I mentioned in my last post that I hadn’t been able to have my scans. That’s not unique to me. Even though my main reasoning is primarily due to being stuck on the opposite side of the world, people who don’t have that barrier are also falling through the gaps.

I read in The Lancet Oncology journal that “since a national lockdown was introduced across the UK in March, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer screening has been suspended, routine diagnostic work deferred, and only urgent symptomatic cases prioritised for diagnostic intervention.’

I wonder what the knock-on effect of that is going to be? More deaths, I suppose. I actually read somewhere that the 5-year survival rates for Bowel cancer have regressed since the start of Covid and are now back to what they were 10 years ago. That’s scary…

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I know people who have had their treatment stopped early in order to free up beds in case they were needed for Covid. I suppose their team weighed up the risks and thought they would be low enough to justify it.

Trials have been cancelled too and aren’t expected to start up again until the new year at the earliest…

I also know someone who’s recently had a similar surgery to what I had, and in her 20 days in hospital, she was allowed no visitors. None. Not one. I can’t even imagine what that would have been like.

So taking into account all of the above, I’ve decided to push to get my MRI done here. Takes the pressure off and puts my mind at rest. I don’t tend to worry about these things, but with my last 6-monthly MRI having been 14 months ago, I think it’s probably a good move. I’ll keep you posted! I’ve brought Clarence to Australia with me, so he’ll be there to help me through it.

In the meantime, I’ll drink some coffee in the sun! It’s going to be 28 degrees here on Thursday and I CAN’T WAIT!