Itz naht a twoma...(maybe)

Flew back into Sydney on a lovely Turkish Airlines plane - nice large screens in the back of the seats, warm cherry juice served and then I don't think I saw an airline host/ess the rest of the flight - they were simply searly or absent.  

Mum and Dad dutifully picked us up at the ungodly hour of 6am.  They were a little late (rude!!) but it seems that Dad had fallen down the stairs in the dark and sliced his head open. Despite this setback he was only delayed a mere 5 minutes. Oh the miracle of parental love.  Anyway a shower, short nap and we were straight to the GP where I had to suffer the indignity of having to pay (after two years of free medical care in the UK).  Anyway this was a mere formality as I was swiftly referred to a neurologist I already had an appointment with the very next day.  I am still not sure how I got this appointment with the neurologist so quickly - it may have something to do with previously mentioned parental love. The neurologist confirmed the diagnosis and sent me for some additional scans due to the poor nature of the CT, a possible thymoma and the funny spots in my lungs.  He also mentioned that I would probably need to see a chest surgeon some time in the future. Oh yeah and in the meantime I was to return to his office the following week for some 'additional tests'.  It seems he was trying to rule out Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome or LEMS.  Oh yes and here is where the worry begins.  What is LEMS, you ask?  A strong relationship to small cell lung cancer?  Small cell lung cancer - that highly malignant and widely metastatic kind of cancer? Yes and Dave had me writing out my will with an estimated 3-5 year life span.  I was (as per usual) in the camp where I didn't really have anything wrong with me. Tick, tock and one week later we were back to neurologists for those tests.  Oh yes, did I happen to mention that they involved an electric current applied to the wrist?  I kept telling myself that at least it wasn't a fine needle with current to the eye muscle.  But it was little consolation when the current was applied with 10 consecutive shots, many times over.  Finally that was over and he could confirm that I didn't have LEMS.  All good news. 

I returned a week or two later to be told that he couldn't be sure if I had a thymoma or not and the best way to find out would be to take it out.  I was still thinking that with the wait and all (due to my health insurance company deciding not to cover me for this condition - NIB, my friends - take your business elsewhere) for the operation that I might be able to pop to the US of A and back again before the doctor even noticed.  But the big bombshell was the news that I would probably not be able to travel for a year or two.  A year or two - he might as well have told me that I was going to prison.  

Off to the chest surgeon we marched.  I had a very short wait courtesy of a very good and well connected family friend.  The surgeon had the same message that the neurologist had.  Surgery was my best option - neither doctor could confirm if I had a thymoma or if the surgery would fix the symptoms, but it was my best bet.  And I am also lucky to live in Sydney where they do this kind of operation using a robot and going in via small holes - Melbourne is the only other place in Australia that do this.  The alternative operation would be splitting the chest open, now that sounds even more painful than the electric shocks...

So now I find myself grounded in Sydney and awaiting an operation date (I am told it will be less than months but more than weeks).  I am trying my best to get as many eating experiences in while I can.  Although Dave is now making me wake up at 7:30am to go for a walk so that we do NOT get fat.  Lucky I still have time for an afternoon nap.  

Eating highlights

• Yen for Viet, 296 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville, 02 9558 2819 (don't miss the caramelised fish in clay pot)
• Mylan, 193 Keira Street, Wollongong, 02 4228 1588 (don't miss the curry with sweet potato)
• Bloodwood, 416 king st. Newtown, 02 9557 7699 (don't miss the polenta chips.  Be wary of the service - it was the type I don't enjoy, where they don't trust you with your own wine bottle and seem intent on overserving you overpriced wine)

Eating lowlights

• The Cooks Table, 43 Gerrale St, Cronulla, 02 9523 9381 (although our dining companions were fab, the food and service were disappointing)

We are off to Kelavu tonight.  Perhaps this blog will morph into a Sydney food blog - a kind of non travelling amateur gastronaut.