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| The Day That Changed My Life | |||||||||
| I remember it well. It was a Wednesday in December, two weeks before Christmas in fact. It had begun much the same as any other Wednesday; I woke up around seven-thirty and did my usual morning things, I had breakfast, a bath, got dressed. It really was an unremarkable day. Even the weather was a testament to the ordinariness of the day; grey skies, cold wind and light drizzly rain. The only thing that set this particular Wednesday apart from any other was the appointment I had scheduled for that afternoon at three-fifteen. | |||||||||
| My husband came home at midday and we ate our lunch of soup and a sandwich. I recall how we chatted about the events of that morning, and talked briefly of our plans for the afternoon. The soup was vegetable and the sandwiches ham on wholemeal bread, it's funny how you remember the little things. | |||||||||
| It was decided that he would come home at two forty-five and would drive me to the hospital where I had an appointment with the haematologist. I was quite relaxed about the whole thing and I clearly remember saying that it was no big deal, just a little discrepancy with a blood test...nothing to worry about. | |||||||||
| My husband drove me to the hospital and dropped me off while he went to run some errands. It was warm in the clinic, and the waiting area was filled with the smell of coffee as it was situated next to the WRVS tea bar. I guess tea doesn't smell very much. | |||||||||
| My name was called pretty much on time, and I went into a small office area with an examination room through a door off to the right. The doctor was a pleasant chap and he wore a pinstripe shirt with a navy tie. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up. | |||||||||
| I remember him asking me lots of questions and I recall answering them all, although I couldn't tell you what either of us actually said. He called for a nurse to assist him with a brief physical examination. | |||||||||
| The nurse had left when I emerged from the examination room and the doctor indicated for me to sit. | |||||||||
| He began to talk, to explain things, but his words made no sense. There had to be a mistake...But the look on his face told me there had been no mistake; his expression told me all I needed to know. | |||||||||
| I have known that doctor for several years now and we have since talked about that day. He said it is never easy having to tell someone they have cancer. | |||||||||
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