More on yesterdays appointment – Having had to take mum to various appointments over the last few years, I have been interested in how friendly some of the centres are. Campbelltown Hospital is amazing in their cancer centre. Often you will be asked by a volunteer if you would like a coffee, and they will bring it to you whilst you are waiting. They have a small garden to sit in if you would like, and often have a person playing a piano. Volunteers mostly. In the chemo centre they have portable DVD players, and cannot do too much for the paitient and whoever came with them. Parking is available right at the door. Things are serene. It is almost like this is a private hospital.

Liverpool hospital is a bit different, it is not quite so serene. They have more people, and things are ‘grittier’. The staff are still friendly, but it is more like a public hospital. It just has a different feel – like you are in a hospital and you are sick – not like you might be waiting for a business meeting or waiting to see your accountant or something. You either need to pay for parking or find on the street parking, which is often limited to two hours. The two hospitals are really different.

Of course I needed to take Mum to Liverpool hospital yesterday, which I should say was somewhat disconcerting. It just had a different feel to it, which made things a whole lot more unsetling. I really did not want to have anything for lunch even though I was hungry and it was an afternoon appointment. I would not say that I felt horrible but it was close. I can only guess how mum felt.

Going into the appointment it took a little while for the good news about the CT scan being fine to sink in.