My good friends, thank you SO very much for your kind words of comfort - every one very much appreciated.

Now that I know the situation myself (I had my first meeting with my specialist consultant yesterday), I feel I can share a few things with you. I do this, as I stated earlier, not (believe me) seeking for sympathy but as an attempt to calmly put you 'in the picture'. So here goes:

For a few weeks I have known that I have bowel cancer but, until yesterday, did not know how serious it is. My scans indicate that it is an enlarged tumour ....... which, at the present time, is inoperable because it is 'wedged' between the pelvis and bladder, leaving no space for the surgeon to operate. I am therefore to be given radiotherapy treatment for four, maybe six, months in an attempt to shrink the tumour to a point where there is room for the surgeon to get in and do his best. If the radiotherapy is unsuccessful, there is nothing the surgeon can do.

This, if all goes according to plan, is likely to be a lengthy process and it might be October/November before I am fully recovered. I know full well just how little I have been involved with the forum of late, but must now say that I probably will be evident even less for several months, and not at all whilst I am in hospital or receiving convalescent care. Please bear with me. I will 'lurk' whenever possible and will endeavour to get progress reports through to you as time passes. Thank you again for all your wonderful support.

Take care,
Ham.

[NOTE TO MODS: I have felt for a while that this thread should be moved to 'off-topic' - perhaps now is the time to do so!]