I Have Stage 3 Bowel Cancer
There. I said it. In public…
Did you bring an overnight bag?
These words shook me to the core a few weeks ago as I sat in the doctor’s assessment room of our local Accident and Emergency department.
Did you bring an overnight bag? Because you are not going home. I’m admitting you for emergency surgery…
Fortunately, my eminently sensible wife had anticipated this possibility. She had thrown a few essentials into an overnight bag — which necessitated merely a quick walk to the car park rather than a fifteen-mile round trip.
But before we get to what happened next, let’s rewind and get some context.
After quitting Medium at the start of March, I settled into a leisurely pattern with days filled with model making, walks along the beach, board gaming, and trips to coffee shops.
The UK weather was unseasonably wet throughout Easter. Towards the end of the month, I turned to my wife one day and said, “You know what? How about I book a holiday for us somewhere warm and sunny? We could go next week if we want. I’ll pay for it from my Medium earnings...”
Within the hour, I booked us into a week-long hotel stay in Turkey with insurance and car…
