Like a bat out of hell (or a drum n bass coffin)

The emptiest I’ve ever seen the waiting room in the Park Centre for Breast Care.

I traipsed all the way to Eastbourne to have my MRI scan yesterday (to see how much the tumour has shrunk before my operation). This time I was inserted into the drum n bass coffin to the sound of Bat of Out Hell by Meatloaf. The first MRI I had, it was Dude Looks Like a Lady by Aerosmith. Still, neither artist can cover up the banging and clanging of the MRI scanner which can be likened to snuggling up with a pneumatic drill. These scans are not my favourite of the procedures I have had to endure (I’m very claustrophobic and refuse to even use lifts)! Luckily I was face down in the coffin like tube so kept my eyes firmly closed and pretended that I was frolicking on a beach with Jeremy Kyle.

Next up was an appointment with the family history geneticist where we had a really interesting conversation about how mutant genes can increase your chances of cancer. I will be sent for testing to see if I have the BRCA1 gene mutation, I’m trying not to think about it till I get the test results. There are other cancer causing gene mutations they can test for but not on the NHS so would have to pay to go private. The geneticist told me about this computer programme called Boudicea (which stands for Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm). It is a sort of risk assessment that estimates your chances of developing cancer. She must have thought I was loopy when I started asking lots of questions about it… I might use the idea for a future art project!