Radiotherapy update

● Day 1: Tuesday 22nd April. An uneventful trip to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. We left home at 08:30 and took the M42, M6 & A38(M) as our route. We arrived early, somewhere around 09:35, my appointment was for 11:05, but I have to be at the hospital 1hr before to allow for the use of the enema to do it’s job and also to empty the bladder, then to drink 4 beakers of water in 5 minutes, then wait. I was invited a few weeks ago to join the RAPPER research program. Radiogenomics Assessment of Polymorphisms for Predicting the Effects of Radiotherapy (Do they actually employ people to think up these titles?) I met Liz , the lady researcher who invited me to join the program today. We chatted a bit, then went through the formalities of joining RAPPER… consent form & blood samples done, I was in. Liz informed me that she would be keeping an eye on me, as I had refused the TURP operation some weeks ago (in my ignorance). It seems that had I accepted the op’, the radiotherapy would perhaps be a smoother  job for all concerned. I get the feeling that some doctors do not tell the patients all that is needed to help themselves. I have an enlarged Prostate which could close the urethra, which would not be a good thing to happen. TURP before Rt would have been better. There is thought that  radiotherapy could well shrink the prostate during the course of my treatment. Thanks Liz, I really did need that. I am beginning to think that I should have requested, or even demanded prostate removal. What’s done is done, or not, as the case may be. The radiotherapy bit was just another CT scan in my point of view,  I did doze off for a while, it’s what I do when doing nothing. On my return home, we called into Swad for me to do some shopping. Gareth dropped me off at Sainsburys, we arranged to meet in Morrisons car park. It was as I was walking into the Sainsburys store that the first wet fart blew, there was nothing I could do about it except to follow some chap into the toilet, hoping he did not want the cubical, there is only one in there, Having cleaned myself up, I was able to continue my shopping.Then as I was waiting to pay (self service) another wet one struck. Back to the bog, clean up & start all over again. Two more on my way to Morrisons, & one big one on my return home, cleaned myself up, changed  & got on with lunch. I spent most of the afternoon sleeping. I was expecting the tiredness, but not so soon in the treatment. Oh well, day one done and dusted, one down 36 to go.
● Day 2 Wednesday 23rd April. 03:00 woke up with throat on fire, ‘Old meat ‘ taste in the back of my throat & a lot of heavy coughing. Hot flushes just to add to the fun. I phoned the Chemotherapy/Radiotherapy emergency number for advice, the lady on the other end was having difficulty in hearing/understanding me. I eventually managed to make some sense to her, and was put on hold for a few minutes. The reply from the Dr was that I might have a throat infection, & to see my GP in the morning. 04:00 I managed to get back to bed. 08:00 up & dressed, took my morning tablets & went to see the receptionist at the surgery. I eventually got through to her I was not pratting about showing her my emergency card I have an appointment to see the Dr. 10:20. No problem as far as the Dr. is concerned,. Another uneventful trip to QE arrived in good time, 12:30 I went to post my card in the slot then did the enema thing. It worked within less than 5 minutes, soggy pants again, good job I have a spare pair with me. Called in to the room at 13:45, & dozed off again under the scanner. Treatment seems to be split into two sessions I have a ride into the scanner and stay for however long, then come out partially, then go in again some minutes later for a second go.. Back again tomorrow. We took a slightly different route to the motorway, hoping it would be quicker.... BIG MISTAKE, we will not be doing that again. Home for a late lunch of cheese & biscuits just for a change, then slept for most of the afternoon and some of the evening.
● Day 3 Thursday 24th April. Good journey to B’ham arrived at QE for 14:00 I did the enema thing and just sat in the bog for a good 10 minutes before anything happened. Good move on my part, a clean job all around, clean pants going home☺ fell asleep top end of M42, did not sleep much back at home but went to bed very early 23:30.
● Day 4 Friday 25th April Left home 07:00 . M42 was busy, but we still covered the journey in an hour. The enema trick I did yesterday seems to work. No problems under the scanner just dozed off. I will remember to ask sometime why I seem to have two goes at the scan, I ride in then out after some minutes, wait, then go in again for another session? I was given my appointments for next week , Mon’ 08:30 (hospital does not open until 07:30 I have to be there 60 minutes beforehand) Tues’ 13:50, Wed 11:35 Thurs/Fri’ 10:55. I was told “Being the ‘new boy’ I have to fit in with other patients, but if I do have an appointment somewhere sometime,I am to tell Liz, & make arrangements.

Week Two

● Day 5 Monday 28th April. Leave home 06:30  for  07:30 prep. I enquired about Hospital Transport, as I felt that under present circumstances I could not guarantee a lift to the hospital owing to the fact Carol is due shortly to be admitted to Burton Hospital, unless she has been forgotten, it has been 10 weeks since her pre-op, all she has had was a phone call asking if she was available for a cancellation call out. Since then, nothing. Although Gareth is available for the foreseeable future , he will be having to see a specialist for his current status, extended sciatica with muscular complications, Also he has to go to work Tuesday to meet his management regarding his future at work. The news is good in my case, as I am receiving Radiotherapy, Hospital transport is free of charge. The remainder of this weeks timed appointments have been cancelled. Tuesday I have to be ready to be picked up by ambulance or ambulance-car for 11:00. The rest of the week will be morning sessions, so I have to be ready for my lift by 08:00. This will be the arrangement until treatment has ended, either morning or afternoon sessions, no specific times have been stipulated. Now for the not so good news, My enema, although completed by my treatment time, got me back at home  around 10:15 the wet fart, not a lot, but too much for my taste. Being at home I was able to sort things out with no fuss, I thought I had cracked that one, oh well keep going, let’s see what tomorrow brings..
● Day 6   Tuesday 29th April. 11:00 phone rings as car arrives. Scanner broke down, do not get into car. Smart move lady, I don’t see the point if nothing will be happening. I tell Alan the driver of the breakdown, I go indoors & tell Carol, “I’ll take you to town”, where we spent the next few hours. A nice sunny day. Quite enjoyable really.
● Day 7 (or should that be 6?)  Wednesday 30th April. 07;30 ambi’car arrived, we have to go via Lichfield & Aldridge. Arrive at Q E 09:35. I did the enema thing filled with water and waited  for just over an hour. It seemed storage not having Gareth there to talk to, however just looking around was quite interesting. Scan over I then had to check out at the reception desk, called into the gents as a just in case, as I had an unknown ride ahead of me. I arrived at home 11:35 after a sleepy drive. Oops, nearly forgot  on my arrival at Q E I was told by the driver that the building on the R was where radiotherapy & chemotherapy could stay for a week  if they wished depending on room availability. He thought that even the food might well be free. I think I’ll just stick with the transport, I would sooner be at home thank you. But I can see where the offer could be very attractive.
● Day 8 Thursday 1st May  Car called for me 08:30 there was one more passenger to collect in some Brum' suburb. What a place, even the sat-nav had to have two goes at getting it right (It didn’t ), a ‘phone call  got us there, eventually, a block of flats with just a name, I reckon warden controlled, Alan had to go looking for our passenger, and came back by himself, the appointment had been cancelled. A few choice words  to his control, and we were off again. It is surprising how many ways there are to get to (and from) the Q E  I have picked up at least 5 since joining the Hospital transport. We arrived at 10:00 so I was able to drop my appointment card into the holder & get on with the enema thing. To digress a little here, Yesterday My Good Lady asked why I had put some mince in the pan to thaw. I told her I was doing a Spaghetti Bolognese for tomorrows (today’s) dinner. She told me that she had words with our son & between them came up with another choice, I ended up with 2 German pork burgers, home made wedges and a good portion of baked beans. I will say no more. Suffice to say, the enema experience was quite an eye opener. But strangely enough, no after effects some hour or so later. So all was well. I asked the scanner operator how things were going for me, and was told “Fine, no problems.” I then asked id the bank holiday Monday was a day off, Yes it is! Ah well, hope I do not need further treatment in future bank holidays in the UK, it’s not a good idea to be unwell during these times. My driver was waiting for me so it was back home post haste In for 12:00 Tomorrow???
● Day 9 Friday 2nd May Leave home with Alan my driver 08:30, call to Coleshill for a second passenger before going on. It was a quite interesting trip, Alan & Harry both worked for Dunlop years ago & I worked at Pirelli, I used to go to Dunlop several times a year, so in some ways, we all had something in common. Harry was well into his late 80’s, if not older, and to listen to him talk, it was like listening to Dad in many ways, trying to bring back faded memories. I arrived at the clinic 10:10 dropped my appointment card in the holder, sort of clocking in really. I did my enema-bladder thing, then had my 4 beakers of water. I dug my e-book reader out of my bag only to discover I had brought the wrong glasses with me. So I repositioned myself, relaxed & promptly ‘switched off’ sort of meditation if you will. It was not too long before I was asked how long ago I had my drink. Then a few minutes later I was in the scanning room on my back. Pushed & pulled into position then into the tunnel for the initial scan. I have noticed in the past that there is a noise like several pieces of metal falling in a controlled way before re-entering the scanner, I think that these are the ‘leaves’ falling into place to shape the pattern required for the X-rays to do the job. I hear them fall, I then do a count down 5, 4, 3 and so on & on zero, I go back in again, I start to drift off again, and before I know it, I’m on my way out again. I was told that May day bank holiday there will be no treatment, so a 3 day enema holiday. When I go back on Tuesday, I am an AM (morning) patient, which suites me as I can then have the rest of the day to myself.