones being monitored as they progress through a course of the latest saveyourlifeatinib drug being tested.  But whatever research they’ve been doing there sounds highly relevant to me and others with lung cancer.  And yes, it concerns me that even a short delay in getting things up and running again could be the difference between early death and longer term survival for me.

Theres a fundraising campaign to help get things back on course.  I’d urge everybody to give to this one if they can.  The faster they’re up and running again, the more chance I’ve got of seeing my pension.

I Think Adelaide Has Finally Fallen Into Place