Chester the dog

Chester had chest pain and a cough and wasn’t feeling so good. This was because he had a large tumour in the front of his chest, pressing on his lungs and heart.
In spite of being over 13 years old, we decided to have a closer look at it.
Modern anaesthetics used at Westover rival those used at the Norfolk and Norwich for safety. In fact, they’re often the same! So we had few worries for Chester on that score. However, to get at the tumour, we had to open his chest. Once that is done, the patient cannot breathe – we have to do that for him. This is where our brilliant nursing staff shine, and Emma shone bright as a diamond.
There is something rather humbling about looking into an open chest, seeing the lungs inflate and relax, the heart beating …
The tumour was big but removeable. Tests showed it was benign. Chester is as as good as new!

The dog in the picture is not Chester – she is mine.
The coloured Xray superimposed is Chester’s.