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Bob Vernon’s Journey                                                Page 1



                   Why I am stood here                          visit I knew why they all looked
                   I was asked to give a talk today on          miserable. I know it affects people
                   some subjects like, Oncology,                differently, but I am sure a lot of
                   Dieticians, Fundraising, etc. So, I          you will agree it does make you
                   thought the best way to cover these          feel nauseous and sick etc. I had a
                   subjects would be to talk about my           bit of a worry after my operation
                   experience of finding out I had              because I received a letter telling
                   Cancer of the Oesophagus and all             me I had an appointment with Dr
                   that followed.                               Warner and my reaction was “Oh
                                                                no, am I going to have to have
                   How it all Started                           more Chemo”. Wrong… she
                   I was having regular Endoscopies             wanted to tell me that my scan
                   as I suffered with Barratts                  confirmed I was all clear.
                   Oesophagus, which is how they
                   discovered this had progressed,              My First Operation
                   and the biopsies came back                   This was my first major operation
                   cancerous. I was referred to Mr              and stay in hospital, so I was not
                   Maynard at the Churchill Hospital            too sure what to expect. A friend of
                   and came under another consultant            mine, who had a heart operation, a
                   Mr Marshall.                                 kidney operation, and a Cochlea
                                                                Implant, told me that I have to treat
                   My first meeting with Bob                    the situation like I would when
                   Marshall                                     putting my car into the garage for
                   On my first meeting with Mr                  repair – you have to trust them to
                   Marshall, he explained exactly what          do the right job. Does anyone want
                   would happen to me and that the              Mr Maynard to service their car?
                   operation was major surgery. More
                   major than open heart surgery. My            I was a bit surprised that the day
                   reaction was Oh, sh… sugar (that             after my op’ I was dragged (not
                   was my shock NOT me referring to             literally) out of bed and walked up
                   Mr Marshall. He is nice but I                and down the ITU ward with all the
                   wouldn’t call him sugar!!!!)                 tubes that had been inserted into
                                                                me still there. I still remember the
                   My Chemo                                     bloke’s name because he came
                   As for the Oncology side of things, I        every day to do the same thing,
                   think I was relatively lucky as I did        walking me around the ward, then
                   not have a tumour so I only needed           the hospital as far as I could cope
                   two sessions of all day intravenous          with, telling me to breathe in
                   Chemo plus two weeks of pills after          through my nose and out through
                   each session. The Oncologist Dr              my mouth. His name was Bob, but
                   Nicola Warner was very good, in as           he also responded to
                   much as she noticed where I lived            Barb...strange but true.
                   and asked if I would prefer to be
                   seen at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.           Nursing Staff in upper GI
                   The staff were all very good and I           I am sure that you will all agree the
                   was assigned a specific nurse who            nursing staff are extremely good,
                   looked after me all day. This was            both thorough and caring. The
                   all new to me and when I looked              examples I have of this are as
                   around at all the other patients             follows.
                   having chemo, I thought what a
                   miserable bunch but, on my second

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                                                                      Last updated by Roger Beaumont on 22-Jan-2023
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