Ticking away ... Day 1007 ~ what happens next ...

A week after finishing radiotherapy I'm still feeling its effects and it may be another week before improvements are felt.

 

Today though I was back for my four weekly appointment. I've been taken off the Abiraterone which has served me well during the last seven months and I'm being weaned off the steroids. Abiraterone doesn't work for everyone. Someone we met today for the first time in over a year only had two courses [I had eight] and he is now probably worse off than me.

I have a number of options open to me :~

[1] Enter a clinical trial with new medication that is showing encouraging results. I have to meet certain criteria ... and even if I'm accepted I may get the placebo ! The clinical trial is finishing soon so I need to get in quickly if I'm going to get in at all. Paperwork explaining the trial will be sent to me in the next few days.

[2] Another course of chemotherapy. This won't be as effective as the previous course but could keep me going for longer than not having it at all ! It wasn't available ten years ago.

[3] Bone strengthening drugs. These may well be needed as the cancer appears to be attacking my bones. One drawback is that I need my teeth to be in good order and they aren't. A visit to the dentist may be needed. [I think the doctor has seen my smile.]

All these three courses of treatment have to be provided in the city hospital an hour away rather than the town hospital twenty minutes away.

The doctor mentioned in passing that the limp that I have may be caused by one of the bones in my pelvic area that is as good as broken. This is due to it being bone/cancer/bone. The radiotherapy may resolve this ~ the next week may tell me more. There's no wonder it hurt a few months ago when I missed the step on that stile ... and when I roll over in bed every night.

Here I am after the visit ...

 

On a positive note the bacon baps were as good as ever and the social side of visiting hospital continued when I met someone I'd been talking to just yesterday. I hadn't seen her for months before that ...

One negative note ... I'm not sure they do bacon baps in the big city hospital.

This photograph has already appeared on Facebook and someone has said that judging by my smile the news must have been good. I wouldn't go quite that far but again it's been a case of me getting what I expected.

Ticking away ... Day 767 ~ we're talking 'quality of life' now ...

I was thinking that yesterday's check-up, the first in three months, might not be quite so encouraging as previous ones had been.

In the event it was probably slightly worse than I had anticipated.

The groin strain that I had started to notice about ten days ago is likely to be cancer cells in my pelvic bone according to my new consultant ... but this can be treated by radiotherapy with a view to maintaining the "quality of life".

My PSA reading according to my last bloodtest is now just over 30.

The small lump in my neck may be malignant ... but there are drugs that should be able to knock it back for three or four months.

So, it was more of a triple whammy than a double.

Still, all is not lost and the next move is to have a CT scan to see how far those cheeky little cancer cells have got and then I [or more likely the doctor] can decide whether I have some radiotherapy and/or some more drugs or adopt a 'wait and see' policy ... and then have some radiotherapy and/or some more drugs.

So although I'm hobbling a bit at present I am still making the most of life and I was still able to pose for a photo after yesterday's 'bringing you back to earth with a bang' session ...  

There was some good news though. When we went into the Cavendish Suite a good number of the nurses and staff remembered us and showed us the attention, courtesy and care they have showed us thus far ...

... and the bacon rolls and coffee Jamie and I had afterwards were very enjoyable [though I did think Jamie having two bacon rolls was rather excessive].