And today’s news.

Well, it's been another busy – and somewhat surprising – day in the sunny world of the charmingly named London cancer Centre (aka Parkside).

Had a very nice morning cuppa and a bircher muesli (although the bacon sarnie was calling me VERY loudly) with Claire White this morning in our halfway house of Costa, Sainsbury's in Sutton, before I had to go see Prof at 11.30.

Saw him – and got the full download of the new MRI from yesterday. This has identified a 'myelomatous deposit' of 1.8cm in my sternum exactly where the pain is. If you imagine the bone as a hollow circle with an inner circle and an outer circle, the deposit has eaten into the bone (i.e. broken through the inner circle) but not yet broken through the outer cortex – which would class it as a fracture. 

So – two big pronouncements came from Prof, the first being that 'this MRI now provides compelling evidence to give me radiotherapy'. And the second being the rather crappier bit of language which was him describing what he had called 'a deposit', also as 'a tumour'.

I have a bloody tumour in a core bone in my chest. No fucking wonder it hurts.

I then got whisked in to see a very nice radiologist chap called Bob Phillips who poked and prodded me everywhere, looking for lumps and bumps, including in my armpits (not a good move on his part, I fear).

He said I would need anything between 1 and 10 sessions to nail it – all depends on what he sees when he scans me tomorrow.

So the lowdown is that I am going back tomorrow morning for either:

i) a planning scan, where they pinpoint the exact place to aim the radio treatment. This is what he said when we met. 

ii) the planning scan and my first dose of the radiotherapy – what they call 'a fraction', apparently. All new lingo for me as I've never had to have radiotherapy before. This is what the Parkside slot-booker then said when she rang me to confirm the time this afternoon. So who knows if tomorrow is treatment day one or not..

Interesting factoids to go with this are:

• I may get a sore throat and oesophagus as the sweet spot is bang where these run – and so am not supposed to eat or drink either hot or cold things. Both in terms of temperature (no cold Diet Coke from the fridge) or spiciness (curry is off the menu).
• Hot baths also off the menu for the same reason
• I can't wash that area of my body with soap, but shampoo running off my head is ok (go figure)
• I can't rub it dry with a towel but can pat it gently
• If I want to moisturise, it has to be with a specific pot of gunk
• I will need to put Factor 50+ sunscreen on this area for the next 6 months – well, the old cleavage probably needs it anyway
• And we'll just have to see if I get any of the other stuff that comes with radiotherapy – nausea, tiredness, red skin, pervasive smell of banana, slight cough etc (ok, one of those isn't true, ha)

I actually feel ok emotionally, as the pain has been so shit that if this can maybe make it go within a week, it has to be something to be tried and – let's face it, it's time something went my way – it could actually work and I'd get a big bit of my mobility back.

Poor Mr H is feeling awful about it, as he leaves to go skiing with the boys at 4am tomorrow morning so the timings are a bit shit. But I have various things and chums lined up, all of which can be postponed if I do feel too knackered, so it'll all hopefully be fine. 

We'll see! 

S x

PS Thanks for the very kind texts – I am very lucky to have such a top bunch of friends and family.