Good News.

Wednesday – the day before the procedure (colonoscopy) – was a bit harrowing, because if you don’t get it right, ending with a clear bowel, the procedure may have to be repeated which is what happened last time. It starts with the first dose of Picolax before 8 am and MTL assures me, unlike the American potion, the taste is innocuous. The second dose is taken between 2 and 4pm. A light breakfast is allowed and a light lunch and then no more solid food, milk or other dairy products are allowed until after the procedure the following day. Clear fluids are encouraged throughout the day.

On Thursday we rose at 4.30 am – neither of us liked to have to rush and we left promptly at 6am, with our overnight bags – just in case. The traffic was minimal and in spite of the giant X-ray van being at the hospital on Thursdays we managed an excellent parking spot. We were early but were shown to our room and eventually various staff came doing checks and double checks. We had a sweet nurse named Charlotte who was great at answering our questions.

MTL was first on the list starting at 9am and Mr M – our surgeon came about 8.30 remarking how well MTL looked and how he was getting younger all the time and it was probably time for him to get his gown on. I had great plans to walk through the grounds and cross the busy road to the little post office and get a top –up for my new mobile and a Daily Telegraph, but in the end once he had been wheeled off I just sat – like tripe at four pence - until he returned about 9.40 am looking quite cheerful.

He was told he could now have some tea and order a meal. Charlotte had brought me tea earlier which was much appreciated. As MTL had had some sedation we wouldn’t be allowed to leave for a couple of hours and Mr M would see us before we left. Before long he was tucking into scrambled egg with smoked salmon on muffins – aided by me as he was still tied up to buzzers and pingers – his first meal for 24 hours.

Then he was allowed to get dressed but not to remove his identity bracelet until we actually departed. Soon Mr M came bounding in – still in his theatre scrubs. Everything went well – it was all quite ‘normal’ we would have a CT scan in February and if that was clear we would be ‘discharged and ‘cured’.

We never count our chickens but we both felt enormously cheerful as we left for home – to be driven by a ‘responsible adult’ - (that’ll be me.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your invaluable support and good wishes.

Charlotte: Have you any valuables I can put in the safe?

MTL: Pat is my most valuable asset. Can you put her in the safe?