Thursday 21^st March, 2019 1800

Sitting around for three hours in hospital waiting rooms this afternoon reminded me of the NHS, although forking out money hand over fist did not.

By the time we got to actually see a gastro specialist the blood place was finished for the day so still no definitive answer as to the cancer question, merely the doctor's opinion that he thought it was. I'm with him on that one.

I am now booked in for Saturday morning for bloods and then a further exploratory Mersey Tunnel down my throat for a gander, this time I will be “sleeping like a baby” to quote the quack. It was rather more sudden than I expected and normally I would take that as an indication of the seriousness of my plight, however it is purely because I am free and more importantly so is Alice, who bless her, insists on accompanying me. Also, the doctor told Alice they make army personnel (quite rightly seeing as it's a PLA place) and foreigners priorities. Cancerous or not, those lumps do not belong and I strongly suspect whilst they are at it the scissors will be put to use. In the meantime I have new medicines to take and they were at great pains to inform me one is manufactured in Switzerland, the other in Japan. It seems many westerners abhor Chinese remedies. I do not, provided they are not TCM, for my view is that not only does it not work but it tastes like drinking from a sewer.

With luck by Saturday afternoon the ordeal will be over and I can then concentrate on ensuring the school do not try to wriggle out of coughing up for the treatment – although I do like a good fight when I know I'm in the right.