After the scan meeting, I was killing time until the next meeting with the consultant oncologist to discuss my consent to take part in a clinical trial. It didn't take long to come to the decision to participate. If there is a chance to get additional treatment, it seemed foolish to turn down. My wife travelled home for a week, leaving me to work.
The 1st weekend involved a trip to Yorkshire for the night, bringing back a car load of plants (don't ask). I had forgotten how horrific the M5 and M6 can be on a Friday night, and am more than happy that I won't need to do that slog again anytime soon. The Sunday involved telly-clapping City to a totally unexpected win at Cardiff, Sunday lunch with family and a friend at the exceptional Old Bookshop and then a few beers watching Premier League millionaires battle it out.
The following Thursday was a trip to Wembley to see England beat Montenegro in what was the most instantly forgettable 7-0 I have ever seen. It was good to catch up with friends, but an England game at Wembley really does bring together some of the more depressing elements of modern football. Still, the next day was going to be better, after collecting my wife at Heathrow, we headed to Butlins, Minehead for 2019's version of Shiiine On. It has been going for 5 years now, and we have been to all 5. A cracking weekend of music and partying, all indoors, with a bed and a flushing toilet at the end of the night. I really couldn't be doing with camping festivals. During the weekend I caught Ivory Wave, Reverend and the Makers, Cast, Lightning Seeds, Wedding Present, Baby Bird, Inner City, Clone Roses, Pop Will Eat Itself, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Wonder Stuff, The Farm, and a closing party with Bez and Rowetta. By the end, I was shattered, but we had already booked up for 2020.
A couple of days later I dropped my wife back at Heathrow, and then had a couple of days of work before meeting the consultant on Friday. The meeting was short, but informative. She had to confirm again if I was still happy to consent (I was), and after signing more forms, answering more questions, and giving more blood I was done. I had to wait until Monday to find out what protocol I was randomized to (might be simple monitoring, might be actual drugs). Over the weekend I went back up to Bristol to see City scrape a deeply unsatisfying 0-0 draw v 10-man Forest, normal service being resumed. The day was redeemed by that night's concert, the Happy Mondays. Now, the Mondays are a bit of a schizo band, you never can be sure what version will turn up, and you have a 50/50 chance of sublime or horrific. The last time I saw them (at Shiiine 2017), it was the latter: arguing on stage, forgotten lyrics, bad set list. Thankfully this time they had brought their A-game, and it was fantastic trip down memory lane back to Madchester.
And to catch up, spoke again with the hospital today, and they confirmed I had been randomized into the active path of the trial, meaning I get the good drugs that may or may not help. I need to go back in for another meeting, meet with the pharmacist etc in a couple of weeks, but at least I now know my timetable for the next couple of months. It might need some jiggling of travel dates, but nothing insurmountable.