Sat 19th Dec. 2009 'colonoscopy'

Well we managed to get into York despite the snow and ice. It was -7 when we set off, but we went very slowly. I fell surprisingly ok, despite no solid food for over 24hrs now, perhaps a little weak in the knees. Anyway, I was 'booked in' and shown my room about 10.30 after a short but rather cold wait. The nurse gave me a blue paper gown to wear and a pair or very large navy blue paper pants with a slit at the back - mmm nice! Also a nice dressing gown and a blanket. We went through the usual paperwork and shortly after the Consultant came to explain the procedure and took me through to the theatre.

Naively, I thought it was just going to be a clinical room and a tablet or two. However, I was made comfortable, given nasal oxygen and attached to various monitors. The Consultant then tried (a couple of time) to site the cannula, through which I was given a pain killer and a sedative, which worked almost instantly. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, which is more than I can say for the actual procedure, which was excruciating at times and even the pain killers didn't prevent me from vocalising my discomfort and nearly breaking the hand of the nurse who did her best to keep me calm and distracted.

Once over, I was taken back to my room on the trolley to sleep for a while, which was quite pleasant. I was given a lovely latte and a sandwhich once I felt like sitting up and I can tell you - a cheese and tomatoe sandwhich has never tasted so good!

The Consultant said that he hadn't seen any abnormalities in the colon, but he has taken some biopsies and I'll see him again in a few weeks.

Friend Alan very kindly came and picked me up from the Hospital as Graham had a booking which we didn't want to cancel. So it's 2.30p.m. and I'm waiting with great excitement for the arrival of Joan, so we can have our 'Strictly Party'. A great end to a fairly traumatic day.