When I turned the TV on last night, I discovered that my left ear was now as deaf as my right ear.  In other words, I now live in a silent world.

It’ll be ear wax responding to the olive oil drops.  And that’s fine.  Except the docs won’t see me for another eight days as they don’t want the syringing to perforate my ear drum.  I’ve been in this position before.  But as a 26 year old it was the only thing I had wrong with me at the time.  Now I’m beginning to get overwhelmed with minor conditions on top of everything else.

Still, ,my man flu has gone away and my intense should pain is in its last throws.  Fingers crossed it’ll be back to normal tomorrow.

So off to the hospital for my bone strengthening zometa infusion.  Excitement as I manage to get a disabled space.  Frustration that it only allows wide door opening on the passenge side.

Into the hospital foyer and some nice people from Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation have set up an information table.  It’s lung cancer awareness month.  If you’re not aware, I have lung cancer.  The table includes a leaflet highlighting the symptoms of the disease.  The nearest to anything on the list that I experienced was shoulder pain.  But I’m not sure “collar bone pain” is quite the same.  Even with a perfect GP I was pretty much doomed not to be investigated for cancer early on.

Before popping into the chemo ward to be plugged in to my zometa drip I headed to the ward reception to double check my next appointment had been finalised.  I wasn’t even on the list as needing one.  Slightly worrying when I’m awaiting scan results and will run out of osimertinib pulls in two weeks.

And it struck me quite hard what a battle it is dealing with hospitals and their internal bureaucracy.  I remained calm and polite while it was all resolved.  But I did wonder how a weaker patient would have been dealt with.  Would the appointment never happen?  Would the prescription never be written?  Would he just go home and slowly die by himself?

I’ve never been that way.  But sometimes having somebody else on your side to pick up a phone and chase something, or be stubborn with a complaint on your behalf, can be a godsend.

The zometa is now in my system.  I’m dreading the severe pains returning like last time.  Perhaps they won’t.  I could use some good news!

The Zometa Solution