The First Visit.......

Kayla's first appointment with the new Onc team was scheduled for 10am on the 19th of Jan. A very civilized time, one may think, not to early not too late.

However, have you ever tried getting into central London in the morning? and the parking! Some of Kayla's web-friends from Jo's Trust (check out the link) normally park at Richmond and get the tube in, then its a 5 minute walk to the RM.

Kayla was fresh out of hospital and had ate only about the equivalent of 3 malted milk biscuits during the last fortnight? Green at the gills was an undertatement of immense proportions. She was barely well enough for this meeting let alone the tube and a tube full of commuters!!!!! Eeeewwww!

No she would need door to door transport and a sturdy arm to hold onto when she got there.

So by car it was. One problem solved another reared its ugly head. How could I drop her at the hospital door, escort her in and park the car? It's just not possible, especially on the Fulham road, you even indicate to pull over and at least a dozen horns blair out at you!

Lets now introduce some other main characters you will meet on this "The Long Hard Road......". Step forward "MJ" (Mummy Janet - Kayla's Mum) and "DD" (Daddy Dave - Kayla's Step Father) They volunteered to take us on the initial visit to this new and scary place!

We left at 7am on a mild winters morning. "MJ" as per normal, had packed enough food to feed a small but hungry army. The Tom-Tom navigated us there in a most respectful time of just over 2 hours! Not bad for just under 30 miles!!!!!

What a place! Talk about a warm fuzzy feeling in the old tummy, it's like no other NHS Hospital that I have ever been in. Kayla was soon registered and tea and biscuits in hand (malted milk her staple diet) we awaited the appointment with the new consultant.

This was soon underway and we met the team and discussed the way ahead. The thing that struck me most, was the level of thoroughness. Before this "heavy duty surgery" would be attempted, no stone would be left unturned to ensure that surgery was the right course of action for my wife. The second thing that struck me was the urgency, if surgery was going to be the option then it would happen within a matter of weeks. Kayla was booked in for the following week for an investigative Pelvic Laparoscopy, another EUA and a couple of other "oscopies" that to spare her blushing I will not describe further. She was then seen by the Pre-Op team and we left after 2pm and coughing up £16 in parking charges!!!

The initial Royal Marsden overall experience although amazing (cleanliness, corporate image, professionalism, clinical excellence, dedication, happy-helpful and focused staff, etc...etc) also had a more serious side. This hospital has a sole function of waging war on a serious disease, cancer. Every patient there had the same hopes and fears and anxieties as Kayla. They were fellow travelers on this the "long hard road", some in front of her some behind. I found it a profoundly humbling experience.