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.