Yesterday afternoon, I had a telephone call from Mr Eronini, a Consultant Urologist at the Cumbrian Royal Infirmary. This act alone was amazing as nobody has contacted me from that hospital since I was diagnosed on 18th June; apart from my appointment with the Oncologist in September. He had just returned from holiday and my file was on his desk, along with an e mail that I had sent him the day before, asking him to refer me to a specific Consultant at Addenbrookes.

He had called to tell me that he had spoken to Addenbrookes and that he was sending all my notes and scans down with my referral that day. He had also written to the local trust, because the operation was going to cost them over £20,000! Addenbrookes said that they could not see that this would be a problem as referrals of this nature had been made from other trusts. However, this is Cumbria and my journey to date has not been smooth. I have to ask myself if there are problems of finance ahead.

If all goes to plan, then I will be included on the next weekly MDT meeting down in Cambridge, and they will give me an appointment to go and see them. This will hopefully be followed shortly after, by an appointment to go back down for surgery. I still wonder, and worry as to what is going on inside my body during this time of waiting.

I passed my theory test today, after doing the training which will enable me to drive the University's mini bus fleet. Not all at once! Next week I have the practical test, so I will let you all know which day to stay off the roads around Penrith. They don't have Sat Navs, so I see a few trips turning into a 'magical mystery tour'! To my astonishment, because I had passed my driving test before 1997, I am already licensed to drive the heaviest buses, and tow a trailer! Had I passed before 1977, maybe I could have piloted helicopters? Silly rule with no logic, don't you think?

Now I have 3 days to catch up on study and other stuff. I am not back at Uni until Monday, when we will all be going out into the wilds on a 'Navigation Day'. 34 years since I left the Army, so I do need a refresher! At that time, a mobile phone was a radio, the size of a large suitcase, which was carried on the back. The only advantage being that it gave a certain amount of protection from being shot in the rear. Navigation during the day was achieved with a map and compass, and to find exactly where you were, you had to cross reference lines on the map from distant objects, like church towers or other large objects. At night, sometimes the stars were your only hope and if it was cloudy, well you just asked the locals in the nearest pub! Now, I look at the different apps on my Iphone and laugh; the only thing it can't tell me is the future, and I believe they are working on that!