Andy A comes to see you, and it's great to see him. You sit in the garden, and he says, I can't believe it, I can't believe it. He says I can't sleep thinking about it. Somehow, his reaction and concern is comforting. He says this has been a wake up call for me, I'm making some big changes, and you think, brilliant, that's brilliant.
Later, at the hospital, you wait to see Doctor G. H can't remember his name, and says Doctor Gandalf will have all the answers. You snort, laugh, cough, say bloody hell, don't call him that.
Doctor G says, we'll start with chemo next week, you say, good, throw everything you've got at me. The nurse takes you to the ward, gives you folic acid, and a vitamin injection.
The tumour is like Gandalf 's balrog, it wants to wrap itself around you, drag you down. But this is real life, not a scene from the book you loved when you were 12. There's no wizard to help you. You'll just have to crawl out of the pit, and fight as best you can.
