Well, we should be used to the trajectory that this cancer has forced us onto over the last eight months, but we aren't.
Before the gastroscope yesterday, we had two options, one palatable, one not so. Guess which one came up? That's right- the duodenal bypass (as opposed to the resection that we'd been hoping for). So tomorrow afternoon at 2pm, instead of voting for the 27th time ("vote early and often") I'll be lying on the dissecting table being carved up by a surgeon celebrating his 40th birthday and watching the clock to make sure he's home for the cocktail party at 7pm! (tongue is firmly in cheek about the clockwatching thing, of course).
The reason they can't do the resection is that apparently the cancer is heading north up the duodenum, and has involved the bile duct. That's a bugger. There doesn't seem to be any good reason why the cancer should be suddenly so active and aggressive: its just the unpredictable nature of the beast.
Things are a bit flat here in room 339 (phone number 6222 6839) at the moment, but I will try to update the blog between now and the operation. Trust me, I'd rather be out there voting!!