Day Two

Felt like I was learning the ropes. Drank water at the right time, but had  little difficulty with the electronic check in and had to check with Reception. Treatment on time, and very efficient.

And now, a weekend...

Day One

Thursday 28 January finally dawned.

Joanie drove me today, and we set off a little early. On the way to Cheltenham the first early white cherries were starting to flower--always such a hopeful sign for me.

In the Oncology Unit it was a bit like the first day of school. Before my appointment time I had a session with two of the Radiotherapists who went through everything and had me sign my consent form (again). Then I was sent back out to start drinking my 400 ml of water.

Like all first days at school I got the timetable wrong. The forty minutes wait for the treatment starts after the water is drunk. The water from their fountain is exceedingly cold, and drinking four cups of it in ten minutes was not easy, but I did it, and the countdown for treatment began.

At 12:20 I was called in and introduced to my new friend, Linac 9.

Once I was on the bench the threee Radiotherapists spent quite while adjusting it so I was comfortable and in the right position.

Then they sounded the little siren and headed out of the gleamin white bunker. The machine came down and slowly and mysteriously whirled around and did its work. if the background music had not been soft pop,  had been a litttle more technological, or, perhaps Pink Floyd, I could have imagined myself to be in a scene from a science fiction movie.

It seemed to take forever, but in less than fifteen minutes the machine had returned to its resting place, the radiographers rcame back in and helped me off the couch, and I was dismissed.

An equally easy and pleasant drive home in beautiful sunshine, with 2.7% of the treatment now completed..

Anointing

Alongside the medical preparations were the practical and spiritual ones.

I spent most of the month of January trying to tie up loose ends so that a mini-vacancy of ten weeks in the Benefice would go smoothly.

On January 18th our friends Nick and Monica joined us at the Rectory as David Runcorn celebrated Communion and Archdeacon Jackie anointed me. It was a very powerful and moving service for all of us, and a symbol of the very many prayers being offered for me in so many places.

The road to radiotherapy

The journey towards my present treatment started a long time ago. 

Back in July the GPS confirmed that my prostate was enlarged and rather hard. He ordered a PSA blood test. A couple days later he phoned me to say that my PSA was 80. (The high for a man of my age is 4.0).  I saw Mr Okeke at Gloucester eight days later. He was sufficiently sure I had cancer that he ordered all the tests, a bone scan, a pelvic MRI  and a prostate biopsy. These took place over the next month. The junior doctors which did the biopsy, accompanied by ultrasound scan, was sufficiently sure of the cancer that she gave me a prescription for bicalutamide--the hormone pills which have to be taken for two weeks before the injections can begin.

I saw Mr Patel,  the Consultant Urologist, at Cheltenham on 13 September.  The news was that I  have cancer which is fairly aggressive, and has spread just beyond the border of the gland. That means it is inoperable, and needs radiotherapy. Not the news I wanted to hear. He suggested starting after Christmas, and set up an appointment with Dr Bowen, the oncologist. He was very positive. 'Our aim is to cure this,' he said.

Dr Bowen was very calm and gentle. She talked a little more about what radiotherapy involves, and it's side effects.

In due course a large envelope arrived stuffed with appointments and advice. An Induction session on 21/12, a CT scan to plan my treatment on 29/12, a delightful tome on bowel and bladder preparation, and a schedule for the radiotherapy beginning later than anticipated, on 28 January.

Then, a month of waiting....

Journal

Many people have suggested that it is helpful to keep a journal while going through treatment for cancer.

Also, since my work email and phone are not in operation for this 10 week period while I am officially on sick leave, it may be a useful way of keeping people updated on my progress, so here goes...

Don't feel you have to read every word. This is a useful tool for me.